The Paladin Prophecy

From the books description:

Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam.

Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school . . . and is being followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he's capable of--physical and mental feats that should be impossible--and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.

 

 

MY THOUGHTS:I enjoyed this book. It took me a bit to get into the ideas behind it and put aside my constant "Yeah, that is really convenient" as certain things as they happened.
But when all is said and done I enjoyed just as much as some of the comic book hero movies I watch.
The main problem I still have with this book is one that happens in a lot of Youth fiction, that of how stupid the writer makes the adults in the story.
I find it hard to believe that a group of 15 year olds are so much smarter and more cunning than adults, even the evil minded adults, but at the end of the book I became ok with it. Wish the author would have made at least one adult be able to see what was going on and help, or not.
How a new kid at a school can within days root out a evil that has been there for years and not one other adult or student has a clue, even the adults that are suppose to be on the kids side. Oh well, suspend the area of disbelief just a bit more than I usually do and I am ok
All in all I will move on to book 2 with happy smile on my face.

Lifestyles of the Great and Spacious

Really enjoyed this book. The author, with his wit and special type of story telling, takes the reader into Lehi's Dream to help make sense of what it might mean for you.

A lot of the time is spent on the Large and Spacious building (hence the title) but that is probably where it needs the most discussion.
A must read for any Book of Mormon reader wanting a bit more.

Treasure Island

Considering that I never read this until I was 57 years old...what a treat!
This is the basis for so many of our accepted ideas on what a pirate is and how they should act.
Also the perfect picture of the anti villain.
Loved this book.
So many accepted pirate stereo types started here.
There is a reason that great characters and their stories last through the generations and more.
This is one of those classic books.

Man of La Mancha

I love this play and re-reading the words every few years is great. There is so much power and deep meaning in some of Don Quixote monologues is just as meaningful today maybe in some ways more meaningful than back in 1965 when the play first was shown.
This play is Miguel Cervantes' classic novel "Don Quixote" that was written over 300 years ago. " The story of a poor country squire who loves to read about the days of chivalry, knight-errants doing battle on behalf of their 'lady fair' and the evil they face. This takes the highlights of Cervantes' story and brings it to life in a musical. The only thing missing here is the actual music itself, but all the  lyrics and on-stage dialogue is present.

This was made into a movie but this book follows the play not the movie script which differs slightly.
A must read if you enjoyed the play.
Don't know how many people enjoy reading plays but to me it is a sweet experience, especially with one so full of beauty a this one. 

The 7-day Christian

(from the book description) "Christianity is facing great opposition. At the very least, most Christians know what it is like to end up on the "wrong" side of a
"politically correct" conversation. More than ever before, we need believing and behaving disciples- men and women who are ready to stand up, stand together, and change the world one righteous choice at a time.

Filled with personal experiences and heartwarming stories, this book emphasizes the importance of living in accordance with Christian values seven days a week and offers practical suggestions for how to actually pull it off. In addition to finding personal peace and having a positive impact on others, choosing to live as a daily disciple opens the door for tremendous personal development."

 

My thoughts: I enjoy Brad Wilcox a great deal. He has a great way of speaking and talking with people. His books usually carry the same warm hearted, easy going style. This one did not disappoint.

His stories and how they apply to his topic were truly smile worthy and thought provoking at times.

I enjoy his approach that we need to live and "be" our religion every day.

 

This is a must read for any Brad Wilcox fan as well as anyone wanting to get that little extra umph for living a good Christian life.

Come Unto Me.

This book is designed to be a thought for each day book for the year.

In truth I find I do not have that amount of patience and I enjoy reading it over several weeks.

I find that as I mark the thoughts and quotes from different Church Leaders helps me. I in turn take the thoughts I mark and then rewrite them into my gran thought book arranged by subject.

I have often gone to this "book" of my thoughts I have read when I need a quote for a lesson or talk.

A good read whether it is one page a day or more.

(From the Book description)
Elder M. Russell Ballard bears a unique heritage. A descendant of Hyrum Smith and Joseph F. Smith, Elder Ballard was also blessed with two grandfathers who were Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hyrum Mack Smith and Melvin J. Ballard left volumes of their sermons, writings, letters, and family records. In studying their words, Elder Ballard was reminded of this truth: "God is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Mormon 9:9).
His latest book shares a collection of his difficult-to-find messages given during his service as a General Authority, paired with related teachings from his grandfathers. "What I have taught," writes Elder Ballard, "is largely an echo of what was taught by my grandfathers."
As the three Apostles share a common witness of the truths of the restored gospel, one thing becomes clear: although programs and policies may change, doctrine is eternal. It is both timely and timeless. The doctrine of the gospel is forever relevant to disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

My thoughts: This was a very nice read. I really enjoy Elder Ballard's ease of story telling.
He showed that most doctrine is the same and is unchanging.
The highlights from his grandfathers was nice to read and you can see where this great man got some of his training.
This is a must read for any who are wanting a quick validation that we are lead by spiritually minded men.
It had applications to todays world and challenges.