February 2013 - Books Read

“Take upon you my whole armor that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand.” —D&C 27:15
These words are as true today as they were back in 1830 when Joseph Smith received them in revelation—almost more so as today’s youth face the growing challenges of our society. But now in this compact yet powerful book, today’s most beloved youth speakers explain how wearing that spiritual armor can not only help youth face those difficult challenges in life, but also conquer them.

Contents
• “Girt About with Truth” by Brad Wilcox
• “A Bulletproof Breastplate” by John Hilton III
• “Put on Your Gospel Shoes” by Anthony Sweat
• “Shields Up!” by John Bytheway
• “Buckle On Your Helmet” by Hank Smith
• “Your Spiritual Sword” by Laurel Christensen

Filled with quotable quotes and video QR codes, this is the perfect book for those who want to line up on the Lord’s side and Armor Up!"

“Everywhere I go,” writes Elaine S. Dalton, “it seems that I see young women whose eyes shine with the light of the Spirit. These young women know that they are daughters of our Heavenly Father. Their inner goodness radiates in their eyes and in their faces. They shine! And yet, they don’t even realize that others notice.”

"In Shine! Sister Dalton lets young women know that their choices matter. Her encouraging counsel, paired with beautiful images, will help young women recognize and live up to their divine potential and destiny."

 "I believe we have all been created for greater things than we can comprehend," writes Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. "But such accomplishments are not achieved by fierce competitiveness, calculated one-up-manship, or cold indifference to others. True greatness will always be predicated upon love, respect, compassion, dignity, prayer, hard work, God." In this collection of memorable quotations, selected from Elder Holland's talks and devotionals given over the past twenty-eight years, his remarkable insights and words of encouragement—particularly to women—are paired with inspiring visual images in a beautiful gift book designed to lift and strengthen readers in all walks of life."

" High Crimes at High Tea

"Things to Do in England

"Visit Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and the London Zoo Take the Jack the Ripper tour
 
"Sample authentic English scones and crumpets Discover a dead body

"What begins as a holiday trip for amateur sleuth and cooking aficionado Sadie Hoffmiller and her daughter, Breanna, turns into a bizarre mystery when they discover a dead body in the sitting room of an English manor.

"Breanna's boyfriend, Liam, is heir to both the family title and the family estate of Southgate, where everyone seems to have a secret . . . or two.

"When the body in the sitting room disappears, Sadie and Breanna are stranded at the estate until the police can clear them to leave. With their departure delayed, they might as well solve the murder.

"Armed with a jogging whistle, her personal recipe collection, and an unfailing sense of American justice, Sadie begins her own investigation to find the killer. But as Sadie uncovers layer after layer of misdirection, secrets, and outright lies, she wonders if anyone is telling the truth
Take a missing family history, toss in a secret romance, mix with a mysterious murder, and this is one vacation Sadie will never forget."

 "The cheerleader who has everything . . . ? Mallory Dane has a great family (at least on the surface), is popular at school (as long as she doesn’t make waves), and dates an amazing boyfriend, Todd (who happens to be completely made up). Boys—and sex—are something Mallory just can’t deal with, so she created her “invisible guy” to avoid it all. But when Liam Crawford comes along—a real guy, flesh and bones and strumming his guitar—Mallory starts questioning her fictional relationship. Is she really willing to give up Todd for Liam? And can she make amends for the lies she’s told—even to her best friend, Tess? What if your biggest, most embarrassing secret was broadcast to the whole world? Letting go of her secret will be easier said than done, and Mallory will risk everything—her family, Tess, cheerleading, her reputation, and most of all, her heart."

 "Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

"Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?"

"We all know our own strengths and weaknesses -- at least to some extent. Often we notice a real strength in another person and wish we were more that way. Do you want to be more organized? Do you want to be a person who loves and accepts everyone? Do you want to have a home in which all who come there know they are welcome? In this newest book in the Time Out Classics series, bestselling singer/songwriter Hilary Weeks shares the love God has for us as we are now, as well as some practical ideas about how He can help us become how we want to be."


