No Unhallowed Hand -- Gerald Lund

It is a dark time in Nauvoo, Illinois, for the Latter-Day Saints: their beloved Prophet, Joseph Smith, and his brother Hyrum have been martyred. Amidst the grief and mourning, there is confusion. Who will lead the Church now? Or are those opposed to the Church correct: will the Church collapse now that their leader is dead? Many step forth, willing to take the reins left by Joseph. But the Lord is at the head of this work, and through a miraculous event, He makes known His will as to who will preside over the Church at this difficult time. Many do not agree and fall away, following others. But the Steed family remains firm in their faith. They witnessed the miracle, and they know who leads the Church. Willingly, they follow Brigham Young, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

But still, hard times come. When the Church does not implode, as so many opponents to the faith believed would happen, the mobs begin again to terrorize the saints. They burn the homes and farms of families living in settlements outside of Nauvoo. The Governor of Illinois invites the Mormon people to leave the state; suggesting they will be better off somewhere out West. Rumors of the federal government getting involved -- and not to the benefit of the Saints -- also spark fear. And so, once again in the middle of winter, the Saints leave their homes and all they have worked hard to obtain and create in Nauvoo and begin the trek West.

During these troubled times, the Steed family experiences joy and sorrow; miracles and trials. Their lives will be forever changed. They will be called on to serve in a variety of ways and with a variety of difficulties. But serve they will. And they hold tight to the promise that one day they will be together forever.

***I enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about some of what was faced by these early pioneers, and again, it humbled me. I contemplated what I would do if required to leave almost all I have, and I realized how truly unimportant so many of my material possessions really are. I was sometimes surprised by how the Saints were treated in a country which was supposed to support religious freedom -- and I can't help but wonder if there will be similar days ahead.

I Remember You -- Harriet Evans

Tess Tennant and Adam Smith have been friends forever. They grew up across the street from each other and were inseparable in their youth. Most townsfold in the small English town of Langford figured they would be together forever.

But they went their separate ways after finishing high school. Tess moved on to London and college while Adam, though brilliant and with a promising future, stayed behind in Langford trying to deal with the sudden death of his mother -- the only parent, the only family he ever knew.

Thirteen years later, Tess finds herself back in Langford as her life takes an unexpected turn: she loses her job and her boyfriend dumps her. Back in Langford to teach Roman and Greek history at the local college, Tess is trying to find her niche; all the while getting used to being around Adam all the time again. Tess realizes she is becoming someone she didn't want to be while in Langford, but a school trip to Rome helps her come out of her shell and experience a romance with Peter, the American journalist.

But when one of the students on her school trip falls horribly ill, things change suddenly. Secrets come out and soon the entire town of Langford will never be the same; especially Tess and Adam.

***I am being generous with the 3 stars... I'd probably prefer to give it 2.5 or 2.75. As with the other Harriet Evans book I read, this was slow to get into, but picked up pace and more of my interest by 1/3 of the way in. Maybe I'm just over the British chick-lit phase of my youth, but a lot of the storyline was ho-hum. And some of it was even ridiculous in my opinion. I mean, the story was fine and once I got into it, I was interested to see HOW things would turn out the way I was pretty sure they would. But at the same time, I thought there was a lot that could have been condensed or cut. Definitely not adding any more by this author to my to-read list, though. Don't like them that much. But in my (crazy) desire to always read whatever I've ever put on my to-read list... Well, I read it. And now it's done.

Farmer Boy -- Laura Ingalls Wilder

Almanzo Wilder will one day grow up and marry Laura Ingalls. But for now, he is a farmer's son in New York -- and he loves it! At almost nine years old when the book begins, Almanzo isn't crazy about attending school and would rather be home working on the farm with his father. Throughout the year, he shares the stories of farm life in the 1800s, from hauling wood to growing a milk pumpkin, to planting and harvesting crops to help the family survive through winter. He even shares some of the mischief he gets into when his father is away.


***I enjoyed this book. For me, it was as much informational as a happy little story. It is amazing to me the way life was during this time in history. There is something amazing about the ability to literally live off the land. And while I enjoy my modern conveniences of indoor plumbing and grocery stores with packaged meat (rather than having to cook whole pigs, etc), I always feel inspired by those who went before me and feel they had amazing skills and talents. I also love this book just for the simplicity of the story. I'm looking forward to reading it to my kiddos out loud in the years to come.

