Frances Sweeney isn't overly fond of the Lower East Side orphanage where she lives, but at least she and her little brother are together in the home.  It's far better than starving on the streets, that's for sure.  When she receives the news that she'll be boarding an "orphan train" bound for the Midwest, she doesn't know what to think.  As long as the 11-year-old can sneak Harold aboard, maybe it will all turn out okay for the parent-less children.

Jack Holderman has much in common with Frances.  He's also from the Lower East Side, he's also 11, he's also on the train.  The difference?  He has parents.  But the Holdermans have little money with which to provide for their son—it's better to cut him off, send him to greener pastures (literally).  Jack can't help feeling abandoned, especially considering all the horror stories he's hearing about orphans being placed with new families just to get abused and overworked.

As their train chugs toward Kansas, Frances and Jack decide they must escape.  How will they survive on their own?  They don't know, they just know it will be better than the alternative.  And, when they meet another kid who's in charge of a magical land called Wanderville, it seems they've found the perfect home.  But are the children really safe here?  Can young orphans, on their own, really be safe anywhere?  

Wanderville by Wendy McClure channels classic children's series, like Little House on the Prairie and The Boxcar Children, to tell a tale full of adventure, tenacity and hope.  It's about children making their own way in the world, despite the many problems they encounter.  While it seems a bit far-fetched at times, Wanderville is a positive, upbeat historical tale that will remind kids that they're stronger than they think they are—no matter what trials they may be facing.  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of We Rode the Orphan Trains by Andrea Warren and Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline)

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Lucy Emery should be excited about her new home on the shore of a beautiful New Hampshire lake.  She's never lived by the water before.  It's a lovely spot, but the 12-year-old's nervous about starting over in a new place.  She's not looking forward to a long, friendless summer, let alone beginning school without knowing a soul.  It doesn't help that her mom's busy working and her dad, a famous nature photographer who promised her lots of father/daughter adventures in New Hampshire, is already off on another out-of-state assignment.

When she discovers that her dad's judging a children's photography contest, Lucy thinks she may have found the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone—not only will the photo scavenger hunt fill up her empty summer days, but maybe, she can use her pictures to convince her dad to pay more attention to his daughter. With the help of her new friend, Nate, Lucy goes in search of photo-worthy vistas.  As she shoots the lakeside with its sparkling waters, towering mountains, and endangered loons, she finds not just beauty, but also a terrible truth.  Revealing it could destroy the only friendship she's got.  Does Lucy dare tell Nate what she knows?  How will the knowledge affect his family?  And what about the photography contest?  If Lucy doesn't win, how will she keep her own relationships intact?  As Lucy battles with herself over what to do, she'll discover even more startling truths—about friendship, family and, ultimately, about herself.

Cynthia Lord has a knack for creating tender, uplifting stories about kids grappling with everyday challenges.  Her newest, Half a Chance, is no exception.  As in her other books, Lord populates this one with likable characters who earn both our sympathy and our admiration.  She moves them around in a rich, atmospheric setting while putting them through their paces.  It's difficult not to care about the outcome of a tale with such a richness of people and place.  I definitely cared.  Half a Chance isn't my favorite Lord book (that would be Rules), but it's still a lovely, poignant story by a writer whose books never fail to touch my heart.  

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't really think of any.  Can you?)

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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 Winter People by Jennifer McMahon, Ruthie and her sister are home alone when they spy someone approaching their isolated farmhouse.  Ruthie narrates:

But the reality was, they'd had few visitors over the years: the occasional Mormon or Jehovah's Witness, census takers, a man checking facts for the town assessor's office (quote found at Location 2559 [62%] of e-ARC).

Quotes like these make me chuckle because it's true, Mormon missionaries are a tenacious lot.  They will go to the ends of the earth (literally) to find people interested in hearing their message.  Most proselyting missionaries are young (between 18 and 21 years of age, typically) and full of enthusiasm for sharing their beliefs with others.  It's hard to resist that kind of youthful zeal!  I love the spirit they always have about them—it's a joy that comes from loving and serving the Lord.  Although Ruthie's visitor turns out to be much more sinister than a religious representative, I can definitely see LDS missionaries tromping through the snow to share their message with her and her family.

A word about Jehovah's Witnesses:  Although I have been guilty of ignoring the doorbell when representatives of this church come calling, I have to say that I had several wonderful JW friends growing up.  They were kind, gracious people whom I admired very much.  Also, my mom used to have a Jehovah's Witness missionary who came to see her on a regular basis.  She said the woman was more faithful than her visiting teachers (LDS women are assigned to visit other women in their wards [congregations] each month) and that they always had wonderful conversations about religion.  

