What a WILD and Wonderful Week!

If you follow my posts on Facebook, then you know this has been a wild week, filled with lots of promotions. And the results have all been great!

Men of Destiny: Abraham Lincoln and the Prophet Joseph Smith has gone into a second printing after only two weeks on the market, plus the eBook is now available on Kindle.

The Bookmarked Bargains promotion featured two of my novels: Just Like Elizabeth Taylor and Tides Across the Sea, and both have garnered new readers in the process.

But the good news is not all about me. My friend and fellow-critique group member Robison Wells has been the recipient of the genuine kindness to so many people who participated in the IndieGoGo fundraiser that not only alleviated the medical and tax burdens Rob has been buried under with the diagnosis of his mental illnesses, but raised enough fund to also help Sarah M. Eden, another member of our group, with her medical bills and prescription expenses.

As we think today on this Memorial Day about those who have sacrificed for the freedom of our country, also consider those who sacrifice to help their fellowman in times of need.

   

Men of Destiny: Abraham Lincoln and the Prophet Joseph Smith cover reveal

Available soon on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and at Confetti Antiques

April Movie Reviews

Life is flying by so fast! Thanks heavens for having my movie-loving son home and a week of vacation for spring break. We managed to see three movies, and completely enjoyed every one of them. Here's a quick review.

Pompeii
A slave-turned-gladiator finds himself in a race against time to save his true love, who has been betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts, he must fight to save his beloved as Pompeii crumbles around him. The ultimate Romeo & Juliet story set against a historical background. From the opening battle scene to the final moment of climax and resolution, I was completely hooked. Kit Harrington and Kiefer Sutherland were superb in their roles as the hero and villain. As a matter of fact, I wanted to grab a sword and take care of Sutherland several times myself because he was so evil I couldn't stand knowing he was going to strike one more time. Fortunately he and the people of Pompeii got was deserving them for the wickedness, although the final hope for Milo and Cassia was buried in the end, as we knew it would have to be. but still, the romantic can hope. Perhaps that final moment is the reason the film didn't set well with audiences. I'd still recommend it it you like disaster films with a love story and some epic battle scenes.
Pompeii [Blu-ray]
 

 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Jack Ryan, as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack. A well-written and well-directed back story for Tom Clancy's familiar character, Jack Ryan. I was on the edge of my seat the entire film, not only because of the action scenes, but because this movie strikes a little too close to home. The story question is: When it comes to the governments of both Russia and the U.S., who can you trust? The twists and turns will keep you guessing and the only way you know Jack will make it out alive is because this is a prequel story to the rest of the Jack Ryan collection (Sum of All Fears, Clear and Present Danger, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games). Chris Pine, Keira Knightly, Kevin Costner, and Kenneth Branagh were all excellent in their roles, and kudos to Branagh on the directing. It was a nice touch to include Mikhail Baryshnikov in an uncredited role. I can't wait for my husband to see this because it is his kind of movie.
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier. An excellent follow-up, that is perhaps better than the first. No more back story for Captain America, he is part of our fighting force in today's world, and like Jack Ryan, Steve Rogers has to decide who he can trust. This time the enemy is the entire government operation known as S.H.I.E.L.D. The film is filled with high action, building relationships, moments when you think it is all over for our hero, and challenges all you thought you knew about the Marvel characters. Chris Evans was good but Anthony Mackie and Scarlett Johansson sole the show. Robert Redford was incredibly believable in his role as well, almost to the point of wondering if he's been there in real life. Be sure to stick with the movie until the final time the screen goes black. There are two bumps during the credits and at the very end that preview a coming sequel and the next Avengers.

Newsletter April 10, 2014

Here's the copy from my first newsletter sent via Mail Chimp.  To subscribe, fill in the form at the right. 

Welcome to my newsletter. This is where I'll share my latest publication information, including cover reveals and links where you can purchase books as they become available.

Men of Destiny: Abraham Lincoln and the Prophet Joseph Smith is coming soon from Walnut Springs Press. I've seen the cover and I can hardly wait to show it to you.

In the meantime, don't forget to check out my other books at my home page on Amazon.com. Also, you can follow me at Lu Ann's Library, Facebook, or Twitter.

Thanks for reading this issue. You are subscribed because we have met at a conference, workshop, or you've signed up to receive my newsletter at some time. Of course, some of you are family and friends. If you'd prefer not to receive these emails I won't be offended. Just click the unsubscribe link below and it's done.

If you know anyone who might like to subscribe, please feel free to pass this email on to them or share on social media sites.

