Book Review: Texting Through Time by Christy Monson

 My take:
Texting through Time John Taylor by Christy Monson is such a fun way to help kids learn more about the prophet John Taylor and his life. They go back in time starting in England when President Taylor was a little boy and bring him to life. Then they go forward in time trying to find clues that will help them learn more about the prophet and his life and things they need to gather to help them return to their own time. It is a fun adventure that makes learning about Church History fun and exciting. It is an easy fast read that delves into the things that happened to the third prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, John Taylor. It is easy to come away feeling like you know him and what he went through to become the prophet of the Lord.

I really enjoyed reading this story and felt like I was on the same trip through time as Alicia and Micah. It was fun to travel through the different events as they decided which ones they wanted  to participate in. They learn a lot about who John Taylor is and they feel a personal bond with him that is conveyed to the reader who  then also feels that bond. I love this whole premise for learning about the prophets of the church. I had a great time reading Texting Through Time and would recommend it to everyone of all ages.

I would even recommend reading Texting Through Time as a family as part of family night activities. It will capture the attention of those listening and it will instill a desire to learn more about the history of the church and about the prophets.



Here is a brief description of the book:

Micah and Alicia are excited to meet John Taylor as a child in England. But when their phone won’t let them return to their own time, they’ll follow the prophet around the world, learning some important lessons along the way. Humorous, entertaining, and informative, this book is a wonderful introduction to church history that’s bound to be a family favorite!

Meet the Author:
My grandmother lived with us when I was young. She loved to read me stories. I would curl up in her lap or sit on the bed next to her and listen to the tales spin out before me. We cried together over Lassie Come Home and loved Madeline and her adventures. That was a magical time for me in my life. When my children were little, I loved reading to them because it kept the magic alive. Now my children are grown, I can keep the magic by writing stories for others to read.
I love to read and write stories about the pioneer prophets.
Pioneers live all over the world. I still have family in Switzerland and Poland. Where do you and your ancestors come from? Write and tell me.
I am like the pioneers because I love:

• Old fashioned cooking—making butter
• Pioneer games—button, button, who’s got the button?
• Crafts the pioneers enjoyed—drying wild flowers

To learn more about the author and her books and how to get your copy, you can visit her website at: www.christymonson.com

Book Review: Open Fire By Scott M Hurst

Open Fire: J. Golden Kimball Takes on the South by Scott M Hurst is a wonderful easy to read adventurous account of J. Golden Kimball. J. Golden Kimball had big shoes to fill. His dad's. President Heber C. Kimball. His dad was proud of him and Golden loved his father, but when his dad died things shifted a bit for Golden and he had to find his way to becoming the leader he was. This book is about that journey with all its fun and spiritual moments.It starts right off with a bang and keeps you turning pages with laughter and fun.

Scott did a marvelous job showing us who J Golden Kimball is and in reading we get to know him better. It is a book I would recommend to everyone, especially if you like rascally fun characters in Church History and J. Golden is one of the most talked about general authority pinned to many larger than life stories. Some of which are found in this book.

It is the perfect book for those who love missionary work, want to be a missionary or want to serve the Lord. You will catch the fire of Golden and feel the flames of his faith as it grows throughout the mishaps and mayhem that followed him through out his life.


Read Open Fire: J. Golden Kimball Takes on the South and enjoy it and find out a little more about the man who made everyone laugh with a cuss word or two, and how he became a general authority. You will be glad you did!~

Book Blurb:

Open Fire: J. Golden Kimball Takes on the South is Scott Hurst’s 1st book. In Open Fire, Scott Hurst fulfills the promise of his father and more, bringing the story of J. Golden Kimball to life in a wonderful and entertaining way. This loving exploration—celebration, really—of the life of J. Golden Kimball is a must-read for anyone who is going to serve or has served a mission or even anyone who just knows a missionary. It is a story of faith and doubt, hope and redemption. It is a tale of love and loss, trial and tribulation, and ultimately conquering our own fears.

In short, it is a story for all of us (from the Foreword of Open Fire).In this fast paced story filled with holy hi-jinx and missionary mayhem, Golden squares off with his characteristic cowboy sense of humor against everything from spiteful preachers to the threat of death at the hands of the terrible Ku Klux Klan. Join Golden as he takes on the South with these unbelievable, true stories.


Get your copy of Open Fire here.

Book Revie:The Assassination of Governer Boggs by Rod Miller

The Assassination of Governor Boggs By Rod Miller is fictional exploration written from the view point of Detective Calvin Pogue who was hired by William Boggs the son of Governor Boggs to find out who shot his father in the head so many years ago, to gain a sense of closure. A name is given as who the family suspects was the gunman. When asked who, one legendary Mormon was named as the shooter, Porter Rockwell.

The cold case takes Pogue across the country, as he interviews various individuals who knew of or had contact with the either the situation or Rockwell himself. Taken from the neutral eyes of Pogue, each character interviewed displays his personal feelings for the situation and their opinion about Rockwell, or Boggs. The venom or unease from either side of the story is clearly evident. And the reader learns how biased some individuals still remained regarding the events of years gone by.

As the case unfolds, Pogue's travels take him to where it all began and then across country to Utah, and eventually to old Porter himself. All ending with an unexpected ending that will leave your heart racing.

I enjoyed learning the different points of view and gaining a better understanding of the events surrounding the shooting of Governor Boggs. The letters, documents, interviews, and journal entries help build the story.

I do wish there was more showing in the story instead of telling about past events through dialogue with different characters. But I did come away from the story with a better sense of what happened during that time frame as told through the experiences of prominent individuals during that period of time.

If you are a lover of early LDS Church History, at a time of turmoil and unrest when great persecution towards the saints was rampant, and if you enjoy those off the beaten path kinds of individuals like Porter Rockwell, then The Assassination of Governor Boggs by Rod Miller is the book for you.

To get your copy click here, then you can step into one of the biggest unsolved mysteries of the time period and see if you can determine who really shot Governor Boggs.

Disclaimer: At times I do receive copies of books to review, but my opinions are and will always remain my own.