The AML and Whitney Award finalists were announced, and the AML Conference at BYU Hawaii is coming up next weekend. A short story collection by Darin Cozzens and an essay collection by Patrick Madden were published. The Mormoness, an 1853 novel that is the first in The Mormon Image in Literature Series, was republished in a scholarly edition. In the national market, Brandon Sanderson had three books published, and there were new books by Jessica Day George, Shannon and Dean Hale, Lindsey Leavitt, Kimberley Griffiths Little, Jennifer Nielson, and Dan Wells (starred review). The Bridge, a new musical, premiered. We mourn the passing of novelist and educator Harold K. Moon. Please send any news or corrections to mormonlit AT gmail DOT com.
News, awards, and blogs
Awards season is upon us, with the announcement of the AML Awards Finalists and the Whitney Awards Finalists. The AML Awards will be announced at the AML Conference at BYU-Hawaii on March 5, and the Whitney Awards will be announced at the Whitney Awards Gala at the Provo Marriott hotel ballroom on May 7. There was not much overlap between the two organizations’ finalists, just three middle grade and two YA novels.
The AML Awards finalists were reported in the Deseret News. Here is Theric’s take on the fiction finalists.
The schedule for the LDS Film Festival is out. It will be held March 2-5. Feature films include the powerful drama Just Let Go (starring Henry Ian Cusick), the romantic comedy Christmas Eve (starring Patrick Stewart, Jon Heder, James Roday, Cheryl Hines, Gary Cole), the family film Miracle Maker (starring Brian Krause), the fantasy drama Mythica: The Necromancer (starring Kevin Sorbo) as well as the fantasy comedy Dudes & Dragons, the dramedy Trew Calling, and the 10-year anniversary screening of Mr. Dungbeetle. Powerful and entertaining documentaries include the closing night film Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made, which chronicles three kids in 1981 Mississippi, who are determined to remake their favorite film: Raiders of the Lost Ark. The documentary The Abolitionists follows former Homeland Security special agent Tim Ballard as he goes undercover to rescue children that are being exploited as sex child slaves. The BYUtv docudrama Joan of Arc explores the stalwart spirit, military prowess, and enduring influence of Joan of Arc, who as a 19-year old girl heeded the counsel of angels and transformed from ordinary farm girl to military leader in fifteenth-century France. The Journey Home by director Garrett Batty (The Saratov Approach, Freetown), delivers an in-depth perspective about the effects of the Vietnam War on Veterans and protestors. The result is a documentary about PTSD, healing, misunderstanding, forgiveness, patriotism, unity, and an ever-progressing journey home.vButtons, a heart-warming musical film by director/composer Tim Janis, stars Dick Van Dyke (Mary Poppins) and Jane Seymour (Somewhere in Time) and is narrated by Academy-award winning Kate Winslet. Deseret News article.
The Horror Writers Association announced its Bram Stoker Awards final ballot. Among the nominees are:
Superior Achievement in a Novel: Michaelbrent Collings – The Deep (self-published)
Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel: Michaelbrent Collings – The Ridealong (self-published)
Superior Achievement in a First Novel:Courtney Alameda – Shutter (Feiwel & Friends)
Superior Achievement in Long Fiction: Mercedes M. Yardley – Little Dead Red (Grimm Mistresses) (Ragnarok Publications)
The presentation of the Bram Stoker Awards will occur during the inaugural StokerCon in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 14, 2016.
The Life, the Universe, and Everything Symposium was held Feb. 11-13 in Provo. Here is a Daily Herald article about the history of the symposium.
John Russell. The Mormoness; Or The Trials of Mary Maverick. 1853. This critical edition is the first of the The Mormon Image in Literature Series. Edited and Annotated by Michael Austin and Ardis E. Parshall. Greg Kofford Books, Jan. 26. Published in 1853, the first American novel about the Mormons is also one of the best. John Russell, an Illinois journalist and educator, witnessed the persecution in Missouri and Illinois and generally sympathized with the Saints. The Mormoness tells the story of Mary Maverick, the heroine of the novel, who joined the Mormon Church when her husband was converted in Illinois. Though not initially a believer, Mary embraces her identity as “the Mormoness” when her husband and son are killed in a Haun’s Mill-like massacre–and at the end of the novel, she must find a way to forgive the killer. Virtually unavailable until now, Michael Austin and Ardis E. Parshall’s fresh transcription, introduction, notes, and appendices enable readers to rediscover a compassionate and insightful outsider’s view of early Mormonism. This is the first in The Mormon in Literature Series, a projected 13-volume series of 19th century literary works about Mormons. “The Mormon Image in Literature reprints important literary works by and about Mormons—from the sensational anti-polygamy books and dime novels of the Civil War era to the first attempts of Mormon writers to craft a regional literature in their Great Basin kingdom. Each volume contains a critical introduction, helpful annotations, and multiple appendices that enlighten and enliven the text. These volumes have been designed for both Mormon and non-Mormon readers who want to understand the cultural importance of Mormonism during the first Latter-day Saint century.”
Greg Kofford Books Authorcast Podcast 20 – Panel Event Discussion of The Mormon Image in Literature Series. The panel featured Ardis E. Parshall, co-editor of the series, Janelle M. Higbee, and Zina Peterson. Greg Kofford Books Authorcast Podcast 19. With Michael Austin.
James Dashner Scholarship for Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers. With gratitude to James Dashner for his generosity, the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers conference staff is happy to present this scholarship award to two people each year who demonstrate financial need and a strong desire to hone their writing skills. Submissions will begin February 15th, 2016 and end March 15th. Please note that a person may receive this scholarship only once. You must be at least 16 years old to attend WIFYR. This scholarship covers: One regular, full-week workshop (not a specialty class, such as boot camp or full novel), a $545 value.
The University of Utah Tanner Humanities Center is proud to announce its most recent Mormon Studies initiative. We have begun to raise funds to create a fellowship in the name of Marlin K. Jensen. Our Marlin K. Jensen Scholar and Artist in Residence Program will host prominent scholars with expertise in Mormon Studies or renowned artists who explore the relationship between faith and art in their work.
The fellowship will consist of a semester-long residency. Each scholar will: Teach a class for University of Utah students, serve as a research or artistic mentor, offer public lectures or performances, contribute to Mormon Studies curriculum planning and program development. Applications are due by April 15, 2016.
By Common Consent interviews Davey Morrison Dillard and Bianca Morrison Dillard, “the first in a series of spotlights and interviews with people who are pursuing creativity within their mormonhood.” They discuss their new The Adam and Eve Series.
“The Dark Fiction of an Ex-Mormon Writer”. The New Yorker. A profile of the novelist Brian Evenson, including a discussion of his years teaching at BYU and his estrangement from the Church.
