The Independent (NSJ 2122)


Efi F. Arifin - 2007
    

Sweet By and By


Ramona Bridges - 2009
    An invalid mother whose health continues to fail. A son banished from home. Thirty-three-year-old Addie Coulter is certain life can't get any worse. But after a series of tragedies and losses that challenge her will and test her faith, Addie is forced to leave the only home she's ever known and travel with her daughter to live with her brother and sister-in-law in Golden Meadow. It is here, on the road to recovery, that she meets the dashing Hiram Graham and begins to believe it's possible to love again. Set during a time when life itself was filled with strife and hardship, author Ramona Bridges weaves an unforgettable story about unfailing love, deceit, and forgiveness in her debut novel, Sweet By and By. When the revealing of a horrible secret and the arrival of a dangerous criminal threatens to disrupt everything Addie's built and destroy her chance at true love, she's left with only one option: trust in her Savior to bring her safely to the other side. With a cast of characters that will capture your imagination and your heart, Sweet By and By celebrates God's promise of faith and hope amidst life's inevitable disappointments.

The Boy Who Invented the Bubble Gun: An Odyssey of Innocence


Paul Gallico - 1975
    A nine-year-old boy meets an array of colorful characters when he leaves his home in San Diego and takes a bus trip to Washington, D.C., to patent his toy bubble gun invention.

The Broken Places


Susan Perabo - 2001
    Subtly heartbreaking and wise, The Broken Places is a masterful exploration of the precarious intersection of honor, duty, and family.

Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk


Tony DuShane - 2010
    But Gabe’s not alone: there’s Peter, who writes swear words in the margins of his papers; Jihyun, the Korean kid who subsists on Ho Hos and Doritos; and Camille, who follows Gabe around, trying to be his girlfriend. There’s also Gabe’s mom, who sleeps sixteen hours a day, and his dad, an elder who decides the fate of sinners (like the married couple who confesses to accidentally having anal sex). There’s Brother Miller, an elder with a Napoleon complex, who accompanies Gabe from door to door, encouraging him to knock with confidence, and Sister Feeney, who looks forward to the day she can move into a Spanish-style house after its owner dies at the end of the world. Luckily for Gabe, there is Uncle Jeff, who used to tour with Santana and now gives Gabe the only valuable girl advice he ever receives. It's hard when school days are spent dodging questions about your weird religion and weekends mean preaching house to house. Life looks dreary until Gabe falls for Camille’s beautiful older sister and begins to see her as the answer to his frustrations.

Bogmeadow's Wish


Terry Kay - 2011
    He also has the tender memories of his grandfather's exaggerated stories of Irish wonder and magic stories of leprechauns and legends and the mysterious power of fate. But he doesnot have the story of why his grandfather left Ireland as a young man.Mesmerized by his romantic vision of Ireland, Cooper begins his search with a charming, down-on- his-luck Irish actor. He is also unprepared for the presence of Kathleen O'Reilly. As Cooper hunts for his grandfather's ghost, the landmarks and the fate of the Irish that Finn Coghlan talked of magically brings Cooper and Kathleen together. Yet, there is a truth between the two of them that not even the enchanting tale of Finn McCool and Sally Cavanaugh can resolve. For that, Cooper must use the one gift bestowed on him as a child by his grandfatherBogmeadow's wish.

SON COMPLEX


Kris Williamson - 2013
    His mission: to meet Nasri Aziz, the politician he believes is his biological father. A man who has no idea Aaron even exists.Encouraged by the letters of his late mother Nora, Aaron seeks to find out more about her life in Malaysia in the 1980s. Aaron's arrival comes as a complete surprise not only to Nasri but his wife (who wants to be known only as Datin) and son Iskandar, a teenager who leads a darker double life.While working to gain their trust, Aaron discovers a complex background of secrets and lies. And it is up to Sundari, the controversial NGO activist who was Nora's confidante in Malaysia, to reveal the shocking truth.

Redemption Road


Toni Sorenson Brown - 2006
    The building is little more than a pile of rubble on a bald piece of land, but inside, children learn much more than just reading and writing from Mama Grace. They learn about love in a land where it is in short supply.It is here, in the outskirts of Nairobi, where Lana feels most at home -- as far away as she can get from her Utah Mormon roots. It is also here where her heart is captured by Jomo -- a seven-year-old street urchin who will lead her on a journey into the very heart of a land called both dark and dawn.In her stunning new novel, Toni Sorenson Brown weaves a deeply moving and authentic tale of heartbreak and healing, of romance and return. It will move you to know that one solitary soul, tattered and discarded, is still worth saving, and that the road to redemption winds even through a forgotten village in the darkest part of the darkest place on earth.

Grumby


Andy Kessler - 2010
    In this comic novel a band of hacker-geeks load state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, including working eyes, ears, spy software, and a smart mouth, into a bunch of old Furby dolls, re-christened Grumbies, network them together, sell millions, become rich and famous and make enemies/allies of Mossad, the CIA, Google, Microsoft, IRS, Goldman Sachs, the guys from Google, and Steve Jobs.

PERJALANAN


Regina Ibrahim - 2014
    When she meets the man of her dreams and he wants to marry her, she tries to pick the right time to tell him she is a transgender.

Sammy's Song


Alma J. Yates - 2005
    How could Marnis parents bring someone like him to live with her normal family? And now its Marnis responsibility to babysit him. But soon Marni discovers there are some advantages to taking care of her older cousinand that someone unique is hidden beneath Sammys uncommon exterior. However, Marni still isnt looking forward to taking him to the first day of school. What will people think when they find out she is related to Sammy? What will they do? And, most importantly, what will she do? Destined to become a modern classic in LDS fiction, Sammys Song will open your eyesand your heart. Published: August 2005

The Night People


Jack Finney - 1977
    

Upon Dark Waters


Robert Radcliffe - 2003
    A thrilling story of endurance and survival.

The Power of One & Tandia (Omnibus)


Bryce Courtenay - 1992
    It has been translated into 18 languages, has sold more than 8 million copies and has been made into a Hollywood film. It is the wonderful story of a boy growing up South Africa. Tandia is the sequel to The Power of One and continues the story of the main character, Peekay. This gem of story is beloved by millions around the world!

Little Green


Loretta Stinson - 2010
    She hitchhikes as far as the freeway outside a small Northwestern town. The closest thing within walking distance is a strip club, and Janie finds herself working there, where she falls for Paul Jesse, a drug dealer, and moves in with him as he spirals into addiction and physical abuse. As the violence escalates, Janie finds a job in a bookstore and begins to establish her independence. Leaving Paul after a brutal beating, Janie must reconcile their relationship and make the most difficult, most dangerous choice she’ll ever make.Like Dorothy Allison’s Bastard Out of Carolina and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Little Green examines the psychology of a woman who has experienced violence at the hands of someone she loves and the complexity of leaving with sensitivity and insight. This is a life-affirming story about a woman who finds strength in books, in the promise of education, and in the community of friends who help her find a way out.