For Times of Trouble

Once again it's Sunday! How in the heck did that happen so fast!? Life just keeps on keeping on I guess! So today I will confess something to you! I have a favorite apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Yep, I play favorites! I love them all and take all of their words to heart but every time Elder Jeffrey R. Holland steps up to the podium I feel like this...

One of the most epically cool moments of my entire life was when I got to eat lunch with Elder Holland and his wife Pat! I often reflect back on that day and think how amazing my life is that I even got to do that! It was in no way intimidating or scary...HAHAHAHAHA! No, they really are lovely people who care about everybody and love wholeheartedly!

Everything he says just makes sense to me! My spiritual ears are on high fine tune in or something! So naturally I love his books! I guarantee you this won't be the last post I do about him because I've almost read all of his books! But today I want to talk about just one- For Times of Trouble.

Our Father in Heaven wants us to be happy. And yet, we all have times of trouble. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland writes, "One of the unfailing facts of mortal life is the recurring presence of trouble...When these difficult days (and nights!) come—and they will—it will help us to remember that 'it must needs be,' that in the grand councils of heaven before the world was, we agreed to such a time of challenge and refinement. We were taught then that facing, resolving, and enduring troublesome times was the price we would pay for progress. And we were committed to progress eternally."

A large percentage of the psalms that appear in the Bible were written for such times of trouble. In this tender book, Elder Holland explores dozens of scriptural passages from the psalms, offering personal ideas and insights and sharing his testimony that “no matter what the trouble and trial of the day may be, we start and finish with the eternal truth that God is for us.” 

This book is fantastic. We all have our struggles and trials in life. This is for the soul looking for some spiritual inspiration to get through or even just endure and wait out the adversity that has been set upon us all as human beings. O hey did I mention that it comes with a two hour DVD of Elder Holland giving EXTRA insight on the subject of spiritual solace in times of trial? Because it does! Elder Holland has given you a cookie and then BONUS poured you a glass of milk to go with it! And it is a heartwarming and eye opening seminar that should not be missed. Are you just dying to know all my favorite parts?! Good cuz I'm totally going to write them down! But first here's a little taste of the DVD! It wouldn't let me post the clip so click the link below-Elder Holland allowed audience members to ask him questions and this was his response to this red headed lady in the audience (just incase you're wondering why he seems to be only talking to her!)

Click HERE!!!!! for the clip!

My favorite quotey quotes!

Art by David Bowman

"My convictions and my feelings for the Savior of the world have been born in the most desperate hours of my life. When I wondered whether the sun would ever come up again. It seemed to come up for other people, it seemed to come up every morning for everybody else I could see, but not for me. Now it's not always like that, and it's not supposed to always be like that and we're a little self-pitying if we act like it's always like that. But some parts of the discipleship require that walk. Basically His walk. But to some degree that love for Him, and that feeling for Him, and the majesty that He is, cannot come, except, in anguish. It's being in a place where you say, "Is there any other cup I could drink but this one? Is there any other way but this?" and God says to you what He says to the Savior and which is, "Nope. Not this time." But He always gives strength, always help. It's not fatal. Nobody's going to die and it isn't really crucifixion. It's just anguish and sorrow and...pleading. That's how it works.

Worlds Without End by Greg Olsen my most favorite picture ever!

