Synopsis: A literary author kills his crime fiction scribe alter ego, only to have him come to life and menace his family. Review: The Dark Half is classic King and a book I’ve ready maybe 4 times now. It felt thin to me this time, probably because I am so familiar with the plot. I still love the way it talks about the process of writing–I don’t think anybody really does that better than King.
Synopsis: A 500-year-old teen witch crosses paths with a reverse-Cinderella. Review: Bewitching is Alex Flinn’s latest fairy tale retelling and I just loved it. She sets the Cinderella story in a Miami middle school, then frames it with the story of Kendra, a girl who became an eternal witch during the plague of 1666. Kendra tells us two stories of her own, both fairy tale retellings that can stand alone as lovely and poignant tales, and also shed light on the larger story. Structurally it’s…
Synopsis: An exploration of a murder committed in the FLDS community of polygamists becomes an exploration of the history of Mormonism and the paradox of the many outward virtues of its followers, and the murders and massacres that have marked its development into a major world religion. Review: This is my second time reading Under the Banner of Heaven, and I got so much out of it this time. The importance of Mormonism on the history of the American West is something that I never…
Synopsis: A step-by-step guide to making your homesteading dreams come true, no matter how big or small. Review: I live in an apartment in New York City and so I might seem like the last person to be drawn to a book called Your Custom Homestead. But actually it was perfect for me. Sure, I’m never going to have acres and goats, but I’ve got big dreams for my balcony garden and know that someday I will own chickens. Jill’s ideas and suggestions are helpful…
Synopsis: Simplicity guru Tsh Oxenreider helps you transform your life one step at a time. Review: I love Tsh. Love her. I am inspired every time I read her blog or listen to her podcast. Her book Organized Simplicity just makes the kind of life I want seem so effortless. Here, in One Bite at a Time, Tsh breaks it down into easy pieces. What I love about this book is that it’s a great reference. I am already pretty organized, my home is pretty…
Synopsis: On their way to Calla Bryn Sturgis, Roland and his ka-tet take shelter from a starkblast, and Roland tells the story of his first quest after killing his mother, and within it tells a fairy tale about a brave boy who tangles with a demonic trickster. Review: Oh, my, and it was good to hear Roland’s voice again, you say true and I say thankya. With the series complete, King didn’t need to add to his Dark Tower saga, but The Wind Through the…
Synopsis: Elissa Wall escaped polygamy and the FLDS after being forced by the prophet Rulon Jeffs to marry her first cousin at the age of 14. Review: I seriously can’t stop reading about Mormon fundamentalism. Stolen Innocence told yet another story of a girl’s life ruined by the out-of-control men who get to do whatever they want with impunity.
Synopsis: A true story of a woman who escaped polygamy with her eight children, despite being the plural wife of one of the most powerful men in the FLDS. Review: Carolyn Jessop’s story is fascinating and inspiring. As a mom myself, I was moved by her love for her children and her tenacity at making the system work for her. In Escape, she takes readers through her harrowing journey from true believing sister wife to crusader for justice.
Synopsis: After escaping from in the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints, Flora Jessop has devoted her life to rescuing other girls from polygamy and abuse in the cult. Review: Church of Lies is an incredibly powerful story. The beginning chapters describing Flora Jessop’s abuse at the hands of her father were harrowing and there was a lot I had to skip over because it was a bit too explicit. But when the story turned to Flora’s attempts to work within and outside of the system to rescue…
Synopsis: A college student with a troubled past uncovers a supernatural secret in her dormitory that threatens the love she’s finally discovered, and possibly even her life. Review: I really wanted Asylum to be as awesome as Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan, and it just wasn’t. I loved all the texture and historical detail, but all the scary stuff just didn’t play. And the love story was pretty one-dimensional. I almost didn’t finish it because my unmet expectations were bumming me out too…