Vows of Murder by Lynn Cahoon, #17 in the Tourist Trap Mystery series.
Released in 2025
Fiction, mystery, weddings, California, cults, murder
Recommend: Sure
These quick reads, or listens in this case, are fun and relaxing for me. It isn't stellar writing, but I've come to love the characters, Jill and her finally husband, Greg, and the nice cast of characters that live in fictional South Cove, California. In this installment Jill and Greg finally make it to the altar and get married. Several things have derailed this momentous occasion in the previous books. In addition to wedding plans and festivities Greg, the chief of police, and Jill who has a knack for seeing clues, have to deal with a religious organization that has purchased many acres and established a compound of sorts for their members. When one of their leaders ends up dead and family members come searching for their loved ones Jill fears it is a cult that has marred their small peaceful coastal town. But no worries, Greg and Jill solve the case, get married and leave for their honeymoon with all the bad guys taken care of!
Alma 1-29, a brief theological introduction by Kylie Nielson Turley
Published in 2020
Non-fiction, Book of Mormon, religion, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Recommend: Yes
This book has been on my shelf for a few years. I saw it as I was moving my bookshelf and remembered I hadn't read it when my sister gifted it to me. She teaches at Brigham Young University and the author is a friend of hers. It's a short book, only 129 pages, with beautiful wood cut illustrations by Brian Kershisnik. This book is part of a series of short books that cover the books in the Book of Mormon; there are 12 in total each written by a different author. I appreciated the author's research and thoughtful conclusions on the stories and characters that are in Alma chapters 1-29. I left with a greater appreciation of these historical figures and especially with a gratitude and reverence for the Savior Jesus Christ and how His infinite mercy carried them through difficulties and catastrophes. Alma the Elder, Alma the Younger, Amulek, Abish, and the people of Zarahemla and the land of Nephi are all a little more real to me after this reading this inspiring book. I now read the Book of Mormon with more love and compassion for these people and see with more clarity the help, hope, and love I receive from the Savior in my daily life.
The Superteacher Project by Gordan Korman
Released in 2023
Children's fiction, school, A.I., robot, middle school
Recommend: probably not
I always enjoy Gordon Korman's book and he often writes school stories. This school story is told from multiple perspectives, mostly students plus the principal and a "student teacher" at Brightling Middle School. As the school year starts the class clown and rule disruptor finds a new teacher who he can't trick and who almost knows what shenanigans he and his friend are going to pull before they happen. This new teacher, Mr. Aidact, is a bit stiff, but very knowledgable. The students soon get past his quirks and he becomes very popular. What the students don't know is that Mr. Aidact is not a person at all, but an A.I. generated robot. The principal of Brightling Middle School and the teacher are all in the know, but the students and parents are not. Soon Mr. Aidact is doing all the chores the other teachers hate: lunchroom duty, recess duty, detention, etc. He doesn't mind, he can't mind, he's not human. He has a "student teacher" that follows him everywhere who is really the engineer in charge of the program. This governmental experiment from the Department of Education turns out very differently than the engineers and scientists could have imagined and some of the students sleuth around and find out who he really is. In the end the students are convinced Mr. Aidact is much more than just a computer program, maybe he really is like them, a human being with feelings.
This was an engaging story, well told, and with well developed characters. I found myself buying into the "robot has a soul" feeling the story had and that was a bit disconcerting. It reminded me of years ago when Star Trek: The Next Generation was was on tv and so many people identified with "Data" and thought he must have feelings and have a conscience when in reality, he was just a computer program. I wouldn't want a child to misunderstand what technology can and cannot do and for that reason I'm not sure I would recommend this to young readers.
The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo
Published in 2021
Children's fiction, story telling, kingdoms, goat, monks, kings
Recommend: Yes
When I read Kate DiCamillo's books I find myself smiling. I picked this one up as I was browsing at Barnes and Noble for my birthday. The characters are endearing, quirky, and resilient. A small child suddenly shows up asleep with a goat at a monastery. No one knows how she ended up there, including Beatryce herself, but one monk is alarmed when he finds out she can read and write. Only the monks are allowed to learn to read and write and so to keep her safe she must pass as a monk. He shaves her head and she dresses in monk garments. Soon other people join the story and Beatryce remembers who she is and what she must do to make a change in the kingdom. Her seemingly mismatched companions, a head strong goat, a monk, a wanderer who was a king, and a young boy, set off to change the world and miraculously are successful.