If you're not sure what a Mormon is, let alone a Mormon Mention, allow me to explain:  My name is Susan and I'm a Mormon (you've seen the commercials, right?).  As a member of  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon or LDS Church), I'm naturally concerned with how my religion is portrayed in the media.  Because this blog is about books, every time I see a reference to Mormonism in a book written by someone who is not a member of my church, I highlight it here.  Then, I offer my opinion—my insider's view—of what the author is saying.  It's my chance to correct misconceptions, expound on principles of the Gospel, and even to laugh at my (sometimes) crazy Mormon culture. 

In The Roots of the Olive Tree by Courtney Miller Santo, an 89-year-old woman is talking about her husband's family history.  She says:

"His family had been Mormon—his mother married to a man with seventeen other wives until it had become illegal" (276).  

Oh, polygamy!  Somehow, despite all the amazing things the LDS Church has accomplished in its history, the millions of acts of service and love its God-fearing members perform every single day, it's still most widely-known for its polygamist past.  Let me make this as clear as I possibly can:  Polygamy was practiced by early members of the LDS Church, but the practice was officially stopped in 1890.  Members of the modern, mainstream LDS Church do not practice polygamy and have not for over 100 years.  

The best explanation of the history of plural marriage in the church can be found here, on LDS.org: http://www.lds.org/topics/polygamy-plural-marriage?lang=eng

Please understand that when you hear about modern "Mormons" practicing polygamy, they are generally members of "churches" that are offshoots of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but not affiliated with the main body of the LDS Church.  

And, just in case you're wondering (because yes, I have been asked), my father has only one wife, as does my husband.  In fact, although I do have ancestors who were polygamists, I've never met anyone  who was married to more than one person at the same time.  Too bad, because they probably would have been super interesting to talk to!  

So, yeah.

Happy Tuesday!  If you haven't participated in Top Ten Tuesday before, you really should join in the fun.  It's always a good time.  Promise!  Click on over to our hostesses' blog, The Broke and the Bookish, for the details about this always delightful weekly event.

Today's TTT topic is a freebie and don't we all love those?  I debated which subject to choose (Top Ten Books that Scare the Snot Out of Me?  Top Ten Books that Make Me Cry Like a Baby?  Top Ten Books You Couldn't Pay Me to Read Again?), finally settling on Top Ten Books that Make Me Want to Change My Profession.  First, a true confession:  I don't actually have a profession.  I mean, I do have the most important job in the world, but it's not like I get paid to raise my children (darn it!).  And, although motherhood definitely has its drama, suspense, action/adventure and horror, it's not the kind of sexy, book-worthy career that makes readers shout, "Now, that's what I want to be when I grow up."  Just so I'm clear, there's nothing I'd rather be right now than a stay-at-home mom, but these books definitely offer some intriguing career possibilities ...


1.  The Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer—After Captain Jack Sparrow appeared on the big screen in all his strange, but incredibly attractive glory, every female on the planet wanted to be romanced by a pirate.  L.A. Meyer's books, though, make me want to be a pirate.  I mean, the series' heroine, Jacky Faber, makes swinging through the rigging, sailing the open sea, and sword fighting with bloodthirsty savages look like the adventure of a lifetime.  Why she longs to be a proper young lady, I'll never know!


2.  The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter—I've never had any desire to be a female OO7, but I gotta admit, these middle grade books almost change my mind about becoming a spy.  Attending a super exclusive boarding school, going on intense, secret training missions and playing with the newest, coolest tech toys—well, it looks like loads of fun.


3.  The Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke—I'm not the greatest baker in the world, but I do love me some warm, gooey cookies.  So, being a cookie maker doesn't sound bad at all!  I can totally see myself bustling around a warm, bright cookie shop filling display cases with scrumptious goodies, chatting with customers, and baking up a storm in my shiny professional kitchen.  I'd give Hannah Swensen a run for her money, that's for sure!



