This Month in Mormon Literature, Early November 2014

Braden Hepner, who teaches at BYU-Idaho, had his debut novel Pale Harvest published by Torrey House Press. The story of a young man “struggling against betrayal to save his farm, his Mormon faith, and the girl he loves” received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Library Journal. The “Meeting of the Myths” Mormon Lit Blitz finalists were announced. In Provo, plays by Mahonri Stewart, Becky Baker, and a short play festival hit the boards. On the screen, there is a new prodigal son movie aimed at the Christian market, and a stalker/crazy missionary film aimed at the horror/thriller market. There are new YA novels by Orson Scott Card, Ally Condie, and Kimberley Griffiths Little. Avi Steinberg’s The Lost Book of Mormon is a non-Mormon’s travelogue exploring the Mormon scripture. Please send any announcements, news, or corrections to mormonlit AT gmial DOT com.

News and blog posts

Mormon Lit Blitz reports: “We had planned to get down to six stories to make this a one-week contest. But we got tired of deciding what to cut and settled for seven (and therefore a Sabbath spillover).” The “Meeting of the Myths” finalists will be published according to the following schedule on lit.mormonartist.net:
17 Nov. “Spring Hill” by Luisa Perkins
18 Nov. “A Voice Not Crying in the Wilderness” by Jonathon Penny
19 Nov. “The Trail” by Stephen Carter
20 Nov. “Where Nothing Lives But Crosses” by Lee Allred
21 Nov. “Harmony’s Victory” by Hillary Stirling
22 Nov. “Eyelight” by Mark Penny
23 Nov. “Daughter of a Boto” by Katherine Cowley

Voting will open on the 24th and continue through the 28th to select a winner for the $200 prize.

Margaret Blair Young—The Heart of Africa and the The Welcome Table. An interview at FairMormon Podcast. Young talks about her efforts to make a film with Danor Gerald and the state of the Church in Africa.

The Mormon Artist website has created a podcast, featuring interviews with artists. Featured in the first podcasts are playwright and screenwriter Melissa Leilani Larson and photographer Scott Jarvie.

GoodReads Choice Awards 2014 finalists. There are 15 books in each category. They include:

• Fantasy: Brandon Sanderson, Worlds of Radiance.
• Horror: Larry Correia, Monster Hunter Nemesis
• Young Adult Fiction: Kasie West, On the Fence.
• Middle Grade & Children’s: Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Shadow Throne and Brandon Mull, Five Kingdoms.

Short story author and editor Angella Hallstrom was interviewed by Scott Hales at Modern Mormen Men

Slippery, by Stephen Carter. A special audio version of the short story is available as a Halloween episode of the Feminist Mormon Housewives podcast.

Mormon father, son say horror genre isn’t incompatible with their faith (Deseret News). Feature story about Michael and Michaelbrent Collings.

J. Scott Savage’s Zombie Kid and Liesl Robbins Shurtliff’s Rump were nominated for a 2016 Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award.

The organizers of the World Horror Convention 2016, to be held in Provo UT, have invited Michael Collings to serve as Academic Guest.

Orson Scott Card and composer Mark Mitchell debut “He Is There: A Convert’s Story”, a “sacred music story”, with orchestra and choir, in Lakewood, WA, on November 9.

At A Motley Vision: Theric talks about favorite Mormon spooky stories at #MormonLit: Holloween, Tyler continues his series on The Mormon Vision of Language, and Theric begins a series on Mette Ivie Harrison’s upcoming The Bishop’s Wife.

IndieAuthorHub reports: We have a new marketing experiment that we’re trying out–it’s called Bookmarked Bargains and basically we’re sharing and swapping each other’s fans in a huge online sale, Nov 17 to 20.

Sandy Writers Workshop. Nov. 15. Includes workshops with Jeff Scott Savage, Michelle Bell, and Lisa Mangum.

2015 Solstice Writing Retreat will be held in Midway, Utah, April 23-25, 2015. It will feature Obert Skye, Hillary Weeks, Tyler Castleton, Ann Edwards Cannon, Chris Crowe, Louise Plummer and Dean Hughes.

Short Fiction

Brandon Mull “Monster Jamboree”. Boy’s Life, Oct. 10.

Brandon Sanderson. “Sixth of the Dusk.” Standalone novella ebook. Set in the Cosmere (the universe shared by most of Sanderson’s novels). It showcases a society on the brink of technological change. On the deadly island of Patji, where birds grant people magical talents and predators can sense the thoughts of their prey, a solitary trapper discovers that the island is not the only thing out to kill him. When he begins to see his own corpse at every turn, does this spell danger for his entire culture? Also can be read as part of Shadows Beneath: The Writing Excuses Anthology.

Eric James Stone. “A Sufficiently Advanced Christmas” and Brad Torgersen “Astronaut Nick” both appear in A Fantastic Holiday Season: The Gift of Stories, edited by Kevin J. Anderson and Keith J. Olexa. Publishers Weekly gave the anthology a starred review, saying “This often amusing and frequently compelling collection features Christmas-themed short stories from some of fantasy and science fiction’s brightest stars . . . Brad R. Torgersen’s “Astronaut Nick” suggests Santa might retrofit his sled with an interstellar rocket to reach children who want to believe but are afraid to try. Eric James Stone’s ‘A Sufficiently Advanced Christmas,’ in which computers communicating with a child learn their own Christmas moral, is particularly touching.”

Howard Tayler, “Blood Coin”, and Dan Wells (story name?) have stories that appear in the new fantasy anthology A Knight in the Silk Purse: Ghosts of Taux (Tales of the Emerald Serpent Book 2) , edited by Scott Tayler. The stories are set in the shared universe of the “Free City of Taux,” a sprawling fantasy port of “cursed stones, dark plots, and rich characters.”

News books and their reviews

Traci Hunter Abramson. Drop Zone. Covenant, Oct. 1. Romantic suspense. Saint Squad #8. A woman in the CIA bureaucracy falls for a SEALs team member. But then the team disappears on a secret mission.

Orson Scott Card. Visitors. Simon Pulse, Nov. 4. YA fantasy/science fiction. Pathfinder #3. Rigg’s journey comes to an epic and explosive conclusion as everything that has been building up finally comes to pass, and Rigg is forced to put his powers to the test in order to save his world and end the war once and for all.

Stacy Lynn Carroll. My Name is Bryan. Pink Frog Press, Sept. 8. General. A young man becomes paralyzed after a cliff dive, and learns to deal with his new life. Based on the true story of the author’s father-in-law.