"For me personally, no view in mortality is more awe-inspiring than standing alone on a night completely void of earthly light and seeing the star-filled heavens fully appear. To me it is the most overwhelming view in nature. Of course, what we see with the naked eye is only a small part of one-our own-tiny little galaxy. Aided by the magnificent lenses of space telescopes and galactic photography, we can see more of other "worlds without number." Truly "night [after] night sheweth knowledge," the knowledge of God. And there is no country or culture on this entire planet over which the stars are not constantly shining, constantly testifying of His omniscience and omnipotence. Neither is there any limit to space, any spot in the universe where the majesty of God's creation is not unfolding. All these things are "the work of [God's] fingers." And yet the greatest of all His works is a man, a woman, a child, any "ordinary" being who walks among us. Some of those people are in trouble, some have had great misfortune, some have had difficulties through no fault of their own, and some have had burdens that were in great measure of their own making. But whatever condition they may be in, the greatest of God's creations are His children-us. In all of those heavenly creations that are so stunning to see on a clear, starry night, we are the ones that are just "a little lower than the angels," which in Hebrew is rendered "a little lower than Elohim [the Gods]." As such, we are crowned with glory and honor here and with the promise of glory and honor there. C.S. Lewis once said that if we could recognize who we were, we would realize that we are walking with "possible gods and goddesses" whom, if we could see them in all their eternal dignity and glory, we would be tempted to fall down and worship. Because this is true, we need to think more highly of ourselves and we need to think more highly of each other....We need to honor the divinity that is within all humankind. In doing so, we will be returning to God at least some of that glory and honor with which He has crowned us. In a world-or should we say, in a universe-of large troubles and small, a world of physical, financial, political, and social forces seemingly beyond our control, there can be moments when we also wonder, "Do I matter in all of this? Can my small and sometimes painful place in the great scheme of things amount to much? Can God know me or have time for me or hear my prayers? With all that needs divine attention in the world-famines, wars, pestilence, sin-can my heart be known, understood, and seen as important in the grand expanse of the universe?" On difficult, discouraging days almost everyone asks such questions. But the eternal truth, the timeless declaration is "yes" to all of the questions above and more. The great eternal truth is that this entire plan of life, the plan for our salvation, is an outline for each man and woman, each boy and girl, individually. By name, place, and personal circumstance God knows us and our needs. He knows our hopes and dreams and He knows our fears and frustrations. Above all, He knows who we really are and what we can become through faith in Him. If we will be faithful-literally "full of faith"-especially in times of trouble, then we can hear that truth whispered to us as we gaze into the star-filled night.
I wander through the still of night,
When solitude is ev'rywhere-
Alone, beneath the starry light,
And yet I know that God is there.
I kneel upon the grass and pray;
An answer comes without a voice.
It takes my burden all away
And makes my aching heart rejoice."


LOVE TO YOU ALL IN THE HAPPY AND SAD TIMES!!!! :)

Colleen Hoover again!

Yes! I have already raved about Colleen Hoover and her magical writing abilities so once again she has turned up the heat and added a dash of spice! In the Hopeless book series this would be book two called Losing Hope! If you haven't read Hopeless that's the first book so you should probably start there!

Synopsis: In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery. Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends.

My teaser and my review: (I just love teasers!)

""You said you want my first kiss to be the best first kiss, but this won't be my first kiss. You know that."
I let go of her hands and cup her face, walking her back against the refrigerator. I lean in until I can feel her breath on my lips and she gasps.
"Let me inform you of something," I say, lowering my voice. "The moment my lips touch yours, it will be your first kiss. Because if you've never felt anything when someone's kissed you, then no one's ever really kissed you. Not the way I plan on kissing you."
She exhales a pent-up breath and her arms are covered in chills again. She felt that. I grin victoriously and back away from her, then turn my attention to the stove. I can hear her sliding down the refrigerator. I turn around and she's sitting on the floor, looking up at me in shock. I laugh.
"You okay?" I say with a wink.
She smiles up at me from the floor and pulls her legs up to her chest with a shrug. "My legs stopped working." She laughs. I walk over and take her hand, then pull her up..."Focus, girl. We have food to cook.""
-from Losing Hope

