Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler

Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I am a bit obsessed with reading about other faiths than my own, and reading about the amish rates up there. There's not a lot of non-fiction about them, fir obvious reasons, so I was very happy to find this book.

Unfortunately, I wasn't happy to actually read the book.

the overarching theme of the book, to me, is "poor ira". Gah, nothing I hate to read about more than the self-serving martyr sydrome. In Ira's case, its "poor Ira I have a family who loves me and wants me ti be happy". Oh, poor baby! ira never once explains why he's so unhppy; just vaguely explains that deep down he knows he won't fit in. even as he's proposing marriage to an amish girl, he claims he knows it won't work. how selfish. ira leaves four times before finally leaving the fifth and final time; how much hell do you think he brought his parents who only wanted what was best for him?

I can't begin to imagine how difficult it must be ti giveup everything - its why I am so disappointed with this book. If only I got some sense of what the author was feeling, instead of the constant excuses for his failures thriughout his early life.

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Falling to Earth

Falling to Earth: An Apollo 15 Astronaut's Journey to the Moon by Al Worden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Al Worden writes a candid book about his life, becoming an astronaut, flying to the moon and back, the scandal that ended his career, and his life afterwards.

I'm a space geek - I'm the first to admit I don't understand most of the science, but being born in '76 and being a kid growing up with the Teacher in Space program - and the horrifying Challenger disaster, which is the Kennedy moment of my generation - I'm fascinated with the space program. I've read probably a dozen books by other astronauts and knew about the scandal with the postal books.

The book is interesting - growing up and working on a farm, his early career days, and how suddenly he ended up an astronaut. The reason I give this book 4 stars is because Worden makes excuses an awful lot for alot of things he does, rationalizing everything from being a bad father (well you know, I'm in training to fly to the moon) and being a bad husband (well, you know, I'm in training to fly to the moon) and rationalizes his way through the fact that he got paid money to bring souvenirs to the moon, something that naturally leaves a bad taste in this tax payer's mouth. He naturally was proved innocent in the end and his career was redeemed, along with his reputation, but the rationalizing still bothered me enough to rate this one 4 stars.



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Delivered from Evil

Delivered from Evil: True Stories of Ordinary People Who Faced Monstrous Mass Killers and Survived by Ron Franscell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A series of stories about mass murderers/killers, and the people who survived.

Franscell's writing style is not my favorite - more a tabloid, sensationalist style, then plain face, but the subject is interesting. His writing style does make the book very readable, though this isn't a book you are going to read in one or two evenings - it's too horrible. There's a similarity between all of the murderers and the aftermath and how the survivors all coped.

Reading a book like this makes one wonder how quickly your whole life can change, and really makes me want to step up my game today, because tomorrow may never come.

--
borrowed from the library as an e-book



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Heaven's Harlots: My Fifteen Years as a Sacred Prostitute in the Children of God Cult by Miriam Williams

Heaven's Harlots: My Fifteen Years as a Sacred Prostitute in the Children of God Cult by Miriam Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I definitely have a thing for reading memoirs and books about cults - I'm a bit obsessed, truth be told. I was born in 76, and had really only heard of this cult before, but other than the name and that it was a cult, knew nothing at all about it. I prefer autobiographies to memoirs but actually read more memoirs than autobiographies, and this book was the first book I found through interlibrary loan when the time came to read about this cult.

Williams is clearly not an accomplished writer; her book reads very flat. That being said, her life is fascinating. You can clearly tell she's censoring herself a lot, and I do get that, but on the other hand, she was the one who chose to write this book, you can't now only share half your story, and you definitely get the impression that that is what she is doing here.

Her constant, reoccuring theme throughout the book is how she would do absolutely anything to protect her children and claims she finally leaves the cult because of her children, when that's clearly not true. I also really hated the fact that she constantly talks about how much she loves her children (plural) and constantly tries to tell us what she did that made her such a good mother, when in fact she mainly obsesses over her oldest child, and mainly puts him (and her other children) in harm's way, rationalizing that she's in fact exposing them to emotional and psychological abuse. Williams seems more interested in telling us what a good mother she is, then in actually sharing her experiences in a cult.

