Jennifer Quist’s 2013 Love Letters of the Angels of Death is among my favorite novels by a Mormon author. Her new second novel, Sistering, is a darkly comic Canadian family saga, getting strong reviews. Colleen Houck’s YA fantasy Reawakened is her first novel since her Tiger Saga series, and it reached #2 on the New York Times’ new Young Adult Hardcover list. Middle Grade author Krista Van Dolzer debuted with The Sound of Life and Everything, featuring clones and racism in the 1950s! Jennifer A. Nielsen has a new middle grade thriller. David G. Pace’s debut novel at Signature is a coming-of-age novel, with some magical realism. Morementum is a spoof Mormon news site, in the spirit of The Onion and The Sugar Beet. The Hugo Awards ended with no award victories for the puppies. The film Once I Was a Beehive has garnered rave reviews, and BYUtv is ending Granite Flats’ run. Please send news and corrections to mormonlit AT gmail DOT com.
News and blog posts
Mormentum is a spoof Mormon news/viral click-bait website, written by Jacob Baker, in the spirit of The Onion and The Sugar Beet. I especially like the latest post, “TOP SECOND COUNSELORS IN THE GENERAL SUNDAY SCHOOL PRESIDENCY…RANKED”.
Science Fiction’s Hugo Awards were presented on August 21. Brad Torgersen and Larry Correia’s controversial Sad Puppies slate were all defeated. See a Wall Street Journal article.
The most balanced, useful article on the subject is: Who Won Science Fiction’s Hugo Awards, And Why It Matters. Amy Wallace, Wired.
Also, Dan Wells writes about the state of the Hugos. “It would be awesome if a single award represented the best that all science fiction had to offer. The Hugos certainly don’t: their refusal to consider most YA or tie-in fiction is a good example, and yes, they tend (at present) to swing fairly liberal and reward certain Chosen Ones. But the thing is, I don’t think a single award CAN represent the entirety of science fiction. That’s simply too big of a tent. The Hugo, and arguably every award ever, has an inherent bias, and that bias changes over time but it’s there, and it will always be there. If the Puppies want to celebrate old school, spaceships and ray-guns SF, as many of them claim, yay. More power to them–I like old school spaceship and ray-guns. So turn your creative energy and your obvious passion toward celebrating the fiction you love, instead of gaming and attacking and destroying an award that other people love. That way we actually gain something from this–two something’s, actually, because there would be two awards–instead of just losing everything and making people angry and sad.”
The first annual conference of the LDS Publishing Professionals Association (LDSPPA) was held Aug. 21, at the Provo City Library. The conference was geared toward publishing professionals and students interested in a career in publishing. Speakers included Jeff Simpson, president of Deseret Book Company, Angela Bole, executive director of the Independent Book Publishers Association; Steve Piersanti, founder and president of Berrett-Koehler Publishers; author Matt Patterson; Laurel Christensen Day, vice-president at Deseret Book; Jeanette Bennett, founder of Bennett Communications; Lyle Mortimer, founder of Cedar Fort Publishing; and Christopher Robbins, founder of Familius.
Speaking of Lyle Mortimer, he and his wife Sheila, have been called to serve in the Philippines Manila mission. They will enter the Provo MTC on October 5.
Natalie Whipple wrote an honest post about struggling with depression after being dropped by her publisher and being unable to write. Many YA authors are given contracts, but few of them enjoy enough sales to get past two nationally published novels. Whipple provides a perspective on the aftermath of losing a publisher.
Mahonri Stewart published the second half of the essay he wrote accompany his thesis play for the MFA program in Dramatic Writing at Arizona State University. “Wherein I discuss the development of my plays during that period, my awesome experience at ASU, and the anti-Mormon prejudice I sometimes encountered.” Part One can be found here. Mahonri recently has started a teaching position at a high school in San Diego.
An excerpt from Stephen Tuttle’s upcoming novel At the Gates of the Kingdom is available at 15 Bytes.
A Q&A with Krishna McArthur, one of the authors of the AML Award-winning picture book Girls Who Choose God. Deseret News. Also about her life in India.
New books and their reviews
A Timeless Romance: All Hallow’s Eve. Mirror’s Press, Aug. 14. Novella anthology, speculative romantic suspense. Authors: Sarah M. Eden, Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, Lisa Mangum, Jordan McCollum, Elana Johnson.
Daring Hearts. August 18. Multi-author Young Adult/New Adult boxed set of adventure, romance, and speculative novels. Limited edition. Some of the authors are Mormon. Includes novels by Rebecca Ethington, RaShelle Workman, Cindy M. Hogan, Elle Strauss, Chritine Kersey, Juli Alexander, Amber Argyle, Lila Felix, C. L. Stone, Elana Johnson, Leigh Talbert Moore, Rachel Morgan, Katrina Abbott.
Lynne Leatham Allen. The Tulip Resistance. Cedar Fort/Bonneville, May 12. Historical fiction. A 16-year old Dutch girl and her family help refugees escape the Nazis in 1940, including a German defector. Debut novel.
