TAKEN BY STORM by Angela Morrison

From the back of the book:
Leesie thinks she has her whole life planned out, get into the school of her dreams, write her poems, meet the perfect guy, and settle down. Then she meets Michael- a boy whose parents were killed in a diving accident during a terrible storm.
Michael is drowning in tragedy. And all Leesie wants is to save him. With each day, her heart hurts more. Could it be, perfect Leesie is falling from grace?
Or is she just falling in love?
This story is a amazing mix of love, grief, forgiveness and clean passion.
When I first started reading this I wasn't sure I was going to like it. The format was different than what I a used to and in all honesty I dislike poetry, and a large portion of the story is told in Leesie's poems. After I started reading and got into the story and attached to the characters I found that none of that mattered.
I found myself hoping Michael and Leesie could make their relationship work, without Leesie having to compromise too many of her rules.
Leesie is a Mormon girl, the only one in her High School class, I identified with her, having been the only active Mormon girl in my class too. She had a lot of rules of conduct she stuck to rigidly and was dubbed the ice princess, until she met Michael.
Michael was a diver, kind of cocky, had always had his way with girls. He came to town a broken boy, after loosing his parents tragically.
Leesie put a lot of herself into helping Michael deal with the tragedy life dealt to him. She was willing to compromise on a lot of her rules for Michael.
 Michael seemed incapable of understanding and accepting Leesie's rules and standard, and every time she called for recess as he called it, he would end up doing something stupid, that could have cost him her love and support. 
Leesie showed an amazing capacity to love and forgive. 
To read more about Taken by Storm and to l earn more about the author Angela Morrison CLICK HERE
I would recommend this for teens and adults who want to read "Sweet Romance".
You can find it at www.amazon.com , www.bn.com,  the BYU bookstore and the Flying Pig Bookstore,or check out inter library loan.

BACKLASH by TRACI HUNTER ABRAMSON

From the back of the book:
In the five years she's been married to Navy SEAL Kel Bennett, Marilyn has lived with fear as a near-constant companion. But the morning she sees two men in naval uniforms approaching her doorway with solemn faces, her fear turns to terror. This is what she signed up for when she exchanged wedding vows with that stunning man in military dress whites: a husband who leaves home whenever the phone rings and who might not ever come back. Turns out Marilyn is lucky this time: Kel is still alive, although gravely injured from the Saint Squad op that thwarted a terrorist attack in the southwestern US. While his wife is relieved to have him stationary in a hospital bed, Kel's necessary lack of openness about his work puts a strain on their already troubled marriage. As the distance between the couple widens, Marilyn turns to the book she's secretly writing to express her unspeakable emotions.

Meanwhile, the backlash from the foiled terrorist mission brings Halim Karel to the States in search of Seth, the undercover agent who'd infiltrated his organization and spearheaded the abduction of his boss's niece. As danger mounts and the SEAL team springs into action, Marilyn is shocked by her first glance into the grisly realities of her husband's profession: violence, deception, even killing. And when she becomes a central ploy in Halim's revenge plan, she struggles to find needed trust and confidence in this military man she loves-not just to save their marriage but to save their lives.

This is the 4th book in the Saint Squad series and it was just as good as the previous 3. I waited to read it until I knew I had some free time, because I knew that once I picked it up I would have a hard time putting it down.

This book centers on Squad leader Kel and his wife Marilyn and their adjustment to being together after he is injured in the line of duty.

Kel & Marilyn never spent much time communicating about their lives when they were apart, and that made things tense when he found out a terrorist was tracking them.

Marilyn never told Kel she had aspirations to write and was,in fact, writing a book. 

Kel's story shows how important communication is in marriage, although it made for much more suspense with neither of them knowing what the other was doing.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense. It is part of a series, but the series can be read in any order.

To learn more about Traci and her books CLICK HERE.
You can find  Backlash at www.deseretbook.com, www.seagullbook.com, www.amazon.com or through inter library loan.

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 Traci & I at the Glendale Deseret Book, Oct 21, 2010

HOW WILL CHRISTMAS FIND US?

From the back of the book:
Reviews Both laughter and tears will fill your soul with this heartwarming collection of a dozen true Christmas stories from favorite LDS authors, ordinary people whose lives have been touched in extraordinary ways. Discover lighthearted surprises, faith-affirming treasures, and thought-provoking insights about the greatest gift of all in this wonderful keepsake book. You'll want to share these timeless holiday tales of peace, hope, and love year after year.
Contributors include: Anita Stansfield, Betsy Brannon Green, Clair M. Poulson, Jerry Borrowman, Jennie Hansen, Julie Coulter Bellon, Connie Angeline, Jeri Gilchrist, K.C. Grant, Susan Aylworth, Michele Paige Holmes, Marlene Bateman, Kenneth M. Page.
This is a book of short stories by a variety of LDS authors. I enjoyed all of the stories about sharing Christmas. The stories inspired the Spirit of Christmas. I found myself teary eyed while reading some of the stories.
I would recommend this as a good addition to your Christmas library.
You can find this on www.deseretbook.com.