Thanks!
Lu Ann

TIDES ACROSS THE SEA a RONE nominee

My novel, TIDES ACROSS THE SEA is a semi-finalist for a RONE Award. The RONE Awards honor the very best in indie and small press published novels from the past year, and I’m proud to be among the nine semi-finalists in the Young Adult category. Only six books will advance to the finalist stage.

Anyone can vote and help TIDES ACROSS THE SEA advance to the final round.

There are TWO ways to vote:

1.     You can create a user account on the InD'Tale Magazine site: http://indtale.com/2014-rone-awards-week-one

2.     Or, submit your vote via email to the following address: anasmith@indtale.com. Be sure to include the following in the body of your email: Young Adult, Tides Across the Sea, Lu Ann Brobst Staheli.

Voting ends March 16.

Thanks for helping.

Reading: How Do You Choose a Book?

As you may know, I spent thirty-four years of my career as an English teacher. Over that time I have worked with over 5,000 students, some who came to me as readers, and some who were not. During the time these kids were my students, I did everything I could to find just the right books, the ones that would satisfy those students who were already readers, and books that would engage those students who were not.

I admit, I might not have turned every one of those students into the avid readers I wanted them to be, but I did see progress. End of year reading tests showed significant improvement in their reading skills, and an increase in both vocabulary and comprehension. And yes, many of these kids were turned on to reading.

This year's crop of 9th graders at my school are the last students I had in English class, yet I see these students now coming into the library to ask for a recommendation, check out a book, and coming back to tell me if they liked it or not. Students who have moved on to the high school and college stop by occasionally or send me an email or message on Facebook to get recommendations and leave feedback about books. And I even hear from students I taught at the beginning of my career, and friends I went to high school with, who are still interested in what I have to say about a book.

Talking about books is one of my joys in life, and I'd have to say the same thing about teaching.

Last week I had the opportunity to work with a large group of students in our school, a group that would be classified as struggling readers, and the question came up from one of their teachers: "How do you choose a book?" The old classroom gears clicked into place, and I found myself teaching a lesson on choosing the right book, especially for the struggling reader. Since I have many parents ask me one-on-one for the same type of advice, I decided I should share this information in a public forum--my blog.

The number one factor at getting someone to read is to help them choose a book that is interesting. Now that might sound ridiculously simple, but it's often not. So many teachers select books for their class assignments based on what they personally enjoyed, what books are available in group sets, and what the Common Core tells them the students should be reading (usually the first indicator that this book is not one the students will enjoy. A student who is a non-reader will not be engaged by classics, multicultural, or historical fiction unless they have sufficient scaffolding from an engaged teacher who can guide them through the book, but this constant need for spoon-feeding also takes away the joy of reading. It's a lose-lose situation that will do more damage than good in the long run when it comes to developing a lifelong reader.

I've found that too often students have been forced to "read" (by the way, they usually don't) so many books in these categories that they honestly don't know what they like or what they would be interested in. This is where I come in and try to match the student with a book I think they might enjoy. I admit I have an advantage over many teachers in that I read 100-150 books each year, most of them in the middle grade and young adult categories, and I have an uncanny memory when it comes to book titles and author's names. I spend a couple of minutes with the student, asking about their life, their interests, the last book they read or had read to them and that they enjoyed, then I pull a few titles from the shelves, give a three or four sentence blurb about the book, then let the student choose for themselves. If nothing looks interesting, I give them several more books to look at. Usually the student will select a possible book by that time. Then we get to the reading part. 

The second thing for the student to consider is the difficulty of the book. If the kid can't read and understand the words, there is no way he or she can read and enjoy the book. No enjoyment--no more reading. It's as simple as that.

Here's a simple way for students to decide if the book will be too difficult for them--it's called The Five-Finger Rule. Once a book is chosen, the student starts to read the first five pages. Every time they come across a word they don't know, they hold up a finger. If by the end of five pages they have held up five fingers, the book is too difficult for them. Time to choose a new book. See, I told you it was simple.

Anything fewer than five fingers, the student is ready to read the book. But what about those 1-2-3-4 words they didn't know? Most teachers, and probably parents, will say, "Look it up!" WRONG! We don't every want kids to STOP their reading progress to go look up a work they don't know while they are reading. Most of the time the word doesn't really matter anyway. So how should they tackle new words, ones that can improve their vocabulary? Again, we have a 5 Finger Rule. 1. The first time you run across a new word, skip it. 2. The second time you run across that same word, make a guessed based on what's going on around it. 3. The third time you see the same word, ask an expert. This could be the friend sitting next to you. 4. The fourth time you see that same word, make another guess based on all you now know about that word. 5. The fifth time you see the word, write it down so you can look it up AFTER you have finished your reading session. If you see it that many times, it's probably important and you'll see it again so you might as well know what it means.    

