Compass of God

"Marriage is about the certainty of an agreement... It's the most important contract you'll ever undertake..." ishmael paused long enough to look into the eyes of each of his daughters. "Your search for marriage isn't so much the present concern of a husband, but a promise for the future of your children, the future of our family, and the future of the Jewish people. Marriage is the great circle linking us together through all the generations of time, the beginning of a sacred agreement of posterity forged in this world and flowering through all of eternity. When all the judges of Judah are gone, when the kings have passed on, when the tax collectors, soldiers, captains,k and scribes of the Jews are no more, and the law of Moses is fulfilled, when all of us have passed from this life, in heaven family will replace the governments of men."

That passage is from the back of volume 5 of The Promised Land series by David G. Woolley.
Everyone knows that as far as I am concerned David could write the phone book and I would gush over it and find it riviting reading.  But to tell the truth I would much rather read one of his novels than the phone book and so it was with unbridled giddiness that ripped open my package from Deseret Book and barricaded myself in my room for what I knew would be pure reading heaven.

I wish it had happened that way- the ripping open of the package happened but I had to go to work so I had to wait five hours before the reading could begin and then I could only read a short amount because it was late and I had to get up early for the other job. Now, here was my dillema- it is always a dillema with David's books- do I read the entire book then the chapter notes, or the chapter then the notes then the next chapter then the notes, etc, or the chapter notes then the book?  I just never know and have done it all those ways because if you don't read the chapter notes you really miss out on a wealth of information.  I can only imagine the wealth of knowledge bouncing around in David's head.  I am glad that he uses chapter notes to give us valuable background and knowledge to  help understand the culture and other nuances of the story instead of the boring info dump so many authors use that pull you out of the story.

I am also really glad that I don't have to know all of that background stuff to know that the gospel, or the scriptures are true or that Heavenly Father answers our prayers, because if I had to know all of that, I would be in serious trouble.

But I digress. Where was I? Oh yes, the long awaited Volume 5, I won't turn this into the long awaited review of volume 5.

I loved this installment as much as the others. However, this volume is a bit different than the other volumes. In books 1-4 there was a lot of political stuff going on and the love relationships were a side note, background to the main stories of intrigue and upheavals going in the world of Lehi and his family. This book however finds the intrigue and upheaval taking a background setting as the romance of relationships takes center stage. We become better aquainted with Ishmael and his daughters- will their betrothed ever return to marry them, or will the girls find love elsewhere?

Of course, having read the Book of Mormon many times I knew the answer to that, but how it would happen is what interested me. And I was not disappointed. I have felt all the emotions, worries, stress, doubt that the daughters felt. I identified at different times with all of them. And found each and every story written in wonderful, descriptive, emotive language. I was equally sad, happy, confused, scared along with them. But I was most moved by Elizabeth's story. I wondered how exactly David would write this part of the story, how he would make it what it should be. The scene where Elizabeth was done picking apples and walking home truly brought tears to my eyes. It could have been cliche and silly, but it wasn't- it was perfect, like coming home, comfortable and right. And I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Nora- I think I disliked her throughout most of the novel.  I wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her and I wondered how her story would play out since it did not appear that she was headed in the right direction. But toward the end of the book I began to understand her a bit more and by the end I even felt a kinship with her. I think that in her case my favorite Dr. Phil saying would apply to her-- "Sometimes you make the right decision, and sometimes you make the decision right"

If I could change one thing about this volume it would be the length. I felt the last chapter was a bit condensed and rushed. But something I can live with if it means volume six is not far away. Let''s get this family to the Land of Promise.

And something good about the long wait in between books? I get to reread them all so I am fresh with the story.

Thank you, David, for this story.

---

Indeed

Thursday Book Review

Defensive Tactics
by Steve Westover

In a world of corruption and moral relativism, how far will you go to protect the ones you love?

Paul Stephens has it all-- a wonderful job at the FBI, a potential new girlfriend, Emily, and a great apartment. Even when Jimmy, a friend from his past, unexpectedly ends up on his couch, Paul manages to keep it together, despite Jimmy's eccentric ways and sudden interest in Emily. But when a plan to arrest a corrupt judge puts Emily's life in danger, Paul is forced tomake decisions that put everything on the line. And with Jimmy along for the ride, anything can happen as they race to save Emily.

