I Hate It When Exercise is the Answer By Emily Watts

As usual, Emily Watts is entertaining as she talks about mother/womanhood issues. This book is designed as a chapter/thought for the day.

Titles include FatBoys: an Exercise in Understanding Men, Motherguilt an Exercise in Letting Go, Late Again an Exercise in Suspending Judgement.

Altogether there are 31 Chapters or "Exercises". Each chapter is just a few pages that can be read in 5-10 minutes.

I like to mark up my books, and this one is no exception. However, if I still lived in Salt Lake County, I would just check it out from the library. Instead I will just pass it along to my friends and read it again down the road.

Christ Centered Christmas By Sharon Velluto and Suzanne Meredith

If I were to purchase ONE book for the Christmas season for family lessons and activities. This would be it. ( Outside of Church publications that is)

I have used it for nearly ten years and still haven't been all the way through it.
What it contains:
*A short Christ Centered lesson based on familiar Christmas symbol
*Simple ornament depicting the traditional symbol designed to accompany the lesson
*Suggested hymns/songs from the Hymn book and Children's Songbook.
*Scripture references from the four Standard Works
*Optional materials including thoughts, inspirational articles, stories, games, recipes, etc

For a more complete review visit my other blog here

Redefining Joy In The Last Days By Chris Stewart

I was drawn to this book because 1) Chris Stewart's Great and Terrible Series is awesome 2) great title and 3) Its little and cute and a quick read.

I was feeling pretty depressed after eating nothing but vegetables (to get my liver cleansed you know...) and then gaining 2 lbs.
It's so awesome when the Lord answers your prayers.
Its so awesome when the Lord answers your prayers really fast.
Sure enough, the first chapter is what I needed to hear.
Satan knows how to rob me of my joy and by golly he has done a great job in some aspects. Lucifer will steal our happiness if we let him. It's not a new concept, but it was what I personally needed to hear that evening.
Other chapters discuss man v. morality,re evaluating our expectations, true gifts and demanding perfect water. I really liked the gifts and perfect water chapters as well.
Being only 60 pages and about 4x6 inches, it's a small quick read. Although I may not purchase it, if I did I would re-read it periodically. I am going to suggest it for my book club when we need a small, easy read.

The Stripling Warriors and Warriorette Workout By Shane Barker

We are reading this as a family every night and quite enjoying it. The author has good stories that are connecting with my 16 and 14 old sons especially. It's so hard to be a young person right now. I suppose it always has been, but I'm a pretty young mom and even the stuff I went through and my oldest (23) is nothing like now. It could be because we have moved and it's definitely different in South Utah County versus Draper. In Draper is was "cool to be good". Here it is not.

Some of the chapter titles are: Being a Valiant Teenager, Keeping Yourself Clean, Becoming Pure in Heart, Being Courageous, Being an Example and Developing Integrity.
At the end of the chapters he itemizes it and lists "Warrior Workout Tips".
In the Keeping yourself Clean chapter, he outlines the steps to repentance with out sound preachy.
I actually bought this book last Christmas and forgot I had it. We read it fairly quickly and I know it is the right time to read it. I really feel like the spirit is working on my son who always is "pushing the envelope".
I highly recommend this book, if your teens won't read, then read it to them, just a section or chapter every evening. So far this is my second favorite gospel teen book (Righteous Warrior by John BytheWay, all time fav. Read it twice to the kidlets). Easy and enjoyable to read.

The LDS Grandparents Idea Book - Fay Klingler

I love this book. It has SO many ideas. I purchased one for my mom ,my sister, myself ,and my neighbors mom!

Activities centered around holidays. ie. Easter, birthday, Christmas, July 4. etc. But also great ideas and traditions to start for whenever you see your grandchildren. Also, blessings, baptism, High school graduation etc.

There were 100's of ideas, it was just easier for me to buy the book and underline, as to write a few down in my planner.

Tell ya what, check it out from the library and see or go to Seagull Book . I have also seen it on Amazon. Although I do not have grandchildren yet, there are many ideas I plan to incorporate into my children's lives, as well as my nieces and nephews.

The Uses of Adversity - Carlfred Broderick

This book is written for the LDS faith. Brother Brodrick was a stake president and this book was written from an essay he wrote and gave quite a few years ago (he died in 1999).
It was a quick read, only being 58 pages and the book itself, is only 4x6 inches. It had some faith rendering stories; however, I found it hard to follow at times because of his writing style. I think he was from my grandfather generation. They wrote as they talked. A lot of run on sentences, etc.
If you know a woman who has suffered from abuse as a child, there is a story that would be inspiring to her. It may have the counsel that you or a friend have been praying for.
I think I'll read it again!

The Tennis Shoes Series-Chris Hiemerdinger

If I could pick ONE series for my children to read and read and read again and again. This would be it, no doubt.
Chris Hiemerdinger is a genius. The way he weaves the story lines and makes the Book of Mormon so dang interesting it astounding.
The first book- Tennis Shoes and the Nephites. Jim and his friend Garth find a cave with a portal that makes it so they can travel back in time...
The rest of the books, more adventures. We listened to all of them on CD/tape. They are read by the author, who in my opinion has the best voice EVER for these books. It's just cool to listen to him. The books aren't a hard reading level, but there are many names that I would have never been able to pronounce if I had not heard him say them before.
We originally checked these out from the library. But I have purchased most of them and they are worth the money. My boys love to listen to books as they go to sleep at night. Do you think this would count as personal scripture study? What more could a mother ask for! (of course I know this is fiction but it makes the scriptures fun and exciting!)

A Light in the Storm-Chris Hiemerdinger

This is the only book from Chris Hiemerdinger I have read that is more for adults than children/teens. While it is totally safe for them to read, it has a more serious nature.

A man gets stuck in the mountains during a snow storm. He doesn't eat for 14 days. Before getting high centered on a rock, a stranger asks him who he wants to spend Christmas with.
The Lupus (black wolf) wants his spirit. The time he has sitting in the truck gives him much needed time to reaffirm his beliefs and priorities. Thought provoking, but not a life changing book, although I have thought about this book several times over the years.(especially when traveling during the winter!)
A good, quick read. Definately library check out