Is there a busy mom who loves to cook on your Christmas list this year? Well, have I got a gift suggestion for you! Earlier this year, Sara Wells and Kate Jones, two young LDS moms, published a cookbook called Our Best Bites: Mormon Moms in the Kitchen. Do the authors' names sound familiar to you? They should. Wells and Jones run Our Best Bites, a cooking blog frequented by hundreds of followers and subscribers. While you can get their recipes for free on the site, I was still excited when the good people over at Deseret Book sent me a copy of the cookbook to review.

As Jock tries to talk some sense into his grandpa, he learns some hard, but enlightening truths about family, friendship and what really matters in the "Big Game of Everything," otherwise known as life.

The Big Game of Everything, a YA novel by Chris Lynch, is skimpy on plot, but big on heart. It's a funny, quirky little novel that's simply about a teenage boy's concern for the grandfather he adores. With no love triangles, no vampires, and no excursions into Faerie land, it may sound a little dull to teenage readers - it's not. Nor is it terribly exciting. However, it's a sweet, entertaining book that will more than likely make you laugh out loud. I can't say I loved The Big Game of Everything, I can say I enjoyed it.

(Readalikes: Hm, I can't really think of anything. Can you?)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for vague (except in the case of Jock's grandma) references to sex

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Big Game of Everything from the generous folks at HarperTeen. Thank you!

When they ruin any chance of career advancement in the state of Illinois by having a scandalous affair, college history professor Frank Nichols and teacher Dora Chambers retreat to the countryside. Frank has inherited a home in a small Georgia town called Whitbrow and, while it's a little isolated and creepy, living out in the boonies definitely beats bunking at Frank's brother's apartment. Even though his aunt urges Frank not to move in, to sell the place immediately, Frank dismisses her warnings as the ravings of a senile old woman. He wants to write a history of his family's plantation, which he knows was nearby. What better way to immerse himself in the project than to live on site? Besides, it's not like he and Dora have many other prospects.

(Readalikes: Hm, I don't know. Nothing's really coming to mind. Any ideas?)

Grade: C

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language, sexual content and intense situations

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Bleed from the generous folks at Hyperion Teen. Thank you!