LDS Book Finalists for 2012

Hi, everyone!

We at Beehive Books are currently working on reading the book finalists for the 2012 Whitney Awards.  I am reading the romance finalists, and my mom has read almost all of the finalists from all of the categories--isn't she amazing?  Soon she and I we will be casting our vote on which book from each category should win.  Which of these are your favorites and why?  Post your comments here on our blog or on our Facebook or Twitter pages. 

I copied and pasted the information below from the Whitney Awards website.  These are all of the finalists for 2012.  (Here is a link to this info on the Whitney Awards website: http://whitneyawards.com/wordpress/2013/02/09/2012-finalists/.)

It will be so exciting to see who the 2012 Whitney Awards winners will be!!!

2012 Finalists

The 2012 Whitney Awards Gala will be held on May 11, 2013, at the Provo Marriott

General

Dancing on Broken Glass	Paige	The 13th Day of Christmas	A Night on Moon Hill	The Rent Collector
Ka Hancock*	Annette Lyon	Jason F. Wright	Tanya Parker Mills	Camron Wright

Historical

Espionage	My Loving Vigil Keeping	Spinster’s Folly	The Five Books of Jesus	Within the Dark Hills
A. L. Sowards*	Carla Kelly	Marsha Ward	James Goldberg*	Sian Ann Bessey

Romance

Lady Outlaw	Of Grace and Chocolate	Smart Move	Twitterpated	Edenbrooke
Stacy Henrie*	Krista Lynne Jensen*	Melanie Jacobson	Melanie Jacobson	Julianne Donaldson*

Mystery/Suspense

Banana Split	Code Word	Deadly Undertakings	Line of Fire	Tres Leches Cupcakes
Josi S. Kilpack	Traci Hunter Abramson	Gregg Luke	Rachel Ann Nunes	Josi S. Kilpack

Speculative

City of the Saints	Flight From Blithmore	Earthbound	The Hollow City	The Penitent
D. J. Butler	Jacob Gowans	Theresa Sneed	Dan Wells	C. David Belt

Young Adult—Speculative

Demons	Destined	Endlessly	Everneath	Feedback
Heather Frost	Aprilynne Pike	Kiersten White	Brodi Ashton*	Robison Wells

Young Adult—General

After Hello	Finding June	The Space Between Us	The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back	V is for Virgin
Lisa Mangum	Shannen Crane Camp	Jessica Martinez	Sariah Wilson	Kelly Oram

Middle Grade

Case File 13: Zombie Kid	Epic Tales of a Misfit Hero	Freakling	Palace of Stone	The False Prince
J. Scott Savage	Matt Peterson*	Lana Krumwiede*	Shannon Hale	Jennifer A. Nielsen

*Of these finalists, the following titles are also eligible for Best Novel by New Author 2012:
Dancing on Broken Glass by Ka Hancock *
The Five Books of Jesus by James Goldberg *
Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie *
Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson *
Everneath (Everneath, #1) by Brodi Ashton *
Espionage by A.L. Sowards *
Freakling by Lana Krumwiede *
The Epic Tales of a Misfit Hero by Matt Peterson *
Of Grace and Chocolate by Krista Lynne Jensen*

"Good King Wenceslas" as read by Jane Seymour with illustrations by Omar Rayyan



I first read this book before sitting down with my family for family home evening.  I was intending to use this book as my lesson, and I had no idea what a treat we were in for.

I felt that this sweet story, with the help of the beautiful artwork, really brought to life for my kids, my husband, and myself the true spirit of Christmas.  My boys who are six and four and who usually have a difficult time sitting still and listening were caught up with all of us in the calm beauty of the moment as we read of a king who, like our Savior, put all others before himself.  It was wonderful.

I recommend this book to anyone, adult or child, as a gentle reminder that Christmas should be more about giving than receiving and that there are people out there who need a lot more than us and who could really benefit from what we have to give them.

Reviewer: Celeste Estes
(I received this book as an e-copy for review purposes.)

"The Christmas Train" - President Thomas S. Monson

 

 

Summary from Beehive Books website:

 

In this children's picture book, President Thomas S. Monson recounts a Christmas memory from his childhood. As a boy, he yearned for an electric train. To his delight, on Christmas morning he got exactly that--a train that operated through the miracle of electricity. Then he noticed a second train that his mother had purchased for the boy down the street whose family was struggling. Although it was only a wind-up train, it had a beautiful oil tanker car, which little Tommy wanted for his own. Soon after, Tommy's mother invited him to accompany her to the neighbor's home to deliver the gift. Young Mark was thrilled with his new train and, of course, didn't notice the missing train car. However, a remorseful Tommy did. What happened next will bring the spirit of Christmas into every heart and home. Illustrated by renowned artist Dan Burr, The Christmas Train is sure to be a classic Christmas story and a beautiful addition to every Christmas library.

