LDSreview.net

Mother’s Day Book Review: Mom Says I Can

Meredith — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:42:23 +0000

Meet Super Cool Max, Best Treasure Hunter Ever! Come with him in search of the world’s greatest treasure (with mom’s permission, of course!)

Mom Says I Can, written and illustrated by Judy Cooley, is an adorable children’s book about the adventures of Super Cool Max, professional treasure hunter. You’ll go with him on his make-believe adventures, made possible of his Super Cool Mom. When the day is done, you’ll find out what the world’s greatest treasure is (it’s one I think all moms will like!)

Mom Says I Can is a hardcover, 32-page illustrated book. It can be found at Deseret Book stores and online at www.deseretbook.com. Read more about the author and illustrator, Judy Cooley, at www.judycooley.com.

FableHaven makes #3 on NYT Bestsellers List

Brian — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:58:27 +0000

On May 11th The New York Times will publish its Bestsellers list with FableHaven (written by LDS author Brandon Mull) as number three in the Children’s Best Sellers series category.

Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight sits at number one and Harry Potter drops out of the top ten. More on FableHaven here. Pick it up the latest FableHaven at here for $14.

Stephanie Meyer’s The Host hits Bookshelves

Brian — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:42:59 +0000

The author of the popular Twilight series has released a new book, The Host, described as a science-fiction romance.

Check out this NewsNet article or order it now ($15) from Amazon.

LDS Movie Rentals Aims to Become Netflix of LDS Film

Brian — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:41:55 +0000

There’s a new way to bring LDS film into your home. LDS Movie Rentals is providing a monthly subscription service that allows you to rent 1-2 DVD’s at a time, sending and receiving them by mail.

Check them out at ldsmovierentals.com.

Cedar Fort books on Amazon’s Kindle

Brian — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:40:48 +0000

For those of you with Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader, you can now purchase and read books from Cedar Fort’s collection. Shop for the Kindle these books at Amazon.com.

Bonneville Portrays LDS Culture, Going from Theaters to DVD

Brian — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:56:04 +0000

Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates and Joan Allen travel from Pocatello, Idaho to Santa Barbara, California. in a 1966 Bonneville as three Mormon women in Bonneville. The three friends renew friendships as the visit sites along the way.

The film is rated PG and went into limited release in February. The film is scheduled for release on DVD and Netflix in June. Check out the film’s homepage here

In preparation for the role, Joan Allen immersed herself in Mormon culture, explaining that “since my character was so deeply attached to that religion, I came a week early and spent my time with people from the church. They brought me into their homes, took me to their church, helped me immensely understand the religion in a way that you can’t always get when you’re reading a book.”

Rescued - a new LDS Drama out on Video

Brian — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:11:40 +0000

Candlelight Media has released a new LDS film set on an island with three crashed coworkers. Introduce some soul searching and a love triangle and you have Rescued.

The film is available on DVD here and at Deseret Book, Seagull, Walmart and Costco to name a few. Check out the home page for behind the scenes clips and more info on the movie!

The Next Great Comedy from Idaho? In Convenience

Brian — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:30:54 +0000

Napoleon Dynamite put Idaho and a new bunch of LDS filmmakers on the map. Now, a goup from Rexburg is out to lighten the mood again with a new comedy: In Convenience.

The film has been screened in Idaho and a trailer is online. The story features a broke and enterprising student looking for money and ready to go to desperate measures to do so. That sounds like a solid recipe for comedy.

Check out official site for news, trailer and plot info.

Book Review: Barrington Family Saga by Anita Stansfield

Meredith — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:26:03 +0000

When James and Eleanore Barrington immigrate from England to Iowa, they’re looking to place the past behind them and start their family in a place far removed from the rigidity of high society. When Eleanore gets introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, her life changes, but in ways she or her family could have ever imagined. Join Anita Stansfield for yet another family saga: the Barrington Family Saga.