Defensive Tactics is the first novel for Steve Westover and he was able to tell a great story with all the things one could want in a suspense novel- corrupt officials, mob guys, chase scenes, sabatoge, narrow escapes, unexpected developments. What else could you ask for?

There was one thing that disappointed me in Defensive Tactics. One of the characters has a change of heart. I felt that the change was a bit abrupt- too fast. I would have liked to see the change and development as it happened to the character. I felt that on one page the character was thinking and feeling one way and then on the next page the character was thinking and feeling completely opposite.

There were also a few places that I was pulled out of the story because Steve began telling us the story instead of showing, but over all I enjoyed the story and liked the characters I was supposed to like and didn't like the ones I was supposed to  dislike. I flet that the overall story was well developed and believable. Given how well written this first novel is, I am sure that Steve will only improve and give us many more wonderful stories to fill out our spare time.

I do need to tell you that the main characters in this story are of the LDS faith and talk about doctrine and read scriptures, so if you are not a fan of that type of book, then you have been told. However if that doesn' bother you in a story here is how to get your own copy of the book, just in time to sit out in the sun for the last few days of summer weather and enjoy a good book:

Purchase book here.
Product Details:
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. (August 8, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599554453
ISBN-13: 978-1599554457
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces


*Full disclosure- I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a review

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Indeed.

Tower of Strength

I used to read a lot of LDS romance books. Really. When LDS novels first appeared on the scene, that is almost all there was to read. They were shallow, sappy and cheesy stories. When I go back and reread some of them I find them poorly written and I wonder what it was about them that I enjoyed so much when I was younger. I think as a youth I enjoyed them because there was that storybook ending where everyone joined the church, the boy got the girl and everyone lived happily ever after. Isn't that what every young girl dreams of? And considering there were no eligible LDS boys where I grew up having my crush join the church and us living happily ever after would have been wonderful. I guess. What do I know, I was a teen. But now I look back with the eyes of life experience and wisdom.

I can see that life is not a rose petal strewn path to happiness where everything works out in the end. And that some of the things that you loved as a youth are different as an adult. Time and things as well as people change. Circumstances are not always what you want them to be. Dreams don't always come true. And happily ever after isn't always happily or ever after. Young Adult girls grow up to be women and put away some of their childhood things and do the things that adults are supposed to do- cleaning, wiping noses, putting the cat out, turning out the lights, being responsible. But in the secret room in her heart the woman still believes in the fairytale where dreams do come true and happily ever after is not just a story, but a fact of life.

Annette Lyon writes LDS historical fiction. I had not read any of her books before because I stopped reading "romance" books. Especially LDS romance- too silly and the characters are flat and the endings were always too neat and tidy for me. However, I do read Annette's blog, The Lyon's Tale. While I love everything about Annette's blog, I love WNW (word nerd Wednesday) the best. Annette takes the time each Wednesday to explain something about grammar to her readers. When I got the chance to be part of Annette's blog tour for the release of her new book, I said yes. And I am glad I did.

Tabitha never let go of her dream to create a family. It wasn't the family that she thought it would be when she was dreaming of her happily ever afters. But she was willing to rewrite the fairytale and include new characters in her story. Sam also did not get the family that inhabited his dreams. He too had to recreate his story and include new characters. They both had to learn to open up the secret room in their hearts, knowing that they could be hurt and damaged yet again. The path they walked was strewn with not just rose petals, but thorns as well. But they chose to walk it anyway. They both learned to be strong and how to create a new life by relying on that strength. Then they learned how to rely on each other when that strength was not enough. Together they learned that with the strength of the Lord they can withstand anything.

The story takes place in Manti, Utah in 1884. The historical backdrop is the building of the LDS Manti temple. One thing I love about the way Annette writes is the fact that while her history is correct, and things happen in the book that happened in real life, the history is not the book. It does not take over the book, it is just the setting for the story. Tower of Strength could be set in any other city and still be just as strong and just as good. The romance is not sappy or silly. Tabatha and Sam do not do the silly things couples usually do in romance novels. They are friends first and foremost. They work together and help each other. And it is ok that Sam is not always the strong one, the all knowing one but has to rely on Tabatha to help him figure out some things. That was my favorite part. They are equal partners in their relationship.

