Snakes, Alligators, and Broken Hearts: Journeys of a Biologist's Son by Sneed B. Collard III

Sneed B. Collard III was born to biologist, Sneed B. Jr. and Patricia Collard. Naturally, Sneed was raised to love animals and be curious about his world. Unfortunately, his parents divorced when Sneed was in third grade. Sneed had a difficult time coping, especially when both parents married new spouses and moved to opposite coasts. For most of his childhood and into adolescence, Sneed’s life was split between living with his mother during the school year and visiting his father during the summer.

Collard’s autobiography is touching, witty, and honest. Even though biology is a unique part of his life, Collard’s main tale is blatantly familiar to readers who have endured or are enduring a divorce. Collard realistically narrates a child’s mind in feeling lost as his divorced parents move on to create new families. Collard struggles to find his place because he is a product of that dissolved marriage. Yet Collard credits a minimally rebellious life to sensitive teachers, adults, and friends who helped him handle his unpleasant situation. Aside from dealing with divorce, Collard also details his childhood reactions to political events, national tragedies, and societal changes. On the humorous side, Collard describes his awkward interactions with girls, accidents with animals, and fantastic adventures in Boy Scouts. Snakes, Alligators, and Broken Hearts is a thoughtful memoir written with love and keen reflection. Appropriate for ages 12 and up.        

A Pocket Full of Murder (Uncommon Magic #1) by R. J. Anderson

Isaveth’s world is turned upside down when her father is wrongfully arrested for murder. Isaveth and her new friend, Quiz, hunt for the real killer to prove her father’s innocence. As they find and follow clues, their evidence points to several untouchable political leaders. These heads-of-state and Quiz’s hidden identity, almost derails Isaveth’s investigation.

Anderson expertly mixes suspense, sleuthing, and sorcery for a successful start to her Uncommon Magic series. Readers are introduced to a complex world where a magical hierarchy reigns: the rich have access to all magic to make their lives prosperous and comfortable while the poor must fabricate second-rate magic through common materials. This division during an economic depression makes life incredibly difficult for lower-class families, like Isaveth’s. But when Isaveth’s father is arrested, people think he committed murder as a statement against their social structure. Anderson’s story can be enjoyed from many different levels: her world building, relationships between characters, and insightful narration. A great read for ages 12 and up. The next book in the Uncommon Magic series is A Little Taste of Poison.

The Passion and Perils of the Insatiably Hungry by Kirsten Joy

Adrian leaves behind her confining family to discover her life’s path in college. Yet homesickness creeps in on Adrian. Her cure? Healthy doses of fresh baked-goods crafted by her own gifted hands. As school progresses, she meets Charlie, a charmingly spontaneous guy who is attracted to both Adrian and her amazing culinary skills. A relationship blossoms, but Adrian can’t avoid some worrying signs with Charlie: his forgetfulness, his inconsiderateness, and his erratic temper. After holding on as long as she can, the two break up. But her old friend, Dale, re-enters her life to bring Adrian love, stability, and inspiration. With his urgings, Dale encourages her to pursue her baking passion by taking a job at a Vermont bakery. The distance proves a strain on their relationship and the two slowly drift apart.

In this young adult/new adult novel, Joy has beautifully captured the mental and emotional progression of a young girl entering her road to adulthood. Adrian’s character is endearing and relatable to anyone who has experienced loss, heartbreak, love, and hope. Readers will find themselves cheering, crying, blushing, and salivating as they follow Adrian to her dreams. The Passion and Perils of the Insatiably Hungry is in two parts: the first segment chronicles Adrian’s flight from her family and the second narrates her move to Vermont. At the end of the book, Joy also includes recipes and book group discussions. But Joy adds an extra treat with her “Backstory” section, giving readers a window into her creation process. A clean romance read for ages 16 and up.            

Top Five Favorite Christmas Books

As many of you might guess, one of my favorite ways to celebrate this time of year is to read Christmas-themed books. They help bring more wonder and magic to season and help me relive my childhood Christmas memories. Enjoy my top five favorite picks for the yuletide!