John Adams -- David McCullough

The life of America's second President, John Adams. Beginning with his birth and early education (and what he thought he would do at first...) and culminating with his death in the same town in which he was born, this book covers all of the significant contributions Adams made to the start of this new nation, not the least of which was being "The Voice" of the Declaration of Independence (while Jefferson was "The Pen").


*** I really liked this book. I've been interested in John Adams since my childhood days of watching the musical 1776 with my mom. This book has been on my to-read wish list for some time, and I'm glad I finally made it a priority. I learned an immense amount, not just about Adams, but also about that period of history in the world. My eyes were opened to so many things, and I was amazed at how tumultuous a time it really was as our nation struggled to become one. The majority of the book was a very fast read for me, though hitting part III slowed me down a bit. But it picked back up and I was anxious to keep turning pages and soaking in more information. I read several excerpts to my husband, who said that is how he knows I am enjoying a book -- when I want to share it with him! So yes, if you have any interest in John Adams or the era of the Revolutionary War, I would recommend this book!

The Maze Runner -- James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up alone in a lift, almost the only thing he can remember is his own name. Thirty minutes later, when the doors of the lift open, he is surrounded by a large group of boys -- teenagers -- none of whom he recognizes. And he soon learns he is in a place called The Glade: the only safe place in The Maze. The more Thomas learns, the more disturbing his reality is. The Maze seems to have no exit. And it harbors horrifying creatures which are only too happy to kill anyone out in The Maze at night.

But after only one day in his new "home," things start changing. And little by little, Thomas begins to have feelings of familiarity about certain aspects of The Maze. While he cannot remember the details of his past, he senses a deeper connection with The Maze and the only girl there, who has suddenly shown up with the frightening message: that after two years of sameness, things are going to change.

Soon Thomas earns the right to be a Maze Runner. He hopes to help the Gladers find a way to solve the maze and return them all to the life they used to know. But some don't want to go back. Some have had memories of what they left behind in their old lives, and they would rather stay in The Maze. Some even seem to have memories of Thomas; memories that cause distrust.

But time is running out. The Ending has been triggered. And, like it or not, all Gladers will have to make a choice.

This was a good read. I didn't want to stop reading. There were some "eh" parts, and sometimes it felt a little rushed -- as though everything happened too quickly. But the story kept me going and I wanted to know what would happen next.

The Boys in the Boat -- Daniel James Brown

It was a long shot, but Al Ulbrickson, the head rowing coach at the University of Washington, was aiming at the 1936 Olympics.  After years of defeat, he was determined to see his boys win the gold.  And with that goal in mind, it was Ulbrickson's job to find the perfect crew.

For many of the boys who ultimately rowed in Ulbrickson's famous boat, the Olympics were a dream they never dared dream.  These were boys from poor upbringings; boys from small logging towns around Puget Sound.  Times were rough for most Americans during the 1930s, but particularly for young men such as these -- young men whose only choice was to work at hard labor to be able to pay for school. 

But once they started tasting victory, they, too, dreamed as did Ulbrickson.  And so they rowed their hearts out.  Hours upon hours and days upon days in weather so cold icicles clung to their oars, these boys rowed.  Over time, their crew came to rely completely on each other.  They were the boys in the boat.  And together, they could obtain their wildest dreams -- and Ulbrickson's.

***This book was amazing.  It is not one I would have picked up on my own.  But as it was a selection for the Book Club I joined this year, I read it.  And I am so glad I did!  I could not put it down.  Reading about the harsh circumstances of the United States in the 1930s as well as some of the individual stories of the boys in the boat, along with the interweaving of the preparations of Nazi Germany, my eyes were opened and my heart touched.  I learned a great deal.  And the most amazing thing is the endurance of the human spirit -- the determination to continue on.  A wonderful read I would recommend to anyone.

Fatal Voyage -- Kathy Reichs

When a plane crashes in the mountains near North Carolina, Temperance Brennan is called in as part of the DMORT team which is tasked with recovering the bodies, the wreckage, and piecing together the last moments of the flight to determine the cause of the disaster. With body parts strewn over several miles, it does not seem odd when Temperance -- along with the help of some coyotes, finds a severed foot quite a distance from the center of the search.

But that foot throws kinks into many aspects of the investigation and makes someone nervous enough that Temperance is slandered publicly and removed from her involvement with the crash investigation.

Determined to clear her good name, Temperance does not give up. But the more she digs, the more disturbing things start rising to the surface. Some of her associates are even killed; and Temperance is next on the list.


**Once the story got going, it was a decent read. However, it takes so long to get into the story (for me at least) that I become disillusioned with the whole thing and just can't wait to be done with the book, thereby diminishing my enjoyment of the story.