4.  The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling—Okay, I don't know if wizard (or witch, I guess) counts as a profession, so I'm going to choose Hogwarts professor instead.  Because, aside from the constant presence of that pesky Voldemort (not to mention bratty Draco Malfoy), it looks like a pretty nice gig!



5.  The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare—I'm a huge wimp, but c'mon, doesn't Clare's crew make demon hunting look pretty darn sexy?  I could totally be a kick-butt demon hunter.  Okay, I couldn't, but it's a fun daydream.


6.  Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys—Lots of novels feature bookshop owners and that's a profession I think I'd totally rock at in the real (unlike pirate or spy or demon hunter).  One of my favorite parts of this book is the descriptions of how Josie and Patrick size up potential customers, bet on what kind of book they're looking for, then compete with each other to find the perfect tome for that person.  It reminds me of playing "Guess the Major" when I worked at the BYU Creamery!


7.  The Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters—While lots of people find archaeology endlessly fascinating, I'm really not one of them.  Discovering ancient artifacts does sound cool, I agree, but nothing about digging for days and days under a sweltering desert sun sounds all that appealing.  Enter Amelia Peabody.  She's an average Jane who does the whole Egyptologist thing in style.  She makes slipping down the Nile in a houseboat and solving mysteries sound like the perfect profession for an average Jane like me.


8.  Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper—After watching my mom slave away as a passionate, but vastly underpaid teacher, I knew that was one thing I did not want to be when I grew up.  Even when it made a lot of sense for me to earn a teaching degree along with my B.A. in English, I resisted.  And, truthfully, it's probably for the best—I don't think I would have had the patience for it, especially not to be a special education teacher, which is what my mom did before she retired from the profession.  Still, when I hear my mom's stories about touching children's lives as well as reading books like Out of My Mind, it makes me realize how important teachers are, especially those who work so diligently and patiently to help those with special needs receive the best education they can get.



9.  That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard—Truth is, I find the whole circus thing a little creepy.  Still, Howard made me reconsider (for a second, at least) running off to join up as a trapeze artist or a palm reader.  I would have to pass on the pooper scooper job, even though I actually have some experience in that arena (thank you, summer job at the vet's office when I was 16).


10.  Misery by Stephen King—Okay, so a story about a fiction writer held captive by a psychotic fan should not make one want to be a novelist.  And yet, how cool would it be to know the words you wrote had that much power over someone else?  Very cool, indeed.              

How about you?  Which books make you want to pursue a whole new profession?  Or, which make you proud to be working the job you are?  I'd love to know.  

* Book images are from Barnes & Noble and Fantastic Fiction

Ever since I heard the announcement about Google taking away Google Reader, I've been a *little* upset.  Reader's probably my favorite Google product of all.  It's a simple, always-functioning way to keep up on all the blogs I follow.  So, of course, the Google gods are taking it away from me.  Waaahhhh!  I've been in denial since I heard the sad news, hoping Google would announce some kind of retraction.  It doesn't appear that that's going to happen, so ... I'm transferring my loyalties to Bloglovin'.  I'm still not even sure how the program works, but I'm trying to "claim" my blog and entice all of my wonderful followers to follow my blog via Bloglovin'.  What exactly that means, I don't even know ... darn you anyway, Google!

Is anyone else using Bloglovin' as an alternative to Reader?  What do you think?  Will I ever get used to this new program?  I hate change!


Follow my blog with Bloglovin

So, this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is all about book covers.  We're supposed to pick ten favorites from among books we've actually read.  Now, pretty cover art makes me swoon just as much as the next bibliophile, but, I'm drawing a total blank here.  I seriously cannot come up with ONE.  Pathetic.  Therefore, I'm going to twist the topic just a little and highlight the Top Ten Books I've Received in the Mail Recently That I Can't Wait to Read (the title's a little unwieldly, but whatever).  It's going to be kind of like an In My Mailbox/Waiting on Wednesday/Top Ten Tuesday hybrid thingie.  What can I say?  I'm a multi-tasking master like that.  I wish.  