Lee Allred, editor. Fiction River: Valor. WMG Publishing, July 30. Military Science Fiction short story anthology. The eleven stories include two by Mormon authors, Scott R. Parkin (“Beloved of the Electric Valkyrie”), and Lee Allred (“Milk Run”), and a Utah author Paul Genesse (“Neo Nihon”).
Julie Daines. Eleanor and the Iron King. Covenant, Aug. 1. Medieval fantasy romance. Eleanor is forced to marry an infamous Welsh king. But she finds out he is not the monster she thought. Mindy, LDSWBR. 5 stars.
Krista Van Dolzer. The Sound of Life and Everything. Putnam, May 5. Middle grade speculative historical fiction. The wrong person is cloned, and ethics and racism are explored in post-WWII southern California. Debut novel.
PW: “In a moving examination of racism in post-WWII California, a scientist promising to resurrect an American solider instead conjures a Japanese clone. Shunned by his creator and the desperate woman who thought she was getting back her son, Takuma Sato is taken in by 12-year-old Ella Mae Higbee and her mother, who recognize the man’s innocence. As Takuma’s self-proclaimed best friend, Ella Mae is a scrapper in the tradition of Harper Lee’s Scout, a tomboy unafraid of using her fists on a bully with an equally fierce compassion that looks beyond a man’s skin. Debut author Van Dolzer’s attentions are less on the story’s science fiction aspect than on the racial tensions at play, dividing family and pitting God against science, with the devout Mrs. Higbee standing up against religious leaders who turn Takuma away for his unnatural genesis. In revealing how Takuma’s DNA got mixed up with that of Ella Mae’s cousin, Van Dolzer creates a thoughtful study in forgiveness and hope blossoming in a climate of ignorance and fear.”
VOYA: “This post-Second World War novel poses themes of prejudice, humanity, scientific discovery, history, and conscience. By mixing elements of science fiction with a historical setting, Van Dolzer presents serious subject matter in an age-appropriate way. This novel would be perfect for classrooms and book clubs, as it definitely offers a lot of material for discussion.”
SLJ: “Throughout the novel, the protagonist grapples with the difference between right and wrong, and at every turn, she considers Takuma’s feelings. Although Takuma is underdeveloped as a young man in the center of conflicting loyalties, Ella Mae is a believable character—confused, impulsive, and sensitive. VERDICT Van Dolzer’s thoughtful novel—with a sci-fi twist—is recommended to fans of historical fiction who enjoy a mix of history and ethics.”
Kirkus: “With her folksy narration, both Ella Mae and the rural town’s simple, white Protestant inhabitants lack credibility as Californians. This ill-conceived novel is more than just ludicrously simplistic in its science; it portrays 1952 California as devoid of Japanese-Americans. Neither the text nor the author’s note mentions the thousands forced from their homes across the western United States, including towns and farms in Orange County, and incarcerated in concentration camps (two in California), nor do they mention the heroic 442nd Infantry Brigade, whose highly decorated Japanese-American soldiers fought for the Allies while their own families were imprisoned. Numerous omissions and inaccuracies work against the earnest “war hurts everyone” message.”
Krista Van Dolzer. Don’t Vote for Me. Sourcebooks Jaberwocky, Aug. 4. Middle grade comic novel, set at math camp. Second novel.
PW: “Seventh-grade band geek David Grainger and his two best friends are social zeros at Shepard’s Vale Middle School, unlike classmate Veronica Pritchard-Pratt, who is on her way to another unchallenged victory as class president. When David makes an impromptu speech about Veronica not representing class interests, Veronica goads him into running against her. Then, much to David’s dismay, the two political rivals are chosen to play a duet together at an upcoming school recital. Veronica turns out to be more complicated than David realized, and he gradually comes to understand her better and wonder who really will be the better class president. While the lessons David learns about the sometimes hidden reasons behind people’s actions are a bit on the nose (“For some reason, it hadn’t occurred to me that Veronica’s life wouldn’t be perfect, that it wouldn’t be like mine”), Van Dolzer keeps the tone light between David’s wry observations, amusing friends, and the goofy predicaments he falls into.”
SLJ: “The biggest obstacle in making this fluffy middle-grade novel stick is that Van Dolzer’s characters feel like the types on which they’re based, and this town, with its school full of band geeks and “populars,” could really be anywhere in the U.S. . . . the author manages to twist her archetypes just enough to make Veronica’s family issues and David’s maturation genuinely sweet, bringing out unexpected depth in her lighthearted writing style. Most of the surprises come from her funny characterizations, not the development of the story—still, readers looking for realistic middle-grade fiction will find David a likable guide in a balanced lesson about ceding the spotlight. VERDICT A traditional but amusing school-age story with a good heart.”
Kirkus: “Van Dolzer alternates the humor of David’s election-race antics with introspective moments focusing on his changing perceptions of Veronica’s situation. David’s narrative is a blend of candor and wry humor, conveying his earnestness beneath his uncertainty and bluster. His growing understanding of Veronica’s struggle to achieve her dreams in music and life contributes to his increasing ambivalence about the election. Ultimately, David’s emerging maturity is honestly won and will resonate with readers. A comic romp that’s also an enlightening quest for increased awareness and self-understanding.”
