Gables of Legacy : Full Circle (Anita Stansfield)

For Emily Hamilton, losing her beloved husband Michael to death was one of the hardest things she had ever faced. But having to live without him—year after year—is proving to be even more difficult. Even though Emily’s family surrounds her with love and support, the loneliness and lack of close companionship brings about a desire to move on with her life. Compelled to pursue new social opportunities and break out of the deep rut she finds herself in, Emily meets a man who could turn everything in her carefully cultivated life upside down. Samuel Reid is a very different man from Michael Hamilton—a man who is desperately searching for answers that Emily can lovingly provide. While Samuel seems to be honest and sensitive, Emily’s family is wary of his intentions. Can Emily survive yet another crisis in her life, or will Samuel end up being one of the best things that ever happened to her—and to her children? Anita Stansfield, the #1 best-selling LDS romance author, delivers one of her finest novels to date, a tender conclusion to the stirring Gables of Legacy series, and a heartwarming story of eternal love that transcends the thin veil between life and death.

The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman)

Lyra Belacqua is content to run wild among the scholars in Jordan College, her daemon familiar always by her side. But the moment she hears hushed talk of Dust, an extraordinary particle, she's drawn to the heart of a terrible struggle - a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armored bears. And as she hurtles toward danger in the cold, far North, young Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: her destiny must be fulfilled not in this world, but far beyond.

This is the first book in the His Dark Materials series. It is an interesting story. I dont know if I can outright say that I like it but it has me interested enough to want to read the next one.

Gables of Legacy : The Miracle (Anita Stansfield)

Scott Ivie is finally learning what it means to be part of a family. In fact, he has merged so perfectly into the Hamilton family that he almost feels he was destined to be living and working with them in Australia. After all, it was Jess Hamilton who first introduced Scott to the gospel. But when Jess's younger sister Emma returns from her mission early because of a health problem, she is less than pleased to see the good-looking stranger sitting at the family dinner table.
Facing a life-threatening crisis, Emma has far more important things to worry about than a gold-digging American--even if she is attracted to him. Could there be more to Scott than Emma can possibly see right now?
Best-selling author Anita Stansfield once again delivers a compelling story of family unity, faith, and the miracles that can come through the power of the gospel.
See also The Guardian, Guiding Star, The Silver Linings, An Eternal Bond, and Full Circle. This is volume 5 in the Gables series.

The Hourglass Door (Lisa Mangum)

His past. Her future. Can love bring them together in time?
Abby’s senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He’s mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she’s ever met before. Abby can’t deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves.

I loved this book. The author is very descriptive and fast paced, her writing keeps the plot moving and exciting. This is the 1st in a trilogy, I am looking forward to the following books. Great book for being the first from this author.

Eyes Like Mine (Julie Wright)

A story of family that transcends time William has been missing for two days. And even though the rest of the wagon company has decided they must continue on to Zion, Constance Brown refuses to go any further until she finds her husband. All she can think about is the last time she saw him — he lovingly touched her face and then sang their baby girl to sleep. Will that memory be all Constance has to hold on to?
In a future time and place, Liz King is a teenager struggling with her identity in the modern world. The embarrassment she feels because of her parents’ divorce and her family’s new-found financial problems turns to bitterness.
Through an inexplicable twist of fate, Constance and Liz are brought face to face. Liz recognizes Constance’s name from her mother’s endless lectures on their family history, and she also recognizes her eyes — they are exactly like her own. Were these distant relatives brought together in order to help each other?
Will Constance be able to return to her own life and find William, and will Liz be able to keep from telling Constance how her story ends? In this irresistible novel filled with gripping adventure and heartfelt emotion, two young women from drastically different times and settings learn that the challenges life holds for them are not so different after all.

Another pioneer story with a twist of the pioneer women having to come to the future to help her posterity. I liked this story.

The Undaunted: The Miracle of the Hole-in-the-Rock Pioneers (Gerald N Lund)

The journey was impossible.But they had no other choice.
At the call of their prophet, they left well-established farms and businesses to strike out yet again into the untamed wilderness. A small band of men, women, and children formed the 1879 pioneer company.
Their mission: stand as a buffer between lawlessness and civilization.Their road: only what they created themselves, blasting out a perilous trail over slick rock and through desolate cliffs.Their hearts: UNDAUNTED

Listen to an interview with Gerald N. Lund from The Cricket and Seagull Fireside Chat Podcast.
To find out more about about this book visit Undaunted-thenovel.com

I really enjoyed this book. I would like to go visit some of the places that these pioneers crossed and be able to see some of the artifacts that were left behind on their travels. I definately recommend this book. It has facts from some of the pioneers journals to back up some of the events that the author has chosen to share.

The Ties That Bind (Kristen McKendry)

After losing both parents at a young age, Daniel McDonald grew up disconnected from his family history. Now, as he approaches the birth of his first child, he feels deeply unsettled about his severed familial bonds. Before Daniel can feel ready to be a father himself, he knows he must unravel the painful mystery of his past and make peace with what he finds.
This quest begins as Daniel discovers the story of his grandmother, a woman of great faith who wanted nothing more than to have her family sealed together eternally, but whose untimely death led to the scattering of her offspring. Daniel’s journey of understanding unfolds as he forms new connections with relatives he never knew he had and gains long-lost insight about the difficult circumstances that entangled his family tree. From a past riddled by abuse, abandonment, and alcoholism, Daniel comes to see himself and his future in a promising new light.
Inspired by actual people and events, this novel poignantly imparts unforgettable lessons about love and loss, choice and accountability, and the everlasting ties that bind generations.

This is another quick read. I loved it because it compared the life story of a guy living in this decade to his grandparents living in harder times. I love the family history story behind this book.