Ally Condie. Atlantia. Penguin/Dutton Juvenile, Oct. 28. YA dystopian. Standalone, about a city built underwater to preserve the human race after the atmosphere became filled with toxic pollution. The story was inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Little Mermaid.” Deseret News feature story. “It’s really dark and sad and beautiful … with sort of this little glimmer of hope at the end,” Condie said. The Little Mermaid doesn’t get the prince, and she dies at the end. “I was really taken with it.”

PW: “Condie pulls together many interesting ideas that don’t hold up to close examination. While the author’s fans will enjoy the immersive prose and gentle romance, newcomers may be impatient with the unsympathetic characters and lack of action. Overall, this standalone story is like a problematic trilogy in one book—a catchy opening leading to a slow journey and an unexpected finale that brings in bewildering new elements and works hard to wrap everything up.”

Kirkus: “Condie’s premise is terrific, and the pacing glides along smoothly as Rio schemes to sneak Above, hides her secret identity as a siren, worries about her mother’s suspicious death and ponders her role in her society. However, the text barely explains Atlantia’s structure of enclosed-bubble neighborhoods connected by dry concrete canals; sources of power, material resources and the city’s mechanics are even vaguer. Weak worldbuilding seriously dilutes the story, as do narratively convenient character motivations and a reliance on line breaks to push intensity and depth. As cool as a submerged city and teen siren are, too many physical details are missing and too many emotional details forced.”

SLJ: “A fast-paced fantasy adventure tale in a richly drawn dystopian future . . . Complex characters, including Rio’s antihero aunt, and a realistically slow and subtle first romance make this a book teens will relate to, even non-genre fans. A slowly unfolding backstory perfectly complements all the action. Despite a bit of a didactic lean in the final chapters, this is a title that’s sure to be immensely popular with teens, especially those who enjoyed Condie’s “Matched” trilogy.”

Scott Renshaw, Salt Lake Weekly. “There’s a quiet confidence to Atlantia that initially makes it a bit hard to embrace, as Condie challenges readers to stick with its slow build . . . Once again, Condie brings tremendous depth to her world-building, finding terrific details in a culture created both to help people survive, and to perhaps keep them under control. Some of the elements may feel familiar—the archetypal hero quest, the tentative teen romance—yet Condie never feels the need to inflate the narrative with artificial action, allowing Rio’s explorations to drive the story. The result may not be a propulsive page-turner, but it’s something perhaps rarer in the world of young-adult fiction: a genre work that feels more like a contemporary character study, following a young woman navigating the tricky business of finding her own voice.”

Guy Morgan Galli. Keepers of the Sword. Covenant, Sept. 2. Book of Mormon historical. Backstory for Zoram (steel forger and “Keeper of the Sword”) and Laban.

Raine Gillespie (Karen E. Hoover). Healing a Broken Harp.Trifecta Books, Oct. 31. Contemporary Romance. Love Notes #3. Camille Clark spends her time bringing light to the memorable moments of Dolce—playing her harp at weddings, anniversaries, and even funerals. She can’t help but wonder if someone will ever play for her. The Love Notes series is a collection of short romance novels, which revolve around music within the small fictional town of Dolce, Montana.

Betsy Brannon Green. Danger Ahead. Covenant, Oct. 15. Suspense. Brooke Clayton #2. Trying to gain immunity for her crimes, Brooke accepts an offer from the FBI to act as an informant against an extremist environmental group. Loosely connected to Hazardous Duty series.

Braden Hepner. Pale Harvest.Torry House Press, Sept. 9. General/literary. A young man labors on his grandfather’s dairy farm in northern Utah, longs for something different, is changed by the return of a lovely young woman, and suffers tragedy. Debut novel. The author graduated from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 2009, and currently teaches at BYU-Idaho. Here is an excerpt.

Publishers Weekly (Starred review): “Hepner’s stunning debut novel is an homage to the barren landscape of the American West . . . Hepner’s gorgeous prose evokes the austerity and lonely beauty of the landscape. The novel is a meditation on the nature of hope and self-determination, a sweeping elegy to a dying town and to the bond between blood and earth.”

Kirkus (Starred review): “Hepner debuts with a deeply moving and intellectually profound novel built on the iconic myth of the American West.Think McMurtry’s The Last Picture Show or Horseman, Pass By . . . [Characters] range through the narrative with impeccable authenticity. After a second, shattering betrayal, Jack leaves the farm to wander the high desert in a spiritual odyssey. Hepner draws a narrative exploring the existential angst smoldering in the rural West as family farmers who hold stewardship of the land confront social and economic conditions beyond their control. A bravura debut.”

Library Journal (Starred review): “There’s the generously depicted dignity of hard work and the promise of hope in the return of lovely Rebekah Rainsford. VERDICT A quietly dazzling debut that any reader could enjoy.”

Library Journal: Famously Firsts: 2014/15 First Novels, Small Press Gems.  “Dazzlingly laconic, making poetry of the sheer sweat and physicality of everyday life in a worn-out landscape, this novel introduces 20-year-old Jack Selvedge, who works his family’s dairy farm in a dying Utah town. The return of Rebekah Rainsford promises relief like cool rain. Winner of some prepublication stars; it’s a “sweeping elegy” to the American West.”

High Country News Editors’ Pick of Best New Fall Fiction. (One of a pretty long list).

Jaren Watson (Goodreads, Watson is a BYU-Idaho colleague): 5 stars “Swofford’s blurb is nearly spot-on, though I think Hepner’s prose is less Steinbeck and Stegner, and more Melville and McCarthy. Though, perhaps, Swofford was observing, and here I would say rightly, that Hepner’s sense of place reminds the reader of viewing a vast high desert landscape bit by bit through the enhanced clarity of a macro lens. These characters are memorable in the way we want characters to be, alive in ways real and interesting, surprising in ways breathtaking and maddening by turns. I found myself cheering on one page, cursing the next. The empty fields, the haggard corrals and sheds, the men and boys gritty and lost–but not without hope. These are people the author knows intimately, places he has lived. It shows. One of the novel’s strongest aspects, for me, is that it’s apparent the author ultimately trusts the reader. There is no showmanship here, no gadgetry. Just storytelling, raw and riveting. In a publishing world guided firmly by profit motivation, this is the kind of quiet power rarely seen in books today. As such, it would not surprise me if the book made only a little commercial splash. Nor would it surprise me to see it as a finalist for the National Book Award.”