This process brings us back to the original question, How do you choose a book? By now, the student has read five pages in a possible book. They know if the book is too difficult for them and they should know if the book is interesting enough to entice them to read the next five pages. If the answer is yes, then go for it, but if the answer is no, abandon that book and choose another.

A child must have the opportunity to read books that speak to them, books they enjoy, books that are interesting to them, not to the parent or teacher. There is no such thing as a non-reader, just like there is no such thing as someone who doesn't like to read. The true problem is that for whatever reason--faulty teaching, misguided ideas about the value of books, or simply lack of opportunity--the students who thinks they hate to read, simply hasn't yet found the right book.

Be the adult who leads them to discover the lifelong enjoyment of reading. Just like my students have proven to me, they will thank you for it, and they will lead the next generation to a life of reading enjoyment because you did.

(If YOU have a question about teaching reading or writing, or you simply need a good book recommendation, be sure to leave a comment. I'm always happy to help!)

February Goals

Setting goals is a good way to at least keep a written record of all the things you'd like to get done in a given period of time. Of course, life happens and sometimes those goals get moved into the next period of time. That's what happened this month to some of my goals, but a few new goals got inserted, including a huge writing project that I didn't anticipate at the time I wrote my January goals.

So, even if it looks like I didn't accomplish everything I planned to do, know that I did accomplish some pretty huge things that I'm excited to share with my readers when the time is right.

In the meantime, let's see how I did in January at meeting my goals:

1. Finish revisions for Always a Bridesmaid: Grace, the first novella in my new series
Although I'm about a third of the way through revisions instead of completely done on this goal, lots of progress has been made on the series as a whole. First, the series has a brand new title! "Always a Bridesmaid" is gone and the new series title is "A Gateway Romance." There were a few reasons for this change, including the fact that another author already has a series with the original title. The novellas and accompanying full length novel already written for this series all have major scenes that happen at The Gateway in Salt Lake City, thus the new name, which ties the books all together. Another change will be the fact I'm using a pen name for this new line of books. I made this decision because of branding. I didn't want my juvenile readers to confuse my middle grade and young adult novels with the new romance line, and it also made sense to have them separate from my non-fiction and magazine articles. I actually chose my pen name when I was in high school and first considering a writing career and it has great meaning to me. Marie Ellsworth is a combination of my mom and dad's middle names. Since my mother gave me a love of reading and writing, and my father taught me about business, using their names reminds me of their contributions to who I am today. Watch for official announcements on the blog and my Facebook pages when the first novella will be released.

2. Approve cover art and format Kindle edition of Grace
Progress is also being made on this goal, although we are not quite ready yet for a reveal. Since this is going to be the first book in a series it is vital that the cover design is one I am totally, absolutely in love with. So far we have the series title and author name banners and font chosen. I've been looking at lots of photos, hoping to find the perfect couple, season, and location to match the storyline in Grace. Again, I'll let you know as soon as we've found the perfect combo.

3. Complete a client edit (Visit the Precision Editing Group website if you're interested in hiring an editor)
Done! 

4. Write two entries for Living in an Osmond World and find appropriate cover art
I wrote one entry for this book, which may actually be released in March if some of my other goals stay where they belong. I haven't found the cover art yet, but I know I have something in the hundreds of photos I've taken over the years. I just have to dig into the photo albums to find the one I want. 

5. Finish reading Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom by A.C. Crispin
Two years ago I promised one of my sons I'd have this book read by the time he returned from his LDS mission. That day is almost upon us and I'm only halfway through the book! It's good, but the book feels like it weighs 30 pounds and it wear me out to hold it in place so I can read. Plus I got sidetracked and read The Children of Huron by J.R.R. Tolkien, another book my son wanted me to read, so at least I got something done toward a reading goal. 

So, what kind of goals can I set for February?
1. Complete revisions and cover art for A Gateway Romance: Grace and release the book on Kindle
2. Critique and revise Tamlyn, the second novella for the Gateway romances
3. Finish drafting Kira, novella number three in the Gateway romances
4. Finalize Living in an Osmond World text and cover art
5. Finish reading Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

Check back in March to see how I'm doing, but in the meantime do yo need to set some public goals of your own?

January Book / Movie Review

What a crazy month January turned out to be! A huge writing opportunity came to me which completely threw me off my schedule for so many things. Project complete, I'm furiously trying to get caught up again. Since I didn't want to miss any of my planed blog topics, the first order of business today is to jump back in time and write the blogs I missed for the past two weeks. Thanks for being patient. 