From A Motley Vision: A Personal and Rhetorical Review of The Crucible of Doubt (Jonathan Langford), Newish stuff from Van Sciver and Hales (Theric), Mormon alternate history anthology: background reading (Wm Morris), Come now, and let us be wrong together, saith the critic (Theric Jepson), Newish stuff from Van Sciver and Hales (Theric Jepson), A review of Rachel McClellan’s “Escape to Eden,” and why we should advocate for LDS Commercial fiction (Sarah Dunster).
James Goldberg. “Mormon Lit Reading List: Become a MoLit Nerd for Just $17”. Annotated reading list.
New LDS Fiction Best Book Covers: Staff Picks and Readers’ Choice.
Matthew J. Kirby helms a new Scholastic/video-game tie-in. Assassins Creed.
In Memoriam
Author and BYU Spanish professor Harold Kay Moon passed away on Feb. 5, at the age of 83. Moon earned a BA and MA at BYU, and a PhD at Syracuse University. He then spent the bulk of his life teaching Spanish (occasionally French) at BYU. On his literary work, the obituary says, “While at BYU, Kay published numerous articles, two textbooks, and two scholarly books. He continued his work with theatrical productions, writing, producing, directing and acting in numerous plays . . . Throughout his life, Kay was a writer, publishing an award winning collection of short stories. He continued writing after retirement, including poetry and several novels.” His novels, all published by Cedar Fort, were “The Leah Shadow” (2005), about 19th century polygamy, “Ghost Coach” (2006), and “Horse Stone House” (2007), about 19th century converts in England. I don’t know the name of his collection of short stories.
Please see Harold’s essay at Mormon Scholars Testify.
Short Stories
Darin Cozzens. The Last Blessing of J. Guyman LeGrand. Zarahemla, Feb. 24. Connected short story collection. “In his second collection of short stories, Darin Cozzens returns to his fictional Balford, a little Wyoming town whose mostly Mormon inhabitants illustrate, over the last sixty years, the pains and ironies of what one character in the title story calls “normal mortality.” Bride-to-be Fonda Penroy struggles to reconcile judgment and compassion when a more popular cousin’s hastily arranged wedding upstages her own. A washtub at a farm auction is catalyst for the motives and emotions of half a dozen different characters. Sitting at the bedside of her dying twin brother, eighty-four-year-old Ivy Teague must confess a long-held and most unlikely grudge. And on his way to tell a farm couple that their livelihood is no longer “a paying proposition,” banker Frett Maxwell Jr. can’t help but question his dead father’s philosophy regarding the gamble of life. All together, whatever the predicament of their central figures, these eight stories evoke the poignancy of regret, forgiveness, and, ultimately, redemption.
Dave Farland. Story in Dave Maberry , ed. X-Files: The Truth is Out There. IDW Publishing, Feb. 16.
New books and their reviews
Various. Mail Order Bride. Mirror Press, Feb. 9. Timeless Romance #16. Romance anthology. Six historical romance novellas set in the Old West. Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, Kristin Holt, Sarah M Eden, Sian Ann Bessey, Stacy Henrie.
Rachael Anderson. Not Always Happenstance. HEA Publishing, Feb. 1. Power of the Matchmaker #2.
Aaron Blaylock. The Land of Look Behind. Cedar Fort/Bonneville, Feb. 9. Suspense. “Three hundred years ago, a soldier named Jarvis journeyed deep into Jamaica and discovered a land of myth and treasure. Now Gideon, who served in Jamaica as a missionary, returns armed with Jarvis’s journal to follow the clues with his best friend. But while Gideon searches for a mysterious cave and the land that might lie beyond, a dangerous Jamaican sorcerer stands between him and the treasure.”
Susan Bohnet. Mosaic. Walnut Springs, Feb. 2. Young Adult. “Mo Matheson’s biggest worry is perfecting her layup and beating Joe Parker on the basketball court. Then a tragedy shatters everything, including her relationship with him. Struggling to make sense of life and support her family, Mo learns to rely on her faith. If she lets go of bitterness, she might even allow Joe back into her life… and her heart.” Second novel.
Michaelbrent Collings. The House that Death Built. Self, Feb. 21. Horror. It was supposed to be just one more job: in, out, and millions the richer. But when four thieves break into THIS house, they discover the owners were ready. And waiting. Now, the thieves find themselves in a deadly maze of traps. Traps designed not only to steal their lives, but their sanity.
Jessica Day George. Fridays with the Wizards. Bloomsbury USA, Feb. 9. Middle grade speculative. Castle Glower #4.
Deseret News: “It’s an entertaining and adventurous installment in the Castle Glower series for middle grade readers as Celie, her family and friends, and the griffins defend the castle from an internal threat. More of the history of the castle and Celie’s mother, Queen Celina, are explored. The cast of characters has expanded with the griffins, and George does an admirable job of giving each just enough personality traits to make it unique.”
Shannon and Dean Hale. Princess in Black & the Hungry Bunny Horde. Candlewick, Feb. 9. Early reader chapter book. Princess in Black #3.
Kirkus: “The Princess in Black’s cutest adventure yet—no, really, the monsters are deceptively cute. While Princess Magnolia and unicorn Frimplepants are on their way to a much anticipated brunch with Princess Sneezewort, Magnolia’s monster alarm goes off, forcing an emergency costume change on her and Frimplepants to become the Princess in Black and her faithful steed, Blacky. They rush to rescue goat boy Duff, hoping to save the day in time for doughnuts. However, when they arrive, instead of monsters they see a field full of adorable bunnies. Pham’s illustrations give the bunnies wide-eyed innocence and little puffballs on the tips of their ears. Duff tries to explain that they’re menaces from Monster Land that eat everything (all the grass, a tree, a goat’s horn…), but the Princess has trouble imagining that monsters might come in such a cute package. By the time she does, there are too many to fight! Humor comes from the juxtaposed danger and adorableness. Just when the bunnies decide to eat the Princess, Blacky—who, as Frimplepants, is fluent in Cuteness—communicates that she’s not food and persuades the bunnies to return to Monster Land. While Princess Magnolia and Frimplepants are too late for brunch, Princess Sneezewort gets the consolation prize of lunch with the Princess in Black and Blacky. While not exactly novel, it’s well-executed and very funny.”
Scott Hales. Mormon Shorts, vol. 1. Self, Jan. 19. Comics.
Theric Jepson, AMV. “I mentioned that Mormon Shorts is more dangerous to a Mormon audience than Noah’s confused kid with his pot and his expletives. What I mean by this is that Scott is engaging directly with Mormon doctrine, Mormon seeming doctrine, and Mormon culture; and so instead of the self-righteous being able to easily dismiss it as something that does not belong here, they risk seeing themselves in Mormon Shorts. Thus, as a “Mormon” work—by which I mean a work engaging with Mormon ideas for a Mormon audience—Mormon Shorts is right in there a-pushing buttons. But it’s humor, so the questions it’s asking and the challenges it’s posing might be missed by those not reading closely.”
Darryl Harris. Abby’s Crossing. Covenant, Jan. 7. Pioneer historical. 1862, Idaho pioneer widow adopts an Indian boy and witnesses the Bear River Massacre.