Deseret News: “Jack, the main character, lives in the fictional small northern Utah town of Juniper Scrag, where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the prominent religion. While Jack no longer attends church, he isn’t ready to abandon the faith of his youth. He struggles to balance the faith he feels in his heart and the doubts that nag him . . . Hepner grew up in Cache Valley, worked on a dairy farm regularly and is a returned Mormon missionary. His descriptions of the farm work show his experience in the field. He is a talented writer, and his writing in “Pale Harvest,” his debut novel, creates tension and instills a desire in the reader to unravel the mysteries surrounding his characters and their motivations. The story is dark, with very little light able to penetrate the horrible things that happen. It can be depressing as nothing good ever seems to happen. His prose is occasionally too ornate and can pull the reader out of the story instead of allowing for a smooth read. “Pale Harvest” includes swearing and vulgarity throughout, including strong language that becomes more frequent as the book goes on, and some sexual situations that are mostly just alluded to, but there are a couple of scenes with brief descriptions. Violent and vile acts are committed against men and women, with several scenes of violence being detailed, and suicide happens and is discussed.”

Larry Menlove, 15 Bytes. “A Sisyphean tale of a young man yearning for more than warm udders, manure, and the patience to make a straight-line furrow with an old tractor held together with bailing wire . . . Hepner has put in the daily work with this fine novel, its keen words and sentences furrowed like lines eye-measured and trued on a far dying tree in the distance across the alkaline fields of northern Utah. He shows us the cows that come to the milking barn. The men, young and old, who miss the rise of the sun in favor of the touch of flesh-bearing life, sustenance from creatures whose constant bare wisdom help fill the tanks day-after-day with the harvest that well substitutes the milk of our own mortal mothers.”

“The Salty Beatnik”. In an interview, Harder talked about his relation with Mormon literature. “There is a type of Mormon that doesn’t want to recognize the ex-Mormons because he believes these writers have betrayed the Mormon people by leaving the faith, and I think you have to reckon with that division, at least for now, although within the larger picture I don’t think it should be considered. If you write from Mormon stock, or from some kind of Mormon upbringing, or from being around Mormons, or whatever, you’re writing Mormon literature, at least in the broader sense. To hold to that more conservative, more protective definition, you have to see some intrinsic and necessary value in being an orthodox member of the faith, which would have a necessary bearing on the production of art, and which, if you lose that, you become somehow disqualified from writing Mormon literature. It seems more sensible to take each “Mormon” writer on his own merit . . . I think Mormons will have to get past that division at some point. We should want to accept as many writers and artists as we can—so long as their art isn’t reprehensible to core sensibilities. If one of our own makes the Piss Christ—that might anger some people. There’s a bold prophesy hanging over us, waiting to be fulfilled. It’s a general sentiment, and one worth considering, that Mormonism could stand to be a little more inclusive, in any number of areas. I think over time you’ll see the line fade a little, if not disappear, and we will fully accept and tout our Williamses and our Kirns, et cetera, as we do our Udalls and Brookses. They will be able to speak at our universities without concern. We’ll see them as part of our larger culture, our larger existence as a people, and we won’t worry if they’re taking the sacrament every week. Orthodox membership, to me, is a completely separate issue, and we should be careful how we mix it in with the art we produce. Other large faiths seem to have worked it out. Our religion is still very young. Give it time to mature.”

Cindy Hogan. Hotwire. O’Neal Publishing, Oct. 21. YA suspense. A Christy Spy Novel book #2. Sequel to Adrenaline Rush. A young woman serving as a spy for a crime fighting organization infiltrates a car thieving ring, finds out it is more than she expected.

Jessie Humphries. Resisting Ruby Rose. Skyscape, Oct. 28.  YA Suspense. Ruby Rose #2. Teenage girl, reeling from being forced to kill in the first book, is not sure if she had gone to the dark side. Then she is recruited to join an assassination squad.

Robert Kirby. The Essential Kirby Canon: 20 Years of Shooting From the Hip at the Salt Lake Tribune. Zion BookWorks, Oct. 22. Humor. “The newest book from Robert Kirby is as funny and thought-provoking as his last five humor titles; but maybe it’s even more important because he allows himself to be serious at times. Sobering moments of truth mixed in with his off-kilter humor make this a book that should be read and appreciated by every Utahn, Mormon or not, and every Mormon, Utahn or not. Kirby is a keen observer of Utah and Mormon Culture, he is never shy about pointing out, in the funniest ways, our flaws, foibles and weaknesses as well as our strengths.”

Kimberley Griffiths Little. Forbidden. Harper Children’s, Nov. 4. Young Adult Historical Romance.A Mesopotamian girl seeks love in the 18th century B.C. In a tribe of desert nomads descended from Abraham and Ishmael, a 15-year-old prepares for an unwanted betrothal. It’s the time of Hammurabi, and Jayden is to wed loathsome Horeb. But mysterious Kadesh appears out of the desert to aid her. Little has previously mostly written middle grade novels.

Booklist (starred review): “At its core, this is a romance, with all the push and pull that goes along with impossible love, and Little elevates the story by creating a perilous landscape, both outward and inward, as Jayden must deal with the hardship of desert life as well as her own desires.”

Kirkus: “Readers looking for blandly re-created historical settings that are less anachronistic than this would be better served by Esther Friesner’s Princesses of Myth series. The setup for a sequel doesn’t entice.”

Jennifer Moore. Lady Emma’s Campaign. Covenant, Nov. 5. Regency romance. Second novel. An 1811 London socialite finds herself with a naval captain behind enemy lines in Spain.

Brandon Mull and others. Spirit Animals: Tales of the Great Beasts. Scholastic, Oct. 21. Middle grade fantasy. Omnibus collection of five stories by five different authors.

Brenda Novak. The Heart of Christmas. Harlequin MIRA, Oct. 28. Christmas romance. Whiskey Creek #7.

John Pontius. We Three Kings. Cedar Fort/Bonneville, Sept. 9.Christmas historical. Nephi (in 3^rd Nephi) and two other future Nephite apostles discover the Liahona is working again, and go on a journey across the ocean to become the three wise men. The author passed away in 2012, so his wife, Terri, and mother, Ann, served as editors of this book which he originally wrote for his children in 2004.

Avi Steinberg. The Lost Book of Mormon. Knopf Doubleday, Oct. 21. Creative non-fiction. The non-Mormon author travels to Mormon and Mayan sites, talking about the Book of Mormon and his own personal life.