Saving Mr. Banks

Since the premiere of this delightful film, critics have tried to debunk it. Everything from Meryl's Steeps' inappropriately timed comments about Walt Disney being sexist in a time when everyone was sexist, to biographers who insist "the story didn't happen that way," and now members of the Disney family fighting over their inheritance. My response? Who cares?

Saving Mr. Banks was a wonderful film about--of all things--forgiveness. Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson were fabulous, and both should have received Oscar nods for their work, yet they were ignored. I grew up watching Walt Disney on television and Hanks played him perfectly, even managing to capture the twinkle in Walt's eye.   

If you haven't yet seen the movie, you must. Be sure to take some tissues, yet know you will come from the theater with a song on your lips and a lighter step than when you went in. Oh, and you'll want to pull out your copy of Mary Poppins to watch as well when you get home.

Ender's Game 

I'm not sure exactly how long ago I first read the novellette that grew to become the multi-book series about Ender Wiggin and the other children who were taken to battle school to save the world. At the time I though the science fiction would remain just that--fiction. How wrong I was. Has anyone stopped to consider that author Orson Scott Card actually invented the iPad? No wonder it took so long for this movie to be made. Technology had to catch up with the ideas Card had all those years ago.

Ender's Game is worth seeing just for the performances of Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley alone. They made the movie.

I will admit, having read most of the book series helped me understand the significance of the events, the relationships between Ender and his Battle school colleagues, and why his sister was so important to him, but even viewers without that background will become involved in the story.

I love the fact Ender's Game left the door open just far enough that we might just see a sequel.

Rump: The True Story of Rumplestiltskin
Liesl Shurtliff

If you're looking for a delightful story to read with your upper elementary or middle school student and you like retold fairy tales then Rump might be just the book for you. 

The story starts with poor Rump, who has never known the rest of his name, discovering that he has inherited a wonder skill--he can spin straw into gold. But like all things that seem too good to be true, Rump soon discovers that what he thinks will be his ticket to freedom actually binds him into chains. 

Shurtliff has done a wonderful job of developing reasons as to why Rump would want to take someone's baby, why names are so important, and how friends and family are the greatest riches anyone could ever ask for. 

Rump is a finalist in the Middle Grade category for the 2013 Whitney Awards.  

January Update

Time for my first CAREER UPDATE on the blog.

January has been a crazy month so far when it comes to my writing, and all of those related activities that come with being a writer.

First, I've signed on to be a presenter at a group of conferences (see the sidebar for dates and topics). I'll be speaking to the Salt Lake Scribes Chapter of the League of Utah Writers, on several panels for the Life, the Universe and Everything conference, teaching a class at LDStorymakers, and another at the first Indie Hub Publishing conference. Most of my presentations are already written, which is a good thing, but there is always last minute polishing.

Walnut Spring Press will be publishing my next non-fiction book, Men of Destiny: Abraham Lincoln and the Prophet Joseph Smith. We are expecting a March release, which means I'm working on gathering endorsements, getting a new author photo taken, and drafting articles for Meridian Magazine and TheFamily.com about the research. Once the revisions are done, I have permission from my publisher to post a sample chapter here at my blog, so you'll have the chance for a first look.

I'm currently working on revisions for the first novella in the Always a Bridesmaid series, Grace. My graphic artist is starting to look for ideas for the cover design and I'm hoping for a February release on this one. Grace will not be the only book in the series this year. Two more novellas and a full length novel are almost ready to go.With this series, I've decided to start using a pen name--Marie Ellsworth. I've long intended to write under this name, which is the middle names of my mother and my father combined, but now I have a reason to. Since my other published work has been either non-fiction or written for middle grade and young adult readers, I wanted to keep the branding of the romance separate, thus the use of a pen name.

But those are not the only books on my release docket for 2014. A non-fiction memoir, Living in an Osmond World is nearly done, as is Carny, the next book in the Small Town U.S.A. series, and there is a possibility I'll finish the middle grade novel, Ebenezer, in time for December.

But the biggest news of all--I've signed a contract to write a Christmas novella for an upcoming Timeless Romance anthology! These anthologies have become bestsellers, and I'm thrilled to be invited to participate along with Heather B. Moore, Annette Lyon, Sarah M. Eden, and two other authors.

So, as you might imagine, I'll be spending lots of time this year, working on my computer, but I also hope to hear from YOU! 
  

Writing Tips: Wasted Words

Some of my readers are likely aware that I taught English for 34 years. Others may know that I've been a freelance editor for 17 years. In all of that time, I've read a lot--school papers, manuscripts, and published books. Through all of that reading, I've tried to not only be a critic--yes, that is what English teachers and editors do--but also to improve my own writing skills, based on the lessons I've learned in the process. 