Jennie Hansen, Meridian. 4 stars. “The Bear River massacre section of this story is told well with no excuses made for a man who allowed the rape and murder of Indian women and children in an unwarranted brutal attack which almost wiped out an Indian winter encampment. The author also does well in describing the greed and filth of a makeshift town dedicated to an obsession for gold. The rough elements of frontier life in the 1860s is well done. Some of the characters in this story feel more real than others. The men are portrayed better than Abby in both their speech and actions. Abby is strong willed and outspoken, but at times is simply childish. For a character who is supposed to be strong, courageous, and competent, her mental trances and impulsive outbursts don’t fit. The story would be stronger had the author stuck to fewer points of view and made the prominent point of view male. Many potential readers, particularly males, may be discouraged from picking up the book because of the wooden figure in a Southern belle skirt showing just the lower portion of her head on the cover. (What’s with all the recent chopped head book covers?) Though the romance element is important to this story, the historical elements are the most compelling. I liked this story in spite of the flaws I’ve mentioned and recommend it to history buffs, male and female. It covers some interesting aspects of the settlement of the west including the interactions between Mormon settlements, the Indians, the portions of the US Army sent West instead of into the North/South conflict, the gold rushers, freighters, and even the Civil War deserters. It is an exciting story with some great action.”
Stacie Henrie. The Express Rider’s Lady. Love Inspired, Feb. 9. Western historical romance. Socialite hires a pony express rider to escort her to California.
Margaret Paige Holmes. First Light Forever. Mirror Press, Feb. 25. YA Fantasy. 17 year old girl fids she has magic, forced to chose between her heart and her kingdom.
Shelley Bingham Husk. The Ghost of Little Elm Lake. Leicester Books, Feb 3. Apparitions of America series, #1. Middle grade ghost story. “They say in the woods by the Little Elm Lake, when the harvest moon is no more than a sliver, if you listen very carefully, you might hear it.” So begins the true story of a ghost, and a lake, and the people who became the legend, as well as the discoverers of the truth behind the tale of unexplained deaths, hauntings, whisperings, and spectres: two ten-year-old boys, Paxton, and his best friend Carter.
Jenni James. Not Cinderella’s Type. Trifecta, Feb. 21. YA romance. “Indy Zimmerman has a new stalker who won’t leave her alone, no matter what she says to him. Never mind the fact that he’s one of the most popular guys at school—she’s positive Bryant Bailey is only trying to appease his own conscience after pretty much destroying her life. But when Bryant doesn’t back down and insists on having some sort of bizarre friendship with her, his magic works, and her walls slowly start to crumble.” Cinderella retelling.
Keith Katsikas. The Liahona Effect. Self, Feb. 1. Suspense. “The Prophet of the Mormon church has gone missing and a mysterious code found at the home of senior apostle, President Jonathan Batnaz may hold the key to finding him before the unthinkable happens. Batnaz tracks down world renown theologian and bestselling author of Masons and Mormons, Michael DiBianco, and pleads for assistance in breaking the code and helping the church find their Prophet.”
Lindsey Leavitt and Robin Mellom. The Pages Between Us. Harper Collins, Feb. 9. Middle Grade.
SLJ: “Besties Olivia and Piper have spent a great deal of their 11 years together, and now it’s time to tag team middle school. The girls pass a notebook back and forth to stay connected when their daily face time is limited to one measly French class. They fill the pages with notes, text message printouts, a classmate’s blog posts, gratitude lists, and other keepsakes for posterity. When Piper’s parents promise her a birthday party with 12 friends, the girls admit they must branch out in order to populate a gathering filled with enough drama to rival Piper’s favorite soap opera. They capitalize on an eclectic list of school club offerings to expand their duo, in a quest that will determine whether differing interests lead to different friends. A cousin to Rachel Renйe Russell’s “Dork Diaries” and the like, this is a gentler version of middle school, as the girls support each other through familiar trials such as overcoming shyness, making new friends, dealing with lunchroom anxiety, and coping with crushes. While the sweet protagonists may be refreshing to some, the book lacks the drama that makes other chronicle-style tales so popular, until the action picks up near the very end. The main characters’ lengthy notes often contain too much backstory to be believable correspondence between two best friends, and the secondary characters disappointingly lack diversity. VERDICT An additional purchase that will be enjoyed by strong readers eager to devour realistic fiction with a multimedia slant.”
Kirkus: “As each girl struggles to find her niche, their journal entries become increasingly self-reflective. With their interests diverging, their friendship reaches a crisis point as the date of Piper’s party approaches. The book’s format, featuring journal entries between the girls, emails, text messages, and blog posts, combines with Dening’s whimsical artwork to create the feel of a well-tended journal. Leavitt and Mellom’s humorous and perceptive tale deftly explores the quandary of how to sustain a cherished friendship while nurturing individual growth.”
Mackenzi Lee. This Monstrous Thing. Katherine Tegan Books, Sept. 22, 2015. YA science fiction/alternate world steampunk. Debut novel. Won the PEN-New England Susan P. Bloom Children’s Book Discovery Award, as well as an Emerging Artist Grant from the St. Botolph Club FoundationWhitney YA Speculative Finalist. I had not known about it before.
PW: “Lee’s accomplished first novel envisions an early-19th-century Geneva where clockwork technology is common yet controversial. Alasdair Finch works for his father selling mechanical goods to well-to-do citizens while secretly fixing artificial body parts for those who have them, despite the attached social stigma so-called “mechanicals” suffer. Unbeknownst to his father, Alasdair has used clockwork technology to resurrect Oliver, his dead brother. Oliver looks and feels like a monster, so Alasdair keeps him hidden in a ruined castle outside the city. The only other person who knows of Oliver’s existence is Mary Godwin—or, as history knows her, Mary Shelley. When an anonymous novel called Frankenstein appears, Alasdair is shocked to realize that it’s about his family, and the book fans hatred in Geneva against mechanicals. Lee does a fine job of incorporating Shelley and her illustrious husband into her clockwork universe, which should especially please those familiar with Frankenstein and its author. The characters are suitably tormented, in accordance with Romantic tradition, and occasional language anachronisms (“It was a shitty choice”) are only minor distractions.”
VOYA: “This fast-moving, suspenseful, superbly crafted novel will engender curiosity about Shelley’s original novel. Edge-of-the-seat suspense will enthrall readers; those who grew up reading R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series may even be enticed into exploring classics. It is an excellent choice for literature professors already teaching Frankenstein or those discussing issues of class, societal advantage, and prejudice. Librarians, stock multiple copies of the first edition to keep your readership sated.”
Kirkus: “Opening with heavy foreshadowing and a mysterious book (“green and slim…the title printed in spindly gold leaf on the spine: Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus”), debut author Lee imagines a steampunk back story for the Shelley classic . . . the settings give a nice international feel. The old and new (“God’s wounds”; “it was a shitty choice”) are woven together in language and theme creating a solid tale that explores what it means to be human. Part homage to a sci-fi original, part re-imagining, plenty of teen torment and trouble—an absorbing read.”
