Mormons: An Open Book by Anthony Sweat

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Sep 022012
 

Mormons: An Open Book

Author: Anthony Sweat

Publisher: Ensign Peak

Published Date: June 26, 2012

Softcover; 246 pages

Genre: Religious Nonficiton

ISBN# 978-1-60908-811-8

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review

Summary

With the growth and exposure of Mormonism across the country and world, more and more people are curious about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although most Americans have an opinion about Mormonism, many of them admit they don’t really know what Mormons actually believe. Using scriptures, quotes, facts, engaging visual images, and even some humor, this one-of-a-kind book is designed to openly explain the beliefs, practices, history, and culture or Mormonism. Chapters answer such questions as “Are Mormons Christians?” “What happens inside LDS temples?” and many more. Chapters address topics such as LDS beliefs about marriage and family, the position of women in the Church, and LDS views about politics in America. There are even sections that dispel some common myths and misconceptions about Mormonism.

Written from the perspective of those who know and live the religion, the pages of Mormons: An Open Book invite you to come in, learn about, and better understand a growing body of faith in American and across the world: Mormonism.

Review

Mormons: An Open Book is an informative book, packed with explanations and clarifications as well as gorgeous color graphics and photos inside a pretty, minimalistic cover. I enjoyed reading various articles about my religion as I paged through the book. Most of the information was familiar, but there were a few things that were new even to this lifelong member.

There are three sections to the book, with several articles addressing different topics in each section. I really like the way the information is presented. Mormons: An Open Book is a great reference for those who want to better understand The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Throughout the book the author addresses “Mormyths” and whether these beliefs others have about the Mormons are true or false.

I am glad to have this book to which I can refer curious friends and neighbors. With the national attention the Latter-Day Saints have received due to the upcoming election, having a resource like this is beneficial for every church member with curious friends and loved ones.

The contents of Mormons: An Open Book are listed below, as per the Deseret Book website:

Contents

Author’s Note
Preface
Introduction

PART 1: MORMON BELIEFS
1. Ten Facts to Know When Meeting a Mormon
2. The Message of Mormonism
3. Are Mormons Christian? Latter-day Saints and the Gospel of Jesus Christ
4. What Is the Purpose of Life?
5. LDS Priesthood Authority and Ordinances
6. Mormons and Marriage
7. Mormons and Family
8. What Happens inside LDS Temples?
9. LDS Scriptures and Sources of Truth
10. The Mormon View of the Afterlife

PART 2: MORMON HISTORY
11. The History of the LDS Church in Thirty Seconds
12. The Joseph Smith Story
13. The Book of Mormon
14. Latter-day Prophets
15. Temple Square

PART 3: THE MORMON WAY OF LIFE
16. Mo-cabulary: Understanding Mormon Vernacular
17. What Does It Take to Be a Mormon? LDS Standards
18. Mormons and Sex
19. Mormon Women
20. LDS Teenagers
21. The Organization of LDS Church Congregations
22. A Peek inside a Mormon Worship Service
23. Mormons and Missionary Work
24. Mormons and Money
25. Mormons, Politics, and America
26. The Weird and Wonderful World of Mormon Culture

Find Mormons: An Open Book-

GOODREADS | AMAZON | KINDLE | B&N | NOOK | DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK

 

The Cinderella Project by Stan Crowe – Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews, Special Features
Aug 302012
 

The Cinderella Project

Author: Stan Crowe

Publisher: Breezy Reads

Published Date: August 30, 2012

Format: Kindle/Nook/ebook

Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN# 9781938327049

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: I received a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Committed to saving his marriage before it starts, doctoral student Nick Cairn embarks on a project aimed at finding the secrets of everlasting love. But when Moire DeLanthe, a smart and sassy research assistant, enters the picture, his Happily Ever After is put to the ultimate test.

First Line

“The first time I met Moiré De Lanthe, I was engaged to be married.”

Review

I LOVED this book. I had such a great time reading it. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this contemporary romance written by a man. The story is told in first person from the hero’s point-of-view. The reader gets the chance to hear the male main character’s internal dialogue as he struggles, succeeds, fails and recovers.

Grad student Nick is working on his dissertation and after hours of observing couples in romantic situations, watching hundreds of romantic movies, reading dozens of romance books, and studying nearly a thousand brain scans of couples in various stages of love, he is almost done with his research. When a beautiful woman that is not his fiancé shows up at the lab requesting to be hired as his research assistant, Nick is hesitant. He doesn’t want anyone potentially tempting him and distracting him from his devoted commitment to his fiancé, Ella.

