You may not be familiar with the "Mormon Mentions" feature on my blog, so let me explain: Hi, my name is Susan. I'm a book blogger and I'm a Mormon. I'm sure you've seen the ads, right? Well, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly known as The Mormon Church), I'm naturally concerned with how my religion is portrayed in the media. So, every time I read a snippet about Mormonism in a book written by a non-LDS author, I post it here, along with my opinion about its content. If you hate this kind of thing, feel free to skip these posts, but, if you have questions, answers, discussion points, whatever, please comment. I'm always interested in knowing what you think!

Okay, here's one from Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott. I don't really have much to say about it, I just think it's funny:

"Last night I decided that it is totally nuts to believe in Christ, that it is every bit as crazy as being a Scientologist or a Jehovah's Witness. But a priest friend said solemnly, "Scientologists and Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are crazier than they have to be" (69).

Ha ha.

Today, I'm being featured by the wonderful AubrieAnne over at Who's Your Editor. Click here to check it out. While you're over there, join AubrieAnne's 2012 Bookmark Break Challenge. It's a really easy one because all you have to do is read. What could be simpler than that?

Celie doesn't realize just how protective the castle is of her family until her parents go missing. Left on their own, the three Glower children must decide what to do next. If their father is truly dead, 14-year-old Rolf will take the throne. He doesn't want it - not yet, anyway - and even the castle seems hesitant to approve the change. In the meantime, it's up to Celie, Rolf and their older sister, Lilah, to defend their kingdom against would-be invaders, find out what really happened to their parents, and keep themselves from getting thrown in the dungeon in the process. Thankfully, they have Castle Glower on their side. But when an opposing ruler brings in his own ancient magic, Celie feels the castle weakening. Without its help and protection, what possible chance do she and her siblings have of saving the kingdom? Armed only with their own cleverness, the Glower kids must find a way to save their home, their family and their people - before it's too late.

Tuesdays at the Castle, the newest middle grade fantasy from popular children's author Jessica Day George, is just as fun and magical as it sounds. With humor, originality and lighthearted prose, it's simply an enjoyable read. I bought the book for my 9-year-old daughter as a Christmas present, but I loved the story just as much as she did. If my boys could get over the princess thing long enough to give Tuesdays at the Castle a chance, I think they would really enjoy it, too. It's that appealing. Definitely don't wait until next Christmas to buy yourself your kids a copy.

Grade: B+