1. Santa Calls by William Joyce

Art, his sister, Esther, and their friend, Spaulding, are given a unusual present from Santa that takes them to the North Pole. Once there they meet the ingenious jolly man and see his Christmas Empire. But Esther is kidnapped and it's up to Art and his amazing intuition to save her.










2. The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper by Jean Van Leeuwen, illustrations by Steven Kellogg

Three mice are making their home in the toy department of Macy's during Christmas time. They notice the children flocking to see Santa in their department. But when Santa abruptly stops coming, the mice believe Saint Nick has been kidnapped.

3. A Wish for Wings that Work: An Opus Christmas Story by Berkeley Breathed

Opus has always dreamed that his wings might work to make him soar in the sky. During Christmas time, Opus makes a special flying wish. Late on Christmas Eve, Opus hears a commotion near his home and finds out that Santa has crashed into the bay and is sinking. Using his unique wings, Opus swims out to save Santa's sleigh.

4. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Late on Christmas Eve, a boy is invited aboard the Polar Express, to take a trip with hundreds of other children to see the home of Santa Claus. When the boy is there, he is singled out by Santa to receive the first gift of Christmas.

5. Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley Breathed

"Red" Breathed believed he was the famous "Red Ranger from Mars" and to complete his role he needed the Red Ranger bicycle. He wants to ask Santa for the gift, but thinks he's too old to believe in Santa. So, he goes in search of the retired hermit, Lord Sander Clos, to ask for his bicycle. 

2015 Midwest LDS Storymakers

Good evening all! Sorry for the "radio silence" lately. Life has been extremely busy this holiday season. But not too long ago I attended the Midwest "chapter" of LDS Storymakers. It was a two day conference spent entirely on writing literature...something I am struggling to do. In this post, I'll highlight the sessions I attended and the authors I met.

First up, I wouldn't have attended this incredibly inspiring conference if it wasn't for my amazing writing friend, baking buddy, and kindred-spirit sister, Kirsten Hobbs. This past year, she recently self-published her YA/New Adult novel, The Passion and Perils of the Insatiably Hungry (great title, huh?).

Anyway, Kirsten and I attended the entire conference together. It was setup at the Johnson County Library on Antioch. And a first this year, the conference was free because of the library's participation.

The conference started with a Writer's Boot Camp. I nervously signed up for this, unsure of what other people would think of my work-in-progress YA novel. But it was a good experience. And, thankfully, I gave out some resourceful feedback to my fellow writers. That is, if you are writing a sci-fi YA book, DEVOUR sci-fi YA books! Get whatever books you can grab in your genre and READ, READ, READ! Because you'll discover your niche as you read. So, I gave suggestions to all the writers of published books that mimicked their style.

Each group was monitored by a published author. Our "YA Mystery" group was overseen by Rebecca Belliston. She gave insightful and helpful advice to improve our writing samples. I will be reviewing her YA series Citizens of Logan Pond. Thanks for an awesome review, Rebecca!

After this, we attended classes on different aspects of writing, each taught by a published author. The seminars I went to focused on world building, description, character motivation, writing fantasy, developing a deep love for writing, and fairytale re-fresh.

The conference had a keynote speaker, which was Jessica Day George. I attended her classes on writing fantasy fiction and how to find refreshing ways to re-write fairytales. It was great to see her again since our last meet up at ILA.

The conference was not all about YA literature. Most of the presenting authors write adult literature. But the few who wrote YA were Lisa Mangum (love her Hourglass Door trilogy!), Janette Rallison, Rebecca Belliston, and Jessica Day George.

It was a fun experience, especially sharing it with my dear friend Kirsten. Now I just have to FINISH my book!

Have a great week! Thanks for checking out my blog and happy holidays!  