Nick is a hard worker, a good student, and a great guy. I really liked him. He has a few thoughtless moments of being a jerk, which only made his character more believable to me as he stepped in it a few times trying to make up for those moments. He gets confused when his fiancé becomes overly emotional at times while planning their wedding, but makes a serious effort to keep the peace and show his love for and devotion to Ella.

I loved how the friendship between Nick and Moiré developed. I appreciated how devoted Nick was to his fiancé even though there were a few times I wanted to knock him upside the head. I loved the scene at the Italian restaurant, and the tuxedo shop, and the outdoor mall, and the park, and the cathedral. I laughed whenever male ego reared its head. I wanted to hug Nick when he was hurting and frustrated.

The Cinderella Project pulled me in from the start and I enjoyed it even more than I expected. It was refreshing to read this male-written romance from a male point-of-view. I hope that it won’t be the last. I would love to read more books like this one.

If you like good, clean, entertaining romance I highly recommend The Cinderella Project. I gladly add this book to my “Favorite Romances” list and look forward to reading it again in the near future.

Find The Cinderella Project on KINDLE | NOOK | SMASHWORDS.

Click HERE for a list of blog tour reviews and author interviews.

Author Bio: Born to a to a teacher, Stan was reading before age 4, and has loved books since. In kindergarten, he won a local writing contest and became a published author for the first time.

Stan Graduated from Brigham Young University in 2004 with a degree in civil and environmental engineering. Still, writing ran through his veins, and he continued producing fiction even while he was designing homes and preparing cost estimates for bridges.

Read more about Stan and The Cinderella Project on his BLOG.

Delivering Hope by Jennifer Ann Holt

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Aug 292012
 

Delivering Hope

Author: Jennifer Ann Holt

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Published: February 8, 2012

Paperback: 224 pages

ISBN13: 9781599559025

Genre: General Fiction

FTC FYI: Received a PDF copy from author in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary: Olivia Spencer wants to be a mother more than anything else, but years of infertility have left her soul wounded and her marriage strained. Allison Campbell is a young, single woman who discovers that a moment of excitement has led to an unplanned pregnancy and overwhelming heartache. Deep love paves the way for sacrifice as the lives of these two women touch.

My Review

Shanda reviewed Delivering Hope for the Blog Tour back in February, but when the author asked me for a review, I couldn’t resist.  Jennifer and I have a lot in common.  Although, we have only met once, she is from the same hometown as my husband.  Good ‘ole Enterprise, Utah.  Catch up on Shanda’s review here.

There were many things that I loved about this book.  The way Olivia and Ally learned about the Atonement of our Savior, and especially how they applied it to their lives.  Prayer was a big part of this book, and each woman had to learn that what they wanted may have be different then from what our Heavenly Father and Jesus had in store for them.  There were many times that I cried when I was reading.  There is an experience told to Ally from her friend Hannah’s mother that was especially touching.  I loved it when Olivia read her great-aunt’s journal, and learned of her struggles with infertility.  I loved it when Ally’s father told her family that they were like a bunch of sticks that can’t be broken.  However, my favorite line was from Ally’s Bishop. (page 146)

Don’t give up.  I know you’re going to make it through this.  Don’t forget that Heavenly Father and Jesus are there to help you.  They are as close as a prayer.

The book was very emotional for me at times.  Even though I did not have the same experiences as Olivia and Ally, I could relate to how they felt about being a mother, and the feelings associated with having children.  I cried when the baby was born, and for what each woman went through during that time.  It is very well written, so have your Kleenex ready.  Actually, the whole book is like that.  I am very big on good, likable characters and this book does not disappoint.  I also really appreciated how Jennifer told the reader her adoption experience.

5 out of 5 stars.  This is Jennifer’s first book, and she is currently working on the sequel.  Follow her on her blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE / DESERET BOOK / SEAGULL BOOK 

 

 

 

 

Books for fans of Lego Ninjago

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Aug 282012
 

A Ninja’s Path (Reader #5)

Adapted by: Tracey West

Published by: Scholastic

Published Date: October 1, 2012 (available for pre-order)

Softcover; 32 pages

ISBN# 978-0545435932

Genre: Early Reader

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received review copies of A Ninja’s Path, Jay: Ninja of Lightning, Kai: Ninja of Fire, and Lego Ninjago: Collector’s Sticker Book in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary of A Ninja’s Path

Lego Ninjago toys are a hit with boys 5 – 9! Scholastic’s books are based on the popular Cartoon Network series.