Sigh...dreamy! But don't lose your legs just yet! :) Well now that I've teased you with that let's get to reviewing! I really liked Losing Hope but I will say that I still liked Hopeless a bit more! I think it's just because when I was reading Hopeless I had this constant shock when different conflicts climaxed but this time I was just along for the ride because it was Holder's point of view of the Hopeless story! It was a little bit of been there and done that. I knew what was coming while in Hopeless I was like, "WHAAA!?!?! NOOO!!!" Colleen did however give a little bit of an epilogue which was fun because we got to see a little bit of a future for our characters! It was also fun to relive some of my favorite Hopeless scenes. There first non kiss will always be a favorite! Alas the thing that I didn't really like was Holder had some very strong language! I have this personal belief that there is a whole wide world filled with descriptive words and lovely adjectives so please let's be a bit more imaginative rather than crude. And it was still a bit more steamy then I remember Hopeless being! If you aren't comfortable with that I would say this one isn't probably for you! Skip to your lou. I did really like the backstory of Holder's history with his sister Les! I thought all of that was tied up rather nicely and cleared a few things up! Plus it gave Les a new dimension and gave her depth. I think Colleen Hoover is amazing in the fact that she can attempt to get into the minds of her characters so thoroughly that she can write these different POV stories and still keep them fresh and exciting! That can't be an easy task. Especially switching from a girl's view to a boys view! I couldn't do it! I think Colleen Hoover does it flawlessly.

*ARC provided by NetGalley on behalf of Atria in exchange for an honest review.*

Summer Book Trek

Where was this last month when I read a bazillion LDS titles!? I decided to accept a challenge this summer and thought I would let you in on it too in case you want to win some prizes! Now that I think about it I probably shouldn't let you in on this so there's more prizes for me! hahaha Okay, okay...I'll let you in on it!

To enter click here

The basic info

Who: Calling all fiction readers!!! (If you’re under 18, you have to have your parent’s permission.) You do not have to be LDS to participate.

What: A summer reading challenge! Read novels by LDS authors.

Set your goals and track your progress. No goal is too small; no ambition too great. Feeling overwhelmed? Make a short list. Finish early? Add more books (or not). Change your mind on a title? Drop it. No pressure, no minimums. Make changes to your list as desired.

Earn points every day throughout the month. More points = more chances to win books!

Where: The blogosphere.

How to Participate:

1. Post your reading list on your blog.
Use one of our SBT buttons in your post and/or on your sidebar. Link back here so your friends will come play too.

2. Join up using the Simply Linked form.A link to the form will be posted in the sidebar a few days before the Summer Book Trek begins. Signing up here is a MUST to participate because we want to be able to find fellow participants and cheer each other on.

3. Rack up the points to win prizes!
We will use a Rafflecopter form to collect points throughout the entire month of July. A link to the Rafflecopter form will be posted in the sidebar a few days before the Summer Book Trek begins. You can earn more points every day.

**Don’t have a blog? You can simply use your email-for more info how to do this click here and scroll down to the bottom of the basic rules.** 

Why: We need a reason to read?!? Says who???

Prizes: Prizes will be books (print and/or ebooks) provided by LDS authors, their publishers, or others. Prizes will be shipped/emailed to the winners by the sponsor. Print books will be limited to U.S. addresses; but e-books are open to anyone.

WINNERS:

• Winners will be randomly chosen and notified by email. Odds of winning dependent upon number of prizes and entries. It is possible that someone could win multiple prizes.

• Winner may choose their prize. Prizes are labeled by the format of the book (Print, eBook, or Your Choice). Once a prize has been claimed, the winner’s name will replace the label.

• Additional book prizes will be added throughout the reading challenge.

• Sponsors have the option to send prizes as they are awarded or to ship prizes at the end of the challenge.

•  Winners have one week after the close of the reading challenge to send me their mailing information. Challenge ends on July 31, 2013.

So let's win ourselves some books! Plus it's summer! A prime time to read! 

