New Mormon Books

When Julie Berry’s debut novel, The Amaranth Enchantment, was published in March, it triggered a front-page story in the Boston Globe about the growing number of female LDS authors who are “surging into the genre of young-adult literature” with “wholesome” fantasy books. But for Berry, the book is just a logical extension of what she, herself, always liked to read.

Author draws her inspiration from fairy tales
By Carma Wadley
Deseret News, May 30, 2009.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705307336/Author-draws-her-inspiration-from-fairy-tales.html?linkTrack=rss-44

Once when he was a student at the University of Utah, Lance Allred received an incomplete for his grade in a Middle East history class. It didn’t make sense to the academic all-conference basketball player with a 3.8 GPA, who had submitted a well-researched 10-page final paper. Apparently the paper was so well-written that the professor assumed the paper had been plagiarized because Allred was an athlete.

Utah Utes basketball: Lance Allred chronicles his amazing life in new book
By Mike Sorensen
Deseret News, May 31, 2009.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705307607/Utah-Utes-basketball-Lance-Allred-chronicles-his-amazing-life-in-new-book.html?linkTrack=rss-32

One in a rash of FLDS-related memoirs to come out in the last few years, Lost Boy is the first I know of that presents a man’s perspective and experience. Jeffs is quick to note that while many outsiders may think men love the idea of having multiple wives and the implied sexual variety polygamy would provide, the reality of day-to-day life in a polygamous family is anything but dreamy.

Book Review: Lost Boy by Brent W. Jeffs
By Rebecca
The Book Lady’s Blog. May 30, 2009
http://thebookladysblog.com/2009/05/30/book-review-lost-boy-by-brent-w-jeffs/

In her book Confessions of a Completely In*sane Mother, Kersten Campbell regales the reader with stories of pink-striped laundry, buying a rock from her small son, adventures in sewing Cub Scout patches onto her son’s shirt–and her pants–and more hilarious offerings.

Author Interview: Kersten Campbell
By Marsha Ward
Writer in the Pines, May 29, 2009
http://marshaward.blogspot.com/2009/05/author-interview-kersten-campbell.html

Brady Udall, author of The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint, will read from his soon-to-be-published novel, The Lonely Polygamist, at 7 p.m. June 11 at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts in Ketchum.

Novelist Brady Udall reads from new polygamy novel in Ketchum June 11
Twin Falls ID Times-News, May 29, 2009.

Zondervan’s new edition of The Mormon Mirage contains all the original reasons why I left the LDS Church, after being a faithful, happy, BYU-scholarship, temple-recommend Mormon. But about 50 percent of this new book is comprised of completely new content – necessitated because the LDS Church is one of the most metamorphic, dynamic religious groups of all time.

Reason #70 –Can’t We All Just Get Along?
By Latayne C. Scott
http://www.latayne.com/incite-blog/reason-70-cant-we-all-just-get-along.php

“Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer is perhaps the latest and most well known example, but more than sixty authors of books for young adults are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Award winning science fiction author Orson Scott Card is another Mormon author who has found success. Why are the young adult and fantasy literature genres so conducive to members of the Mormon faith? We speak with Chris Crowe, professor of English at Brigham Young University, and co-editor of the book “How I Came to Write: LDS Authors for Young Adults.”

Mormons and Young Adult Literature
WBUR Radio, April 29, 2009.
http://www.hereandnow.org/2009/04/rundown-429

Allred’s story is pretty amazing. The title alone makes me think it’ll be a great read. It details the obstacles Allred faced on his way to the NBA where he became the first legally deaf player in league history last season.

The Adventures of a Deaf Fundamentalist Mormon Kid and His Journey to the NBA.
By Matt Hubert
Blog Talk BayHawk, May 26, 2009
http://eriebayhawks.blogspot.com/2009/05/adventures-of-deaf-fundamentalist.html

Lance Allred was active for 17 games with the Cavs during the 2007-2008 season. He actually appeared in only three of those games, logging a total of 10:05 played while going 1-4 from the floor, 1-2 at the free throw line, and grabbing one rebound. So you can be forgiven for not knowing who he is. A 10-day contract-type player doesn’t merit the fans’ attention, especially when the team is pushing towards the playoffs behind LeBron James.

But there was much more to Allred coffeebreak-length pro career.

STRANGER THAN FICTION
One-time Cav Lance Allred’s new book is no ordinary athlete autobio
by Vince Grzegorek
Cleveland Scene, May 27, 2009.
http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/stranger-than-fiction/Content?oid=1574245

Allred started writing his memoirs while playing overseas, but never intended to pursue getting it published as a book. However, when he became the first hearing-impaired player to reach the NBA, his story became of interest to many people, including publisher HarperCollins.

Lance Allred’s book Longshot available in stores today
Our Sports Central, May 26, 2009
http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3829815

In all honestly, this book is great. Up front, and for full disclosure, I received Longshot for free after begging to get an advance copy, but I would not have been afraid to demolish it like a salad bar post-Nate Jawai, had it deserved it. Fortunately, I loved it.

Lance Allred’s Longshot - A Book Report/Review
By Scott Schroeder
Ridiculous Upside, May 26, 2009.
http://www.ridiculousupside.com/2009/5/26/886784/lance-allreds-longshot-a-book

I loved this book. It is probably not one that I would have chosen myself. It took me a long time to read it - I think that was because I was taking in all the historical parts. While I was reading it I was conscious that it was fact interwoven with fiction.

BLOGOSPHERE BOOK CIRCLE - MAY
By Melissa
eMpTy, May 26, 2009
http://tuataragirl.blogspot.com/2009/05/blogosphere-book-circle.html

Udall, who lives in Boise’s North End with his wife and kids, is teaching in his third year with Boise State’s Master of Fine Arts program, and he has just completed his new tome, the 700-page novel, The Lonely Polygamist. The novel, which should be released in late 2009/early 2010, is about a man with four wives and 20-plus kids, who has an affair with a woman who does not know he is a polygamist; complex human drama ensues.

Telling Tales Out of School: Boise author Brady Udall prepares to let loose The Lonely Polygamist
by Christian A. Winn
Boise Weekly, May 27, 2009
http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/telling-tales-out-of-school/Content?oid=1055898