Books I've Read - November 2017

Midway to Heaven by Dean Hughes 

This month, I was still working away at reading all the books I own that I haven't read. This was one of them and I already knew I liked Dean Hughes, so I was excited. It was a fun read. An LDS romance about a man whose wife died a couple years ago and is now struggling with starting to date again and with watching his daughter fall in love, it brought up a lot of touching thoughts about my own marriage and children. I loved the father-daughter closeness portrayed throughout, even when they had disagreements. I loved the tenderness he felt for his wife and how real his difficulty with dating again felt, even though he knew it was the right thing. There were silly parts of the book, but the characters felt they had some depth to them. Dean Hughes also seems to be able to bring up some of the things members of the church struggle with and some parts of LDS culture that are negative, but in a way that still allows the reader to see the truthfulness of the gospel and how a person can reconcile those things. 

Standing for Something by Gordon B. Hinckley 

This is a wonderfully inspirational read. Gordon B. Hinckley accompanies each virtue with stories from his own life and others', it's well organized, and if everyone lived these virtues, the world would be a much different, better place.

The Miracle of Freedom by Chris and Ted Stewart 

This is a phenomenal book. The way they format it--telling the history dispersed with historical fictionalized stories--really kept my interest. Doing so makes the history they tell about feel real and let's you meet people from history in a new way. I also love the points in history that they talked about and learned a lot.


Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans 

This was a great, feel good story. The writing was well done, the characters well rounded, and the back stories well done. The one thing I didn't like as much was the ending was a little too wrapped up neatly, but overall, it was very well done.

Good to Great by Jim Collins 

This was a very interesting, useful book. It breaks down the results of a study they did, talking about how the decisions different companies made led to success or failure. It was well-written, well organized, and full of applicable ideas for business, or for any leader.

The Canterbury Papers by Judith Koll Healey 

I really enjoy historical fiction, so I was excited, and I enjoyed it, but it was not as much a historical fiction as a novel. It definitely followed historical characters and was loosely based off of historical events, and I believe the author kept pretty closely with the time that she was writing in. I did enjoy the novel, the pacing was well done and I empathized with the main character quite a bit. It also had some twists that I wasn't expecting (though it wasn't terribly unpredictable). Overall, an enjoyable experience that I came away from having learned some about that time period. The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball  This was a well done book, covering an important topic. I felt that I had already learned most of what was in this book and also could tell that it was written some time ago (the way he approached certain topics and the formatting of the book). I don't know that I enjoyed reading this, but it was a good reminder to me of certain ways to improve myself and my life and I'm grateful for that. The Holy Temple by Boyd K. Packer  This is a very well done book. I learned a lot and am left inspired to make the temple and especially genealogy a bigger part of my life. Go Forward with Faith by Sheri Dew  This book is so well done and Gordon B. Hinckley's life is inspirational. Sherri Dew brought him to life in a real way. I am so grateful for all he did for the church and for his example and of forgetting himself and going to work for the Lord. This was a great reminder to me to live my life for the Lord, even when it's hard, and to be happy doing it. This is especially the mindset I want to cultivate when it comes to callings within the church in the future. The Writing on the Wall by Dean Hughes (The Children of the Promise series)  Like the Children of the Promise series, I loved this book. Dean Hughes is brilliant in the way he discusses issues (showing the gray of each issue, that they're not just black and white) and also creates the most wonderful characters. There is so much variety in each of his characters' beliefs and life views, it really makes you think about your own life and our own views while at the same time letting you really empathize and understand the characters and understand viewpoints different from your own. I also have already learned so much about the sixties that I had never learned before. I am so excited to continue this series. Troubled Waters by Dean Hughes  Very well done. I loved learning more about this time period and experiencing some of the frustrations and joys of the period along with the characters. How Many Roads by Dean Hughes  This book doesn't feel like the middle of a series. It keeps things moving quickly and keeps you wanting to continue the series. I love the way Dean Hughes writes characters and portrays different points of view validly. He explores issues in a way that really makes you question your own views and think about things in a new light. Take Me Home by Dean Hughes  The character development by this point is so well done and I love Dianne's growth as well as Hans. I love the way Dean Hughes looks at the different issues of the time through the situations the different characters go through. So Much of Life Ahead by Dean Hughes  A great ending to a great series. I actually liked the ending of the Children of the Promise series more, but it was still a good one. I loved where the characters ended up, it felt very realistic but still put them all in a good place and ready to move forward with their lives.