I enjoyed this book enough that I will now be reading the rest of Annette's temple series.

General Book Information

Historical Romance

Trade Paperback

Covenant Communications $15.95,

336 pages

ISBN 978-1-59811-694-6

First Printing March 2009

Purchase book Here

Smells are a part of this book- Tabatha smells like roses and ink, Sam hates the smell of the horse barn and longs for the smell of the wood in his carpentry shop. I created two fragrances for this book. One for Tabatha that smells of a rose garden on a summer evening and one for Sam that has deep woodsy overtones. If you would like to purchase products scented with these fragrances, shoot me an e-mail.

Legend of the Jewel

Former Pinkerton spy Isabelle Webb needs a vacation. The broken leg she suffered while trying to warn President Lincoln of his impending assassination has mended a little, but her grief over his death has not. She and her young charge, Sally Rhodes, have an open itinerary when they board a steamer ship to Bombay. But upon meeting Utah blacksmith James Ashby, the two women opt to join the search for his younger brother Phillip, who’s traveling abroad with the ill-reputed Thaddeus Sparks in search of a mystical treasure. Upon arrival in India, other passengers are also interested in taking up the search. But the seeming good will of some soon turns dark on the streets of Bombay. As murder and kidnapping tears the group apart, James and Isabelle race to uncover the hidden motives and harrowing connections that threaten not only Phillip’s life, but also their own. First in N.C. Allen’s new series, this tale’s cunning characters and twisting plot will wrap you tightly in the action, intrigue, and romance surrounding the Jewel of Zeus.

As if I didn't have enough to do, I joined a book club. Legend of the Jewel by N.C. Allen was the first book we read. We met together last Thursday to discuss the book. N.C. Allen came and talked to us as well about her process of writing this book and the others that she has written. It was a very delightful evening with good friends and a good time.

Eileene, Nancy (aka N.C. Allen), Tristi

N.C. Allen wrote the Faith of our Fathers series. Isabelle Webb and her young charge, Sally Rhodes, are characters from that series. But since I haven't read Faith of our Fathers yet, I didn't know this. And it was ok. You don't have to know this to enjoy the book. And I did enjoy the book. It was light and fun and a quick read.

Me, Candace, Nancy

There was one point in the book that became confused. The main male character gets shot and a few pages later he was in a very physical fight with one of the bad guys. Very. Physical. I thought that perhaps I had missed a passage of time. So I checked. Nope, it was just a few days later. So I asked Nancy about that. And there was a very good explanation. The fight scene was added after the book was done and no one caught the problem. But it is something I can overlook because it didn't really take away from the story- just made me think I was sleep reading.

Karlene, Nancy

I liked this book enough that I will be buying the next two books in the series.

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Indeed.

Stalemate

Iris Johansen

An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller

From the front flap:

Eve Duncan has turned down the job twice already. Her skill and devotion in identifying murder victims and helping bring their killers to justice may be world-renowned. But Eve works exclusively for law enforcement and the families ofthe innocent, and theman on the other end of the phone is many things--none of them law-abiding or innocent.

One of the world's most wanted men, little is really known about Luis Montalvo except that he is extraordinarilydangerous and that he never takes no for an answer. Now he wants Eve's help in the wost way. fr he believes they have something in common-and he's about to prove it with a grisly warning.

Eve will leave everything and everyone behind, even the man she trusts and loves the most, Atlanta detective Joe Quinn, to travel to Montalvo's luxurious armed compound in the Colombian jungle to identify th sull h has recovered. She has agreed to this devil's bargain to save an innocent family, but also for a reason she can't admit to Joe, to the CIA, to anyone. For the man in the jungle has promised to be ableto give Eve what she wants most of all-- the key to unlocking the darkest and most painful mystery of her past.

But Eve is in more danger than she can imagine. As she gets closer to identifying the skull, she finds herself caught between two ruthless killers with no way out. Now, with everything on the line, Eve Duncan must make the most chilling choice of all. And if she's wrong....she's dead.

I had never read an iris Johansen book, so of course I was had not been introduced to Eve Duncan. One thing I liked about this book, even though the characters have appeared in other books, this book can stand alone. Back stories were explained in such a way that you never feel as if you are reading books out of order.

