My Tuesday is shaping up to be a busy one, but I didn't want to miss out on participating in my favorite weekly blogging event.  Top Ten Tuesday is always a lot of fun.  It's a great way to find new blogs, revisit old favorites, and get lots of great reading recommendations.  Who cares if your TBR list is already miles long?  If you want to participate (and you SO do), go on over to The Broke and the Bookish and read up on how the meme works.  Then make your own list and have a good time checking out other lists around the book blogosphere!

Today's topic is: Top Ten Books With __________ Characters.  I decided to fill in the blank with "Twin."  My mother is an identical twin; maybe that's why I've always been fascinated with twins.  Whatever the reason, I read a lot of books with such characters, so here's a list of the first ten that came to mind.

2.  Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling—On to the most lovable literary twins, Fred and George Weasley.  It's impossible not to be charmed by these mischief-loving brothers.


3.  The Bobbsey Twins series by Laura Lee Hope—I adored these books as a child!


4.  Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal—Here's another blast from the past.  I inhaled these silly high school stories about Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, twins who are identical but have very different personalities.  Their various dramas kept me thoroughly engrossed as a young reader.


7.  In the Woods by Tana French—The Irish writer's debut mystery/thriller features a young murder victim who is a twin.  French's books are always can't-look-away compelling.

If you're a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you're no doubt looking forward to this weekend.  Twice a year, the LDS Church holds a General Conference, which takes place in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City and is broadcast all over the world.  My family loves going to church in our pajamas (we watch Conference on our t.v. at home), eating traditional foods (French toast for breakfast is a Conference must), and, most of all, listening to inspired counsel from our Church leaders (glorious!).  I always come away from the experience feeling closer to my family and to God.

Of course, Conference wouldn't be Conference without the world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  In between the talks, the 360-person, all-volunteer singing group performs songs of faith and devotion, which always bring a special spirit to the proceedings.

While watching the choir on t.v. is powerful, it's nothing compared to seeing the group perform live.  If you happen to be in Salt Lake City, you can catch free performances every Sunday during the taping of the Music and the Spoken Word program.  Weekly rehearsals are also free and open to the public.  There are additional concerts throughout the year.  Information about all of these events can be found on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's website.

Even if you can't catch MoTab live, you can still listen to its music.  Check out the commercial-free, 24/7 music stream at the Mormon Channel, for instance.  You can also find CDs at Amazon, Deseret Book, and other retailers.

If you love the choir's rich, inspiring music, you'll definitely want to check out its newest CD, Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Friends.  The album features eleven tracks from the choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square, seven of which are from standout concert performances over the last 15 years; the other four were created specifically for this CD.  Each song stars a guest artist or two, from Yo-Yo Ma to James Taylor to Angela Lansbury to Santino Fontana.  The tracks range from African-American spirituals to songs from popular movies to old favorites like How Can I Keep From Singing?  It's a soothing, sometimes rousing collection that can be enjoyed by listeners of all ages.  Seriously!  My favorite track on the album is "Through Heaven's Eyes" (from The Prince of Egypt), which happens to be the movie song my 8-year-old sings most.

Released in May, the album quickly reached No. 1 on Billboard's Classical Crossover Chart, the 12th time that a Mormon Tabernacle Choir album has done so.  It also earned the No. 2 spot on the Classical Overall chart.

If you've got a MoTab lover on your Christmas list this year, definitely pick up one of these babies.  Also, keep in mind that Deseret Book stores across the nation will be hosting Ladies Night on Saturday, September 30.  Almost everything in the store will be 20% off, making it a perfect night to get a Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Friends CD of your very own.

*To the FTC, with love:  I received a free Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Friends CD in exchange for an honest review from the generous folks at Deseret Book.  Thank you!     

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