Rosalyn Eves (4 stars): “Mackenzi Lee’s debut reimagines Frankenstein in an alternate steampunk world, where the resurrection is accomplished through gears and gadgets. So far, the book is easy enough to sum up. But Lee has done much more with this retelling. It’s a lovely homage to the original, down to the inclusion of Mary Shelley herself as a complicated character. The historical details shine, creating a vivid story world. But the heart of the story is the relationship between brothers Oliver and Alasdair–and in keeping with real sibling relationships, this heart is complicated, bruised, hopeful, loving, powerful.”
Kimberley Griffiths Little. Banished. Harper Collins, Feb. 2. YA Historical. Forbidden #2.
Kirkus: “A Bronze Age desert adventure continues in this second trilogy entry, spicing its inspirational romance with the sybaritic wickedness of pagan sex worshippers. Jayden and Kadesh, having failed to rescue Jayden’s tribe from her villainous betrothed, race through the desert to Kadesh’s home kingdom of Sariba. They flee the conquering armies of those tribes whose ambition is empowered by the pagan Temple of Ashtoreth. The Temple of Ashtoreth has already seduced Jayden’s beloved sister into ungodly wickedness, so shameful for a desert princess. Jayden and Kadesh are both descendants of the biblical patriarch Abraham, and though Jayden seems to vacillate between worshipping an ancient Mother Goddess and “the God of Abraham,” she and Kadesh clearly despise “the cults of gods and goddesses who demand your body and soul.” Indeed, this particular goddess cult seems to be a murdering, drugging, brainwashing crop of fiends—for when Kadesh and Jayden finally arrive in Sariba, the machinations of the debauched temple acolytes might prevent their marriage and doom the kingdom. Jayden’s journey through the ancient Arabia of The Book of Mormon leaves her plenty of opportunity to learn sword fighting, befriend the Queen of Sheba, and take bubble baths. A cliffhanger leaves all that Jayden’s achieved at risk. Readers won’t learn history from this anachronistic and sometimes-inconsistent adventure, but they might enjoy some angst-ridden passionate yearning.”
SLJ: “Readers will need to be familiar with the events of the previous volume in order to follow the plot here. There is a lot of action, but a number of the weaknesses of the first book are also present in this sequel. There are more historical inaccuracies and implausible plot devices, and the lead characters are not particularly compelling. VERDICT Purchase where the first installment was popular.”
VOYA: “The cliff-hanger ending will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment. With the strong female lead character, Banished will appeal to fans of Kristin Cashore and Morgan Rhodes.”
Annette Lyon. Chocolate Obsessed. Self, Jan. 18. Romantic suspense.
Patrick Madden. Sublime Physick. University of Nebraska Press, Feb. 1. Essays. ”A follow-up to Patrick Madden’s award-winning debut, this introspective and exuberant collection of twelve essays is wide-ranging and wild, following bifurcating paths of thought to surprising connections. In Sublime Physick, Madden seeks what is common and ennobling among seemingly disparate, even divisive, subjects, ruminating on midlife, time, family, forgiveness, loss, originality, a Canadian rock band, and much more, discerning the ways in which the natural world (fisica) transcends and joins the realm of ideas (sublime) through the application of a meditative mind.”
PW: “Like many essayists before him, Madden (Quotidiana) makes a habit of finding the transcendent in the transient. In this new, sometimes moving collection, he ranges over topics including spit, plagiarism, empathy, and middle age. Reflecting on the fleeting nature of time, Madden invokes Charles Lamb’s observation that he treasures bygone moments like a “miser’s farthings.” All of life, he observes, comes down to time: “The things we do to fill it may bring us joy or sorrow, may leave an imprint on memory or meld into our general perceptions or flow off into oblivion.” In the longest and most complex essay, “Independent Redundancy,” Madden shows how writers often unknowingly incorporate the words, sentences, and even style of others into their own writing. His examples, including the great Renaissance essayist Michel de Montaigne, the modern-day essayist Annie Dillard, and the rock group Pavement, illustrate how necessary it is for authors to recognize their own influences. Madden’s work combines elegance with a bumptiousness, illustrating the messy character of human language and lives.”
Kirkus:“Roaming ruminations on life and art. WWMD? What would Montaigne do? Left to write a fresh collection of essays, he might not lead with a piece in which expectoration takes center stage: “I spit more than most people, as far as I know. In one day, I can spit as much as a liter.” A physics student who found true love on a proselytizing mission and who now teaches English at BYU, Madden measures and monitors. The penultimate piece in this collection is a long and loopy excursus on plagiarism and its practitioners and miscontents—among many other subjects, that is, for the essay is a perfect vehicle for straying from the point, and Madden often does. It is so long, one suspects, because, as the author gladly owns up, at 30,000 words it “is approximately the length of Montaigne’s longest essays.” But there’s no comparison: Montaigne strode the countryside thinking great thoughts, while Madden finds himself recalling—more than once throughout this collection—lyrics from a rock songs and the high-pitched warblings of Rush vocalist Geddy Lee. No offense to Lee, but there are weightier matters in the world. On other matters musical, as with Madden’s exploration of John Lennon’s song “Jealous Guy,” one wishes for some more oomph—e.g., a more in-depth discussion of the nature of jealousy. Still, points should be given for Madden’s ability to bring Zeno into the picture, but Greil Marcus might take a sharper scalpel to the patient. There are some fine and laudable moments in the book, though, as when Madden settles into one real subject, the tempus fugit nature of our lives: “The fleeting moments that made up my life seemed to stretch before me to a point so distant it may as well have been the edge of the universe.” Likable but overly earnest, as if convinced of its own importance.”
Nick Ripatrazone, The Millions. “It is tempting to call Madden’s approach encyclopedic, but that suggests horizontal over vertical inquiry. Madden’s range is certainly wide, but he also manages to dig, and the end result of his essays here (and in his first collection, Quotidiana), is not merely collection but accumulation. “Spit,” the first essay in the book, is a representative sample. Madden begins with learning how to spit while “walking down a thin path through the thick Maine woods” sometime in the ’70s. Next he considers the antiseptic properties of the action, and how his daughter spit on him by mistake as they were about to enter church. He remembers his friend teaching him how to “gleek,” which happens to be the name of the space-monkey from The Wonder Twins cartoon, a monkey that chattered rather than spoke clearly. That idea of marble-mouthing makes him think of how his father, a member of the Notre Dame Glee Club, would sing to him and his siblings, and how Madden would become obsessed with the misunderstanding of lyrics. That leads him to Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” — “Catch the spirit, catch the spit” — and Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer, who “was the envy of every boy he met because the gap in his upper row of teeth enabled him to expectorate in a new and admirable way.” He continues to Isaiah 50:6, Mark 8:22, when a fan spit in the face of Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, and, finally burrows down to personal stories, concluding with one of shame. This is what essays were made for, in the words of Madden’s introduction-style chapter: essays are “oxymoronic characters, rooted in the natural world, derived from real experience…always reaching toward ideas, trying to transcend mere description or depiction. Thus, essays, perform a kind of sublimation of the solid; from the concrete, they attain abstraction.” Essays as transfigurations of self and soul.”