Dialog is the main reason that I have never written a novel. I am terrible when it comes to dialog. It always feel stilted and unnatural. Ms. Johansen, on the other hand, has no problem at all with dialog. Everything that came out of her character's mouths felt true and real to me. Even the dialog Eve has with herself felt real to me. In fact, I would like to know Eve and Joe and have dinner with them sometime.

My one problem with the book is this, the bad guy undergoes a transformation that I am not sure is one that would be real. The reason he gives for becoming a bad guy to start with make me wonder if he would be so successful at it if he were truly not an evil guy. And why is his profession ignored all over the place? I'm not sure I buy that, and if it is true to life, then we should be a little more worried than we are.

I will be checking more Eve Duncan books out of the library. Books that happened before this one as well as after, because I want to understand the character a bit more as well as what happenes with Eve's painful mystery.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes quick action thrillers. It is not too scary that you will want to sleep with the light on, but scary enough that you do hold you breath in spots.

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Indeed.

Summer Reading

LDS Publisher is doing a Summer Book Trek.

The reading trek that is sponsored by LDS Publisher is one that is for reading books written by LDS authors. In order to be eligable for prizes, you just have to sign up, link to your post about it and read and review one book by an LDS author before the end of Aug.

There are plenty of popular LDS authors out there to pick from, (Stephenie Meyer, Orson Scott Card, Shannon Hale, Jessica Day George to name a few).

Here is my beginning list of what I would like to read this summer. (as if I have nothing else to do)

*Farworld- J. Scott Savage (ARC copy)

*Forged in the Refiner's Fire-Candace Salima

*Fool Me Twice- Stephanie Black

*Promised Land series-David G. Woolley (re read to get ready for Day of Remembrance)

*Dragon Flight- Jessica Day George

*Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow- Jessca Day George

That will do for starters.

Whitney Awards

Voting is going on for The Whitney Awards. I was asked by a friend to read some of them and give my opinion. She had borrowed 5 of them from the local library and brought them by my house when she was done with them. They were due back today and I had about a week to read through them. I decided to give them each 5-6 chapters and see if they caught my attention and if I wanted to continue reading them or not. So here is my opinion of the 5 books, based on what I read and whether I intend on finishing them or not.

1. Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians
Brandon Sanderson
A hero with an incredible talent...for breaking things. A life-or-death mission...to rescue a bag of sand. A fearsome threat from a powerful secret network...the evil Librarians. Alcatraz Smedry doesn't seem destined for anything but disaster. On his 13th birthday he receives a bag of sand, which is quickly stolen by the cult of evil Librarians plotting to take over the world. The sand will give the Librarians the edge they need to achieve world domination. Alcatraz must stop them!...by infiltrating the local library, armed with nothing but eyeglasses and a talent for klutziness.

I really liked this book and wanted to keep reading, but I started it first and was afraid that I wouldn't get to the others if I did. Whenever Alcatraz's grandfather was around, I kept picturing "Doc" from the Back to the Future movies. The one thing I did not like about this book- it is written in first person and that could get really limiting as the book goes on. I'll just have to check the book out and find out. And as soon as I am done with the Robert Jordan book I am reading, I will do that.

2. Bullies in the Headlights
Matthew Buckley

The Buckley boys are headed back to school for another year. But unfortunately, so are the Hagbarts -- and they're out for revenge. Matthew Buckley and his brothers may have won a single small battle over the summer, but the war is far from over. Luckily, though the Hagbarts may be meaner, the Buckleys are smarter -- or were smarter. The sight of Matthew's underwear at the top of the school flagpole loudly states that the Hagbart bullies are getting expert help from someone quite clever.Soon the war of wits escalates to an incredible scheme designed to get the ultimate revenge on the Hagbarts. But now that Matthew has been learning that he's supposed to do good to those who hate him, what will he do when a little push becomes a great big shove?

Here is what I wrote in my notes: " a quick read. if you have ever been the picked on kid, you will like and "get" this book. If I had checked it out, I would finish it, but it is not a book I will go to the library to pick up. However, if I am there for another book and think about it, I'll get it.

What I didn't like about this book- written in first person and that had limited the book already by chapter 5.