Ann Farnsworth. The Throne of David. Cedar Fort/Sweetwater, Aug. 11. Suspense. The British monarchy is rocked by a potential secret heir, and the existence of a sacred stone. DaVinci Code-type thriller. First novel.
Jacob Gowans. Secrets of Neverak. Shadow Mountain, July 7. Fantasy/adventure. A Tale of Light and Shadow series #2. Sword and sorcery epic, set on another world.
Elizabeth Reid, Deseret News ““It lacks the polish and magic of its predecessor but is still a rewarding read. The trials and depression of the first half can seem overwhelming at times, but Gowans more than makes up for it in a second half full of intrigue and action. He does an excellent job of interlacing the personal battles of addiction throughout the plot without seeming preachy, while the friendship and loyalty that made book one so heartwarming are continued as the wonderful characters are developed even more.”
Teri Harman. Storm Moon. Jolly Fish, Aug. 11. YA paranormal. Moonlight series #3. Conclusion. Good witches battle dark witches. “After marrying her soul mate Simon Howard, Willa Fairfield prepares for the couple’s honeymoon. But, unbeknownst to her, it is not Simon who is sleeping beside her; it is Bartholomew the Dark, the legendary and dangerous witch.”
Christine Rappleye, Deseret News. “A culminating battle of magic and wills among the witches of Twelve Acres and a dark witch who is hundreds of years old and seeks immortality and his lost love . . . It’s an action-filled and satisfying ending to the series, and Harman neatly wraps up many of the characters’ stories.”
Michelle Paige Holmes. Marrying Christopher. Mirror Press, July 30. Regency romance. Hearthfire Romance #3.
Colleen Houck. Reawakened. Delacorte, August 11. YA paranormal romance. The Reawakened #1.
PW: “When high school senior Lilliana becomes mystically tethered to a resurrected Egyptian mummy, her upper-crust, micromanaged New York City lifestyle is turned upside down. Lilliana and Amon, the resurrected prince and carrier of the Eye of Horus, travel to Egypt in search of Amon’s brothers, who are needed to complete a thousand-year-old ritual that will prevent Seth, the “Dark One,” from rising. They meet the Grand Vizier, an archeologist devoted to helping the brothers, but trouble emerges in the form of an unknown necromancer who intercepts their every move with flesh-eating demons, poisonous dust, and zombies. Along the way, Lilliana must decide whether to sacrifice herself to prevent the world’s “unmaking.” In this series opener, Houck introduces a fantasy teeming with Egyptian characters and mythological stories come to life. Though the Amon’s thematic metaphors (“My throat is as dry as a sandstorm in the desert”) are trying, and the scenes between adventures can be tedious, Houck’s moving depiction of the love between Lily and Amon is memorable.”
SLJ: “Amon is a mystery, a man of power and knowledge, and Lily stereotypically falls for him and can’t help getting involved in helping him in his quest. The pacing of the story is even, with exciting culminating battle scenes. Rick Riordan fans who are looking for another series will delight in this fantasy. VERDICT An incredibly well-researched novel with an air of mystery and romance.”
Kirkus: “The author weaves her story out of Egyptian lore, cinematic magic, selfless love, and cheesy dialogue, threading it with such oddities as a half-man, half-crocodile monster, massive biting worms, and rickety zombies. The tale feels occasionally overstuffed with mythology but is clever enough to remain surprising even to the last sentence. Happily, this paranormal romance has enough humor to keep the pages flipping, though it’s unlikely to attract fans not already devoted to the genre.”
Bree Despain interviews Houk about the new book at USA Today.
Lana Krumweide. Psi Chronicles: True Son. Candlewick, April 28. Middle grade dystopian adventure. Psi Chronicles #3.
School Library Journal: “Good dystopian lit for middle schoolers is hard to come by and the ‘PSI Chronicles’ continue to be quick paced and thought-provoking. Verdict for librarians who haven’t already purchased this series, now’s the time. A great addition to most middle school collections.”
Kirkus: “The story’s biggest liability is in occasionally unrealistic characterization; Gen. Sarin in particular is too much the quintessentially evil villain to be believable, and the role of a True Son pretender is equally unconvincing. It would behoove those new to the series to begin with the first book, but those anticipating the conclusion of the trilogy will not be disappointed by the ever-so-slightly-tidy ending.”
VOYA: “The author’s world-building is complex and well thought out, but details about it and various characters’ unique abilities—including thought transference, clairvoyance, and the power of psi, the ability to move things via thought—are often repeated and overdescribed, resulting in a sluggish exposition that readers will need to tolerate before the pace picks up and suspense and tension build. Interesting plot points and conflicts, including imprisoned, tortured characters and entertaining fight scenes, will make the novel appealing to some. It is not required that a reader has read the first two books.”
Randy Lindsey. Call to Arms: Nations Fall. Cedar Fort/Bonneville, Aug. 11. LDS last days speculative thriller. Sequel to The Gathering. “With the Savior’s Second Coming fast approaching, the world is descending into chaos. Now each member of the Williams family—along with all the other Saints—must decide whether to heed the call to gather. Set in the near future, this tense novel dives into the wide-sweeping political, social, and religious drama of a family caught between life as it’s always been and a new beginning in Zion.”
