November is a quiet month for new book releases so I try and use the time to read books I missed earlier in the year or just things that catch my eye. And by that I mean, anything in this mini-bookcase, which is now comprised of books coming out in 2016 and all the things that came out this year that I didn’t read (yet). I know, it’s a little crazy, but it is organized (sort ... Read More...
It’s Not You, It’s Me: Mini-Reviews
It's no secret that books are marvelously subjective--unless of course, they're badly written, in which case, of course, they must be ignored completely. Still, for every reader who loves spy thrillers there is one who does not. Even within genres there can be books that appeal to some but for whom others don't feel the same way. Along those lines, I'm adding a new type of ... Read More...
Slow Motion: A Memoir of a Life Rescued by Tragedy
I have always believed my mother would live forever. While I have never said goodbye to my father without the thought crossing my mind that I might never see him again, my mother has seemed indestructible, fixed in my consciousness like a gnarled and stately tree that has taken root there. If she is ripped away at this moment in my life, she will take her roots with her and I ... Read More...
The Chocolate Money
Call me twisted but when a book opens with a wealthy woman complaining that no one understood her nude-themed Christmas card, I’m going to laugh. And have high hopes that something snarky and fun is about to transpire. Unfortunately, this does not work out in The Chocolate Money. Babs is the heiress to the Ballentyne chocolate fortune. She and her young daughter, Bettina, live ... Read More...
Sugarhouse: Turning the Neighborhood Crack House into Our Home Sweet Home
“When looking for a house, you’re not looking for mere lumber and plumbing but rather for spirit and community. You’re not looking for a location but a locus, a place that will be your center.” Before I begin this review I need to issue a disclaimer. I don’t know Matthew Batt but as one non-Mormon living in Salt Lake City, UT, to another, I do. In fact, we lived there at the ... Read More...