(Steve Evans, BCC). “The Lost Book of Mormon is not a book of non-fiction, at least not entirely. Yes, Steinberg actually travels to these places, but most of the book is made up of the author’s particular internal struggle with writing, or his personal relationships, or some other facet of his personality. He weaves elements of the Book of Mormon (most commonly, its origins) in with his own fears and neuroses. For example, Steinberg’s views of Joseph Smith are largely inseparable from his views of himself; Joseph is an author, Steinberg is an author, and so one becomes like the author in this narrative. If it sounds a little weird and crazy, that’s because it is. This is the source of the book’s charm. The book is composed of some very long tangents, which Steinberg ultimately wraps into the overall narrative but which feel somewhat like Melville’s long cetological chapters in Moby Dick . . . Unfortunately, the digressions at time overwhelm the narrative. A great portion of Steinberg’s time in Jerusalem are spent in seemingly aimless wander as the author delves into the nature of Jerusalem Syndrome. Much of Steinberg’s experience with the Hill Cumorah Pageant focuses on Steinberg’s own bizarre deceit getting into the pageant. These segues have the potential for great entertainment — and some of them are entertaining, such as Steinberg’s conversation with James Frey. But much of The Lost Book of Mormon feels, well, lost . . . his continued exploration of the Book of Mormon seems to have been a big waste of time, spiritually speaking. Readers can expect shallow reviews of wordprint analysis, the Spaulding theory, Salamanders, Sidney Rigdon as author, gold digging and the like as Steinberg explores every potential theory for the Book of Mormon while giving short shrift to Joseph Smith’s own explanation. Those who do not like delving into such concepts would probably do well to steer clear of the book, while those who are not familiar with the Book of Mormon will probably end up not understanding the book at all . . . So, ultimately: it’s at times entertaining, at times distracting, at times frustrating and at times offensive to traditional Mormon sensibilities. Those looking for a Sedaris knockoff can keep looking. Those looking for bona fide exploration of the Book of Mormon can also keep looking. The Lost Book of Mormon is, like its object, an enigmatic text, at times amiable and at times difficult and wandering. Perhaps this was the goal of their respective authors.”

Kirkus: “Steinberg’s travelogue is more about those locales and his personal trials and self-doubts than about theology. His marriage was doomed, he confesses, and he was worried about his writing career, which explains his eagerness to learn about writing from Smith. His journey took him to Jerusalem, where the sect began; Central America, where seminal events occurred; the Midwest, site of the real Garden of Eden; and Hill Cumorah, in New York, where Smith allegedly dug up the golden plates on which the book was inscribed. A mixed bag. Relating his occasionally amusing adventures in breezy slang, Steinberg seems to be vying for the same audience that has made Broadway’s Book of Mormon such a huge hit.”

Library Journal: “Straddling the line between literary commentary and personal memoir . . . This sojourn became an odyssey of sorts as the author’s quest began to teach him as much about himself as about the book he was researching. VERDICT Steinberg’s sardonic writing style is a delight; his descriptions of the varied cities he visited throughout his travelog point out the ridiculousness of situations without truly mocking them. Using Smith as a backdrop, this enjoyable read raises questions about what it means to be an author and what type of person becomes one. It will appeal to a variety of readers, particularly those that appreciate a biting wit.”

Scott Renshaw, Salt Lake Weekly. “What makes Avi Steinberg’s exploration of the text so compelling [is that] he’s fascinated with it as a work of literature . . .  it’s also about one writer trying to understand as an actual book a text that’s treated as holy scripture—a lover of literature reveling in the power of stories to take over the lives of their creators, as well as those who embrace those stories. It’s a lively enough read simply in its anecdotal tales of Steinberg’s travels, from his interactions with the boisterous pilgrims on his visit to Guatemala, to observing the dedicated performers turning The Book of Mormon into a theatrical production. Yet it’s also a wonderfully thoughtful exploration of how The Book of Mormon itself is obsessed with the idea of stories being preserved to be passed on, and what that might tell us about Joseph Smith not just as a prophet, but as a writer. There something almost holy about the way Steinberg celebrates the humanity revealed by this book.” Author interview at The Salt Lake Weekly.

Anne Perry. A New York Christmas. Ballantine Books, Nov. 4. Christmas Mystery. Christmas Novella #13. In 1904, twenty-three-year-old Jemima Pitt, the daughter of Thomas Pitt, goes to New York for a high society wedding.

Sean Adam Smith. Your Life Isn’t For You. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Sept. 22. Personal essay/self-help. “Smith expands on the philosophy behind his extraordinarily popular blog post “Marriage Isn’t for You”

Toni Sorenson. Ruth and Naomi. Covenant, Oct. 2. Scripture historical. Naomi and her husband go serve the King of Moab after Moab defeats Israel. You know the story from there.

RaeAnne Thayne. Snow Angel Cove. Harlequin HQN, Oct. 28. Romance.  A women loses her job, and is stuck in an unfamiliar small town. Then she meets a man. Haven Point #1. The first book in the spin-off series to Hope’s Crossing.

Paige Timothy (Tristi Pinkston). Five Golden Rings. Trifecta Books, Oct. 31. Contemporary Romance.  Main Street Merchants #3. Part of a series of short romance novels, all featuring a business located on Main Street in the fictional town of Aspen Ridge, Colorado.

Karey White. The Husband Maker. Self, June 19. Contemporary romance. Every guy she’s dated since high school has gone on to marry the next girl they date. Is she doing something wrong or is she just cursed?

Shelah Books It (3 stars): ” I really enjoyed Charlotte, as well as the supporting characters who will be sticking around until the next installment of the series. It’s a squeaky clean romance– although the characters are not Mormon, the author is, which gives the book an interesting vibe for a Mormon reader, because these people feel Mormon, for sure. In other words, no swearing, no sex (even for characters who are close to marrying), and a preoccupation with marriage on the part of Charlotte and her family that seems a little out of place for a twenty-something living in a big city. I’m not sure if I understand the conventions of the romance novel well enough, but I’m already predicting the ultimate finale of book three, and I’d bet someone twenty bucks I know how the cliffhanger at the end of the book resolves itself in book two. All in all, a fun read, and I would enjoy following this story through to its conclusion in the third book.”

Karey White. The Match Maker. Orange Door Press, Nov. 1. Contemporary romance. Husband Maker #2. Again her last boyfriend gets engaged. She tries again, letting her friend set her up.