The Impossible Rescue: The True Story of an Amazing Artic Adventure by Martin W. Sandler

In September 1897, eight whaling ships get iced-in just off the northern coast of Alaska. Word spreads to the Whitehouse of the plight awaiting the 265 marooned whalers. President William McKinley orders the captain of the Bear, a ship in the Revenue Cutter Service, to send three officers overland to gather reindeer herds and drive the animals 1,000 miles to the whalers’ location near Point Barrow, Alaska. Three men are chosen for the mission: First Lieutenant David Jarvis oversees the Overland Relief Expedition, along with Dr. Samuel Call, and Second Lieutenant Ellsworth Bertholf. The icy ocean conditions cause the Bear to land the men 500 miles off course.

The Impossible Rescue is a hidden historical treasure. Sandler recreates the true story in suspenseful detail quoting several of the men who aided the stranded whalers. Adding to their words, Sandler exhibits original photographs of the indigenous people and locations Jarvis, Call, and Bertholf encountered on their journey. Many photographs were actually taken by Dr. Call. Sandler also provides maps pinpointing the routes taken by Jarvis, Call, Bertholf, and the Bear and the locations of the icebound whaling ships. Near the end of the book, Sandler gives a timeline of the Overland Relief Expedition and includes the fate of the people involved. Both the story and book’s structure will coax any reader to rush on with Jarvis, Call, and Bertholf as they plow forward through snow, wind, and ice to save the 265 men. Appropriate for ages 10 and up.

Witherwood Reform School by Obert Skye, illustrations by Keith Thompson

When Tobias and Charlotte’s dad, Ralph Eggers, witnesses a prank the siblings pull on their cantankerous nanny, Ralph feels he has no choice but to scare his children into submission. Immediately, he drives his kids to the top of a strange mesa and abandons them outside the ominous gates of Witherwood Reform School. With threatening weather coming, Tobias and Charlotte have no choice but to enter the gloomy grounds when their father doesn’t return. But once they gain shelter inside the school, Tobias and Charlotte are unwillingly enrolled into the prison-like establishment where strange creatures patrol the grounds at night.

Skye’s witty dialog and Thompson’s captivating illustrations chronicle the fateful beginning of the Witherwood Reform School series. Each chapter is setup with tidbits of Skye’s amusing commentary or humorous practical advice before delving into Tobias, Charlotte, or Ralph’s stories. This structure will make readers not only ravenous for the Eggers’ narrative, but also famished for Skye’s cryptic words of wisdom. One aspect of Skye’s series that sets it apart from other middle-grade fantasy is his addition of Ralph’s story. Skye brings to light that parents of tween protagonists can also experience their own transformative adventures. Ralph’s perspective gives added suspense and depth to Tobias and Charlotte’s tale. This well-crafted novel is destined to become a best-seller. Skye’s next book in the series, Lost & Found, will be released in March 2016.

The Edge (Peak #2) by Roland Smith

Peak honestly wants to forget his time on Everest. But the film crew who taped his and Sun-jo’s Everest climb seek out Peak with a proposition. The richest man in the world, Sebastian Plank, is hosting a Peace Climb for young international climbers and Plank wants Peak to represent the US. Except there is a catch. The film crew only know the climb will be in Afghanistan. Peak accepts the offer with the condition that his mother join him. Their trip begins with a private jet to Afghanistan and a helicopter ride to the Hindu Kush Mountains. Before the climb begins, film director Phillip Stockwell pushes the crew and climbers to film shots for a documentary ordered by Plank. Peak dozes off during a scene set-up but awakens to find two Afghan guards murdered, one climber badly injured, and nine members of their group kidnapped.

Smith’s newest novel and sequel to Peak will grab readers’ full attention by taking them on a dangerous thrill ride through the Afghan mountains. For most American readers, the word Afghanistan can conjure some frightening and painful images. But that stigma doesn’t deter Smith from setting his book in this war-torn country. As Peak draws closer to the ominous region, both Peak and readers gain a better understanding of Afghanistan’s history, culture, and wildlife. This clarity comes through beautifully in Peak’s no-nonsense but sharply witty narration. An amazing read from start to finish, The Edge will not disappoint faithful fans of Peak. A must-have for any library and a must-read for both boys and girls ages ten and up.