Rachel McClellan. Escape to Eden. Cedar Fort/Sweetwater, Feb. 9. YA science fiction. “When seventeen-year-old Sage wakes up in a hospital with no memories, her only clue are the words written on her hand. With a deadly disease threatening to wipe out mankind, Sage must find out who she is and why most people would kill to get their hands on her—before it’s too late.”
Sarah Dunster, A Motley Vision. “McClellan is one of the most enthusiastically imaginative writers I know. She loves developing unique takes on old tales, turning “what ifs” into mind-bending stories. The enthusiasm pervades her work; you can’t help but be turned on by it. The few critiques I have for Escape to Eden: I feel like the action scenes slow down quite a bit. Characters think and interact and fall in love too much when they’re supposed to be fighting and living in that “lizard brain” place of adrenaline. The other issue for me, is tags: naming the characters too much in dialog. This is something a lot of writers struggle with. Rowling did it in her earlier novels as well. I think it’s a “new writer,” thing that eventually fades as we learn to trust the flow of our dialog and our audience to follow along. The compelling piece of this story for me, is the main character’s younger brother. He displays clear autistic tendencies, and this plays well to the main theme of the story, where the world we’re introduced to is all about genetic perfection–manipulating genes so that people are born “perfect,” and bred and manipulated to have superhuman qualities that build an “ideal” society. Unfortunately, there are unexpected side-effects–the human lifespan is shortened severely to a maximum of perhaps 3 decades . . . The LDS elements in it are obvious, too–the idea of “originals,” leads one to think about things like “original sin,” which leads directly to the theme of “Eden.” In this story, Eden represents a haven, a place for those of original genetics to start over and heal the society sickened by genetic experimentation.”
Debbra Beecher Nance. The Picking Bag: Ammon’s Journey Home. Self, Jan. 23. Juvenile historical fiction. “Thirteen-year old Ammon Blakeslee is angry at everyone–his sick mother, his nosy grandmother, his absent father, even God. When tragedy strikes, first in Ammon’s home and then in the Mormon community where he lives, Ammon makes a choice that will plunge him westward into the cold winter landscape, alone. Will he ever see his family again? How will he survive?”
Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers (a Utah writer’s conference) says, “Our dear friend and WIFYR assistant, Debbie Nance, has been battling cancer. She’s got a fantastic positive attitude and tons of faith, so she’s fought successfully for years. Now, we’re sad to say, Debbie’s fight may shortly come to a close. Debbie has published a wonderful Mormon pioneer story as a legacy for her family, and we’d love it if you could check out the book and let your friends know about it, too. This is our chance to do some good! Please support this dear friend and wonderful person who’s been a great example to all of us.”
Jennifer Nielson. Rise of the Wolf. Scholastic, Jan. 26. MG historical/speculative. Mark of the Thief #2. Volume #1 is a Whitney finalist.
Kirkus: “Nic enjoys training as a charioteer—not that he has a choice—for his grandfather, Radulf, but the uneasy family detente is shattered when Nic learns the Praetors have taken his mother hostage in Volume 2 of this series set in Imperial Rome’s turbulent third century . . . He has loyal allies—younger sister Livia, love interest Aurelia, friend Crispus, and the unicorn Callistus—but his opponents number just about every power broker in Imperial Rome. Nic is equally appealing this time around: cheerfully set on his goals yet brutally realistic about the poor odds of success. If Nic’s “act first-think later” M.O. gets him in trouble, it also gets him out of it—temporarily, anyway. Fast-moving fun with broad audience appeal, especially recommended for reluctant readers, Rick Riordan fans, and pedal-to-the-metal adventure aficionados.”
Kathi Oram Peterson. Star Struck. Covenant, Feb. 1. Romantic suspense. Film action heroine retreats to a Idaho cabin to get away from a dangerous stalker, falls for the town physician.
Jennie Hansen, Meridian. 4 stars. “Readers will enjoy the characters in this story. It doesn’t quite fit to say they’re realistic because being unrealistic is part of Mercedes’ character . . . All of the characters are complicated to some extend which adds to the tension of solving who is threatening to kill Mercedes. Even the minor characters are great, especially Luke’s elderly office nurse. Peterson incorporates faith in a higher being into the story without being preachy. There are a few scenes that go on a little long and the wrap up scenes happen too quickly, but overall this is one of those books the reader will find difficult to put down. Between interesting characters and a suspenseful mystery, it won’t disappoint.”
Sheralyn Pratt. Pimpernel. Self, Jan. 18. Romantic suspense.
Mindy, LDSWBR. 5 stars. “Everything about this book is awesome. The story, the pacing, the humor, the kissing (great ones in there), and especially the characters. Oh the characters. Jack, Jack, Jack. I know I can’t leave it at that, but I can’t say much more about him without anything away, other than I have quite the book-crush on him. He is amazing. Claire was a great character too. She was a bit of a puzzle, one that I enjoyed reading. Each character was written meticulously and with care. The women are so strong and can take care of themselves. I also loved how there were back stories and information that we weren’t given. I thought it was brilliant of the author to do that. Always leave them wanting more. The ending was absolutely amazing. I, again, can’t say more without giving things away, but Claire surprised me, in the best way. I had the hardest time putting this book down and when it ended I was wanting more.”
Chris Peck. When I Was. Self, Jan. 27. Poetry.
Josi Russell. Guardians. Future House, Feb. 4. Science Fiction. Caretaker #2. Ethan and others arrive on the hostile mining planet, that is descending into chaos. The first volume is a finalist for the Whitney Speculative Award.
Brandon Sanderson. Calamity. Delacorte, Feb. 16. YA science fiction. Reckoners #3. Conclusion of the popular super-anti-hero series.
Kirkus: “Climactic battles with the most powerful of the supervillainous Epics plaguing our planet leads to a win at last for truth, justice, and, well, second chances . . . As the individual powers range from transformational skills and energy blasts to the ability to force victims to talk in rhyme, the threat doesn’t always seem entirely serious despite a rapidly escalating body count. Moreover, narrator David seems as addicted to eye-rolling similes (“The sun peeked over the horizon like the head of a giant radioactive manatee”) as he is to “exceptionally dangerous” mission plans. Perhaps it’s not surprising that the key to victory in this action-packed romp turns out not to be violence but pop psychology. Adeptly done thrills, whether readers take their costumed supers seriously or with a dish (or, in this case, an entire city) of salt.”