"When Digory and Polly are tricked by Digory's peculiar Uncle Andrew into becoming part of an experiment, they set off on the adventure of a lifetime. What happens to the children when they touch Uncle Andrew's magic rings is far beyond anything even the old magician could have imagined.

"Hurtled into the Wood between the Worlds, the children soon find that they can enter many worlds through the mysterious pools there. In one world they encounter the evil Queen Jadis, who wreaks havoc in the streets of London when she is accidentally brought back with them. When they finally manage to pull her out of London, unintentionally taking along Uncle Andrew and a coachman with his horse, they find themselves in what will come to be known as the land of Narnia."

"To see a good day, change your perspective. Look at things in a different light. Laugh. Uncover the good that may be concealed. Let your perspective allow you to focus on the Lord. Through Him, understanding will come."

"His eyes. His touch. His kiss. Dante was unlike anyone Abby had ever met. Now he’s gone, and Abby will do anything to get him back . . .

"The hourglass door has closed behind Dante, sending him back in time to hunt down Zo, Tony, and V. Abby knows that Dante, as a Master of Time, is the only one who can stop them from destroying time itself. She also knows that he will need her help. But almost immediately, things start to change, and Abby’s worst fears are realized when Zo begins targeting her past specifically.
As Abby’s world fractures around her, she must face a terrible truth: either Dante didn’t make it through the door, or he is lost forever. So with Dante’s blueprints in hand, she begins construction on a new door, a new time machine that will either save Dante—or doom him.

"With each new change that ripples into her present, Abby s life continues to spiral out of control. Her relationships with Jason, Natalie, and even her family are threatened to the breaking point—and beyond. Zo’s power is greater than Abby ever imagined, but as she struggles to free Dante, she receives help from an unexpected—and unlikely—ally."

"Our Father in Heaven wants us to be happy. And yet, we all have times of trouble. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland writes, "One of the unfailing facts of mortal life is the recurring presence of trouble...When these difficult days (and nights!) come—and they will—it will help us to remember that 'it must needs be,' that in the grand councils of heaven before the world was, we agreed to such a time of challenge and refinement. We were taught then that facing, resolving, and enduring troublesome times was the price we would pay for progress. And we were committed to progress eternally."

"A large percentage of the psalms that appear in the Bible were written for such times of trouble. From petitions for relief to acknowledgments of God’s power, these psalms provide comfort, perspective, and spiritual solace when we are going through our own trials.

"In this tender book, Elder Holland explores dozens of scriptural passages from the psalms, offering personal ideas and insights and sharing his testimony that “no matter what the trouble and trial of the day may be, we start and finish with the eternal truth that God is for us.” Elder Holland's reflections on the psalms provide a powerful witness of that comforting truth.

"Includes DVD with a full two hours of content! Elder Holland addresses questions from a live audience regarding challenging issues in the last days."

"From the day Elsie’s older brother brought his friend Kye McBride over to their house, Elsie adored him. When she was eight, she secretly blew kisses to him. When she was twelve, she sat on the stairs unnoticed and watched him escort another girl to prom. When she was a senior in high school, she walked into math class and found out he was her new math teacher.

"With that much emotion fueling her, things were bound to go wrong. And they did. Elsie not only spent the last two weeks of school avoiding him, she turned avoiding-Kye-at-all-costs into her life-long philosophy.

"Now three years have passed and Elsie has come home for her brother’s wedding. She’s got to face Kye-–hopefully without getting crushed again."

"Its been years since author Thom Mortenson has been back to Garrison, Colorado. As part of the committee who invited the bestselling writer to speak at the library fundraising benefit, Sadie Hoffmiller wants everything to be perfect right down to the homemade devils food cake she baked herself. Certainly, murder was not on the menu."