Reviews of older books

Carys Bray. A Song for Issy Bradley (Rebecca, BCC). “A first novel, written as a part of her PhD. In some ways this is obvious, as the writing takes a while to warm up. The characters, however, are well-drawn in the short time before the death of Issy, which is important and allows the reader to be able to empathise with them as the aftermath of the family tragedy unfolds. For me, there were two main components of the novel: the handling of grief and the presentation of the family’s Mormon-ness. The portrayal of the various family members’ grief is compelling . . . The descriptions of the raw emotions you would expect in the face of such a tragedy do a wonderful job creating empathy for the characters. My heart broke as I could too easily imagine myself reacting the same way as Claire if anything happened to one of my own children. Bray’s treatment of the Mormon factor in the family at times felt both uncomfortable and a little unfair. Uncomfortable, as I recognised many of the cringe-inducing behaviours Mormons display. As someone like Bray who is no longer active in the church, I saw many behaviours that are typical, but also some that may be true of a only a small minority of Mormons. For example, Ian misses his son’s birthday party to go visit a ward member. This is not someone I have seen, though I don’t discount they exist; it just felt a little unbalanced towards the negative in its portrayal of the characters’ Mormonism. This may be Bray’s own strict Mormon autobiography coming through in her writing. Overall, a brave and powerful first novel and an interesting portrayal of a particular (British) Mormonism. Based on Issy Bradley, I’d definitely want to read anything else Bray writes.”

Rachelle J. Christensen. Diamond Rings are Deadly Things (Gamila). “I loved the concept of this book and was really excited to review it. A wedding planner murder mystery sounded super cool to me. I am kind of sad to say that I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. The most annoying thing to me was that each chapter started with an idea for a wedding craft. It was weird that a murder mystery became a pseudo craft book, but then the text had to be at the beginning of the chapter where they slowed down the story and gave spoilers. I felt like the craft ideas should have been left to the back of the book or at least at the end of the chapter. So I was not a fan. It felt like the book was trying too hard instead of letting the story speak for itself. Second, the story was decent. I thought the author did an excellent job with the setting and some of the descriptions of Adrielle’s family farm were really beautiful. Characters were not too bad, though I had a hard time empathizing with Adrielle at first. I am not sure why. Smuggling diamonds in wedding dresses did seem a little bit cliché, and so did the character’s initial reactions. Still the book was enjoyable enough that I wanted to finish reading it instead of putting it down. So, while this wasn’t the best read it still kept me entertained.”

Jennifer K. Clark and Stephonie K. Williams. Bonds of Loyalty (Jennie Hansen, Meridian Magazine) 4 stars. “The renaissance-like setting for this book feels realistic and though the plot is somewhat predictable, it presents an interesting and enjoyable contrast to other novels presently on the market. The plot is paced well, holds the reader’s attention, and contains varied sidelights that enhance the tension. Both Prince Alex and Sarah’s twin, Prince Michael, are more than a little chauvinistic, but that suits the time period.”

Larry Correia. Monster Hunter Vendetta (Joe, MySF Short Short Reviews) 4.5 stars. “The individual characters, both older ones and those introduced in this book, are very well crafted and draw you right into the story. Correia paces things extremely well, and this is one of his strongest points. I especially liked how well he created the motivations for the bad guys as they were entirely believable and sinister in their thoroughness. These are not idiot Bond villains, but rather highly intelligent, three-dimensional (or even more multi-dimensional, in some cases) villains who are just as careful as the protagonists in everything they do . . .I strongly recommend it to all fans of action horror. It has just the right combination of humor, in-your-face action and excitement, and an excellent story to move things along.”

Bree Despain. The Savage Grace (Darien, MySF Short Short Reviews). 3.5 stars. “I had problems with the first two fifths of the book. Something about the voice and narrative felt off to me . . .  I wonder if there may have been too many lose ends from the second book to tie up in the beginning of this book. Overall, the story and writing were slow to find their stride in the beginning. Those are minor details, however, that might not bother everybody. I felt the real problem with the story in the beginning was that the story didn’t work well with Grace playing opposite a furry Daniel. Grace needed Daniel as a human. Grace and Daniel weren’t just a cute couple; they were the core of the story . . . . Once Daniel returned, there was an excellent balance and flow between conversation and action again. One aspect of this final book in the trilogy that I enjoyed very much was the use of religion as a positive force. Grace used religion, prayer, and worship as her center without the story being preachy. One would expect prayer to be critical to a Hound of Heaven’s spirituality. I have to caution readers, however, that the idea of Grace and Daniel as angels of God is often compromised by their language. This installation in the series seemed more potty-mouthed than the others . . . I believe the series has a lot going for it. Its spicy dialog, intrigue, and good world building are notable. The theme of redemption runs like a river throughout the books, giving the story arc more strength than other paranormal YA stories I’ve read. Grace is a strong female character who is both strong and feminine. Although she loves Daniel, her love for family is a stronger motivating force. Grace is nothing like Bella or Katniss. I’m surprised more people haven’t taken notice of her.”

Melanie Jacobson. Painting Kisses (Bloggin’ ‘bout Books) A-. “I’ve read them all [of Jacobson’s books]. I’ve liked them all. But, this one? My favorite. Hands down. At less than two hundred pages, Painting Kisses is a quick, enjoyable read. Unlike her other books, Jacobson’s newest is written for a mainstream audience instead of an LDS one—still, aside from a little innuendo, it’s as clean and uplifting as her previous novels. Filled with her trademark warmth and wit, this one seriously gave me all the feels. It made me smile, it made me laugh, it made me swoon … Was the story predictable? Absolutely. Contrived? Yep. Did I care? No. (Okay, a little.) Overall, though, I loved this one. It spoke to me. Jacobson once told me she was determined to write a story that would earn an A from me. Guess what, Melanie? You did it.”

Melanie Jacobson. Painting Kisses (Rosalyn) 4 stars. “I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Melanie Jacobson: her writing is clean, fun, refreshing and sweet. Painting Kisses is no exception . . . I thought this was quite well done. The characters are real–and, seeing them through Lia’s eyes, we make some of the same misjudgments that she does. I liked, too, that this novel had some unexpected depth: it wasn’t just about romance and kissing, but about Lia coming to terms with her past. As an amateur artist myself, I also resonated with Lia’s deep satisfaction in creativity, and I thought Jacobson’s descriptions of that process were nicely done. One of my favorite lines in the book compares Lia’s sisters to paintings: a radiant Klimt when she’s rested, a muted Modigliani when she’s exhausted. That was enough to conjure a near-perfect impression for me. My only real complaint is that the book is too short! I wanted just a little more resolution to the love story.”