What do you do when religious representatives come calling?

West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie. Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister, Fawn. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that suddenly proves perilous when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished without a trace. Searching for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked deeper into the mystery of Sara's fate, she discovers that she's not the only person who's desperately looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.

I've probably mentioned this before, but Jennifer McMahon's novels creep me out.  From the freaky covers to the chilling plotlines to the haunting details—everything about them makes me want to dive into my bed, pull a blanket over my head, and chant, "It's not real. It's not real. It's not real." Seriously.  Every time I finish one of McMahon's books, I vow not to pick up another one.  Not to even look at another one.  Because if there's one thing I've learned about this author, it's that if I so much as glance at one of her books, I will pick it up, I will skim the first page, and I won't stop until I finish the story. Even though it will give me nightmares for a week. That's how compelling they are. 

Okay, so, I'm STILL catching up on book reviews, but at least I've written TWO for books I've read THIS year.  Go, me!  In the rush to get all my reviews completed, though, I almost forgot that I wanted to take a little break and talk about movies.  I'm no movie critic—seriously, I go to the movies about three times a year on average and only watch maybe twice that at home.  It's not that I don't love movies—I do—it's just that I've usually got better things to do (like read).  However, in the last few months, I've actually seen several bookish movies.  Two of them were even in a real, live theater!  I'm going to save my non-theater film for another day so I can review it when I talk about the book it's based on, so that leaves these two:

THE BOOK THIEF:

My husband and I were walking around downtown Chicago one night in early December.  We were near Millennium Park when we saw an ad for some movie and decided, hey, we're footloose and fancy-free in the Windy City, why not catch a flick?  We'd taken the el from the airport to our hotel, so we didn't have a rental car.  Since it was a lovely night, we decided to walk to the nearest theater, which was down by Navy Pier—about two miles away!  I'd been wanting to see The Book Thief, so after our little urban hike, that's what we did.

And ...

I liked it.  Didn't love, love, love it, but enjoyed it nonetheless.  The script stayed pretty close to the book and when it did veer off, I could understand why.  What it did stay very true to was the theme and the feel of the novel.  I knew the film wouldn't get it exactly right, but it did a decent job.  My husband and I were both touched by it.  It gave us a lot to talk about on our 2-mile trek back to our hotel :)

SAVING MR. BANKS:

I realize Saving Mr. Banks isn't based on a book, but it does follow the story of a movie producer (Walt Disney) trying to get the film rights to a book series/character (Mary Poppins) from its author, P.L. Travers.  If you haven't seen the movie, may I suggest that you do?  And soon.  It's one of those warm, endearing films that just makes you want to cheer.  Or sob.  Or both.  Since it deals with some mature subject matter (alcoholism, death, etc.), it's rated PG-13, but I would still label it family friendly.  Truly, it's a wonderful movie.  Even though I sniffled my way through most of it, I fell in love with it.  So much.  I don't know how much of the film's story is absolutely historically accurate and how much has been "Disneyfied," but I don't care.  I adored it.

Whether Walt Disney actually said this or not, I love what his character tells Mrs. Travers:  "That's what we storytellers do.  We restore order with imagination.  We instill hope—again and again and again."  Lovely, right?

Speaking of Mary Poppins, the other night my husband and I went to see one of its stars, Dick Van Dyke.  He and his a capella group, the Vantastix, performed in our area to a packed house.  Most were senior citizens, but that was okay, we had a great time.  The show was excellent—funny, upbeat, very entertaining.  At 88 years old, Dick Van Dyke's still got it going on.  He can sing, he can dance, he can banter with his crazy white-haired groupies ... he's pretty darn spry (maybe it has something to do with his 42-year-old wife?).  As much as I loved hearing him sing Mary Poppins songs, this sweet song was my favorite of all that he and the Vantastix performed (the video's a couple years old, but you get the idea ...):


It was better in person, of course.  And just so, so sweet.  Made me think of all my babies who aren't babies anymore (*sniff, sniff*).

So, have you seen either of these movies?  What did you think?  What other bookish flicks have you seen lately?  Which do you recommend?