Brandon Sanderson. Mistborn: Secret History. Novella. Dragonsteel Entertainment, Jan. 28. Mistborn #3.5. “Builds upon the characterization, events, and worldbuilding of the original trilogy. “
Brandon Sanderson. The Bands of Mourning. Tor, Jan. 26. Fantasy. Mistborn #6.
PW: “The sixth Mistborn industrial revolution fantasy–and the second featuring crime-fighter Waxillium Ladrian and his sidekick, Wayne—is more steampunk than dystopian. The novel kicks off with Wax’s wedding to Lady Steris, but the festivities are put on hold after an inconvenient flood, and then Wax learns that Harmony, one of the Faceless Immortals, is incommunicado. Soon Wax and Wayne head off to hunt for the Bands of Mourning, a mythical artifact associated with long-defeated Lord Ruler. This quest is classic Sanderson, with magic, intrigue, and witty repartee. All the familiar elements from the earlier Mistborn novels are here, including the metal-based magics of allomancy, feruchemy, and the forbidden art of hemalurgy (about which more is revealed over the course of this story). Open questions from earlier adventures are finally addressed, and Sanderson skillfully weaves in new opportunities for the dynamic duo’s next adventure. Die-hard fans will be delighted to finally learn more about the mysterious southern lands they’ve previously heard about in passing.”
Kirkus: “Continues to push back the frontiers of Wax’s world and raise questions about what justice is and what it means to be a good person. But it’s the characters that are the real strength here: besides the conflicted, striving Wax, there’s Wayne, who’s more than just the comic relief, Marasi, who’s forging her own identity in a changing world, and Steris, who’s just not like anyone else. Fans of Wax and his companions will thoroughly enjoy this next installment of their absorbing adventures. A fast-paced novel that’s part Wild West, part Indiana Jones, and wholly entertaining, combining high emotional stakes with a deep, good-natured sense of humor.”
William Morris. 3 stars. “Sanderson is stretching (in a good way), and it’s all a bit clumsy, but at points it’s also rather awesome and on the whole this is exactly what you want from a Mistborn book: interesting character development, cool fight scenes, a bit of humor, and magic-related revelations. Also: Steris is the best.”
A. L. Sowards. The Spider and the Sparrow. Covenant, Feb. 1. Historical. World War I soldiers, aviators, and women become spies. Her fifth novel, first on WWI, after several WWII novels. Very strong reader reviews.
Anita Stansfield. Now and Always Yours. Covenant, Feb. 1. General/women’s issues. Spin-off from Legally and Lawfully Yours. “And so begins a new chapter in Greg’s life, which includes the daunting tasks of earning the trust and respect of his teen-aged children, finding meaningful employment in a society that doesn’t always take kindly to those who have served time, and daring to believe in love, with its miracles of healing and forgiveness.”
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Doom of the Dragon. Tor, Jan. 5. Fantasy. Dragonships of Vindras #4. Conclusion.
Dan Wells. Bluescreen. Blazer + Bray, Feb. 16. YA Science Fiction/Noir Cyberthriller. Mirador #1.
SLJ (Starred Review): “This fast-paced futuristic science-fiction cyber-thriller about virtual reality gone wrong is a compulsive read, especially for gamers. In 2050, Los Angeles is one of the last great centers of business left in the United States, filled with autocabs, rolling lounges, maglev trains, and hypertubes bringing commuters in from all over the country. Nearly everyone has a djinni, a smart device implanted into their brains. One blink enables a person to access email, the Internet, or video feeds, and adware is constant. Teens spend nearly 24 hours a day online plugged into it; much of that time is spent playing virtual reality games. Mari and her friends are all skilled virtual gamers. Mari is also a talented hacker. She and her family live in El Mirador, a midsize barrio where her family runs a Mexican restaurant. Business owners pay gang lord Don Francisco’s enforcers to keep the peace. After rich girl Anja has a bad reaction to Bluescreen, a digital drug that triggers a huge sensory buzz, Mari and gorgeous drug dealer Saif agree to work together to try to get it off the streets. In attempting to do so, they soon find themselves involved in a more dangerous conspiracy than they ever imagined. This fascinatingly speculative tale, first in a series, full of diverse characters, owes much to M.T. Anderson’s Feed, and it’s just as exciting and innovative. VERDICT Readers won’t be able to put this sci-fi thriller down.”
PW: “Wells presents a tense cyberthriller . . . The ethnically diverse cast features several strong, resourceful women, while Marisa’s struggles with her artificial arm add another layer to the story, helping it stand out as more than a typical SF adventure. It’s an engaging start to Wells’s Mirador series.”
Kirkus: “Wells’ first in a new science-fiction series is an action-packed, twisty thriller mystery set in an all-too-believable future. Complex, ethnically diverse characters and witty dialogue balance out the (slight) overabundance of tech-blather. Though it has obvious affinities to Feed, its focus is on action rather than concept. Fans of futuristic dystopias will be clamoring for more adventures in Mirador.”
Reviews of older books
Tory C. Anderson. Jacob and Lace (Lisa R) 5 stars. “The first chapter of Tory Anderson’s new YA novel, Jacob and Lace, is one of the scariest I’ve read in any genre. In Anderson’s first book, Joey and the Magic Map, there were ghosts, flesh-eating birds, blood-thirsty pirates. In this book, there is simply a mother who wakes her son, tells him they are going, then walks out of the house. Jacob doesn’t even have time to put on his socks before leaving home forever. Running after his mother, Jacob begs her to tell him where they are going and why, but she doesn’t answer, doesn’t look at him, and in fact seems unaware of his presence. Jacob has two choices: follow her, or get left behind. It is her stony-faced lack of response—the exact opposite of what we expect from a mother—that I found so scary . . . and also mesmerizing. I instantly wanted to know what was wrong with her and what would happen to Jacob. Anderson takes very seriously the lives and emotions of adolescents, which is why this is an excellent book for parents or teachers to read and discuss with young teens.”
Sian Ann Bessey. One Last Spring (Jennie Hansen, Meridian) 5 stars. “The characters in this story are portrayed well with the faults, regrets, hopes, fears, and good intentions the reader can relate to. The main characters are good people who sometimes fail to communicate clearly with each other and too often rely on assumptions. Auntie Jane is not good at showing emotion, but the author does an excellent job of revealing the feelings the woman cannot. The kindness of the villagers toward each other is consistent and reveals the sense of family a secluded small village develops. Knowing they will soon no longer be a community sharpens their awareness of each other’s needs. The double plot lines are simple and direct. There’s the romance which is tender and sweet. And there’s the construction of the dam which leads to the title of the book, One Last Spring. It’s the final time these people will be together before the dam’s completion scatters them to other places and other ways of life. It’s a time of final goodbyes and a hint of the new lives before them.”