Levi Peterson. The Backslider (Jaren Watson). 2 stars. “I suppose it’s fair to say readers of Mormon literature must reckon with this book eventually. While I enjoyed reading it, I found much of the language and characterization to be exaggerated and warped. Additionally, I doubt Peterson will ever be accused of being a perceptive writer of women characters. Indeed, he could be labeled misogynistic based on the universal dimwitted nature of Backslider’s women.
The good folks at Signature, though I appreciate the work they do, have never been much for line editing. This shows. Errors abound, as do sloppy and stilted sentences. Peterson needed help in this regard, and it’s sad he never got it. Overall, a laudable effort, one worth reading.

Jennie Proctor. Mountains Between Us (Mindy, LDSWBR). 4 stars.

Linda Sillitoe. The Thieves of Summer (Andrew H, Approaching Justice) [Note, Andrew H, who comments on BCC and other blogs, is not the same person as the Andrew writing this AML blog post.] “In “Thieves of Summer” Linda Sillitoe ignores all the Mormon fiction stereotypes, smashes down the walls of the genre, and lays waste to the Mormon fiction tropes that caused me to set down almost every previous Mormon work of fiction that I ever picked up. And in doing so she has created a wonderful, tightly woven book that I believe will delight and challenge any reader daring enough to pick it up.”

Douglas Thayer. Will Wonders Never Cease (Marilyn Brown). “Doug Thayer has done it this time! Hanging on the cliff of suspense, he has given us the complete picture of Mormonism from the mouth of a fifteen-year-old boy . . . I loved this book. And the boys and parents will love this book. . . . The story kept me turning the pages and wondering what in the heck was going to happen next. . . . I think this is the most riveting book Thayer has written. His sense of humor, wisdom and perspective are paying off big time. He deserves kudos.”

Paige Timothy. Something Blue (Jennie Hansen, Meridian Magazine) 3 stars. “The plot moves well and with the glimpses of the other main street merchants who make cameo appearances, it’s easy to see the characters who will be featured in future books in the series.  The book is short, not much longer than a novella. The cover is pretty “run of the mill” for paperback romances.  The setting and background show well the small town vacation atmosphere of a ski town. Both the language and the scenes of this story are clean.  Readers who like light, fun romances without explicit sex scenes will enjoy this book.”

Ilima Todd. Remake (Bloggin’ ‘bout Books) C. “I was drawn to Remake because although its premise sounded similar to that of Scott Westerfield’s Uglies series, the whole idea of choosing one’s gender seemed to bring something new to the YA dystopian table.  Knowing that Todd is a Mormon made me even more curious to see how she would explore such an ambitious story question. Open-mindedness, as it turns out, is not the novel’s strong suit. Its message—that marriage is sacred, family essential, and freedom to choose crucial—is absolutely one I believe in, I just think it comes across in the story as very heavy-handed. Subtlety would have been a much more effective approach, especially in a book aimed at mainstream teens. But then, subtlety is not something that’s plentiful in Remake either. The story has a very tell vs. show feel to it. That, along with a confusing, underdeveloped dystopian world, flat characters, and a dull, saggy middle made this a rather disappointing read for me.  Remake isn’t bad for a first novel; it just doesn’t do enough to stand out.  For me, it ended up being just okay. Although she lacked a lot in the personality department, I do think teens will empathize with Nine’s anxiety about her future.  I also think they’ll enjoy her romp on an exotic island, even if it sets up yet another annoying YA dystopian love triangle. They will probably also appreciate (as did I) Todd’s bravery in boldly tackling big issues that are as timely as they are divisive.  And yet, I think they, like me, will long for a more vivid story world, stronger characterization, and a fresher plot.”

Tyler Whitesides. Strike of the Sweepers (Megan Gladwell, Deseret News). “Whitesides’ writing is uncluttered, engaging and easy to follow, despite a twisty and slightly darker plot. Several important characters are killed, which may disturb younger readers. Most of the action and violence is consistent with the rest of the series and is written in an age-appropriate way.”

Julie Wright. Spell Check (Soozcat, MySF Short Short Reviews) 3 stars. “Spell Check starts out slowly, and readers will figure out what’s happening to Allyson long before she does. The pace does pick up in later chapters . . . More problematic is the writing style. Although the protagonist is in high school, her expressions are solidly middle-grade in tone. There are also several spelling and usage errors in the e-book text I read, though these may be cleared up by a good editor . . . Overall, though, I’d say it is a fun read with a pleasant—if not particularly inspired—writing style, especially for middle-school kids. Allyson is a funny, relatable heroine, and Swedish troll folklore, which may not be as well-known as other European folk tales, gives a new spin to the somewhat hackneyed “teenage girl receives magical powers” trope. I especially recommend it for girls who like stories about magic with a touch of romance thrown in for good measure.”

Theater

Mahonri Stewart. Evening Eucalyptus. Echo Theater, Provo. November 7-15. Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, with 2 pm matinees on Saturdays. “A period drama/romance set in Australia during the early 20th century. Arthur Stevenson has returned to Australia after a tragedy in England. There his new housekeeper Abigail Baker and his old Aboriginal friend Pindari help him heal. However, the arrival of two “swag men” (one of which is a woman) brings new conflict into Arthur’s life. He must confront both the old and new demons in his life, or break underneath their weight.” Broadway World feature story.

Daily Herald feature story. ““At its heart, it’s more than a love story between two people, but a love story of Australia. It’s my valentine to it — my love letter to Australia.” Stewart said. . . . Stewart uses character masks and music to convey when Arthur experiences dreamtime, where ancient spirits appear and come to influence Arthur’s and Pindari’s life perspectives.”

Kristin Perkins, Front Row Reviewers. “The stage design (Jason Sullivan) is intriguing, evocative and hints at the journey that is to come . . . This is a new script written by Mahonri Stewart and it does a good job of weaving together several story lines with a sense of magic. While the dialogue sometimes becomes stilted or on-the-nose, the last lines of the play linger in the mind long after curtain call . . . There is a lot to recommend Evening Eucalyptus for a night of thought-provoking entertainment.”

Becky Baker. Much Ado about Zombies. Covey Center, Oct. 24-Nov. 1. Adaption. Eric Samuelsen directed.

Tara Nicole Haas, UTBA: “This adaptation melds Shakespeare’s language and well-known characters with zombies and steampunk, making it quite the transformation . . . Baker’s new script demonstrated this plot naturally and understandably. While most of the language is pulled from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, other lines and verses are used from some of Shakespeare’s’ other works, with some modern vernacular interspersed throughout. I felt this mixture came together quite seamlessly to create a modern and creative re-telling. The way in which the zombies were worked into the script was also well done . . . The most impressive aspect of this production was certainly the design elements. Visually, the show is spectacular . . . Despite the few imperfections I have mentioned, this production is generally a success. If you enjoy Shakespeare, zombies, and/or steampunk, this innovative play is the perfect show for you. Given the spookiness zombies provide, this show is a great date night or friendly activity for the Halloween season that is upon us.”