Quiet Zane isn’t like the other ninja. His weird humor sometimes gets him in trouble with Cole, Kay, and Kai–especially when he leads the ninja into a mission that ends in the destruction of their home in Sensei Wu’s monastery. Now Zane must hope that a new path will rise from the monastery’s ashes….

Review

All of my children love Lego Ninjago, not just my 5-year-old son. In fact, we plan on dressing up as all of the different Lego Ninjago characters for Halloween this year. (I get to be Nya.) So I was happy to receive a few Lego Ninjago books from Scholastic and hand them over to my kids to see how they liked them.

My five-year-old son went straight for A Ninja’s Path. The color pages and familiar pictures from the TV episode kept him turning pages and asking me to read it to him. My three-year-old daughter was happy to join us. We’ve read it several times and they have flipped through the book looking at the pictures many times since. Of all of the books we received, that one is their favorite. It doesn’t come out until October, but Amazon is accepting pre-orders and it’s priced decently at $3.99.

We also received two chapter books, Jay: Ninja of Lightning and Kai: Ninja of Fire. While these just happen to be my two youngest’s favorite ninjas, the chapter books are a little old for them. They don’t have the color pictures of the first book, and my little ones don’t have the patience or comprehension to sit through me reading the story to them, at least all at once. My 11-year-old read through them and said she liked them for the most part, but she may be a little too old and more advanced of a reader for them. However, if you have a 7-10 year old reluctant reader (boy OR girl) that happens to love Lego Ninjago, these may be just the thing to get them reading. There are also chapter books for the other two ninjas – Cole: Ninja of Earth, and Zane: Ninja of Ice.

The last book we received was the Lego Ninjago: Collector’s Sticker Book. While my five-year-old glanced through it, my three-year-old daughter had the most fun with it. She loved pulling the stickers off the sheets and putting them in the book. She didn’t really understand or care about the spaces where you can track when you received a certain Lego Ninjago set, but she had fun putting all the stickers in their places. The sets pictured in the book are from the earlier Ninjago days, and some of the newer sets are not included. Still, my three-year-old liked it.

If you have Lego Ninjago fans in your house, they might enjoy one or all of these books as well.

 

 

The Guardian Duke by Jamie Carie

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Aug 272012
 

The Guardian Duke (Forgotten Castles #1)

Author: Jamie Carie

Publisher: B&H Books

Published Date: February 2012

Paperback & Kindle; 320 pages

Genre: Historical Romance/Adventure

ISBN# 978-1433673221

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received a galley ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary

The Guardian Duke is award-winning novelist Jamie Carie’s most exciting story yet, a uniquely arranged Regency-era romantic adventure where hero and heroine know each other through written letters but have yet to meet.

Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, is ordered by the King to take guardianship over Lady Alexandria Featherstone whose parents are presumed dead after failing to return from a high profile treasure hunt. But Alexandria ignores this royal reassignment, believing her parents are still alive and duly following clues that may lead to their whereabouts. Gabriel, pressured by what are actually the King’s ulterior motives, pursues her across windswept England and the rolling green hills of Ireland but is always one step behind.

When they do meet, the search for earthly treasure will pale in comparison to what God has planned for both of them.

First Line

“Heaven could be found in music.”

Review

I love good, clean historical romance. I could read them all day long. Especially if they have Scottish Highland lairds or English Dukes. I know, it’s cliche, but I still love it.

The Guardian Duke begins with Gabriel Ravenwood, Duke of St. Easton, enjoying an opera. He finds peace in the music, away from the pressures of the life of a duke. All of that changes when he receives a letter appointing him guardian of Alexandria Featherstone. Quite suddenly he is overcome with a mysterious malady that renders him unconscious and affects his hearing at various times throughout the book. His ability to hear music and escape from life is gone. He exchanges letters with Alexandria, intrigued by this young woman he has never met and yet seems to understand him so well.