Scott Bronson. The Agitated Heart (Jonathan Langford, AMV). “Thanks to Scott Parkin’s ArcPoint Media and to Scott Bronson’s own persistence, that long wait is now over. And I have to say: the story pretty much lives up to its hype — with some quibbles . . . Four individuals, each with his or her own internal conflicts and doubts, each of which we are shown in turn through scenes in alternating points of view . . . As the tale progresses, and Christopher comes closer to his own crisis (I originally wrote “apotheosis,” but that isn’t exactly fair), his sacrifice starts to become larger than he is. Perhaps inevitably so, for a story that is clearly intended as (among other things) an allegory of the Atonement . . . Characterization is the great strength of this story. The characters are real, and Mormon, and fallible, and contemporary: not pioneers crossing the plains, not Utah farm boys, not missionaries in the field or their converts. They are intensively Mormon, and the story is Mormon because they are, and because it plays such a central role in their lives . . . This was a hard book to read, even enjoying it as I did, even knowing what was coming. For some readers — like my sister who has issues with Orson Scott Card’s writing because of what he puts children through — I can imagine it would be well-nigh unbearable.”
Scott Bronson. The Agitated Heart (Scott Hales, AMV). “I personally thought the ending was a little over-the-top, and I think your critique of the ending helps me see why I had that reaction. I agree with the improbabilities you list, and add the intense brutality of it all to my distaste for it. I know, of course, that the blood is meant to be symbolic of Christ’s sacrifice and atonement–but it seemed needlessly excessive. I was also not convinced by the marauding pack of elementary school-aged thugs. Sure, they were led by an eighth-grade sociopath…but the beating was so extreme that it felt contrived.”
Lisa Torcasso Downing. Get That Gold and The Pilfered Papers (Kristie Wilkins, AML). “Author L.T. Downing is a talented storyteller. She weaves fascinating and heart-pumping tales from LDS church history that make oft-told stories come alive. She has the ability to take her readers into the story so that they feel the emotions of her characters as they experience some of the most critical moments and turning points of the restoration of the Gospel. Downing also captures the complexity and nuances of her character’s personalities. For example Lucy Harris, so often seen as a one dimensional villain in historical accounts, is portrayed as a complicated woman who struggles not only with her faith but with loneliness. She is shown as a woman who allows fear to drive her decisions to the point where, instead of drawing her husband home, she alienates him and drives him to make decisions that could ultimately destroy not only their marriage and his relationship with the prophet but his own soul as well. The reader can almost feel sorry for her at times and at others nothing but disdain”
Betsy Brannon Green. Puzzle Pieces (Jennie Hansen, Meridian). 4 stars. “Green is a master at creating small town Southern characters with their distinctive vocabulary, involvement in each other’s lives, and commitment to community values. Fans of Miss Eugenia are already familiar with her mixture of nosiness and real concern for others. She has just the right combination of adherence to society’s traditional mores and a savvy acceptance of today’s realities. Presley and Mac are also realistic characters with whom the reader will easily identify. Each secondary character is distinct, realistic, and adds to the story in a meaningful way. Not only the characters, but also the setting for this novel enhances the story, lending legitimacy to this double mystery and reveals the author’s firsthand knowledge of a southern small town. The plot builds nicely from an intriguing beginning that keeps the reader searching for an explanation until the denouement begins to unfold. There are several sub plots with their resolutions that are set in place like puzzle pieces that add to the overall puzzle. Though the story involves a serious mystery, Green cleverly introduces bits of humor at strategic places.”
Mette Ivie Harrison. The Bishop’s Wife and His Right Hand (Julie, J. Nichols, AML). “For those of us who resolve contradictions between Mormon efforts at perfection and the realities of life differently than Linda, her bishop husband, and the people in their ward, the “neutrality” of the point of view in *The Bishop’s Wife* can render Mormonism troubling. Does Mormonism really require its adherents to be so rigid? So unthinking? So detached from the complexities of twenty-first century American life? Must it be that way? Is it only in Utah that it seems to be so—are Arkansas Mormons similarly blind? What about other sects—are Southern Baptists like this too? Honestly: does the Savior we worship want blind, detached, rigid followers? I can’t imagine it . . . In any case, both the current Linda Wallheimer novels are worth reading, and not only for their uncompromising plot lines and compelling conclusions. They should raise important and necessary questions about Mormonism itself in every thinking Mormon’s mind. *His Right Hand* deserves its nomination for an AML Award. I’ll watch eagerly for the final result.”
Dean Hughes. Home and Away (Bloggin’ ‘bout Books) B. “Home and Away is not a cheesy, sentimental holiday story. It’s sweet, yes, but it has a lot more depth to it than you would expect. The Hayes’ are not a perfect family and, not surprisingly, they don’t get a perfect ending. Still, the novel is a hopeful one. Tender and nostalgic, it captures the uncertainties of life, the realities of war, and the blessing of family, however imperfect it may be. More realistic than many Christmas tales, Home and Away is a heartwarming historical tale that can be enjoyed any time of year (even in February).”
Krista Lynne Jensen. Kisses in the Rain (FoxyJ). “The part of this book I enjoyed the most was the setting. It takes place on an island in Washington and the characters both work in the kitchen of a restaurant. I had a major craving to take a vacation to Puget Sound after reading this. It was an enjoyable little romance, but like too many LDS fiction books I read, it felt a bit thin and superficial to me. I wanted deeper conversations between the characters, more time spent developing and resolving the conflicts, and richer language. This book touched on some great themes, but it just didn’t quite do enough with them for me.”
Ryan Rapier. The Reluctant Blogger (Theric Jepson, AMV). “For all its flaws of structure and point of view, I still think about the characters of The Reluctant Blogger all these years later. I think mostly of the protag’s father’s second marriage and of the pain the protag causes his love interest. These things—or, rather, these people are still with me. I think of them regularly. And, in my opinion, the most important aspect of good fiction is characters who live on in the mind. It’s why Jane Eyre might be my favorite novel. Because I still think about Jane. I love Jane. She’s, like, my very good friend. And The Reluctant Blogger also provided me with new friends.”
Eric James Stone. Unforgettable (Bryce Moore) 5 stars. “I’ve always heard about quantum physics, but up until I finished Unforgettable it was just a general abstract thought to me. It didn’t really mean anything other than “something really difficult to understand.” . . . The story is pretty simple to describe: The main character is a person who no one can remember for longer than 60 seconds. Once he’s out of sight and ear shot, 60 seconds later, your brain just pretends he wasn’t around at all. And he’s a spy, because why in the world would you be anything else? The great thing is, he’s just a normal guy for the most part. No ninja assassin skills. No elite training. He’s just this guy who has a special power, and he’s using that power to do some good. Stone takes this character and throws him into a fight for the future of the world, using quantum physics as the battleground. And somehow, it all works wonderfully. I found myself learning things and turning pages at a frenetic rate–a combination you just don’t find every day. In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It sounds like a concept that would be really hard to pull off, but Stone did just that. Maybe this is a “great for Bryce” kind of book, since I’m a sucker for sci-fi and a sucker for learning new things, but if any of this sounds remotely appealing to you, you should give this book a shot. Well done.”