3. The Deep End
Traci Hunter Abramson

Matt’s hands balled in frustration. . . . He couldn’t even acknowledge that he knew the dark-haired beauty down the street—much less that he was married to her. . . . He had walked into this marriage knowing full well that he would be married to a woman in the Witness Protection Program, and that they would have to spend their first year of marriage pretending they didn’t know each other. But little do CJ and Matt know the extent of the danger and loneliness that will haunt their lives. A world-class swimmer with Olympic aspirations, CJ faces overwhelming odds that threaten to drown all her hopes and dreams. Will the deep end prove to be a dead end for CJ and Matt?In a story where reality is as tentative as the waters of competition, and happiness is as elusive as the forces of evil that conspire to end all their dreams, CJ and Matt’s race for safety becomes a marathon of fear.

Caught my interest, in fact this is the one book that I completely read. It was also the one book that I had heard of before my friend gave them to me and one that I had intended to read. I liked the book. The story line was good, the suspense was good if a bit formulaic. The book was not written in first person and allowed Ms. Abramson to move the story along through different characters and places instead of limiting herself to only CJ's view point.

What I didn't like about this book: It was standard formula for this type of book and a bit predictable. When CJ is moved into one of the safe houses, I knew how the book would end based on the description and I was right. But I still liked the book.

4. Beyond the Horizon
Judy C. Olsen

Six men. Six journals. Six stories. An unbroken chain from the past into the present. The saga of the Madigan family begins with a mob on the shores of the Grand River in Missouri in the days of Joseph Smith. After risking his life to save his friends, Jedediah Madigan must flee the county to avoid persecution. But a firm foundation of testimony and faith will serve the generations to come as the family follows the Saints to Zion.The saga continues in the west as each succeeding generation of the Madigan family struggles to to face the challenges of his day with unyielding determination. From father to son, each family member is affected by the decisions of his forbearers, but like us, each can rise with the hope that lies beyond the horizon.

Maybe it was because I was reading this book when I had a fever, I don't know, I didn't read 5 chapters. I read the first part of Jedediah's journal and couldn't go on. To me, it felt like I was reading "The Work and the Glory" lite and I just was not in the mood, so I quite. Will I check it out and read it? Maybe. If I see it on the shelf and think about it and nothing else grabs my attention. And maybe if I were to read it without a temp. of 102*F I might give it a different review.


5. First Day
Allyson Braithwaite Condie

Jobs. Missions. College. Love. In the sequel to Yearbook, the characters are in the middle of it all. Two and a half years after we left off, Andrea Beckett is a junior at Cornell University in New York. She's caught up in the whirlwind of finals, decisions about jobs . . . and decisions about love, too. Dave Sherman has returned home from his mission, and they will have to decide where their romance is going. In addition to everything else, Andrea just received the assignment to teach early-morning seminary to a group of eight high school students, who all have their own decisions to make and challenges to overcome. Meanwhile, Andrea's brother Ethan is serving a mission in Brazil. The language is new, the culture is different, and sometimes being Elder Beckett is harder than he expected.

Sequel to Yearbook

I started this book, was able to read chapter 1. I even took it to work, hoping to get more read during lunch, but to no avail. It was that kind of day. However, based on the chapter I was able to read before I had to turn them into the library, I will check this book out and finish it. I will also check out Yearbook and read them in order.


I have a couple things I want to say about these books and other books in general.

* When writing a book, please think twice about writing it in first person, it is really a limiting point of view and is rarely done in a way that allowes the reader to know everything needed about the story. There are even times that it can turn the reader off. I really did not like the Twilight series and that is mostly because I cannot stand Bella. If the story had been told Third Person Omniscent, I might have liked them better. If you notice in my reviews above of whether or not I would finish a book, the only one I did finish was not written in first person.

*When I googled the titles of the above books, why oh why did I not find them easily? Come on authors, get yourself a webpage, or even a blog with a link to where your book can be purchased (even if that is your garage). If I like a book and want to write a review of it, I would like to be able to send my readers to you. If I have checked the book out of the library, and I like your book and want to buy it, I want to know where to get it. And I want to know about you. And if I have to search more than one page or google more than once, I am not going to keep looking. Let me know where to find you and your book(s).

I'm just sayin'