 

Our Review:

 

I think every home should have this book!  It is a classic Christmas tale of learning to love giving more than receiving.  These words of our beloved prophet will help you to teach your children the true meaning of Christmas.  Homes without children will also be blessed as we all make an effort to love giving more than receiving.

 

Reviewer: Vickie Ricks, the Queen Bee

 



Saints and Soldiers Airborne Creed DVD

Summary from Beehive Books website:

From the producers of the world-renowned hit film Saints and Soldiers and based on actual events, SAINTS & SOLDIERS: AIRBORNE CREED tells the action-packed story of three World War II U.S. Army paratroopers-Rossi (Corbin Allred), Jones (David Nibley), and Curtis (Jasen Wade)-fighting desperately to fulfill their mission against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Cut off behind enemy lines after parachuting into Southern France during Operation Dragoon, their commitment to the Airborne Creed urges them forward and proves that a few good men can change a war.

My Review:

I really enjoyed this movie.  I have not seen Saints and Soldiers in many years, so I was not bothered by the fact that this is not a real sequel.  It's a new story about saints and soldiers, and I thought it was touching and very well done!

I hope you take the time to watch this movie.  You will not be disappointed.

Reviewer: Celeste Estes

"The Rent Collector" by Camron Wright

  



Goodreads Summary:

Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working. Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the bad-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money--a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one woman's journey to save her son and another woman's chance at redemption.

My Review:

I loved this book!  It has the feel of a long-time classic and is based in another culture, so it might take a little time to settle into the story, but once you are comfortable, you will love it!

I loved seeing the character development of the Rent Collector as her past is revealed and she grows to enjoy the time she spends with Sang Ly.  I felt this is really what makes the story great.

Give this story a try.  You will leave it edified.

Reviewer: Celeste Estes

Review of "The Undaunted" by Gerald N. Lund



Available in book on CD, paperback, and hardcover from Beehive Books

The Undaunted

by Gerald N. Lund

Reviewer: Celeste Estes, daughter of the Queen Bee

Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 804 pages

Goodreads Summary: When it comes to creating spellbinding historical fiction, nobody does it quite like Gerald N. Lund.  In The Undaunted, he transports readers first to the coal mines of Yorkshire, then across the ocean and the plains to the territory of Utah, where, even in 1879, there is pioneering to be done.  A little-known and perhaps even less-appreciated chapter in the Church's history comes to life in this gripping story of a stalwart group of Saints called to create a settlement to serve as a buffer between the established communities of Utah and the lawless frontier of the Four Corners area.  Their challenge will be enormous—but the biggest part of it just may be getting there in the first place.  Skillfully interweaving historical figures and events with fictional characters, Gerald Lund takes us through the Hole in the Rock and over miles of uncharted country that even today is impassable without all-terrain vehicles.  His account of the adventure, romance, and sacrifices of these undaunted pioneers will resonate with readers who love a good story as well as those who want to better understand the incomparable legacy and unconquerable faith of those valiant Saints.

My Thoughts: Okay, so I just realized that the Goodreads summary is actually pretty biased: "spellbinding historical fiction," "skillfully interweaving," "will resonate with," etc.  I agree that this book as history is great.  It educates and brings to life for us a part of history that we do not know much about.

However, as a story, I think it attempts to cover too much time, starting in Yorkshire and ending in the Four Corners area.  I can see why Lund does this.  He wants us to understand the main character and the main character's father with a depth that would be otherwise impossible.  However, because we start so far back, the story ends up having a long and dragged out feel to it.  I found myself liking parts of the story but having to force myself to keep reading when it would switch gears.  Also, although the love story added a fun touch, I felt it could have been executed much better, giving more attention to it and less to some of the other things.  The love development just was not there, and suddenly the story ends with a marriage, surprise!

Overall, I learned enough to make reading this worthwhile, but it was not my favorite historical fiction.

3 out of 5 stars.

Review of "Marian's Christmas Wish" by Carla Kelly



Available in e-book and paperback from Beehive Books

Marian's Christmas Wish
by Carla Kelly

Reviewer: Celeste Estes, daughter of the Queen Bee

Genre: Regency Romance
Length: 295 pages

This book was my Christmas present from Keepin' Up with LDS Bookstores blog.  (I won it in a blog giveaway right before Christmas and it arrived in the mail just in time to be under my tree.)

Goodreads Summary: Miss Marian Wynswich is a rather unconventional young lady.  She plays chess, reads Greek, and is as educated as any young man.  And she's certain falling in love is a ridiculous endeavor and vows never to do such a thing.  But everything changes when she receives a Christmas visit from someone unexpected, a young and handsome English lord.

My Thoughts: I just absolutely adored this book!  One of my favorite books in a long time, I loved the humor, romance, and adventure that this book carried me away on at every twist and turn.  Of course I loved the mid-1800's England feel, but I also appreciated that it stepped away from so many of the typical expected themes of a Jane Austen novel.  This book truly kept me guessing until the end, and I just fell in love with the male character in the story. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!