Rachel McClellan. Secret Worlds: The Devil’s Fool. Multi-author paranormal romance box set. Bestselling Box Sets, June 29. Vampire story.
Jennifer A. Nielsen. A Night Divided. Scholastic, August 25. Middle grade historical thriller. A 12-year old girl must tunnel to freedom after the Berlin Wall her family in two.
PW: “Eight-year-old Gerta awakens one morning to a fence cleaving her family in two—her father and one of her brothers were on a trip to West Berlin while the rest of the family became trapped in the East. Four years later, the Berlin Wall has become a harsh reality, but a secret message from her father, hidden in a silly dance, gives Gerta hope and a plan for escape: tunneling to freedom. Like Anne Frank before her, Gerta is small but mighty, a hardheaded heroine who dreams up big ideas and refuses to give up in the face of adversity and danger. Nielsen evokes the constant unease of life in a divided Berlin through Gerta’s sober narration, as she struggles with death, lying to survive, and underground obstacles like burst pipes, but the family never loses sight of the power of humility and forgiveness. As the architect of her family’s freedom, Gerta memorably demonstrates that survival is possible even in the bleakest of circumstances.”
SLJ: “Nielsen, best known for her fantasy novels, proves she is equally skilled at historical fiction in this solidly structured, balanced account of the origins of an infamous historical landmark. Gerta is a sassy, determined heroine with realistic fears and frustrations—like her longing for a banana. Distinct supporting characters each react differently to Russian rule and demonstrate the harrowing choices people made to survive, encouraging readers to consider what they would have done if fate and history had cast them into the story. The novel is also an intriguing history of the Berlin Wall itself, detailing how and why it was built and citizens’ first reactions. Opening each chapter is an inspirational quote about freedom and bravery juxtaposed with barbed-wire illustrations; the book’s final quote ominously warns “History repeats itself.” VERDICT The novel’s strong setting and tense climax will keep readers engrossed and holding their breath until the last page.”
Kirkus: “Based on historical fact, the story shines a personal light on the many families who were separated by the division of the two cities. Nielsen convincingly paints a chilling picture of repressive, Communist-controlled East Berlin . . . Implausible decisions ramp up the tension, but they also ramp up readers’ frustration levels, and a formerly riveting tale of history becomes a melodrama. Begins wonderfully; ends melodramatically.”
Kevin L. Neilsen. Sands. Future House Publishing, July 22. YA Fantasy. Fantasy desert setting. Debut novel.
Sheila A. Nielson. Shadow in the Sea. Self, July. 15. YA mermaid fantasy. Sequel/companion novel to The Forbidden Sea, which was published by Scholastic in 2010.
David G. Pace. Dream House on Golan Drive. Signature, August 15. Literary coming-of-age novel, with some magical realism. “It is the year 1972, and Riley Hartley finds that he, his family, community, and his faith are entirely indistinguishable from each other. He is eleven. A young woman named Lucy claims God has revealed to her that she is to live with Riley’s family. Her quirks are strangely disarming, her relentless questioning of their life incendiary and sometimes comical. Her way of taking religious practice to its logical conclusion leaves a strong impact on her hosts and propels Riley outside his observable universe toward a trajectory of self-discovery. Set in Provo and New York City during the seventies and eighties, the story encapsulates the normal expectations of a Mormon experience and turns them on their head. The style, too, is innovative in how it employs as narrator “Zed,” one of the apocryphal Three Nephites who, with another immortal figure, the Wandering Jew of post-biblical legend, engage regularly in light-hearted banter and running commentary, animating the story and leavening the heartache with humor and tenderness.” Pace has published several short stories and non-fiction pieces, this is his debut novel. One chapter had been published in Dialogue as “The Postum Table.” The manuscript won first place in the Utah Original Writing Competition. He is the literary editor at 15 Bytes Arts Magazine, Salt Lake City. Interview at 15 Bytes.
Clair M. Poulson. Portrait of Lies. Covenant, Aug. 4. Suspense. A British police detective on a cruise finds art thieves and murder.
Aimee-Getting Your Read On (4 stars). “Portrait of Lies is suspense just like I like it- just enough to keep you interested and on the edge of your seat but not too scary. Clair Poulsen is one of my favorite authors in the LDS suspense genre. His books are clean and have a great flow to them. I really enjoyed this one! . . . This book is an LDS suspense. The characters mention their religion and the book will say they talked about religious things but nothing is detailed or specific.”
Katie Watkins (3.5 stars). “I’ve read a fair amount of this author’s works and I love that he continues to branch out with his plots . . . There are many twists and turns, including murder, and things get a little crazy at times, with so many suspicious characters. I love the way it was all tied up together in the end. This is a good read for those who enjoy a murder mystery without all of the gore.”
Bookworm Lisa (4 stars). “I liked the romance in the book. It is sweet and cute. There are actually two romances occurring at the same time and I liked both of them. There are murders that happen in the course of the book, but they were not graphic, and just described the basics. The plot was well thought out and presented in a believable manner. The writing style was more of a narrative, it’s not my favorite style. I felt as if I was being told the events rather than having them described to me. This didn’t distract me too much from the plot and characters. I just didn’t get to know them as well as I would have liked. Overall, this was a good book to read. It is clean with a little bit of violence.”