Even though I'm not going to be gushing over book covers this week, I'd love to see the ones that caught your eye.  So, please, hop on over to our hostess' blog, The Broke and the Bookish, and join in the TTT fun.  You won't regret it!

Okay, here goes.  In no particular order, these are the books I've received lately that I cannot wait to dive into (note the swimming pun—it's in the 90s here in Arizona and my kids get out of school on Thursday, so it's officially summer around here):


1.  Al Capone Does My Homework by Gennifer Choldenko—If you're a fan of this middle grade series set on Alcatraz during the 1930s, you know it's been WAY too long since a new installment came out.  I'm thrilled to have an ARC of this one, which doesn't come out until late August.


2.  The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey—Pegged as the next big dystopian YA hit, this one's a sci fi alien thriller.  Something like that, anyway.  I loaned my ARC to a friend, knowing I wouldn't be able to get to it until later in the summer, but I'm still super excited to see what The 5th Wave is all about.


3.  Tumble & Fall by Alexandra (neé Bullen) Coutts—This YA novel, which releases in September, is the pre-apocalyptic tale about a group of teens coming to grips with the end of the world.  Sounds like an original take on a familiar theme.  Can't wait!


4.  The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson—I'm a big Sanderson fan, so I was stoked when a copy of his debut YA novel showed up in my mailbox (thanks, Tor/Forge!).  Sounds like another excellent fantasy from the amazingly talented Sanderson.


5.  Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson—Yep, another Sanderson.  This one's about a world overrun by power-hungry superhumans and the boy who's determined to avenge his father by killing the strongest of the lot.


6.  The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen—Although I've yet to read anything by Dessen, I think this one sounds like a perfect summer read.  It's about a girl who's being pulled in all kinds of directions as she tries to decide what she wants for her future.


7.  The Keeper of Secrets by Julie Thomas—I'm reading this one soon for a blog tour and I'm totally stoked about it.  According to Amazon, it "follows a priceless violin across generations—from WWII to Stalinist Russia to the gilded international concert halls of today—and reveals the loss, love, and secrets of the families who owned it."  Sounds intriguing, doesn't it?


8.  The Circle by Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg—The premise of this one sounds a little tired (six teens discover they have magical powers and are the ones chosen to battle an ancient evil), but I like the eerie feel of it.  


9.  Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell—I haven't read anything by O'Farrell yet, but I've heard great things about her.  I'm excited to try her out with this family drama about a husband who vanishes while out getting the newspaper and all the secrets that come to light in the wake of his disappearance.


10.  Find Me by Romily Bernard—This techie teen thriller, which comes out at the end of September, is about a hacker on the hunt for a dead classmate's killer.  Sounds like an exciting read.       

What do you think?  Any of these sound like winners to you?  Which new books are you dying to get your hands on this summer?  And which book covers have you been digging lately?  

It's Tuesday, which means it's time for more bookish list-compiling.  Love it!  Before we get to this week's topic, though, let me give a shout out to our lovely hosts over at The Broke and the Bookish.  Be sure to click on over there to get all the details about this fun meme.  If you haven't joined up, do it now!  It's a good ole time, I promise.

So, today's topic is: Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects.  "Tough" is defined as issue-y type things (suicide, grief, abuse, etc.).  Since conflict is an essential ingredient in every story, most books deal with "tough" things.  These ten, though, are the ones that popped into my mind when I read the prompt: 




1.  The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams—If you've ever been asked how many wives your dad has (and if you're Mormon, you probably have), you know what an uncomfortable subject polygamy can be!  Still, it's a fascinating topic.  In this novel, Williams explores it in a forthright, but sensitive way.  The Chosen One is such a haunting tale that I still get the shivers just from glimpsing its cover!  



2.  The Fault In Our Stars by John Green—What can I say about this one?  It's about kids with cancer.  It's sad, yes, but also irreverent, funny and touching.