If your favorite authors came to you and said, "What would you like my next book to be about?" what would you say?  Which themes would you suggest?  What settings?  What kinds of characters?  This week's Top Ten Tuesday prompt asks us to answer this exact question.  It's such a fun topic that I couldn't resist joining in.  If you want to get on this bandwagon (and you totally do), click on over to The Broke and the Bookish to learn how.  I know I'd love to hear your take on this topic.  In the meantime, here are the Top Ten Things on My Reading Wishlist:

1.  Adoption—Adopting my daughter was such a huge, pivotal moment in my life that I will always be interested in discussions of this subject.  I'm fascinated with stories about birth mothers, birth fathers, adoptive mothers, adoptive fathers, adopted children, their siblings, and everyone else involved in the process.  Interracial adoption is relevant to my situation, so of course, I'm especially interested in that side of the issue.  Fiction, non-fiction, whatever—I just want more books about adoption.

2.  Bi-racial and African-American main characters—Along the same lines, I'd like to see more heroes/heroines who look like my beautiful, bi-racial daughter.  She lights up whenever she sees a brown-skinned, curly-haired child on t.v.—I want her to find the same kind of connection in books.  I think stories about kids/teens of color exploring their racial identity are fantastic, but I'd also love to see more novels where race isn't the central theme, more stories where they're just ordinary kids/teens solving ordinary kid/teen problems.

3.  Arizona—I am, admittedly, kind of an Arizona hater.  After moving here from greener, moister climes, I have little love for the desert in which I live.  It's boiling hot, bone dry, and dirt brown.  Not my favorite climate or landscape.  And yet, I see some great setting potential here—how about a survival story that takes place in the Grand Canyon?  Or a murder mystery set during a houseboating trip on Lake Powell?  Or an action/adventure in the desert, with its extreme weather and threatening wildlife?  Surely, there's a story lurking around here somewhere ...

4.  Teens facing crises of faith—I know novels about religion are hard-sells (unless, of course, they're about polygamous Mormons, fanatical cults, etc.), but I'd love to see more stories about teens grappling with their beliefs about God, especially if they differ from those of their parents.  I also enjoy novels about religious people, especially teens, struggling to be "good" in a world full of temptation.

5.  Cults—I admit, I find these kinds of books endlessly fascinating.  Why?  I have no idea, I just do.

6.  Obesity/weight issues—Most YA novels are, at least in part, about self-image.  I'd like to see more of them about kids who are obese/struggling with weight.  It's an important topic and one I think would resound with readers of all ages.

7.  Stay-at-home moms—I know we don't seem like the most exciting characters in the world, but I think some great books could be written about SAHMs.  Just think of all the potential conflicts for a novel: kids, husbands, boredom, identity crises, neighborhood mysteries/dramas, etc.

8.  YA murder mysteries (no supernatural abilities involved)—Is it just me or is the market seriously lacking in classic murder mysteries for teens?  And I don't mean the kind that are solved through supernatural means.  I'm not even talking about "kid detective" stories necessarily, just contemporary murder mysteries that teens solve or help to solve.

9.  Books/reading—As a bibliophile, I always love reading about books.  I love stories set in bookstores, stories where book worlds collide with the real world, stories about characters who love books, etc.

10.  Original post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels—Seems like an oxymoron, I know.  I still love this genre, but it's getting so stale.  There's got to be a new and different take on it out there somewhere, right?  Right?

So, that's what's on my reading wishlist.  How about yours?  And, have you read any good books that fit into the categories I've listed?  I'd love any recommendations.

Happy Top Ten Tuesday!

Unlike most teenagers, 17-year-old Hayley Kincain's never gone to high school.  She's spent the last 5 years traveling with her dad, a truck driver who prefers life on the road to anything else.  Hayley knows he's trying to outrun the nightmares that have plagued him ever since he returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.  He might be able to fend them off for a few days or weeks, but they always come back.  Always.  No matter how thoroughly he tries to drown his memories in alcohol or forget them with mind-dulling drugs, they're always waiting to beat him up and tear him down.  Hayley watches her dad like a hawk, savoring his good days and fearing the dark ones.  With anxiety attacks coming more and more frequently, she's terrified, not just for her father, but also for herself.

Though Hayley should probably be thrilled with her dad's decision to move back to his childhood home in upstate New York, she's not.  She's scared—scared of going to school, scared of meeting new people, scared of someone discovering her turbulent home life.  Hayley vows not to let anyone get that close.  Not even Finn, the cute boy who obviously wants to get to know her better.  Especially not Finn.  If he knew the truth, he'd run as far away from the Kincains as he could go.

As Andy Kincain's PTSD gets increasingly worse and Hayley's plagued with disturbing flashbacks of her own, she begins to wonder if maybe it's all too much for one teenager to handle.  But what can she do?  How can she save them both?