Jennifer Quist. Sistering. Linda Leith, Aug. 15. Black comic “family saga”. “The second novel by award-winning novelist Jennifer Quist is a black comedy of birth, death, marriage, mothers-in-law, and five sisters. When Suzanne’s role as the perfect daughter-in-law ends in a deadly accident, she panics, makes a monumentally bad decision, and upends her world. The bond with her sisters is the strongest force Suzanne knows, and it may be the one thing that can keep her from ruin. Quist’s new novel is hilarious, spine-chilling, satisfying, and original. A romp.”
Kerry Clare. Quill and Quire (the Canadian Publishers Weekly). “The sombre cover the book has now had me imagining I [would be] reading something deep and serious. Although the actual cover did appeal to me too—stair steps like siblings, one after the other. This was a book about five sisters, the copy told me, which put me in mind of the early ’90s melodrama Sisters . . . But Sistering was more Mary Hartman than Sisters, a morbid comedy. A romp, like the cover copy says, even though there is nothing rompish about the cover image as it stands. Which meant that I was confused at the beginning of the book by the strangeness of the characters, by their unnatural behaviour, and how nobody ever remarked on it. Although the story was compelling, and the writing was good, but I kept getting caught on certain points—how Suzanne is obsessed with her mother-in-law, for one. An affliction that’s happened to no one that I’ve ever known, but her sisters take it for granted. And then things with Suzanne and her mother-in-law take a particularly weird turn when the mother-in-law dies in an accident in her home, and Suzanne responds in a way that is, um, untraditional to say the least. At this point I was still not fully cognizant of the constructs of Quist’s literary universe—confused by the cover—and so the absurdity of the situation just seemed bizarre. Until I read further (compelling story, good writing, remember?) and realized that absurdity was the very point. Quist is no stranger to odd books about death . . . This second book has a lighter touch, but with the same morbid preoccupations—one sister runs a funeral home, another mimes her own mother-in-law’s suicide, and another owns a shop creating cemetery monuments. Both books daring to present death as part of every day life, worth writing a romp about even. And in the end, the morbidness comes to takes a back seat to the sisters themselves, who were never meant to be ordinary or “relatable” in the first place—although they’re all familiar in many ways. Sometimes scarily so . . . I liked this book—though it took me some time to be sure about this, because for nearly the first half, I was mostly just confused. But once I figured it out—it’s supposed to be funny—it really was. Weird and original, a dark comedy indeed—not necessarily miles away from Sela Ward and Sisters either. This one that will appeal in particular to readers who loved Trevor Cole’s Practical Jean, and to anyone who ever had a pack of sisters.”
Angie Abdou, Daybreak Alberta. “Reminds me of Poisonwood Bible, in that it is told from a rotating perspective of sisters. Each sister has her own family and backstory, but each character are as different as they are completely co-dependent . . . they are all over the place in terms of ages and interest and class . . . It is very dark but very funny. It is so over the top you can’t help but laugh aloud . . . It has affinities with soap opera, it is really intense, almost unbelievable drama, but Quist makes you believe it. It reminds me of Armistan Malpen’s Tales of the City, which was a series of soap opera-y books, set in gay San Francisco in the 1980s, except for here we have The Tales of the City for straight people in Edmonton. Very Canadian . . . But it is not typical Canadian Lit . . . It is funny, and comedy is not something you see very often in Canadian literature . . . A real page turner, because there is so much drama.”
Jennifer Quist on the Family Saga, 49th Shelf.
Tina Peterson Scott. My Sweet Danish Rose. Foutz Fables & More, Jan. 31. LDS historical fiction. Sequel to Farewell, My Denmark.
Jennie Hansen, Meridian. 3 stars. “The background for this story is a fascinating glimpse of mid-nineteenth century Denmark. The plot is somewhat predictable. Berta is depicted well as a fifteen-year-old girl who knows little of life, is part woman-part child, willing to work hard, but is unrealistic in her expectations. Her testimony of the Gospel is still in the formulating stage. It wasn’t unusual for a girl so young to marry at that time nor for employers to be like slave holders over their employees. Still it’s hard to imagine parents who would immigrate to the other side of the world, leaving behind a child as young and immature as Berta without even checking into the aunt’s circumstances.”
Anita Stansfield. Legally and Lawfully Yours. Covenant, Aug. 5. Contemporary romance. A high-powered New York attorney goes to a small town and takes custody of her brother’s children and finds love.
Nick Webb. Constitution. Self, June 28. Military science fiction. Debut novel. In 2650 a single aging starship stands between humanity and a devastating second alien attack. Said to be similar to the rebooted Battlestar Galactica. The self-published novel has been a big sales success. SFF World interview with Nick Webb.
David J. West. 5 Blades: Riveting Realms of Adventure. On The Fly Publications, Aug. 10. Fantasy short story anthology. West is one of five authors featured in the collection. It includes four stories written by West.
