Tag: books

Must Dos — COVID-19 Edition

By Chelsea Kern For nearly 20 years, we’ve showcased local events in our “Must-Do” section of Utah Valley Magazine. But 2020 is so not 2019. Check out some of our favorite “musts” — but this time, no tickets or selfies in the seats are required. We’ve gathered podcasts, books and YouTube channels created by our […]

18+ non-LDS authors and leaders Elder Holland says were influenced by religion

The world needs religion to help direct its moral compass, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland told a packed Marriott Center at the BYU Education Week Devotional on Tuesday morning. In a world that is seemingly getting less religious, Elder Holland used the speech to address a concern for the direction and attitude of society toward religion as […]

5 great Christ figures in modern literature

The scriptures and the words of living prophets are the best place to learn about the Savior, His mission and His love. The Savior’s ministry as recorded in the New Testament and his visit to the Nephites as recorded in The Book of Mormon both bear powerful witness of His divinity and the reality of […]

Choosing to write: You never know the difference you will make

When people think about authors, perhaps the first names that pop into their heads are John Grisham, Nicholas Sparks, James Patterson, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling and Dr. Seuss. They conjure up images of swanky parties, massive bank accounts, national television appearances, limousine rides, a third home in Tahiti, heli-skiing in the Alps, and book signings […]

General conference literary challenge: How many have you read?

  [pullquote] Who said it? We’re all familiar with President Thomas S. Monson’s plentiful references to poetry, music, and literature. But — surprise — President Dieter F. Uchtdorf cited more books in this list than any other Church leader. Presidents Monson and Uchtdorf each quoted from about two dozen books in the last five years […]

Spooky stories and Halloween reads for all ages

Halloween isn’t just about costumes, trick-or-treating or horror movies. There are bookshelves full of spooky stories, twisted tales and fearsome fables to set the mood — often in ways more captivating and eerie than movies. Shauna Mundinger, the children’s associate librarian at Orem Public Library, said Halloween is a good opportunity to make reading fun for […]

10 inspiring books by non-LDS writers

The LDS book market is a publishing force to be reckoned with, with hundreds of new titles by LDS authors being published every year. Elder Orson F. Whitney said in 1888, “We will yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own. … In God’s name and by his help we will build up a literature […]

Audiobooks that will make your family road trip fly by

If you’re going on a road trip with your family this summer, gear yourself up for listening to whiny kids, bored teenagers and a few too many rounds of “99 Bottles of (whatever) on the Wall.” Or, you could just take one of these audiobook recommendations from seasoned librarian Carla Zollinger. Zollinger has worked for […]

Two local best-selling fantasy authors have new books out in September

If you want to be a wildly successful author in Utah Valley, a good approach is to write fantasy novels and to answer to the name Brandon. In addition to making the New York Times best-seller lists, prolific authors Brandon Mull (Highland) and Brandon Sanderson (American Fork) both attended Brigham Young University — Mull studying […]