I also was surprised, when she finally got to how she left the cult, by how she actually left. Without spoiling the book for you, she constantly tells us how she left the cult because she wanted to save her children, when it seems more like she just got left behind. The whole thing reads as a story, and I wonder where the truth actually lies.

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Cult Insanity

Cult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement by Irene Spencer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is Spencer's second book, and you definitely have to read her first book to follow this one. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and even her explanations of who characters were didn't really help me much.

Spencer seems to write her story without really sharing what she went through - she did this already in her first book - but the memoir comes across as detached because she's not sharing her memories and feelings so much as sharing dry facts as to what happened when she was a part of this crazy family.

It's a book worth reading, to be sure, if you are interested in polygamy, but it's not a book for someone who wants to read a casual memoir on any subject, and there are honestly a lot better books about polygamy out there (like Spencer's first book or Spencer's sister wife's book)

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Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill

Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book back in Oct 2013, but as always, I needed a little bit of time to think about the book before I wrote my review. I also youtubed Jenna Hill and got more of a personal insight by watching her on video (and I admit, I liked her less after watching her in person then after reading her book. On TV, she comes across as looking for her five minutes of fame; in the book, she seems more "real").

Jenna grows up in a scientology family - something I only had the vaguest ideas about before reading this book. After she becomes an adult, she marries and becomes a scientologist in her own right.

Her childhood is filled with a variety of abuses and things most people don't have to deal with in their every day lives: from chanting and lack of privacy, to controlled public punishment for imagined wrongdoings, to a uniform dress code, isolation from the rest of the world (and told that the rest of the world is "bad"), to doctrines that are never quite explained, to out and out abuse like slave labor, mental and physical abuse, public humiliation, and let's not forget brainwashing.

Jenna's writing throughout is a bit childish, as is her story, but as she was a child during most of the book, that makes sense & isn't necessarily a negative, as you really do feel for her. I do feel like she enjoyed throwing herself a pity party - not saying she didn't deserve our pity, mind you. My biggest point for mentioning this is that Jenna, sadly, does not seem to grow at all as a person within the pages of this book.







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Mary Boleyn

Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings by Alison Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been wanting to read this for quite a while, and was finally able to sit down and spend the time to read.

Mary Boleyn has always fascinated me, mostly because she is usually portrayed so badly - as a whore, or as someone a little slow-witted and unwilling to stand up for herself.

Weir's book is I believe, the first full length biography on Mary. I especially enjoyed reading about Mary's early years at French court, something I don't know a whole heck of a lot about, but certainly reads like a soap opera! There's a lot of background information about the era Mary lives in as well (most of which I already was familiar with).

Because there is not a lot of factual information about Mary Boleyn, there is a certain amount of text devoted to her family, other families who lived near them, etc., but I feel it does serve to help balance out what otherwise might be too short of a book.

I did have to rate the book 4 stars because there is a lot of repetition in the book, especially on issues (to me) that are minor - for example, a good 20 pages on whether Anne or Mary is the elder - does this really matter at all?

All in all, this book is good, just not a great read.



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Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer

Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read Irene's book after reading her sister-wives book. Irene's story is heart breaking in her own right, but because she was older than Susan and an earlier wife, poor Irene has to live through so much more.

I enjoyed Irene's writing style, which was down to earth and straight forward. The book does seem to drag a bit, only because so much is similar - "Hey, I want to marry another wife" "No, I don't want you to marry again" "Tough luck", oh look another wife. Over and over again.

OK let's move to another dirt poor area and live where there's no heat... "NO, I don't want to" "Tough luck" oh look, another move.

Poor Irene, Through it all you really do feel bad for her. Irene really struggles with jealously throughout the book, natural enough, and by then end you are really rooting for her. You do have to question why she stays with her husband so long. But how she manages to survive is why this book is worth reading.