Jamie Zvirzdin. Fresh Courage Take; New Directions by Mormon Women. Signature Books, July 31. Essay anthology. “The twelve essays in this anthology provide a refreshing array of female perspectives, personalities, and circumstances . . . The essays invite readers to recognize and own their personal struggles, gifts, faults, and desires and to accept where they stand on the spectrum of humanity. Fresh Courage Take demonstrates that the road to heaven is not a conveyor belt powered by a checklist of religious obligations, cooked casseroles, and a collection of children. If anything, it is a complex network of interchanges and decisions … including long, often solitary paths. The authors span a wide range of views and situations in life: politically conservative to progressive, single to married with many children, highly educated to working-class, stay-at-home moms to the professionally successful, of European or African heritage, religiously orthodox to heterodox. In short, they define, from their diversity, what being a Mormon woman means and what type of path they feel they must take to be true to themselves and their beliefs. Authors include Carli Anderson, Rachael Decker Bailey, Erika Ball, Rachel Brown, Karen Critchfield, Ashley Mae Hoiland, Sylvia Lankford, Marcee Ludlow, Brooke Stoneman, Camille Strate Fairbanks, Colleen Whitley, and Jamie Zvirzdin. Jana Reiss profile.
Dave Banack, Times and Seasons. “Twelve enlightening essays reflecting the plight, fight, and delight of being a Mormon woman circa 2015 . . . There’s a certain “I’m mad as heck and I’m not going to take it for much longer, only a few more years, but I really enjoy teaching the Sunbeams” quality to a lot of Mormon feminist writing. These essays show even less mad and more enjoyment . . . You probably won’t recognize the names of any of the essay authors — I didn’t. These are fresh voices . . . These essays show women who — faced with the wider menu of life choices noted above — are taking action and doing great things while living a familiar but flexible Mormon life . . . What I can’t convey very well in this short review is the quality of the writing in these essays. Seven of the twelve writers have at least one English degree. Several of the essays are “creative” in the way nothing that I write is ever creative. They are all better writers than I. They certainly convey more in their essays than simply an account of their experiences, struggles, and accomplishments. I suspect any Mormon woman reading the book will find two or three essays that really resonate. Mormon guys will merely gain some insight into the new directions of Mormon women and perhaps be better equipped to deliver fresh courage at opportune moments.”
Rachel (4 stars). “I very much enjoyed this selection of essays by LDS women. My eyes felt wet when I read about other women who came to terms with being a mother and someone else. One woman decided to become a “career mom,” being the best mom she could be. Another woman found that she liked her life a lot more when she made little goals for herself that didn’t have anything to do with motherhood (which inspired me to make my own non-mom goals!). There is some anger at the church which kind of bores me at this point, but it helps me better understand other women of my faith. Overall the essays are sincere and heartfelt.”
Reviews of older books
John D. Fitzgerald. Papa Married a Mormon. Doug Gibson, Standard Examiner. ‘Papa Married a Mormon’ still resonates as a ‘Mormon-loves-gentile’ story. “While the novel’s chapters feature diverse tales (there’s whole chapters devoted to saloon rowdies, kids’s pranks, family genealogy, gun fights, and dog fights) in essence the rest of Fitzgerald’s novel deals with the growth of Tom and Tena’s s multi-religious family in Adenville and their slow but eventual acceptance by the Mormon majority. This subject provides the most powerful writing in the novel, as Fitzgerald portrays the suffering his mother feels, outwardly as a rejected saint, and inwardly as her Mormon conscience tears at her act of rebellion in marrying a gentile . . . Papa Married a Mormon is a fun read for anyone, but also a Utah history lesson. Fitzgerald writes each chapter like a separate story, so readers can jump in anywhere. One weakness is a tendency for the author to be a bit flowery in his prose, so at times romance almost becomes farce. Also, although Fitzgerald’s heart is in the right place, he exhibits a condescending attitude toward Native Americans, a vice likely widespread in 1950s literature. One more thing: The novel comes with pictures of all the family members Fitzgerald writes about. It’s fun to put a face to Tom, Tena and the Fitzgerald gang.”
Josi Kilpack. A Heart Revealed (FoxyJ). ‘This book is billed as a romance, which it is, but it’s really more of a coming-of-age story. I enjoyed it and really liked watching the main character grow, but overall I felt like the tone and the characters didn’t really feel like they fit the historical setting.”
Aubrey Mace. Love on a Whim (Jennie Hansen, Meridian) 5 stars. “This book is for those with an off-beat sense of humor. It’s light and fun and carries out a theme of life and love being what happens on the way to somewhere else. It shows that neither life nor love comes in neat pre-planned packages. The characters are fun. Rachel is intelligent, but lacks personal confidence, though she has a quick temper. Henry has never felt wanted. He is kind and thoughtful, but assumes others like him for his money rather than for himself. They both grow as their relationship progresses. The background and setting for the story are kept pretty far back and there’s no clear picture of what Henry actually does nor is there a clear picture of Salt Lake where the story presumably occurs. The plot is predictable as is the case in most romantic novels, but the journey is delightful. Readers will find it a satisfying diversion.”