I think I’ve read nearly every Anita Stansfield novel, and after each one, I think to myself, “Why? Why I do read these nonsensical, hopelessly cheesy books?” I think the Barrington Family Saga is kind of the nail in the coffin for me and Anita Stansfield. I just don’t think her novels could be any more outrageous than they already are.

In this latest series, James Barrington is a wealthy member of English society. His wife leaves the family because of her own selfishness, and James proposes marriage to his nanny, Eleanore, a woman 20 years his junior. They agree to move together to Iowa with James’ two children, and it’s there that Eleanore becomes a member of the LDS church. At the same time, trouble is brewing with the Church, and James becomes adamant that nobody can find out that Eleanore is a member of the Church. But young Eleanore begins to share the gospel with their hired staff (yes, hired staff in rural Iowa!) and her friends, and soon she’s longing to be with the Saints, who are being pushed from Nauvoo and on to Utah. But the time isn’t right for the Barrington’s to leave their Iowan home, and they find out that their purpose there is greater than what they had ever expected.

Rereading my summary of the series, it sounds pretty decent, right? Well, that’s because I took out all of the romance, the unending philosophical babblings, the tragedy, and the dreaminess of the whole situation. When I read Anita Stansfield’s books, I’m reminded of my elementary school essays about me being the most popular cheerleader, the cutest girl, and the one with the most money. Stansfield has taken my 6th grade dreams and put them smack dab in the 1800s.

If you’re a diehard Stansfield fan, I have no doubt that you’re already read the Saga. If you’re a beginner in Stansfield’s world, try out one of her earlier novels, and you’ll find the blueprint for each successive novel. I could almost swear that the Barrington Family Saga mirrors Gables of Legacy, just on another continent.

You can find the Barrington Family Saga at Deseret Book stores or online at www.deseretbook.com.

Music Review: Michael McLean Silver Anniversary Boxed Set

Meredith — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:53:47 +0000

I know what you’re thinking: “Michael McLean’s been at this for 25 years?!?!” Yes, it’s true, and to celebrate 25 years of hope-filled LDS music, Shadow Mountain has released the Michael McLean Silver Anniversary Boxed Set with six CDs of Michael’s greatest music.

If you’re a Michael McLean fan, you’re going to gasp when you hear that I’m not a huge fan. I should say wasn’t a huge fan. I’m one of those people that joined in at the stereotypical Michael McLean impersonations and brushed him off as way too “jump on the bandwagon” for me. That all changed when I watched the 2007 DVD release of Forgotten Carols. While my dear husband scoffed at the production, I was enthralled. I love the story, I loved the music, and I loved that Michael McLean and his family had made it into a family production. My one critique of the DVD was that I wish it had been made into a feature film and not just a filmed play. Yes, I think it could become a mainstream Christmas classic. Now I understand why LDSreview.net gets questions each year about where and when the live productions will take place.

But I digress…

When I received the Michael McLean Silver Anniversary Boxed Set, I hid from my husband and immediately started listening in on the first CD. Day after day, I’d listen to one CD after another. Now, I’m not going to say that I loved each and every song because, let’s face it: some of them are cheesy and most definitely have that 1980’s sound to them. But for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised at the singing quality, the differences in genre between the songs, and most of all, the heartfelt lyrics. Don’t think that every song is song by The Man himself because it’s actually the opposite: he is the minority vocalist on each CD, which means that it’s a varied listening experience.

Another great thing about the boxed set is that each CD has a different theme, which makes it easy to choose a CD based on your mood. The six CDs include:

Hope Hiding
Tender Mercies
The Other Side of Sorrow
It’s Not Love ‘Til It’s Been Through a Storm
Changed
See Us Shine

My personal favorite so far is The Other Side of Sorrow, but maybe that’s because I’m glutton for punishment and enjoy a good cry. But in all honest, I think the whole set is wonderful and a great achievement for Brother McLean.

You can find Michael McLean Silver Anniversary Boxed Set at Deseret Books stores or on the web at www.deseretbook.com. Each CD can also be purchased individually. The boxed set retails for $49.95 (that’s about $8.30 per CD), and the individual CDs retail for $12.98.