Eric James Stone. Unforgettable (Best Science Fiction Blog). “Whilst the plot of Eric James Stone’s Unforgettable might sound like a cliché one is liable to find in any old espionage novel with a gimmicky hook to reel the reader in, it works, and it works wonderfully. The conceit, that a man is completely forgettable due to a quirk of quantum mechanics functioning at a macro-scale, is actually quite unique . . . Unforgettable is fun and effortlessly readable. It moves at a sizzling pace with just the right amount of wry humour conveyed through tone rather than wisecracks. All the while through the novel, Stone seems to manage a good balance between a light parody of the spy genre whilst still delivering a rollicking good adventure that takes Morgan from western Europe, the Middle East, Russia and back again. And yet, he also speculates on the more serious, human ramifications of Morgan’s strange affliction. The most affecting section is one where Stone briefly examines the difficult predicament of a childhood tainted by an ability that makes the character invisible to everyone around him . . . While it isn’t a ‘young-adult’ novel per se, it certainly exudes an ambiance associated with that category without devolving into its conventions. It’s also one of those rare instances where a cliffhanger ending actually works. For sheer entertainment value and easy readability, Unforgettable gets top marks. It’s great science fiction candy.”
David J. West. Whispers out of the Dust (Michael Collings). “In Whispers out of the Dust: A Haunted Journey through the Lost American West, David J. West has created a fascinating and fun amalgam of fact and fiction, narrated using multiple “found” documents, each reflecting the time, the culture, and the perspective of its author . . . the controlling voice recounts the discovery of an ancient trunk at a thrift story in Las Vegas—dutifully identified via academic-style footnote as a branch of Deseret Industries, an actual chain of stores in several states throughout the West. Inside, he discovers a “toad-like idol,” a reference that will trigger of shimmers of anticipation in Lovecraftians. Accompanying the idol (and, lest one distrust the narrator’s tale, West includes a photograph of said item) is a collection of papers dating from the Spanish conquest in the mid-sixteenth century to August of 1938—the date when the area was flooded by the opening of Hoover Dam . . . Throughout, West peppers the tales with tidbits of Western lore, many of them drawn from Mormon history. Orrin Porter Rockwell, Joseph Smith’s erstwhile bodyguard, appears several times; and, in fact, the ghost of the Joseph Smith himself plays a key role in one story, designed to illustrate the fate of those who martyred the Prophet, at least in the eyes of nineteenth-century Saints . . .Whispers Out of the Dust is more than a collection of short stories; every tale is linked to every other by landscape—which, much like the moors in Wuthering Heights, is so pervasive as to become almost a character itself; by the sense of oppressive history taking its toll on the (then) present; by characters who speak idiosyncratically, who think and believe in ways foreign to modern readers; and by an overarching futility as, time and again, optimism gives way beneath the weight of hauntings and whisperings. Yet at the same time, it does not pretend to the coherence and organization of a novel. These tales do not develop a single theme or focus on a single character, action, or culture. Nor should they. They are as disparate as what one might expect to find—hope to find—fear to find—in an abandoned trunk rescued from certain oblivion in the shadows behind a thrift store.”
Theater
Glen Nelson (book), Andrew and Stuart Maxfield (music and lyrics). The Bridge. BYU, Feb. 10, 2016. Based on the Ambrose Bierce story, “The Incident at Owl Creek Bridge”. Rock opera. The production includes live performance by Stuart Maxfield of Fictionist, augmented by an extended jazz ensemble, vocal ensemble, string quartet, and two actor/dancers. The story is also told with video and brief excerpts from the short story projected behind and around the musicians onstage; otherwise it is without dialogue. Andrew Maxfield (BYU adjunct professor) produced it. Glen Nelson is the founder of Mormon Artists Group. Christopher Clark directed. Featured the BYU Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Voices. Salt Lake Tribune feature story.
Melissa Leilani Larson Pride & Prejudice. Miami University of Ohio. Feb. 24-March 6.
Mellisa Leilani Larson. Sweetheart, Come is a semifinalist for the O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference this summer.
Film
The I Am Not A Serial Killer movie, based on the Dan Wells book, has been selected for the SXSW film festival in Austin in March.
Bestsellers
Christine Feehan. Spider Game
USA Today: x, x, #4, #25, #105, x (3 weeks)
PW Mass Market: x, x, #2, #6, #12, #12 (4 weeks). 21,158, 11,636, 6311, 5040 units. 44,165 total.
PW Overall: x, x, #6, x, x , x (1 week)
PW Romance: x, #6, #9
NYT Mass Market: x, x, #1, #7, #10, #12 (4 weeks)
NYT E-book Fiction: x, x, #2, x, x, x (1 week)
NYT Combined Print & E-book Fiction: x, x, #2, x, x, x (1 week)
Brandon Sanderson. Calamity
USA Today: x, x, x, x, x, #2 (1 week)
PW Children’s: x, x, x, x, x, #2 (1 week). 13,931 units.
NYT Children’s Series: x, x, x, x, x, #1
Brandon Sanderson. Bands of Mourning
USA Today: x, x, #6, #95, x, x (2 weeks)
PW Hardcover: x, x, #5, #18, x, x (2 weeks). 8903, 2994 units. 11,897 total.
PW Fantasy: x, #2, #2
NYT Hardcover: x, x, #6, #13, x (2 weeks)
NYT E-book Fiction: x, x, #3, x, x (1 week)
NYT Combined Print & E-book Fiction: x, x, #3, x, x (1 week)
Brandon Sanderson. Mistborn: Secret History
USA Today: x, x, #70, #81, x, x (2 weeks)
Stephenie Meyer. Twilight: The Life and Death Dual Edition
PW Children’s: #21, #25, #24, ?, #24, x (19 weeks). 2627, 2297, 2233, 2140, 2573 units. 15,359 total.
Shannon Hale and Dean Hale. The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde
PW Children’s: x, x, x, x, #11, x (1 week). 5849 units.
Shannon Hale and Dean Hale. The Princess in Black
NYT Middle Grade Paperback: #7, #7, #7, #6 (26 weeks)
NYT Children’s Series: #6, x (1 week) [With the publication of the third book in the series, it now graduates from the Middle Grade Paperback list to the Series list.]
James Dashner. The Maze Runner Series
NYT Children’s Series: #9, #10, #6, #7, #8, x (175 weeks) [Drops out of the list for the first time in over a year.]
Jennifer A. Nielson. Rise of the Wolf
NYT Middle Grade Hardcover: x, x, #6, x, x, x (1 week)
Lindsey Sterling. The Only Pirate at the Party
USA Today: #149. x, x, x, x, x (1 week)
PW Hardcover Non-fiction: #23, x, x, x, x, x (1 week). 4259 units.
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I can’t believe you’re so encyclopedic even this month when you had plenty of other MoLit stuff on your plate.