Jessica Martinez. Kiss, Kill, Vanish (Bloggin’ ‘bout Books) B-. “An exciting, fast-paced thriller. Valentina’s hard-scrabble battle to create an honest existence for herself makes her not just sympathetic, but also admirable. It’s easy to root for her, even if she sometimes seems ridiculously naive. While I found the plot of Kiss Kill Vanish to be a *little* far-fetched, it definitely kept me engrossed. Martinez’s vivid, engaging prose makes up for what the novel lacks in believability. Solid YA thrillers are difficult to come by, so, while this one has its flaws, it remains a rare and worthwhile read.”
H. B. Moore. Bondage: The Moses Chronicles (Jennie Hansen, Meridian) 5 stars. “Moore is good at characterization. I don’t always visualize characters as she does, but I’m always impressed with how thoroughly she creates believable characters and brings them to life. Her Moses is a normal, idealistic teenager on the verge of manhood caught between wanting to be someone important, proving himself, and fulfilling his own inner expectations. Miriam was a little harder for me to see through Moore’s eyes, but still a believable character torn between her natural inclinations and the society forced upon her. Both speech and actions fit their time period and their ages. Secondary characters are distinct individuals and add strength and dimension to the story. Perhaps because she lived for a long period of time in the Middle East and perhaps because she and her father, S. Kent Brown, are excellent researchers, the background and setting for this story are authentic and fascinating. Though the story of Moses is familiar and often referenced in both religious and secular books and media, Moore gives the story a fresh, new twist and allows Miriam to play a larger role than is usually attributed to her. Bondage is based on scriptural and historical facts yet the book is still fiction and as such the dialog and day to day actions are the product of the author’s imagination, simply one person’s concept of what might have happened. However, Moore is meticulous about following the known elements of the story. Strong characters, a compelling plot, realistic background, an educated vocabulary, prose that flows beautifully, along with a spiritual element that feels right and natural make Bondage a pleasure to read and an impressive start to a new series. This book is easily my favorite H.B. Moore book.”
Riley Noehren. Gravity and the Girl (Jessica Day George) 3 stars. “It’s like “A Christmas Carol” and a Marian Keyes novel had a baby! A fun book, yet thought-provoking, that takes a look at the different stages of one young woman’s life, how she’s changed, and how she SHOULDN’T have changed, interestingly enough. At times I thought it was a tad uneven: some of the things that happen are very serious, like her childhood self’s inability to process the death of her mother, and her own severe bout of depression, while other events and characters seem to be played for laughs . . . which felt inappropriate. I am fascinated to see what Noehren does next, though! I loved her characters, and their other “selves”, particularly Samantha’s cousin, Libby.”
Steven L. Peck. The Scholar of Moab (Russell Fox). 3 stars. “Perhaps it is a failure of my own imagination that I couldn’t get more into Peck’s wonderfully bizarre novel about miracles, coincidences, rumors the supernatural, and the all-to-natural way in which people get psyched out by all of the above. Set in Moab, Utah in the 1970s, the center of this postmodern construction (the book is presented as a collection of documents compiled by an unnamed “Redactor”) is the story of Hyrum LeRoy Thayne, the titular “Scholar of Moab” around whom swirled adventures, misunderstandings, and controversies galore, many of which were of his own making. So long as the novel sticks with Hyrum’s riotously funny journals, written in a pitch-perfect mix of southern Utah vernacular and aspiring (and usually grammatically incorrect) Biblical speech, the story is a wonderful one. There is wonderful satire and humor here, sharply observational and downright chummy with the ridiculously overwrought culture of conservative rural Mormonism. Peck’s whole story, though, never felt as true or as interesting to me when his attention turned to other characters: William and Edwards Babcock, the Siamese twin cowboys, whose perceptions and life history are tangled up in European philosophy and occult mysticism; Dora Daphne Tanner, almost a perfect stereotype of the sort of women-who-run-with-the-wolves local poet that stories of desert weirdness so often include; and a half-dozen others. There are mysteries in this book . . . but none of them work as well, or are as enjoyable, as the way Peck tells the story of Hyrum’s hopeless, pathetic–but never mocked!–attempts to raise above his own uneducated obliviousness. So overall, this is a fine book, but Peck has done better, I think, and no doubt will yet again.”
Steven L. Peck. Wandering Realities (Jonathan Langford, A Motley Vision). “Steve Peck is an alien . . . That’s the only explanation I can come up with for how, in this set of 16 stories, he so consistently manages to provide such startlingly different, yet at the same time deeply insightful, perspectives on the culture and religion he has adopted for his own . . . Peck’s work includes something that will, I guarantee, appeal to pretty much everyone with the slightest interest in reading fiction about the Mormon experience: highbrow or lowbrow, literary or popular, funny or serious, light or thought-provoking. It’s pretty much all here. And while not every story is equally polished, each provides something interesting and (here’s that word again) different . . . Taken as a whole, this collection is one of the freshest, most engaging, and most entertaining contributions to Mormon literature that I’ve seen in a long while.”
Brandon Sanderson. Warbreaker (FoxyJ). “After reading three of his books, I can already tell that it’s going to be impossible for me to choose a favorite Brandon Sanderson novel. This one, however, really was delightful to read (it wasn’t always ‘fun’–there are dark parts–it was just a great read). I thought the characterization was a particular strength of this book, as well as the plot and the intriguing magic system. This is a book I will most definitely re-read again some day, maybe sooner rather than later.”
