Reading is wickedly delicious!!!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

The Brothers


The Great and Terrible Vol. 1 Prologue: The Brothers by Chris Stewart

This book has been on my To Read list for a few years, but I was determined not to read it until the series was out.
The battle between good and evil, between Satan and Jehovah, has been engaged.  Satan is in open rebellion and has drawn away billions of spirits.  It is the pre-existance.  It is a time of much learning and of great decision making.
Although the book is entirely fiction and much license obviously taken, there were some extremely thought provoking conversations.  Honestly I was touched by the book.  I cried for most of the read (which was quite short and easy) because I could identify with the struggle to push onward and strive to live beyond mediocracy....yet feel that you never will.  It gave me a lot to think about.
Here are some spine tingling good quotes.........
     "To get what we want we must be subtle as snakes; .................  So go to your old friends and stand by their sides.  Pretend you want to help them while whispering deceits in their ears.  Only lie when you have to.  Speak the truth when you can; for the truth, once it's twisted, is the most effective tool we have.  Coat your lies with enough truth, and they will swallow it down."     -Lucifer

     "Now listen to me, people, for this is the key-evil can be twisted into virtue if you phrase it just right.  Any vice is acceptable if you cloak it as an issue of freedom.  Any immorality is worth fighting for if you tell them they are fighting for choice, if you wrap it in the mantle of privacy and freedom.  So take their moral agency and turn it on them.  But be patient...be patient...it takes time to turn the truth upside down."   -Lucifer

     As would happen on earth, the sad truth was that many of the Father's children were willing to stand and watch from the sides, interested but not committed, not willing to join hands with Satan, but also unwilling to dedicate themselves fully to the Son.  Most would say the right things and go through the actions, but fewer were willing to make a commitment, and fewer still were willing to fight.

     "You can tempt me, desert me, or cause me great pain; you can create a dark world that may cause me to fear; you can rule your world with blood and terror, that's true.
     "But you can't win.  And I know that. Weak as I am, with my imperfections and sins, even with all of my failings, I am stronger than you.
     "I will soon have a body.  And I have my agency now.  I will increase in my faith and knowledge and power.  I am not perfect, but I will be, and there's nothing you can do!  I will become like the Father if I follow the Son.  You are powerless to stop me.  You can threaten and tempt and whisper lies in my ear, but you can't stop me Satan;  I see that so clearly now!  I can stop myself, yes, but only if I follow you." 
     -Ammon

     The evil hand stretched its cold fingers across the dry autumn land, bringing disappointment and frustration that angered people's souls.  Though unseen, it was real, real as the heat of the sun, yet cold as ice water and brittle as bone.  To some it brought darkness and a thirst for hate and revenge, jealousy and a lust for power and flesh.  To others it brought a simple sense of unease--a sense that something wasn't right, something deep and unknowable, a sense of distress for the future, as if something was coming, a sense of awkward discomfort, as if the world had changed and would never step back.  The blackness settled like a blanket, covering the earth like black snow, falling slowly and silently until it draped the whole land.


Rating 5  Excited for the rest of the series....
Rating PG  War

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The Miracle of Forgiveness


The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball

After all of these years, I have never read this book before.  I finally found it at a library sale for fifty cents and decided to buy it.  I started months ago and wasn't feeling it.  But once I had one of those intense PMS days, where you see your life stretching out before you.........as you struggle up the down escalator of life...and I felt like since I was already down I could take a good kick in the teeth. (You know how sometimes you're down and you just want to really GET DOWN?)  So I set out with my pen to mark up the book.
I can't say that I am behind every word uttered in the book.  I've never been called a prude (well I take that back) so don't believe what I say......but I don't feel like I'm a sinner when I wear shorts.  Also, I drove a car in my teen years and made it to adulthood fairly unscathed.  I also have a much more tolerant view of homosexuality.  That said, the actual doctrine of repentance was five star.  There were some amazing quotes and my book is totally written all over.
In the beginning I will say that it seems harsh, but I like harsh.  Don't hold back on me.  I know Heavenly Father loves me despite the fact that I am a cold hearted, quick to anger, justice seeking, judgemental fool. And I had a lot of hope that if I can just be merciful to others, (if I can just.......be.......merciful.....) then I will also be given mercy.
My fave quote..."You can't flirt with sin and be repentant."  ......er something like that.  I guess I better stop batting my lashes then.
Grade 5
Grade PG 13 Frank discussion about homosexuality and sex.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Christmas Jars


Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright

By the same author as Wednesday Letters, comes Christmas Jars.  Hope is found as an abandoned newborn.  She and her mother make it through life with love for each other and grit.  As Hope grows up she dreams of making it big writing for a newspaper.  The Christmas that her mother dies, Hope's home is broken into.  What could be a tragedy is quickly turned into a curiosity.  Hope finds a Christmas Jar sitting outside of her house.  Her curiosity is awakened and she smells a good story.  Hope sets out to find where the Christmas Jar comes from, but finds a better story and a family.
I loved the Wednesday Letters by Wright and hoped to love this one too.  The writing was simple and easy (very easy) to read.  I wasn't completely drawn in but I do appreciate the message of the Christmas Jars.  It would be a sweet little gift.  It was also a nice way to begin feeling Christmas.
Rating 3
Rating G

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Anansi Boys



Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Wow.....I don't know if I can even classify this book.  There are ghosts, myth, magic and love but it's not overly ghosty, mythy, magical or lovey.
Fat Charlie Nancy is your run of the mill guy.  He has a fiancee named Rosie and he works small stints at jobs in London.  His life only gets strange after his estranged father dies.  Fat Charlie then learns that he has a brother  named Spider, he never knew existed, and that his father may have been some kind of African spider god.
Spider moves in and turns Fat Charlie's life on its ear.  He quickly wins the love of Rosie, has Fat Charlie investigated by the police, adds a fantastical room onto Fat Charlie's flat, and eventually gets everyone nearly killed.
This was my first Neil Gaiman book although he has come highly recommended as an author.  For any one previously enjoying Gaiman, I am sure this book won't dissappoint.  He is a witty writer and uses great descriptors.  Lots of fun and funny read.
Rating 4
Rating PG 13  peril, talk of sex, murder

Sunday, December 6, 2009

First Love Second Chances


First Love Second Chances by Anita Stansfield

Well it seems I wasn't quite finished with being sentimental.........and I took in the second book. 
Clean, romantic, foreign, struggle with emotions and problems unique to the LDS culture.  Sigh.  I felt fulfilled.

This is the second book put out by Stansfield YEARS ago.  Loved it maybe a hair less than the first one.

Hopefully I am now able to move on to other literature.
Rating 5
Rating PG

First Love and Forever


First Love and Forever by Anita Stansfield

This was the first book I ever read by Stansfield and that is when I fell in love.  After my last read of hers, I was feeling a little sentimental so I reread First Love and Forever.

Emily is in an unhappy marriage to the man that she felt compelled to choose after much prayer.  Ryan was able to give her the one thing that the 'other' man couldn't, a temple marriage.  The 'other' man is Michael Hamilton.  A published Australian nonmember author that Emily met at BYU.  And as far as I can tell besides being an nonmember Michael is nearly perfect.  That aside, Ryan and Emily aren't making happy memories when, after ten years Michael comes back into the picture asking Emily to leave Ryan and marry him. 
What will she do?  Even though all works out in the end..........it is a painful process.
Stansfield at her best.  This is probably my number one top pick out of all of her books....actually her first five were great.
So if you either haven't read this particular Stansfield or you just need to revisit the Hamiltons......it is a nice cozy, romantic escape.
Rating 5 I've read it at least half a dozen times.  I love Michael Hamilton.....I will admit after this reading Emily started to wear on me........but then there was Michael.......
Rating PG   Kissing, reference to marital sex.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

The Best of Times


The Best of Times by Anita Stansfield

Chas (short for Charles......but she's a girl) runs the Dickensian Inn while caring for her aged Granny.  Tragedy has left her with only that.  But you know Anita.......Chas isn't alone for long once the story opens. 
Jackson is an FBI agent (finally getting warmer Anita) taking a break from the work that has consumed his life and may now ruin it. 

Well after all of these years there is an armed man in one of these books!  If he were only a semi normal police officer........e.g. poor, then she would have finally hit the nail on the head.  But yet again, Jackson has saved all of his money and made great investments.
There was a lot of verbal banter.  I would have to say that this book was one of  those wordy books where I get tired of the characters talking to each other.  It moved up a notch once Jackson had to go back to the FBI.
I loved Jackson. He was like an M&M.....tough shell and sweet inside. Chas was a good woman with great faith.  She just did not do it for me this time.
I did like that this book had  tolerance for non LDS people........most of the characters were not Church members.  I also enjoyed that the various religious or nonreligious backgrounds were able to speak about values without wanting to kill each other (which would have made it more realistic).
It seemed like there was a lot of build up to the couple getting together and then ....meh, there they were. 

This was a fast, soothing read.  It is not one of my all time Stansfield faves. 
Rating 3
Rating G  So clean.......