During the second week of each month, I will put on my teacher hat for this blog. Sometimes I will teach readers writing tips I have learned. Other weeks I'll share tips to help you better readers. The truth is, this information is actually one in the same. If you are a critical and discerning reader, you should be able to transfer those skills to your writing as well, improving your final product. 

This week I've been spending a great deal of time editing--both for myself and for clients, which has helped me choose my topic:

 Writing Tip #1: Wasted Words

During the initial drafting process, writers often shoot for a word count target. This is especially true if we are participating in a challenge such as NaNoWriMo or Word Wars with our Twitter friends. The higher the number of words we write in a given time frame, the better. We do everything we can to win the battle, collecting lots of wasted words along the way, all in the effort to have the largest word count when the match is done.  

But by the time we are ready to revise and edit, we realize that many of those precious words we wrote in the struggle to reach our goals need to go away if we want our manuscript to be worthy of publication.

I'm as guilty of wasting words as anyone. It's easy to fall into the trap of a favorite phrase that clutters my writing. I lost track of how many times I had to remove the phrase "a bit" from one of my manuscripts, but that's not the only phrase I've been guilty of using. I've learned to keep a "watch list" during my own editing process, and the search function has helped me get rid of the over-use of certain words. 

But overuse is not the only way an author can waste words. Sometimes we use words to "warm up" to what we really want to say, as fillers when we aren't sure what we want to say, or because of habits we have picked up as we speak, which we let stray into our writing. Here are a few examples:

"And with that" -- Writers add this phrase while drafting when they want to move a character from place to place, instead of just moving them. Almost every time it draws the reader out of the point of view character and into the thoughts of a narrator using the author's voice. Remove this phrase and show us the action to strengthen your scene.    

"Up" -- It's amazing how many times this little word can be added when it's not necessary. Rose up, sat up, and stood up are just a few examples. Search for "up" and read the sentence without it. If the sentence makes sense, omit the word, or better yet, find a way to strengthen the verb.

"Thought to himself" -- Everyone is guilty of this one, but if you stop to think about it, the phrase is sort of silly. Who else would you think to? Unless you're a backwards mind reader, there is no way you can think to anyone other than yourself. Delete "to himself."

"Small / Large" -- We often add these words, thinking they help a reader determine size, but unless you specifically give sometime to compare the item to these qualifiers don't add anything to the description. "A small man" could describe any man without another man to compare him to. Is he under 5' tall? Or is he simply a couple of inches shorter than Michael Jordan? If you want to see how meaningless these words become, pick up a copy of Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen and read, looking especially for the word "small." I love the story, but it becomes laughable when you hit the section where he uses small something like ten times in a half a page. 

"Well / Um" -- These words are wasted in conversation, and they are even more wasted in written text. Find another, better way to show hesitancy in a character's speech. 

Look over your own work in progress this week and make note of wasted words. Do a search and see how many you can delete. Do you notice an improvement in the quality of your writing? Continue to build your list, make every word count, and you will see improvement as you write.  

One word of warning--you'll also start to see other people's wasted words as you read. This can be good if you add their words to your editing list to avoid in your own writing, but it may also drive you crazy as you realize some of your favorite authors could have been so much better if they'd only learned not to waste words.

Welcome 2014

Happy New Year! Welcome to my blog. One of my goals is to do a better job this year at providing updates. I've even put myself back on a schedule.

If all goes as planned, I'll post a new message each week on Tuesday, and if any exciting news becomes available, I will also post additional updates in between.

Tuesday messages will center around the following themes:

Week 1 -- Setting Monthly Goals (I'll share mine. Feel free to share yours in the comments section)
Week 2 -- Tips to Improve Your Writing or Reading Skills (Once an English teacher, always an English teacher)
Week 3 -- Career updates (Book facts, news, passage, etc.)
Week 4 -- Book or Movie Review (My choice, so please don't request reviews.)

Since this is officially Week 1, I'll share my goals for the month:
1. Finish revisions for Always a Bridesmaid: Grace, the first novella in my new series
2. Approve cover art and format Kindle edition of Grace
3. Complete a client edit (Visit the Precision Editing Group website if you're interested in hiring an editor)
4. Write two entries for Living in an Osmond World and find appropriate cover art
5. Finish reading Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom by A.C. Crispin

I'll let you know how I did when I give my February goals. In the meantime, check in next week for Tips to Improve Your Writing or Reading Skills.