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Fifty Years in Polygamy

Fifty Years in Polygamy: Big Secrets, Little White Lies by Kristyn Decker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read a lot of biographies & have read a few on polygamy, and was interested in reading Decker's story/memoir about her life in polygamy. I always have a really, really hard time in reviewing memoirs because I feel like I'm reviewing a person's life, not their book, and how does one review someone's life?

Kristyn (born Sophia) was born into polygamy, raised in the faith, and married into the faith. Unlike most of tales of polygamy, Sophia "only" had one sister wife, so her book was really interesting because it was so different. Her life was full of abuse (sexual, emotional & physical) and lived a life of neglect and poverty, which caused her much mental distress (including an addiction to food).

That being said, I found it very difficult to get into the book based upon Decker's very choppy writing style (my review copy was also full of numerous spacing issues, from lack of spacing between words to lack of spacing between paragraphs, all of which I assume is fixed in the final version). Sophia/Kristyn was also very, very, very good at "playing the martyr". I'm sure you have one of those in your life, where no matter what, the person just isn't happy, is always the wronged one, is always the one making the big sacrifices, is always bending over backwards to make everyone else happy and of course, they are perfect in every single way. Between Sophia's constant playing the martyr/"poor me" syndrome, her constant "foreseeing" of truths (i.e. she "knew" what sex her children would be; she knew various men were perverts; she "knew" when one of her kids was in trouble; she "knew" she was going to have one more child because her future child "spoke" to her, etc etc), her constant back and forth ranting and raving, etc., it made it very hard for me to like Sophia.

On the other hand, that was the whole point of the book. This is a memoir, after all, and it's here to tell Kristyn's/Sophia's story of polygamy, and naturally that includes all the horror stories often associated with stories of polygamy, like incest, abuse, poverty, jealous, hatred, etc. She's telling her side of it, and no matter what, you have to feel for what she went through.

And regardless, it's a fascinating tale that will get you to learn about a lifestyle that's probably way, way different from your own.

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

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3000 degrees

3000 Degrees: The True Story of a Deadly Fire and the Men Who Fought It by Sean Flynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My husband grew up in Worcester, where this book takes place, and is obsessed with the work police and fire do. I'm rather surprised it took us both this long to read this, but I'm glad we finally did. Hubby, who's not a big reader, read this in less than a week & I finished it in one setting. We watched the news coverage non stop while this happened, and I was able to go to see the funeral procession, something I'll never forget.

This is the true story of the bad building, the fire that killed 6 brave men, and the firefighters in the surrounding areas who tried to save them, and then later to pull the bodies out of the building in order for the families to have closure.

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jam on

Jam On: The Craft of Canning Fruit by Laena McCarthy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've been obsessing over canning for quite some time now - I think this is the 3rd year I've been talking about it. I finally landed some canning equipment for a song at a yard sale, so it's time for me to step up and actually start canning, instead of just dreaming about it. I'm looking at it as more of a hobby, something to do once in a while with some extra veggies I might have, but we'll see where canning takes me.

This was one of quite a stack of books I took out from the library. I'm honestly not terribly interested in making a whole lot of jams/jellies/preserves; I'm more interested in making picked everything I can get my handles on, salsa, relishes, etc... in small batches, but it doesn't mean jam isn't in my future, either.

This book by McCarthy starts off talking about her experience with canning. Though it's an interesting tale, it reminds me a bit of all the people in my life who are lacking self-confidence & in order to make up for that, they have to brag about themselves an awful lot to compensate. It just gets old, rather quickly, in the book.