My list of soon to be attempted reads subject to change (once finished I will turn them the color blue)

• Onward Alone
• Janitors 2
• Janitors 3
• The Orchard
• Belonging to Heaven
• Glimmer of Hope 
• Abinadi
• The Walk
• Athena
• The Brothers (Chris Stewart)
• Undercurrents
• Palace of Stone (Shannon Hale)
• something by Jenni James
• Do Over
• Tide Ever Rising
• Blackmoore
• Fablehaven #2

Those are all I can think of right now! Let the challenge begin! :) 

Thank you...customers

Hello my friends! Yesterday was Monday and I usually work on Mondays. It's my favorite shift because it's shorter and it goes quick! Well it must have been a full moon out because everybody was acting super put out. Not everybody...but a good percentage. It doesn't happen very often to me. Their inner wolf must have been howling! I would say "Hi! How are you?" and people would respond with, "Yeah. Do you have...?" O....okay! I'm doing great! Thank you for asking! We could just text each other and avoid this whole talking thing all together. I now know how a Walmart greeter probably feels like 90% of the time! I found myself simply wanting somebody (ANYBODY) to smile at me. It started to have a weird affect on me. My smile started to slip away. I thought about using my Twitter account which I haven't used since 2009 to announce to the world that me and the general public were breaking up. On top of it all I was getting hangry (that's irrationally angry because of hunger) After taking a break and discovering Wendy's Kid's Meals are now $1.99 after 4 p.m. (HOLLA!!! This girl is gonna have a huge toy collection!) I came back and decided something! All those happiness suckers couldn't have me. It was my choice. We have to choose happiness. We have to choose kindness. So I kept on smiling! And made a bad-A rocket ship out of my Kinex kid's meal toy! So to spread a little joy today's post is on one of the FUNNIEST books I've read! This book takes about 10-15 minutes to read which is always nice! Like a shot of happiness! Jimmy Fallon is always good for a laugh! I'm a huge fan of his thank you notes! You don't have to go buy it-I wrote down all the good ones! ;) I hope the excerpts make you giggle.   

"Thank you...the light bulb that's been burned out in my house for the past two months, for reminding me how lazy I am. And when I finally do replace you, it won't be with a light bulb I've bought-it will be with a light bulb from the least important light in the house."

"Thank you..."Yes, I Agree to the Terms and Conditions" box I have to click in order to install software. You know full well I didn't actually read the terms and conditions. For all I know, I just agreed to become the new face of herpes. But I'm still gonna click you."

"Thank you...people who show off their high school spanish when pronouncing their order at a Mexican restaurant. That way you just said "fajita" made me feel like I was wandering the rustic streets of Guadalajara. But I'm not. I'm in a Taco Bell and you're holding up the line, amigo."

"Thank you...lasers, for being spelled with an s even though you'd be totally more badass if you were spelled with a z. Just sayin'."

"Thank you...driver's license photo, for reminding me that there was at least one moment in my life when I looked exactly like a homeless serial killer."

"Thank you...guy at the dry cleaners, for charging me $11 to clean a dress shirt. It clearly doesn't cost that much, but you know I'll pay it anyway because I'm not really sure what you do and how much it should cost. In fact, I'm 99 percent sure that all you did was iron it and put a plastic sheet over it."

"Thank you...haters, for giving rappers so much to talk about."

"Thank you...NASA, for firing that missile at the moon. I think that sent a clear message to other lifeless rocks in the solar system that their constant orbiting will no longer be tolerated."

"Thank you...molars. If my teeth were a class picture, you'd be the fat kids in the back row."

"Thank you...the name Lloyd, for starting with two Ls. I'm glad both those Ls were there, because otherwise, I would have called you "Loyd.""

"Thank you...Christmas decorations, for going up right after Halloween. Nothing says "holidays" like seeing my neighbor replace his plastic Dracula with a plastic baby Jesus."

"Thank you...flour, for keeping the paper sack container business alive. Don't want to change your packaging, huh? Whenever I buy you I feel like I'm Charles Ingalls buying something from Oleson's store on credit."

"Thank you...slow-walking family walking in front of me on the sidewalk. No, please, take your time. And definitely spread out, too, so you create a barricade. I am so thankful that you forced me to walk into the street and risk getting hit by a car in order to pass you so I could resume walking at a normal human pace."