Memories of Those We Lost 2013

With the passing of each year, we often look back at those whose deaths have greatly affected us. Some of these people are close to us as family and friends. Others we only feel close to because of the body of work they produced which influenced our lives. I honor here the passing of few people who were important to me or my family.

Paul Walker 
The death of actor Paul Walker was a shock to our family on many levels. My husband worked with Paul on two of his early films--Meet the Deedles and Joy Ride. Paul was raised a member of the LDS church, a faith our family holds dear. Although Paul was no longer an active member of the church, nowhere have we read or heard anything about him denouncing the faith. Instead, his charitable attitude and the way he treated others on film sets seem to prove that his adult life was still deeply rooted in the teachings of his youth. Because of this, two of my sons who want to become filmmakers felt a closeness to him though his work. It was always their intention to make a movie with Paul so they could discuss the gospel with him, as well as watch him work. One of the movies I most enjoyed this year was Fast & Furious 6. I'd never seen the other films in the series, but when I watched The Fast & the Furious for the first time, I was struck by how prophetic is was in the loss of this man, one we can still admire.  

Annette Funicello

It seems like Annette was always a part of my life. From those early days of watching her on The Mickey Mouse Club, through the teen beach movies, and on to her adult life as a designer for teddy bears on QVC, I've always been aware of what Annette was up to in her career. She was a woman to be admired. Her lifelong respect for Mr. Disney and the business gave us a role model to be emulated. My closest association with Annette came though Alan Osmond, who has been both my friend and employer for many years. When Alan got word that a national rag mag was going to break the story about his own battle with MS, he called fellow sufferer and Disney-friend, Annette Funicello, who advised him to break the story himself before the magazines could make up stories. She told him to take charge, which he did, just as Annette did with her own battles with the disease. What an example of courage! 

Jean Stapleton
How well I remember my mother singing along with actress Jean Stapleton as she screeched her way through the theme song to All in the Family. Lucky for me, my mother could actually sing, and if the truth be known, Jean Stapleton probably could as well. But the bad vocals added upon the outlandish character being portrayed by a comedic actress who probably could have given Lucille Ball a run for the money. Edith Bunker was the most likable character on the entire show, although I'm not sure she was supposed to be. "Archie! Archie!" could only be properly intoned by Edith in her nasally voice as she tried to explain life to her husband, Archie Bunker. Those were the days! How did I also forget that she was in another of my favorite movies of all time, You've Got Mail?

Richard Griffiths
Most people recognize him as Vernon Dursley, Harry Potter's most unaccommodating uncle, but a quick skim though his listings on IMBD prove we've probably all seen him elsewhere as well. Two films of note are Superman II with Christopher Reeve and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides with Johnny Depp. The comment most often heard another my students, and the members of my household, at his passing was, "It's a good thing all the Harry Potter movies have been made." No one could replace Uncle Vernon.

Of course, there are many other persons of note who passed away in 2013, but these are the ones I've chosen to write a little something more about. A search on in the internet will provides lists and film clips of hundreds more names of those who left us in 2013. Death is a part of life, but our memories can help sustain the talents these people shared with the world. 

Best of 2013 - Books

Because I'm a former English teacher and currently a school librarian, the question I am most often asked is "What should I read?" I'm always ready with an answer, and I've had years of success at taking kids who entered my class as non-readers into the life of avid readers by the time they move to the next grade. This is not only my job; it's my PASSION.

One of the men I've admired most in life is Andrew Carnegie, not necessarily because of the business he built, but because he gave his money away to build libraries. And that is my personal theme:

I BUILD LIBRARIES

And I have. I've donated books to so many classrooms in Nebo School District that I have trouble keeping count anymore. I've sent books to friends, relatives, shelters, and public libraries. I spent this last summer reading through my eternal stack of books-to-be-read stored in a spare bedroom. Once read, those books were packed up to send to my niece or friends for their children, or to donate to the school library where I work, using the books to enrich our collection, or to give as gifts to students and faculty who enter the weekly drawings.

I completed 114 books this year according to my records on GoodReads. I won't list them all here, but I will tell you about some of the best, and give you a list of the others that made my Top of the List.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars

For thirty-five years I taught Romeo & Juliet, a play I fell in love with when I was in 9th grade and the Franco Zefferelli version starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey first hit the theater screen. Perhaps because Shakespeare is my cousin--thirty-four generations removed--I have deep respect for his work as an author. Add that to my love of Star Wars, and this book had the potential to either be a complete flop, or one of the best books ever written in my opinion. I LOVED IT! The author totally understood the rhythms and nuance of Shakespeare's work, while using A New Hope as his basis for the plot of this re-envisioned work. I've recommended this to many students who have also loved it.