Julie Wright. Eyes Like Mine (Jessica Day George). 5 stars. “A tender, heartfelt novel about family, love, loyalty, and . . . time travel. Yes. TIME TRAVEL! And pioneers! Time-traveling pioneers, people! It’s genius. So many times in church we hear stories about the pioneers, and how we should appreciate their sacrifices, and we think, Yeah, yeah, I know! But do we really understand what they went through? And how would be reassess our lives if one our pioneer ancestors stood in front of us? In this fascinating novel, a young girl so caught up in her own sense of injustice comes face to face with her five times great-grandmother, and through their shared experience comes to understand the good things in her own life, as well as the things that need to be changed. Beautiful!”
Film
The new film Once I Was a Beehive opened in 19 Utah theaters on August 14, and is expanding in its second week to 21 theaters. It is expected to expand to theaters outside of Utah in September. It has received very, very strong reviews. A comedy set at a Mormon girl’s camp, it was directed by McClain Nelson, and written by Nelson, Lisa Valentine Clark, and Hailey Smith. Clark and Smith also co-star as camp leaders.
BYUtv announced that its original series Granite Flats will end after its current third season. The series is currently available on Netflix.
Theater
Morag Shepherd. Poppy’s In the Sand. Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival, August.
Megan Crivello, UTBA: “What would you do if a traumatic event from your childhood continually haunted you? How would you cope being your own unreliable narrator? These are just two heady questions posed by Morag Shepherd’s Poppy’s in the Sand presented by Sackerson as part of the inaugural Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival . . . This trio may sound depressing, but that is the beauty of Shepherd’s script— they aren’t. They face hard things and very little is clear, but it is never melodramatic. Grief is a complicated process, and so is living . . . Like the ocean, Poppy’s in the Sand, is a story with ebbs and flows that signify belonging in a greater cycle. This piece has grace and edge, but is ultimately a really interesting 45 minutes of live performance. While there is no clear resolution, Keele and her journey encourages audiences to consider what truth is, how one finds it, and does one do when it is found.”
Water Sings Blue is a new play, based on poetry from a children’s picture book by Kate Coombs, adapted and directed by Teresa Dayley Love. To be performed by the BYU Young Company–Theatre For Young Audiences, Sept. 25-Oct. 10. Margetts Theatre, Provo. “Travel to the coast, where the sand meets the sea, to celebrate the ocean in this charming and funny play adapted from the award-winning children’s picture book. Using pantomime and spoken word, a family—and the colorful personalities they encounter at the shore—interacts with the water and invites you, the spectator, to join in the fun.” The original picture book won many awards, including Kirkus’s Best Books of the Year—Children’s Books.
Bestsellers
Aug 9, 16, 23, 30
The New York Times revamped its juvenile categories in the August 30 list. The Middle Grade and Young Adult lists had previously counted hardbacks, paperbacks, and e-books all together. Now they will be separated out into three separate lists for each group. Weeks on the list was restarted for all the books. They had found that it was hard for new books to make the list, with the Middle Grade list often dominated by Lego and other toy-tie ins, and the Young Adult list dominated by the same John Green books. This gives new novels a better chance to be recognized.
James Dashner. The Maze Runner
USA Today: #43, #48, #65, #68 (89 weeks)
NYT Children’s Series: #1, #1, #1, #2 (149 weeks)
James Dashner. The Scorch Trials
USA Today: #47, #53, #83, #91 (73 weeks)
PW Children’s : x, x, x, #10 (2 weeks). 4184 units. 7216 total.
James Dashner. The Death Cure
USA Today: #105, #102, #124, #121 (65 weeks)
Shannon Hale and Dean Hale. The Princess in Black
PW Children’s: #24, #24, #23, x (7 weeks). 3021, 3011, 2915 units. 37,753 total.
NYT Middle Grade: #11, #9, #8 (11 weeks)
NYT Middle Grade Paperback: #9 (1 week)
Colleen Houck. Reawakened
NYT YA Hardcover: #2 (1 week)
Christine Feehan. Earth Bound
USA Today: #52, #105, x (4 weeks)
PW Mass Market: #12, #25, x (4 weeks). 7157, 5452 units. 47,397 total.
NYT Mass Market: #11, x, x (3 weeks)
Christine Feehan, et al. Edge of Darkness
USA Today: x, #16, #81 (2 weeks)
PW Mass Market: x, x, #7, #12 (2 weeks). 9396, 5754 units. 15,150 total.
NYT Mass Market: x, x, #7 (1 week)
NYT E-books: x, x, #12 (1 week)
NYT Combined Print and E-book: x, x, #13 (1 week)
Brenda Novak. The Secret Sister
USA Today: x, #107, x (1 week)
Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game
PW SF: #6, #7
NYT Mass Market Paperback: #16, x, x, #14
Writers of the Future #31. Anthology includes fiction by Scott Parkin and Amy H. Hughes, and other writing by Orson Scott Card and David Farland.
PW SF: #7, x
Hi Andrew,
Thanks again for your work.