I just finished the audio book “Saboteur; A Novel of Love and War” by Dean Hughes.   Although long (over 800 minutes), it was very interesting and had a very good story line. 

The story takes place at the beginning and through World War II.  It tells about Andy and his family.  Andy’s dad is Bishop for the LDS Church and the Mayor of the town of Delta, Utah.  His mother is a sweet woman who is originally from France.  His sisters, Adele and Christina, and his younger brother Phillip, who is affectionatly known as Flip, and Whisper, Andy’s girlfriend, are the main characters in the story.  Andy has joined the Army and has trained as a paratrooper, but because of his French background from his mother’s side, the government has other plans for him.  The Office of Strategic Services needs soldiers with his French language talents, and wants Andy to drop behind enemy lines in France to help the war from the inside.  As all of this is happening for Andy, back home many things are changing.  A relocation camp for Japanese American citizens, which is not far from Delta, brings on many racial tensions, and Whisper Harris, Andy’s girl he left behind, is dealing with the conflicting emotions that she is feeling, because of Andy’s desire to release her from any obligations to him while he is away, so that she can get on with her life. 

“Saboteur; A Novel of Love and War” by Dean Hughes, is a story that is captivating and intriguing.  As I said, it is a bit long, but an interesting story of life in a small town and of the things that were taking place halfway around the world from that small town, during the war. 

J. Stevenson
Asotin, Washington 

I have just finished listening to “Ben Franklin and the Chamber of Time” by Chris Heimerdinger, and I just loved it!  I have read the Tennis Shoes books, and wanted to listen to this one; and I find that Chris Heimerdinger is just a great storyteller!  He is obviously fascinated with time travel, and this book is quite interesting.  He brings in a figure from history we all know, and tells a story around a natural phenomenon such as lightening.  It was quite interesting how he was able to spin this tale!  I quite enjoyed getting to know the characters, and can’t help but wonder what the world would be like if we could travel through time! 
 
I highly recommend “Ben Franklin and the Chamber of Time” by Chris Heimerdinger!  It a story that whole family can enjoy!
 
K. Meyer
Castle Rock, Colorado 

“Visioneering” by Dennis R. Deaton, is a two and a half hour audio presentation that talks about the sorts of attitude and mental prowess that we need in order to really see what our goals are and where we want to be in life.

I found this talk to be particularly powerful and useful to those, like myself, who have been out of work or who have been out of the habit of studying awhile.  It seems that it would also be very effective for those who have come through depression, but who are still struggling to clear the fog from their minds.  I think the most powerful thing for me that
cemented my focus during this presentation, was his three recommendations:  1. reduce mental clutter;  2. exercise;  3. set daily study - thinking- visioneering time.  It made me realise that getting through the haze in my mind, being able to focus and take things in and really see them as they are, is up to me. Clearing my mind for instruction is a simple decision to let go of all the things that I THINK I have to do at that time, and put those aside; then dedicate time to the task at hand. The rest of the presentation dealt with putting things in place to help one “ACHIEVE” one’s goals.

“Visioneering” by Dennis R. Deaton, is a presentation that is well worth the time it takes to listen to it, and has greatly helped me already with my schooling.  It has helped me sort my head out, so that I could really go into school and focus to achieve my goal with the end in mind, seeing clearly what is wanted and what is required of me to achieve it. I HIGHLY recommend this one to students and those who work.  I have already recommended it to several of my classmates.