The Fifth Assassin

Anyone who knows me well knows I am a political junkie who loves to read about conspiracy theories, and has an affinity toward learning about Abraham Lincoln. (Since I wrote a book about Lincoln and Joseph Smith three years ago that will be published in 2014, I've read a lot about the assassination of the former president.) Meltzer has developed the ultimate conspiracy theory in this fast-paced novel. What if John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald and others were not lone wolves? What if all of the presidential assassinations were somehow linked? Ignore the critics, who are likely upset because President George W. Bush gave Meltzer access to inside information from the archives. As thrillers go, this one grabbed my attention fast and didn't let go until the very end. Something too many books have failed to do lately.

Clockwork Angel 

Another book which grabbed me a the beginning and didn't let go, I loved the steampunk feel of this series enough to carry me through both this novel and the sequel, Clockwork Prince, with the intention to finish the series next summer. Sometimes a little racy, making the books definitely YA or above, the trip into the dark streets and mysterious happenings of 1878 London held my attention to the point I forgot it was another vampire novel. I didn't care. Whoever decided to start with the more modern Mortal Instruments series made a huge mistake as far as movies go. This prequel Infernal Devices series is awesome, somewhat like the Robert Downey, Jr. version of Sherlock Holmes for paranormal fans. 

The Obituary Writer

I don't read much women's fiction, but this novel had the added elements of two significant historical events--the Great San Francisco Earthquake for 1906, and John F. Kennedy's inauguration--as well as the unusual writing career for one of the main characters to draw me in. I'd never thought before about the skills one must have to be an obituary writer, at least the kind of obituaries they used to publish in the newspaper. The crafting of this novel is beautiful, and although I had begun to sort out the mystery long before the moment the truth was revealed, I was still completely satisfied. I was so intrigued by Hood's storytelling that I also read The Knitting Circle and loved it just as much. She is an author I'll add to my list of those to watch for new releases. 

Longing for Home

Back in the day when the members of my critique group were all just getting started we had the luxury of reading entire novels before they were sent off to our publishers. No longer so. Deadlines and hectic publishing schedules mean we are only getting to read opening chapters and a few random chapters and have some plot discussions along the way before the completed manuscript is sent off, never to be seen by us again until the author brings us the published book. Such was the case with Longing for Home. I knew Katie and the struggles she had faced. I knew the two men she would be forced to choose between. What I didn't know was that each friendship would blossom into a relationship that would make the final decisions Katie had to make so evenly matched that I didn't want to insist that she decide. Can we have them both? No, of course that wouldn't be fair to anyone, but making the choice is a torturous thing! Now, when is the sequel coming out? 

Like with my Best Movies list yesterday, there is no way I can do write-ups for all of the other books that have made my list, but I will give you titles and authors. I'll even place them into target audiences to help you know a little more about them than just the titles will say. One of my goals is to do some reviews again throughout the coming year, but those are always going to be books of my choice here on the main blog. Occasionally I'm asked to review a book, but those will be on another linked blog, based on target audience. See the top of LuAnn's Library for those links. 

Middle Grade

13th Reality: The Void of Mist and Thunder -- James Dashner

Case File 13: Zombie Kid -- J. Scott Savage

Case File 13: Making the Team -- J. Scott Savage

Wonder -- RJ Palacio

Cragbridge Hall: The Inventor's Secret -- Chad Morris

Wednesdays in the Tower -- Jessica Day George

Vampire Plagues: Paris -- Sebastian Rook

Far World: Air Keep -- J. Scott Savage

The Runaway King - Jennifer Nielsen

Slob -- Ellen Potter

Michael Vey: Battle of the Ampere -- Richard Paul Evans

Young Adult

Going Dark novella -- Robison Wells

Blackout -- Robison Wells

The Eye of Minds -- James Dashner

Adult Novels

Band of Sisters: Coming Home -- Annette Lyon

Heart of the Ocean -- Heather Moore

Finding Sheba -- Heather Moore

Deadly Undertakings -- Gregg Luke

Agenda 21 -- Glenn Beck

The Aliso Creek novella series -- H. B. Moore

Edenbrooke -- Julianne Donaldson

Blackmoore -- Julianne Donaldson

Becoming a Lady novella -- Marie Higgins

Non-Fiction / Education

Book Love -- Penny Kittle

Hope you find something new here to enjoy in 2014! 