3^rd Annual Echo10: Short Play Festival – At the Echo Theatre, Provo. Nov. 20-23.

Group A:
•”Roger and Juliet” written by David Guaspari, directed by Heather Oberlander
•”To Be Continued” written by Davey Morrison Dillard, directed by Eric Geels
•”Noir in Second Class” written by CJ. Ehrlich, directed by Mike McClellan
•”No Atheists in Foxholes” written and directed by Ashley Miller & Jaren Jolley
•”From a Window in Munich” written by Carl McMurrin, directed by Jeff Blake
Group B:
•”On the Romance of a Dying Child” written by J. Scott Bronson, directed by Liesl Cope
•”The Perfect Independent Film” written by Trace Crawford, directed by Hannah Roskelley
•”Food” written by Addison Radle, directed by Trevor Newsome
•”Survival Strategy” written by Donna Hoke, directed by Dana Anquoe
•”The Last Scenario” written by James Best, directed by Hannah Kroff
Saturday Night is the Best of Festival Show and awards ceremony.

Film

Wayward: The Prodigal Son. Rob Diamond, director/writer. Opening at 46 theaters nationwide on November 7. Modern retelling of the prodigal son. Cedar Fort Entertainment release. The focus appears to be on Bible Belt states, like Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as Utah. Kevin Burtt reports, “Its focus on a popular Biblical parable has gotten the film some attention from Christian groups outside of the Mormon corridor — a good sign for crossover box office potential.” It was shown at the LDS Film Festival in Feb. 2014. Cedar Fort, the publishing company, appears to be making a move into the film business, with their division “Cedar Fort Entertainment”. The division is led by Spencer Harden, who was previously a financial officer at Excel Entertainment and a project manager for Church produced films. Cedar Fort previously distributed The Saratov Approach.

Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune: 1.5 stars. “Good intentions are undermined by cheesy execution . . . Only the faithful are likely to overlook the easy-to-spot plot complications, hammy performances and the heavy-handed approach to the movie’s religious message.”

Reviews from the LDS Film Festival screening in February: Deseret News (Sharron Haddock). “The family in “Wayward: The Prodigal Son” has plenty of money. They can afford to hand over half a million dollars to the uppity and ungrateful son who leaves home to lose it all. They can also — apparently — stand the cost of paying off his gambling debt once again and lose a pretty nice car to boot . . . Getting the picture? “Wayward” is a nicely shot movie. The actors, for the most part, do a decent job. And if you can get past some of the obvious and oft-used plot devices, it’s not hard to watch . . .  It’s just that, as an overall story, it’s a bit unbelievable . . . The father, played by Rob Diamond (who also wrote and directed the film), is almost a saint. He never shows his frustration. The timing is a little compressed, as well, in this 98-minute film. Tyler gets into major trouble quickly and his turnabout is overly simplified. Also, be aware that this is not a movie for children. The themes are adult and parents would have to spend a while after the movie explaining things like gambling and prostitution to youngsters even though nothing sexual is spelled out and the gunplay is all show.”

Kevin Burtt, LDS Cinema Online. C+. “Good idea, good intentions, bad execution. The heart of the story is there, and the final inevitable scene with Tyler and his father embracing is as moving as it should be. However, characterizations from scene to scene are all over the place. I had no idea what was driving Tyler to flee from his home in the first place (Low self-esteem? High ambition?) nor what his goal was.  Neither could I understand the dynamics of his relationship with his father or older brother, which seemed to change from scene to scene. Not helping is an over-the-top gambling + violent bookie subplot and one of the least plausible prostitute characters in movie memory. (Shouldn’t it be easy to create a realistic modern story of a youth getting involved with drugs or gangs before hitting rock bottom? Wayward revolves around a million dollar poker game and a shady criminal conspiracy which just distances the story from real-life situations that real LDS wayward youth encounter.) Also not helping is that the movie skips an important component of the original Prodigal Son story: the older brother’s own journey of repentance and forgiveness.  Will, the older brother here, contributes significantly to family woes through his own poor decisions, but the film never spends the necessary scenes reconciling him with his father or brother.”

The Last Straw. Nov. 7-13, shown at four Utah theaters. DVD available Nov. 18. Rob Diamond [Apparently not satisfied with just one movie opening this week], director, co-writer, producer. Shelley Binghan-Husk, writer, producer. Starring Corbin Bernsen, Adam Johnson and Britani Bateman. Distributed by Covenant Communications.“A bickering family remembers an old tradition of building a soft bed for Baby Jesus one straw at a time. Each time someone secretly does something nice for another family member, he or she gets to add a single straw to the manger. Soon the children’s quarreling and negative feelings subside and the homemade crib fills with straw. But for one family member, a required act of kindness becomes more than he can take.”  Based on the book The Last Straw by Paula Palangi McDonald.

Missionary. An independent horror thriller directed by Anthony DiBlasi. It opened on Oct. 31 at a small handful of theaters in LA, NYC, and Seattle, and became available on Video on Demand the same day.  It premiered July 25, 2013 at the Fantasia International Film Festival. It is the story of a Mormon missionary who has an affair and becomes obsessed with a woman who has recently separated from her husband. After she begins to reconcile with her husband, the mentally unstable missionary “tries to use his religion to justify making Katherine his . . . forever.” He violently stalks the couple and their son.

Los Angeles Times. “This latest iteration on the “Fatal Attraction” theme takes on the Mormon faith — or at least one of its fictional followers — in ways that are certain to inflame church members. For other viewers, this lean thriller deftly shows how the fervency needed to wholly embrace any one belief or institution can, if unchecked, yield dire consequences . . . [DiBlasi] skillfully tightens the screws on a story that leads to much collateral damage and an effective final showdown.”