A. Howard
Hamilton, New Zealand

I recently listened to “Molly Married?” by Tamra Norton in the MP3 format. This is the second of the Molly books, and follows the adventures of Molly, her cousin Shannon, and friends Brandon and Gordon.  If you have been lucky enough to read book one, “Molly Mormon?”, and have enjoyed it, I’m certain you will love the second book.  I was delighted to find that the exceptional Marla Stephenson was again the narrator/reader of this book! She is a delight to hear, and makes this book seem a familiar friend, rather than a story by a stranger. You may think that having listened to “Molly Married?”, you have the next book all figured out, but probably not. There are surprises here and there, fun and teasing, and also some serious moments. The story is true to life in that Molly’s experiences and emotions are familiar.  I think the tone is generally light, the story is not mundane. Molly is trying to figure out her future. She is in college now, and Brandon has returned from his mission.  Her old feelings for him have come to the surface again, and she is wondering what the future will hold. Her friend, Gordon, is a nice guy and fun, and she doesn’t want to hurt his feelings, but she mostly wants to work on her relationship with Brandon.

Shannon is still suffering from problems of the past. Molly, though young, proves to be the kind of friend all of us wish we had.

“Molly Married?” by Tamra Norton is a great book with a surprising storyline and just enough drama to give the story some punch. D. Perkins
Eagle River, Alaska    

“The Loss of The Sacred” by Matthew O. Richardson is a lecture on man’s view of sacred and spiritual perspective.  I found it to be an excellant reminder of how man interacts with God. Mr. Richardson gives us an insight into how some of us are so well read and knowledgeable with regard to the gospel that we may make it too common place.

Some of the things we once, as a society, held in “high regard” or sacred, if you will, such as an oath, have diminished to the point that they are common place today among some individuals. He gives examples such as “our word being our bond”, “opening doors out of respect”, sacred places for other cultures and beliefs becoming “points of interest” for others, and “patriotic reverance” during the National Anthem and flag presentation.

During this lecture, I took a while to think about his very well presented  topic.  Mr. Richardson brought out the point that sometimes we as Latter-day Saints are so well informed that we lose the opportunity to take in the SACREDNESS of the lessons or talks presented to us.  This made me ponder and ask, “Are we so blessed that we take for granted the sacredness of the blessings we receive?”

In listening to “The Loss of The Sacred” by Matthew O. Richardson, I found that his lecture brought a better understanding of the fact that as we hold sacred the blessings of God and the word of God, we can have a greater power with God, which will, in return, fill our soul.
 
D. Baxter
Nephi, Utah; Married with five children 

I listened to “Molly Mormon?” by Tamra Norton, in the MP3 format.  It is 4 hours and 11 minutes long, and introduced the main characters: Molly, her cousin Shannon, and friend Brandon.  I was looking for a light, upbeat story, and this one definitely filled those requirements. The reader, Marla Stephenson, was a perfect Molly, and I looked forward to hearing her voice each time I turned on my player.Having just gotten into the realm of audio books, I’ve been a little surprised to find that even an interesting book can be difficult to listen to if the reader isn’t skilled.  No one could accuse Marla Stephenson of being boring. She has a very winsome voice with a good touch of humor, and is a smooth and refined reader.  She can convincingly touch your heart, show compassion or disdain without ever going over the line of a professional reader.

The teenage Molly has some challenges, like any teen in the world;  however, Molly’s challenges mostly stem from being a good “Mormon.” She is notoriously a good person, and gets more than her share of ridicule from her peers for that reason.  Unlike most of the LDS heroines and heroes, she isn’t pulled down to self-destruction by a major weakness. She is more likely to judge herself unpopular and find herself on the sidelines when it comes to dealing with the so-called popular crowd.The story, the first in the three of Molly stories, revolves around Molly and her growing up years in high school, and how she finds herself drawn to or repelled from certain youth at her school based on their behavior.  Find out how she deals with Brandon, a young member of her church who has developed some dangerous habits.  Then discover how she handles her best friend, when she steps outside the boundaries of her standards and gets herself into a life changing situation, and also what happens when Ms. Petite-ness and Perfection seems to find joy in making Molly’s life miserable.

Though “Molly Mormon?” by Tamra Norton is probably intended for teens, I am an adult with grown daughters, and enjoyed it very much. The message of the book applies to everyone, and it was very easy listening.

D. Perkins
Eagle River, Alaska