 

Best of 2013 - Movies

Thus approaches the end of another year, and like many bloggers, it's time for me to post my annual Best of Lists. One caveat, none of us have seen every movie that was released the previous year, nor do we like the same things, so these lists are often useless when it comes to making comparisons to the lists our readers would make. That's okay. It's still fun to see what our friends enjoyed. My list has no particular order, but it is filled with 20 movies I enjoyed.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Rare is the moment when I've enjoyed a movie more than the book it is based on, but that's exactly what happened with this episode of The Hunger Games. (This was NOT the case with the first movie and the original book, where I felt too many details about the way their world worked were omitted from the movie for the audience to understand the significance of so many details.) The tension that was built through this movie was compelling, the way details were changed made scenes more dramatic, and I cared more about the characters than I did in the book where they seemed a little flat. Perhaps that was because I read the book after seeing the movie this time. In any case, I enjoyed the film more, especially liking the way the wedding dress reveal was changed and the scenes in response to Gale's beating. Well worth seeing, but not as a stand-alone, and if you don't like to wait for what happens next, you might want to wait until closer to the release of Mockingjay.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Since I'm talking about movies I liked better than the book, I'd better jump in here with The Hobbit. I've read the book twice. I hated it both times. I fell asleep watching An Unexpected Journey. I was reluctant to see this episode in the theater. My husband tricked me, making sure we arrived too late to get tickets to see Saving Mr. Banks, which is still on my must see list. But, I was pleasantly surprised. For the first time I was able to tell the characters apart--the Lord of the Rings trilogy is a nightmare for me to watch for this very reason--and I was able to follow the story without feeling like I'd already seen this battle before--another problem with LOTR. I know purists aren't sure about this film because Jackson took the liberty of adding to the original plot, but since these new scenes and characters helped someone like me finally figure out important elements of the LOTR, perhaps he wasn't so off-base in doing so. This is another film that if you want to know what happens next, wait until the end of the year to watch it, right before the final episode is released.

The Lone Ranger
If you're one of those people who listens to the national media when it comes to movie reviews, then you probably think this movie was a real clunker. Not so! Disney marketing was the problem. Like they did with John Carter, the marketing department had another epic fail, trying to sell the movie to the wrong audience in the wrong way, thereby cutting off their own noses to spite their face when it comes to sales. I grew up watching The Lone Ranger as a child. Every Saturday morning my brother and I watched the show, which we recognized as somewhat campy even then. Sure Hammer's Ranger comes off a little more like Dudley Doo-Right, but that's okay. We loved that show too. This movie was hysterical! The subtlety Depp brings to the character of Tonto kept me in stitches. From the moment the William Tell Overture begins I was totally into the chase scene--both times I saw it in the theater. I bought only six movies this year for Christmas, and The Lone Ranger was one of them. Give it a chance, and be prepared to laugh!

Despicable Me 2 
 Speaking of laughs, this second installment about Gru, the girls, and those crazy minions will also have you laughing like crazy. The first time I saw it was in a theater packed with a hundred kids younger than eight-years-old and I felt like a fool whenever I laughed at the humor that was obviously aimed toward adults. The kids didn't get it. But then, I'm sure i didn't laugh as hard as they did and the physical comedy based on bringing pain to the characters. That's okay. It's all part of understanding the ladder of comedy. Those kids will grow into it. In the meantime, I loved the film enough that this was another movie I bought for Christmas. We watched it this week and I found even more to laugh about because I could actually hear the dialogue over the constant chatter of little people in the movie house. The producers left the series open if they decide to do another episode, but this one also has the perfect ending. 

The Saratov Approach
Perhaps its because I currently have two sons serving LDS missions; maybe it's because one of those sons started telling me I had to see this movie long before I'd even heard of it; maybe it's because I like to revisit events in history, even if they were unfamiliar to me before seeing the film. Whatever the reason, I was touched by this movie and I've been recommending it to people everywhere. The core of the story is one every missionary mom prays she will never experience--a phone call from the Church office letting you know something is wrong. Your missionary has been hurt and you're half a world away with nothing you can do to set things right. As an audience, we go in knowing that everything works out alright--the two elders are still alive and doing press junkets, but that doesn't stop your heart from beating a little faster, your palms getting a little sweaty, and the tears from pouring out of your eyes uncontrollably. One of the best LDS movies I've ever seen, yet any audience will understand. 

 So, there are detailed reasons why I enjoyed five of the movies on my list. I could write about the other fifteen, but that would take me all day and I don't have all day. You don't have all day to read them either, so here are the remaining films that made it onto to my favorite list for 2013. 

Man of Steel

Fast & Furious 6

Star Trek Into Darkness

Iron Man 3

Oz the Great and Terrible

World War Z

White House Down

The Croods

Oblivion

Epic

G.I. Joe Retaliation

42

Jack the Giant Slayer

Austenland

Monsters University

Hope you had a great time in 2013 At the Movies!