The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice (Rebecca Musser

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library.

Assuming this book is true (and I believe it is due to media stories and other books about the FLDS that I've read), it's very good.

I'm sickened to learn more of what went on under the rule of Warren Jeffs, but his father was kind of creepy, too. Still, Warren is a sick, sick, perverted man. I don't understand how his followers can't see that. Even if they have been indoctrinated since birth, surely the women must see how perverted and disgusting things became over time. It all became progressively more disturbing, but perhaps it's the fear of physical and/or spiritual harm that keeps them from getting out.

Thank goodness Warren Jeffs is in prison, but it's terribly sad that so many of the followers of this "religion" are still living under his power.

There are some descriptions of sexual perversions that happen within the FLDS community and a handful of mild swear words in this book.

As Bright As Heaven (Susan Meissner)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library. In fact, I recommended it to the ebook library because I really like the author.

Okay, at first - meaning 25% in - I wasn't sure if I would finish this book. It was set in a funeral parlor, and the job of mortician is described to some degree. That's not a comfortable place for my mind to be. Then I realized the subject of the Spanish Influenza of 1918 was coming up, and I just was feeling so depressed and heavy.

I trust the author, though, so I persevered, and I'm really glad I did. I loved this book. It's one of those books that just has to settle into your soul for a few days after you finish it.

I'm not entirely convinced on one of the "love" storylines, but it's not a strong focus of the book and didn't detract from the emotions of the rest of the story. I would probably have given this a 4.7 on Goodreads if I could, but since I can't, I gave it a 5.

Clean. (Proof right here that an amazing book can be clean.)

Even This: Getting to the Place Where You Can Trust God with Anything (Emily Belle Freeman)

Why I have this book: I listened to the audio version via DBS+, but I actually ended up buying the Kindle version, too.

I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads. I really liked it a lot. I liked listening to the author read it. Her voice is very soothing. I liked her honesty about her journey in her relationship with God, especially when times have been hard. I liked her suggestions, which are less about what her readers should do and more about what she has done to choose to see God's hand in her life. I liked how she shares how she learned lessons along the way and how those lessons came to her. It helped me to see how open our minds need to be to see what God is wanting to tell us.

Highly recommended.

Clean.

Parakeet Princess (Jandy Branch)

Why I have this book: I got it for free on Kindle years ago.

I gave this one star on Goodreads, and it's not because the writing is bad. The writing is actually really decent. The book kept my interest, but...

I really, really hated the message that if you're LDS, you can't date someone who is not. Supposedly the protagonist (who is 16-years-old?) draws all these perfectly nice non-LDS boys to her, but she turns them all down for dates because they aren't LDS.

I thought we had moved past that in the LDS culture. If these boys were drawn to her because of her "light," let's say, then how does her refusal to consider them "good enough" help share the goodness of the gospel?

The whole "parakeet-robin" analogy really annoyed me for the same reason. Ugh.

I can understand that when considering who to marry, religion is a big deal. This book just made LDS people look snobbish, though.

Clean.

Gifted (Karey White)

Why I have this book: I bought it years ago after reading some of the author's other books.

I have mixed feelings on this one. While the writing was great and the storyline was very engrossing, I just couldn't buy the "specialness" of the daughter, nor did I love the ending/"choice" made by said special daughter.

At the same time, it's kind of stuck in my head, but in a bothered kind of way. It's just not sitting well with me, but it was so intriguing that I stayed up until well into the early morning hours to see what would happen.

I did make me think about what kind of mom I am, though, when it comes to my kids' friends.

I would recommend it to my friends just so we could talk about it! I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.

Clean.

The Promise (Danielle Steel)

Why I have this book: I was cleaning out some old emails, and my friend had recommended it years ago, so I bought it on Kindle.

Wow! This book was dated, but luckily (?), I'm old enough to understand it anyway. Haha...

Meh. It was kind of an interesting storyline, but a little predictable, not realistic... basically, a Lifetime movie candidate. (I should go look and see if it was made into a movie...)

... oh, right... the book was actually based on a screenplay. That would explain why it seems like a movie... I just watched the trailer and it might be kind of fun to watch the movie, although the acting looks a little over-dramatic. Apparently the whole movie is on youtube.

Anyway, I gave this book 2 stars on Goodreads.

There was some swearing and a few mildly descriptive sexual references.