Meanwhile, Lady Alexandria Featherstone decides to defy the King’s orders and search for her missing parents on her own. For me, this is where the book becomes more adventure and a lot less like a romance. If I had read the summary above before starting The Guardian Duke, I wouldn’t have spent so much time anticipating their first meeting. I started to get a little frustrated as Alexandria dodged the Duke again and again and I got closer and closer to the end of the book and they STILL hadn’t met yet. They do eventually meet, briefly. Most of their relationship develops through the letters they exchange. Knowing this ahead of time might have spared me that frustration.

Other than not realizing about the letter-writing, I enjoyed the rest of the story. It felt more like a romantic adventure novel rather than the typical “historical romance.” After Alexandria sets off on her journey, she meets a few additional characters who become her traveling companions and protectors: an older, former soldier, his handsome son, and an Irish giant married to a woman who looks like a fairy and sings like an angel. I found these characters interesting, with depth and stories of their own.

I received an uncorrected galley proof, so there were some formatting and proofing issues which were most likely fixed before publication. The writing was well-done for the most part, and the pacing of the story carried me through without feeling too rushed. I kept wondering when we were going to find out about what was wrong with the Duke, but that question isn’t answered in this book as the doctors are unsure about what is going on. I hope it is something we do find out before the end of the trilogy, though, as otherwise it will feel like a plot device.

There are mentions of God and prayer, but it isn’t preachy at all. There isn’t a big cliffhanger at the end of the book, though I was glad to discover that I had the galley for the second book in the trilogy on my Kindle. (Yes, I’ve read it and yes, I will be reviewing it soon.) If you like clean historical romance with a large dose of adventure, then you will most likely enjoy The Guardian Duke.

Find The Guardian Duke:  GOODREADS | AMAZON

 

Katherine Nelson and The Nashville Tribute Band Concert

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Aug 262012
 

Born Brave

Artist: Katherine Nelson

Producer: Jason Deere

Released by: R Legacy Entertainment

Release Date: July 25, 2012

Format: CD & Digital Album

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: I received a copy of the Born Brave CD and two free tickets to The Nashville Tribute Band concert in the Blogger Bag from the recent LDS Booksellers Association Convention

Review

Last night, my husband and I spent a pleasant evening at the Sandy Amphitheater enjoying the music performed by The Nashville Tribute Band. My husband travels a lot for work which complicates our weekly date night efforts. When I received the tickets to the concert I thought, “Eh, why not? It gets us out of the house.”

Sunset as we waited for the concert to begin.

I vaguely remembered something about a tribute to Joseph Smith a few years back and though I’d never listened to it I figured since I enjoy most country music it might be a nice way to spend the evening. A few days after the LDSBA convention I put in the Born Brave CD from Katherine Nelson. The first song, “Born,” is upbeat and catchy. My first thought was that my fourteen-year-old daughter would probably really like this CD. Then I caught myself tapping my feet to the music. Okay, maybe not just her. (Click through to the blog post to watch the video.)

There are several songs like this on the CD, as well as some softer, more emotional songs. Katherine performed a number of songs from the album last night but “Emma” was the one I remembered most distinctly. It’s quickly becoming a favorite.

After Katherine performed a few of her songs, the rest of the group came on stage. Honestly, I had never heard of any of these people before, but by the end of the concert I was seriously impressed. Top on my post-concert to-do list was to check out the group Due West. While they are all great singers, Tim Gates’ voice singing “God is Good” won me over.

The little Scott girls came on stage to sing a couple of songs and though my hubby wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, he had to blink back tears when those cuties sang “Somewhere There’s a Mountain.” Okay, I did, too. (Note: hubby says that he almost cried. He’s such a guy. It’s okay to cry a little, hon. Right, ladies?)

L to R: One of the Truman Brothers, Ron Saltmarsh, Jason Deere, Katherine Nelson, and Due West, with the little Scott girls front and center. These photos are from my iPhone, so not the greatest, but you get the idea.

The most unexpected part for me was when The Jets came out on stage. I didn’t know that The Jets were LDS until last night. My sister had their record when we were growing up.  (Yes, I said RECORD. They still had some of those around when we were little. Our favorite record was Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”)

The Jets on stage singing one of their new songs.

It was refreshing to attend a concert where the performers openly share their testimonies through words and music. I’m grateful to R Legacy Entertainment for the free concert tickets and CDs from the LDSBA convention, and the chance to enjoy a night of excellent music by some talented musicians. I hope you’ll take the time to follow the links in this post and discover them for yourself.

Some of my favorite songs from last night (follow links to listen to previews on Amazon):

Find BORN BRAVE by Katherine Nelson:

 

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