"Thank you... leaf blowers, for making me look like the world's lamest Ghostbuster. I ain't afraid of no leaves."

"Thank you...Lifetime Achievement Awards, for being a nice way of saying, 'We think you're about to die.'"

"Thank you...oscillating fans, for being soooo good, then not so good, then soooo good, then not so good, then soooo good."

"Thank you...guy in the revolving door who isn't pulling his weight, for letting me handle all the pushing responsibilities while you handle all the waiting responsibilities. No, let me get it for you. You're the king of the hotel entrance."

"Thank you.. fake drawer in my kitchen. Even though I've lived with you for ten years, you still manage to fake me out. Come on, fake drawer!"

"Thank you...pizza box,for being impossible to dispose of. Thank you for not fitting inside any trash bag or trash can or trash chute ever built by humans, and thank you for popping open and spilling half-eaten crust on me whenever I try to throw you away."

"Thank you..nickels, for being the redheaded stepchild of the coin community. You're so thick, yet you're worth so little. You're like the quarter's fatter, less successful brother."

"Thank you...tai chi, for being the perfect way to defend myself against an army of invisible slow-motion ninjas."

"Thank you....socks with sandals, for being a look that proudly declares to the world, "The people I'm friends with now are the only people I ever want to be friends with.""

"Thank you...certain days when I can see the sun and the moon in the sky at the same time. You make me feel like I'm Luke Skywalker on his home planet of Tatooine, concerned about his aunt and uncle and restless for adventure."

Thank you...Jimmy Fallon! For the laughs! And please for the love of all that is good in the world will you please smile today!

It's western...it's romance!

It's Monday! That means that I am once again back to writing my reviews on snogging instead of church! :) Well, actually, today's review is a little bit of a combination of both! Today I'm going to review one of my favorite Christian romance authors Karen Witemeyer. Literally everything I've read by her has left me with a big smile on my face because she write good clean romances! And I always love her cover artwork! I've given her books to a couple of friends of mine and they've read them in one setting until the wee hours of the morning! Trust me! They like to text me about how they're going to be really tired the next day! I'll review her latest one first and then some of her past one's I've read! Her latest one is-

Stealing the Preacher was a little more Christian then Karen Witemeyer's other books BUT it makes sense because the main character is a preacher! I sometimes like my Christian books lighter on the Christian but I didn't really mind this one! It made religion applicable to the characters lives without being overly preachy. It kind of reminds me of the Hallmark series Love Comes Softly. Karen Witemeyer has a way of slowly building everything to perfection in her books. It kind of reminds me of a lazy summer afternoon while floating on a tube down a river. It's just enjoyable and lovely. So here's what this book was all about-On his way to interview for a position at a church-Crockett Archer is kidnapped off of a train and presented to the kidnappers daughter as the minister she requested for her birthday. Joanna Robbins, the daughter, prayed for a preacher. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. So when Crockett and Jo meet is seems like fate. Crockett can help Jo with her dreams. And maybe just maybe their dreams are destined to be about each other. ;) I think that this book was just simply sweet. It even had some moments in it that were kind of intense! While the Short Straw Bride is still number one in my heart this book is definitely worth your time!! :)

Next-

Jericho "J.T." Tucker wants nothing to do with the town's new dressmaker. He's all too familiar with her kind--shallow women more devoted to fashion than true beauty. Yet, except for her well-tailored clothing, this seamstress is not at all what he expected. Hannah Richards is confounded by the man who runs the livery. The unsmiling fellow riles her with his arrogant assumptions and gruff manner while at the same time stirring her heart with unexpected acts of kindness. This book was just a fun cute read! It was like the Pride and Prejudice of the Old West! Imagine a cowboy Mr. Darcy! It was more fluff and froth then anything else! :)
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My fave! So, ya know those books where the romance in them is just so cute and sweet and you swoon when they finally hold hands or share their first kiss? :-) yeah this is one of those :-) (giggle giggle) No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt to Archer for saving her life compels her to take the risk. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send Archer riding to her rescue once again. Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride? LOVED IT! Next-

This book is just a simple sweet story with redemption and second chances. This one did not disappoint! Having completed his sentence for an unintentional crime, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, and he needs a place where no one knows his past. Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she steels herself against the attraction he provokes. His halting speech and hesitant manner leave her doubting his intelligence. Yet as the mysteries of the town's new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart. But when the truth about his prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian's affections?