Laurie Halse Anderson is one of those authors whose books I will always pick up and read.  With novels like Speak and now The Impossible Knife of Memory, she's proved herself to be a skilled, sensitive writer who explores tough issues with a deft, yet delicate hand.  Her people and places come to such vivid life that readers can't help becoming ensnared in their stories.  Anderson's newest novel is no exception.  It's a sharp, compelling tale made even more affecting because it stems from the author's own experience dealing with her father's PTSD.  Powerful and poignant, The Impossible Knife of Memory is not to be missed.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Miles From Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams and A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler)

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It's hard to express just how fun and satisfying book blogging is for me.  It really is such a good time.  I'm secure enough in my nerdiness to admit that publicly (not that it will surprise any of you).  As much as I love this gig, though, there are parts of my "job" that make me feel stressed, pressured and guilty.  Yes, I'm talking about blog tours.  I've tried cutting back, agreeing to review only the books I'm really, really, really interested in and yet, I still find myself signing up for more tours than I can handle and then having trouble meeting those commitments.  This makes me feel both embarrassed and guilty.  It's not the blog tour coordinators or anyone else making me feel this way—it's me!  I can't control myself.  So, I am officially resigning from participation in blog tours.  In addition, scheduled reviews will no longer be available, except in the special cases described below.  I feel terrible doing this, but I know it will help me remain sane and keep blogging fun.

What's going to happen to the tours for which I've already signed up?  I will honor those engagements to the best of my ability.  However, no new tour stops will be scheduled from here on out.  I'm still interested in reviewing books, of course, but only those that can be evaluated within my own time frame.  If that doesn't work for you, then you'll have to find a different reviewer.  I'm still open to hosting giveaways, author interviews, product reviews (of at least a semi-bookish nature) and cover reveals/tour stops/guest posts for authors with whom I have previously worked or with whom I would like to work.  In addition, I may be open to scheduling an occasional tour stop, but only for books published through a traditional, established publisher (i.e. Harper Collins, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Deseret Book, etc.) or written by authors to whom I've given positive reviews in the past.  Anyone is welcome to email me with questions or queries, just be aware that unless your book meets the above guidelines, I will probably not accept it for review.  

Just to make everything crystal clear, I will no longer be participating in blog tours.  If you run a tour company, you can take my name off your contact list or you can continue querying me.  It's totally up to you. If you are an author, publicist, intern, etc. looking to have a book reviewed in an open time frame, please feel free to query me.  I'll accept or decline requests in the same way I always have—based on how much a book appeals to me.

I hope all this makes sense.  If you have questions or comments, you're always welcome to email me.  I love getting your ideas and feedback, so don't hesitate to communicate with me.

Thank you for understanding!  I really think this decision will help me be a better, more relaxed, more efficient reviewer.  And that's what we all want, right?

June Iparis and Daniel "Day" Wing are both 15-year-olds living in a city that used to be one of the biggest, most glamorous metropolises on the west coast of The United States.  Now, Los Angeles is part of The Republic, a crumbling country that's always at war with its neighbors, The Colonies.  Military might is essential for The Republic's victory and June was born to lead great armies.  Hailing from one of the wealthiest, most important families in the area, she's a military prodigy, destined to take her place in the highest circles of Republican society.  Smart, beautiful and confident to the point of cockiness, June's got the whole world at her feet.  Day is June's polar opposite.  The city's most notorious outlaw, he's made an art form out of his rebellion and loathing of a government he sees as corrupt.  He may not be the most dangerous criminal on the streets, but he's definitely the most wanted.  Lucky for him, no one knows what he really looks like, let alone when—or where—he'll strike next.

When Metias, June's beloved older brother, is murdered, Day becomes the primary suspect.  In her grief and anger, June vows to see the criminal hanged.  As June tracks him across the city, she begins to understand that with Day, not everything is as it seems.  But is he telling the truth about Metias' death?  And if he is, what does that mean for June?  While doggedly searching for answers, June must decide who she can trust—not just with the truth, but also with her heart.

I read a lot of YA dystopians, some of which intrigue and entertain me, some of which do not.  Legend, the first book in Marie Lu's best-selling series, happens to fall in the former category.  It's not because the plot's overly original (it's not) or because the writing's breathtakingly beautiful (nope) or because the characters are so incredibly real (uh uh)—and yet, the story's very compelling.  I flew through the pages, practically spraining a wrist as I raced through the book to find out what happened next.  It's just intense and exciting like that.  In the end, I really didn't care that Legend felt like lots of other novels in this genre, I just enjoyed the read.  And, truth be told, I kind of love it when that happens.  

(Readalikes:  Prodigy and Champion by Marie Lu)

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To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find