Variety: “A luridly entertaining thriller that plays like “Fatal Attraction” for extreme religiophobes, or perhaps a very gory episode of “The Brigham Young and the Restless.” Following his Clive Barker adaptation “Dread” and his ’60s horror tribute “Cassadaga,” director Anthony DiBlasi continues his string of indie freakouts with this cautionary tale of a wife and mother who finds that her Book of Mormon-thumping boyfriend is anything but a saint, Latter-Day or otherwise . . . Falling head over heels in lust with Kevin, Katherine takes advantage of their next accidental encounter to impulsively seduce the young missionary, who proves surprisingly compliant. Indeed, while we’ve seen Kevin diligently praying and running through Scripture verses with Elder Whitehall, he turns out to have a decidedly non-rigid interpretation of God’s will, which apparently doesn’t forbid fornication under any and all circumstances (their first sex scene is filmed in jagged “Unfaithful”-style flashbacks, seen from Katherine’s half-guilty, half-delighted perspective). More disturbingly, Kevin becomes convinced that he, Katherine and Kesley are destined to be sealed as a “celestial family” for all eternity. Needless to say, he doesn’t take it too well when a repentant Ian returns to the fold, and Katherine decides to give their marriage a second chance. Taken strictly as a Cinemax-grade potboiler, “Missionary” is often a hoot, and more effective than it has any right to be. No bunnies get boiled, and the family dog makes it through mercifully unscathed; the same can’t be said for the others, who commit the grave error of assuming that Kevin, with his man-of-God masquerade, is essentially harmless. DiBlasi tightens the screws capably enough, and Olivieri, Pardue and Christie make a touching trio of sitting ducks while Ryan turns his hunky Mormon Bates act up to 11. Needless to say, given its portrait of truly warped extremism, its hallucinatory baptismal climax and one scene that sickeningly harks back to the LDS Church’s pre-1978 racial attitudes (is it a coincidence that the first initials of Kevin’s coveted family add up to “KKK”?), the movie is unlikely to score many fans among the faithful. At the same time, the psychothriller machinations are too generic and too over-the-top to be seriously construed as an out-and-out attack on religious belief, and to their credit, producer-scribes Bruce Wood and Scott Poiley draw a clear line between this deviant predator and his chosen faith — representatives of which are shown severing ties with Kevin once his dangerous pattern of behavior become clear.”

Seattle Times. 2 stars. “Mitch Ryan is well-cast in the title role of “Missionary,” a Southern Gothic thriller that begins on a high note but fails to deliver. Ryan’s troubled character, Kevin Brock, happens to be a Mormon missionary. Latter Day Saints members need take no offense. Elder Brock is no more a role model than Robert Mitchum’s homicidal hymn-singer in 1955’s “The Night of the Hunter,” which also used the Bible to create delusional rationalizations for murder . . . Their too-soon first kiss strikes the film’s first false note, and things don’t improve with the arrival of her cheating husband (Kip Pardue), who wants to start over. The rivalry becomes increasingly ridiculous as the husband recruits his many relatives to stage a showdown . . . “Missionary” is also compromised by arty camera angles and close-ups that leave out essential visual information. It’s best when the filmmakers keep it simple.”

Village Voice: “Anthony DiBlasi’s taut look at the dark side of door-to-door evangelism starts off innocuously enough, but things go from The Tabernacles of Madison County to Play Moroni for Me in short order . . . in fairness, DiBlasi isn’t indicting the Mormon Church as a whole. Brock’s mentor is a reasonable fellow, as door-to-door proselytizers go, and the church’s official spokesman is mostly empathetic. There are also the familiar stalker-movie beats . . .  The tension in Missionary is surprisingly effective, especially given how easy it should be to put out an APB on a guy on a freaking bicycle, and there are enough scares to remind you to keep the chain latched when those polite young men in the slacks and neckties drop by.”

Pop Culture and Religious Sensibility on a Mormon TV Network (New York Times). An article about BYUtv, Scott Swofford, and the dramatic series Granite Flats. “Mr. Swofford was overseeing an episode of “Granite Flats,” the television series that has, emphatically, made a Mormon television network watchable. As it prepares for a third season, this mixture of family drama, police procedural and Cold War suspense yarn has earned widespread critical praise and an audience of about 500,000 households per episode. More to the Mormon point, “Granite Flats” has found the sweet spot where popular culture combines with a religious sensibility. While there is nothing explicitly Mormon in the plotline, characters or dialogue of “Granite Flats,” the show eschews profanity, nudity and severe violence, those staples of many of cable television’s most acclaimed shows. And it uses a language of faith-based values . . . For the most part, critical response was both positive and surprised. Glenn Garvin wrote in The Miami Herald, “ ‘Granite Flats’ is solid evidence that family entertainment need not be strait-laced or simple-minded.” David Hinckley in The Daily News called it “a cool little series from a spot where most New Yorkers might not look.””

Mark Sheffield Brown. In Particularity we Trust: Richard Dutcher’s Mormon Quartet and a Latter-Day Saint Spiritual Film Style. Wayne State University, English Department PhD dissertation. Brown has published poetry in Dialogue and taught at the College of Southern Idaho.

BYU Universe feature story on Freetown.

Bestsellers

Nov. 2, 9, 16

RaeAnne Thayne. Snow Angel Cove

USA Today: x, x, #43 (1 week)

PW Mass Market: x, x, #12 (1 week). 10,532 units.

NYT Mass Market: x, x, #16 (1 week)

James Dashner. The Maze Runner

USA Today: #9, #11, #22 (49 weeks)

USA Today: (full series) #82, #95, x (8 weeks)

PW Children’s: #7, #7, #8 (13 weeks) 10,625, 8080, 6272 units. 162,178 total.

NYT Children’s Series: #2, #2, #2 (108 weeks)

James Dashner. The Scorch Trials

USA Today: #18, #20, #39 (34 weeks)

James Dashner. The Death Cure

USA Today: #36, #33, #53 (36 weeks)

James Dashner. The Kill Order

USA Today: #86, #112, #114 (12 weeks)

PW Children’s: #9, #9, #10 (28 weeks). 7361, 6382, 5790 units. 163,381 total.

Shannon Hale. Ever After High: Once Upon a Time

PW Children’s: x, #25, #17 (2 weeks). 3400, 4018 units. 7418 total.

Brandon Mull and others. Spirit Animals: Tales of the Great Beasts

PW Children’s: x, #23, x (1 week). 3977 units.

NYT Children’s Series: x, #8, x

Ally Condie. Atlantia

PW Children’s: x, x, #24 (1 week). 3216 units.

NYT Young Adult: x, x, #7 (1 week).

Orson Scott Card. Ender’s Game

PW Sci-Fi: #1, #3, #4

Richard Paul Evans. Michael Vey 4: Hunt for Jade Dragon

Dropped off PW Children’s after 4 weeks.

Shannon Hale. Ever After High: A Wonderlandiful World

Dropped off PW Children’s after 7 weeks.