So what do ya say ya'll-aren't you in for a little western lovin? ;) 

It's Sunday so it's Emily Freeman's Day!

Since it is the Sabbath I thought it was finally time for me to post another review on some religious books that I love! I do feel spiritual every now and then and I do work in a religious bookstore! I would say about 80% of the time when someone comes and asks me for a good inspirational read I do not even hesitate to suggest author Emily Freeman to them! I love her! I will give her credit for being some of the first "serious" books that I read that just sparked my love for inspirational stories! She is hilarious and can portray unique views on different gospel subjects. She does have a Christmas book that helps you focus on Christ for that part of the year but I'm not going to review it! I have read it and it's amazing and I highly recommend you grabbing it when November rolls around. Seeing as it's only June, I refuse to talk about cold weather right now! The memory of the freezing last winter is still too fresh in my mind! So let's start with my FAVORITE! Sometimes the best just can't wait until the last! 

Love Life and See Good Days is amazing! I love the title. It in itself is a great message. When it first came out at Deseret Book we all passed this around amongst the employees and would just laugh at some of the stories in this book! Emily Freeman has this amazing ability to take a gospel concept and see it in an entirely different light!

She had a few but ONE of my favorite parables of hers called the Parable of the Dandelions.

"One weekend my girls and I took a drive together. We passed through acres and acres of farmland. My eyes were drawn to the overwhelming number of dandelions that had taken over the fields. The green landscape was dotted with a mixture of bright yellow flowers and white, fluffy balls of seeds. We had spent weeks trying to kill the dandelions in our own yard, and I thought about what a job that farmer would have have trying to clear those weeds from his landscape. My daughters saw something different: acres and acres of dandelion fluff just waiting to be blown from the stem. A thousand weeds or a thousand wishes. It's all in your perspective." pg. 22-23

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In this book Emily Freeman gives you 21 "challenges" on topics relating to the Savior that help you come closer to Christ. Loved it and every message made me stretch my learning and made me try to be a better person. And the artwork is gorgeous! This is one of my many favorite parts!

"Think of Moses and the Red Sea, Noah and the flood, or the people of Alma who were in bondage for so many years. History proves the love the Lord has for His people and His willingness and ability to lead them to a promised land. The power of God is amazing. The scriptures provide countless examples of times when the Lord stretched forth His hand to offer relief for His children who were struggling. In every dispensation He has provided miracles for His children as they have wandered through the wilderness toward a better life. They have proved the Lord, and He has been there. A favorite poem reads:
When you come to the Red Sea place in your life
In spite of all you can do
There is no way back, there is no way round
There is no way but through
Then know God with a soul serene
And the dark and the storm are gone
God stills the wind
God stills the waves
God says to your soul "Go on"
-Baird T. Spalding
Experience has taught me that throughout the journey, the faithful traveler holds close to his heart the hope of reaching a promised land. In this case, the "promised land" we are searching for is a greater awareness and a stronger testimony of Christ. By drawing closer to Him we will be able to reach that destination. If our heart is willing He will be able to reach that destination. If our heart is willing He will without fail lead us to where we want to be. "He knows the way because He is the way" (Jeffrey R. Holland)"

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This one has the same concept as "21 Days" but instead of days it's broken down into monthly challenges.  My word Emily Freeman makes you study and ponder and think! This book will make you want to be a better person! I'll be studying from this one for a long time! Plus the artwork is GORGEOUS in it! I think one of my most favorite things that Emily has said is, "You can do hard things." It reminds me that I am strong. I'll leave you with one last amazing quote-