THE ROAD SHOW by BRADEN BELL

From the back of the book:
Scott Jenson hates everything he knows about road shows: cheap costumes, silly songs, and bad acting. Being asked to create a road show is his worst nightmare come true. Can flawed but talented artist create a piece of art that testifies of Jesus Christ? And is there any way that something so trivial can have a healing effect on the lives of five troubled souls? A pornography addict, a depressed young mother, a sick older woman, a lonely outcast, and a spiritually numb elder's quorum president are about to find out. Braden Bell gives a five-star performance with The Road Show. With true-to-life characters, humorous situations, and tender realizations, this book is guaranteed to make you smile and applaud for more.

When I first saw the title of this book I was immediately taken back to the 1st road show I was in at 12 years old. It was Sweet Sue and the Banana Tree. I don't remember much about the show except that it was ever thing the back cover of the book described.
With that picture in my mind, I decided to read The Road Show by Braden Bell. This book was nothing like I expected. It was a very touching story about a group of troubled people, who come together to put on a road show.
Each person was portrayed so it was hard not to feel their pain, except maybe the Elder's Quorum president.
Reading about the performance and the mighty changes that took place in the hearts and lives of the cast made me cry.
I would recommend this book to everyone, but make sure you have a box of Kleenex handy.
The Road Show is available at http://www.deseretbook.com/ & http://www.seagullbook.com/. As always you can check your library for inter library loan.
To learn more about Braden Bell CLICK HERE.

COLD AS ICE by STEPHANIE BLACK

FROM THE BACK OF THE BOOK:

After five patient years, Abigail Wyatt’s sisterly care is finally paying off: her younger brother, Derek, is abandoning his self-destructive lifestyle and seeking his parents’ forgiveness, thus ending the painful estrangement that wounded the whole family. But just as the pieces are falling into place for the prodigal’s return, a woman named Karen Brodie is murdered in a local park — and police name Derek as the prime suspect. Rather than standing firm and cementing the positive changes in his life, Derek succumbs to his cynical fears and runs from the law, leaving Abigail with her hands tied. Literally.

Derek’s raw panic convinces everyone that he’s the killer — everyone except Abigail, who doggedly maintains her brother’s innocence. With the help of Kyle, a charismatic new friend she might be falling for, Abigail digs deep into Karen Brodie’s troubled past in hopes of clearing Derek’s name. But as she uncovers a sinister plot of greed, envy, and vengeance, this loyal sister must face the painful truth that things — and people — are not always as they seem.

This is another winner for Stephanie Black, she just keeps getting better.
I love a good mystery/suspense book, and I like it all the better when I don't figure out who did it until the author reveals it.
I would have never pegged the culprit, he seamed too good.
This was a fast moving book, the characters were well developed and I had a hard time putting it down.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves suspense and mystery.
It is available at http://www.deseretbook.com/, http://www.seagullbook.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/ .
To learn more about Stephanie Black's books CLICK HERE

THE HUNGER GAMES by SUZANNE COLLINS

From the back of the book:
Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

I was told a few months ago, by 2 different people this was a must read, and the best book ever.
I am glad I read it, but I would have to disagree that it is the best book ever
There was a lot of action and drama, with Katniss thumbing her nose a the Capitol whenever she got the chance. It was sometimes hard to remember that Katniss was only 16.
This book was a little dark, I'm not sold on the idea of putting 24 children in an arena and forcing them to kill each other in horible ways. Nor an I sold on the idea that someone outside of the arena can control the elements, to force the children  to get closer to each other so the fight will be more exciting.
One other thing that bothered me about the book was an over use of adverbs. Some of them felt like they were just thrown in,at the end of a sentence where they really weren't needed or the thought could be competed better with a few more words. Since I listened to this book on CD I don't have any examples of specific instances, but if you read it, you will find them.
Even though this is classified as Young Adult fiction,I would hesitate to let my teens read it. I would recommend it to adult readers
The Hunger Games is available at any bookstore,and the library.

PURSUED A Maggie Mckenzie Mystery by LYNN GARDNER

From the bck of the book:
In an attempt to discover the truth about what really happened to her two brothers who were declared dead at birth, newspaper editor Maggie McKenzie has signed on for more of an adventure than she bargained for. What begins as a much-anticipated fact-finding trip to England quickly turns into a dangerous escapade as Maggie is forced to run for her life after she inadvertently gains possession of an innocent-looking flash drive. The tiny device contains details of a terrorist plot to destroy major London landmarks. When she realizes that someone she knows is involved with the malevolent plot, it becomes time to make her solo mission a family affair-even though it seems that most of the family members she has met in England would like to see her gone. Hold on tight with sleuth Maggie McKenzie in a pulse-pounding thrill ride through the United Kingdom as she discovers that when it comes to long-lost relatives, what you see isn't always what you get.
This book was filled with adventure, danger and mystery. It was set in England. A lot of the story took place in an old castle, with secret passage ways, dungeons and turrets. Its the perfect place to set a mystery novel.
I didn't figure out who the evil person was until just before the end, there were so many people that could have the evil mastermind.
The first Maggie McKenzie Mystery was called Vanished, and while it help to know who the characters are to read it, this is a stand alone book.
I recommend this book to anyone that likes mystery and intrigue.
It is available at http://www.deseretbook.com/ & http://www.seagull.com/ and inter library loan.

This is Lynn Gardner and I at her book signing in Mesa last year.