“Have faith that you are a daughter/son of Heavenly Father who loves you. Determine which of your divine gifts will allow you to be a champion for Christ. Realize that you have been sent to Earth with a divine mission that is yours to achieve. Let your knowledge come from the good parts of life that surround you. Choose to set high standards and defend them. Become a great woman/man by doing good. Always be on the Lord's errand. Leave your mark. Be true in every situation--even when no one is watching.
Let your strength come from having high moral standards.
Look to Him.
Stand as His witness.
Become a keeper of what matters most.” 

I think you're pretty amazing! Happy Sabbath! XOXO

A Whole New Cinderella and Little Red...

doesn't the phrase just give you a little shiver of anticipation? It seems to say, "You're in for a good story!" I love fairy tales. There's magic and conflict and romance. I think I can confidently say that most of us like them because they've been around a LONG time! I've read a lot of fairy tale retellings! I can sing every song from the musical Into the Woods. "Agony!!!" ;) I'm even a huge fan of the TV show Once Upon a Time! Probably because the hunter (Graham) looks like this-

and has an accent! And hello Prince Charming-

And for the first time ever we are even calling Captain Hook a hottie! Who would have ever thought that would happen!

After looking at these pictures I forgot what I'm writing about...oh yeah! Fairy tales...I'm confident the men of the world can live up to the image! (BHAHAHAHAHA) I digress. So when I heard about a hot new fairy tale series written by Marissa Meyer of course I had to look into it! I just wasn't prepared for what I was getting into! :) The series is called the Lunar Chronicle series. The first book in the series is-

So what's so new and interesting about this series? Well let me tell ya! It was such a different and unique take on the Cinderella story. Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, hated by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. 

Cinderella is a cyborg-there's more than one villian-it takes place after world war 4-there is also a nasty plague! See very inventive! I guess my only complaint is that I felt like the story just cut off with no warning! Imagine Cinderella losing her shoe and the prince finding it and then the story just ending! I'd be like "Cool. Cinderella is still in her sad life and the prince has a random shoe for his collection." So huzzah for being insanely unique and GRRR for ticking me off and leaving me standing on the steps of the palace with nothing but a shoe...or in this case a cyborg foot....

So while I was standing on the steps of the palace with the prince holding Cinder's limb I was delighted to find book number two!

I actually liked Scarlet more than I liked Cinder! It's always nice when books get increasingly better! That doesn't always happen in a series! In this book we meet Scarlet who is desperately looking for her missing grandmother. She meets a mysterious fighter named Wolf. When she discovers that his tattoo is similar to the tattoo on the men that took her dear grannie, Scarlet enlists his help in finding her. But can a handsome wolf be trusted? The story of Cinder was left with that horrible cliffhanger so happily that story is also picked back up in this book. Cinder is on a mission to also find Scarlet's grandmother in hopes that she can shed some light on Cinder's mysterious past. So in this book we have a gang called the Wolves. We have a mysterious and charming Wolf. The war between worlds is getting increasingly more hostile. I was about halfway through the book when I had the thought of Marissa Meyer being an evil genius! It was fresh and original. But alas I do have one complaint! Once again I am left with a stupid cliffhanger! I don't believe in cliffhangers! Just go ahead and push me off the cliff! So I did my research! Book three will be out in February...in 2014 (insert eye roll) and this is what I could find-

Rapunzel's tower is a satellite. She can't let down her hair - or her guard. This book will feature Cinder and Rapunzel and will take place in the Sahara Desert.

That's all I could find out about it! Content wise and reading level wise I'd say age 13+ will like this series! So I will have to patiently wait for book three.
Dear Marissa-please remember-

Sincerely,
Still waiting for a happily ever after!!!

It's a BOOK GIVEAWAY...only you're doing the giving!

"Give" said me and the little stream! That's right people! It's time! It's time to give back to others! You wanna know why? Because mankind and womankind is in a serious need of a shot of happiness. The economy stinks, bees are dying, movies are pretty much all sequels now...But I still love happiness! (I threw a New Girl quote at ya there) It's not that hard to spread a little love! JUST SMILE! Wanna know a seriously nerdy fact about me? I totally write down quotes that inspire me from movies! One time I didn't have any paper with me in the movie theater and so I wrote down what the person said on my arm. It was super dark in the theater so it looked like a horrible tattoo done by a blind man but it was worth it! If you want to know what movie it was it was Harry Potter! HP always has profound things said in it! :) So when I was sitting through all the long hours of The Hobbit it was only natural that I wrote down this quote-

I always thought that he was a wise old wizard! Maybe it's the beard! Dumbledore...Gandalf...maybe those whiskers give them profound insight into our lives! It is not the gigantic acts of kindness that are worthwhile. Don't get me wrong-they do have their worth! But it is the small acts of everyday living that are going to influence the world in the end. So why all of this attention to giving back? Well my friends I know of a bookstore that is giving back this summer! I just so happen to work at it! hahaha Their promotion this summer is...

I'm so pumped up about this! Here's what's going down at the ol' Deseret Book! You give-you get!

Deseret Book is looking to give back this summer with its Summer of a Million Gifts. The store’s customers can anticipate random daily in-store gifts and an opportunity to win one of three grand prizes. They are:

An 8-dayCaribbean Cruise with Alex Boye, British-born LDS singer and songwriter, courtesy of Morris Murdock Travel. 

A missionary wardrobe courtesy of Mr. Mac. 

And one couple will win a wedding reception courtesy of Temple Square Hospitality. 

The giving will take place online and in person at every store throughout the summer months. Each day on Deseret Book’s official Facebook page and in Deseret Book stores, an associate will give a gift to at least one customer a free pass to Lagoon theme park, double Platinum points, a free book at check-out, an act of service, or some other free prize.
For more information on how to enter you can click this link here : Giveaway

It's really true! We've been giving away TONS of gifts at my job all month long all the way until August! So fun! I've given away bottles of water and soda. I gave away BBQ sauce that we sell to this big burly looking guy in honor of Father's Day!  He was stoked! I told him he needed to go grill some meat ASAP! I've become extremely lightheaded when trying to supply every child that comes into the store with balloons! Helium is apparently hard to come by nowadays! The spotted vision is WORTH it! :)
So since this is my book blog and I am a huge book nerd I will also tell you about something else you can do to give back! My "give back" suggestion. It's called Chapters of Hope! Their motto: Give a book, change a life! That's my motto in life too! Or it's "buy all the books in the world because you're an addict"-either or!  Books need people-people need books. It's just that simple!

I love this picture! When you donate to Chapters of Hope all of the money goes to giving children books! I did my research-it says "nearly 50,000 books have been shipped to areas such as Ghana, the Pacific Islands, Russia, Eastern Europe, and most recently Zimbabwe."

So here's the most awesome part about Chapters of Hope! They never ask for large amounts of money! We're talking one dollar here peeps! It's so nice! The ways you can donate-
1-You can donate your change to them at ANY Deseret Book location. I don't have a lot of money but I always roughly about a dollar in change on me and Deseret Book will take it if you give it! Isn't your coin purse annoyingly heavy anyway?! $.50 well spent!
2-You can purchase one of these adorable stuffed animals at Deseret Book and all proceeds will go to Chapters of Hope! Only $7 dollars! Option 1 & 2 also give you an excuse to come visit me at work! :)

I think that the giraffe is so precious so I chose him! His name is Gerard! hahaha and-
3- You can donate $1, $5, or $10 dollars at this link- Chapters of Hope I recommend going and looking at the stories! I loved them! So what do you say?! Wanna do something extraordinary this summer? ;) Don't forget to READ and SMILE today! It's truly great to be alive!