McCarthy has some interesting recipes in the book, but I get the impression it's not aimed towards a beginner like me. That's OK: I've been reading everything in site for a while now and can get beginner information elsewhere. That being said, most of the recipes aren't anything i can see myself making - I'm not much of a cook, and like I said, I'm not planning on making 100 jars a jam a year, so I'm not going to invest in 900 different ingredients that I'll never use again. A lot of the recipes call for vanilla bean - I don't even know what one looks like or what part of the grocery store one would find a vanilla bean! That being said, something like "I Eat NYC Hot Pepper Jelly" makes me drool, and the only special equipment needed is a food processor which *gasp* I actually own. But the majority of the recipes I'm just never going to make.

There's also a definite slant towards NYC and NYC ingredients, and also uses a type of pectin not found in my area, making the recipes impractical.

This book goes into the "I'll get it used if I find it at a yard sale for a couple of dollars" pile and not the "must buy used on amazon and pay shipping to own it now" pile.

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Put 'em Up Preserving answer book

The Put 'em Up! Preserving Answer Book: 399 Solutions to All Your Questions: Canning, Freezing, Drying, Fermenting, Making Infusions by Sherri Brooks Vinton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I previously reviewed Vinton's other canning book, Put 'em Up food preservation, which I loved, and this one was no exception.

This book is exactly what it says it is - it's a question and answer book on common food preservation topics, from freezing, drying/dehydrating, to canning. There's a few recipes and introductory text, but it's mostly a q & a/ quick reference book.

It's definitely aimed at beginner canners - which I definitely am (having canned exactly 2 different recipes last year, albeit multiple batches of both) and beginner preservation techniques (which I am not, having been heavily relying on freezing / dehydrating for years). There were some interesting dehydration tips that were new, though I didn't really learn anything from the freezer sections.

That being said, this is definitely a book I'll buy and add to my canning cookbook library

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Trafficked: The Terrifying True Story of a British Girl Forced into the Sex Trade by Sophie Hayes

Trafficked: The Terrifying True Story of a British Girl Forced into the Sex Trade by Sophie Hayes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this book to read from net-galley because though I know, in the vaguest possible terms, that things like trafficking and the sex trade do exist, it's so distant from my life that I don't really *know* what goes on.

Sophie starts off her book by telling us about her childhood with an abusive father and a mother she worships. She has a few adult relationships and meets a man, Kas, who she views with innocence. I found it hard to believe that she honestly never saw any signs of his insaneness prior to his kidnapping her, but certainly know that this does happen every day.

While Sophie's story is heartbreaking, and I can't even imagine her pain or how difficult it must have been for her to write of her story, it wasn't as emotional as I expected - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. She brings a story often ignored into media's attention (and that's one of the reasons why I read and am reviewing this book, to help educate people).

While a difficult story matter, this book was a very quick read.



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Hospice Voices: Lessons for Living at the End of Life by Eric Lindner

Hospice Voices: Lessons for Living at the End of Life by Eric Lindner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eric Lindner's book is about a few different hospice patients he worked with at the end of their lives. The people he meets up with are all memorable in their different ways.

Eric briefly starts his book with his training, and often refers back to it when he is faced with any dilemmas (and sometimes ignores his training, as in the case when he gives a woman her meds when he knows he shouldn't have, something I think I would have done in the same situation). In between his stories of his patients, Eric also talks about his own family and his travels overseas, especially his aging parents. While I understood talking about his parents in the book, I did not like that Lindner did so. I wasn't reading a book about Lindner's life, I was reading a book about Lindner's dying hospice patients. The author often seemed to be bragging about how good his life was, about how they have so much money that they can afford to donate a lot of money to charity (the bragging really turned me off, becausehe was comparing how good his life is to someone who was dying (I honestly don't think he meant it that way, that was just how I felt. To clarify, I think it's wonderful the author's family does give so much back to their community, I just didn't feel it was appropriate talking about it in the course of the book).

Surprisingly, the book isn't sad at all. I know I was really worried (in agreeing to read this book) that it was going to be too sad & to hit too close to home, but Eric really does a great job in balancing his visits with his patients end of life.

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I agreed to read this book as part of a blog tour in Jan 2014 and was not paid for my review. I wanted to read this book because I worked in nursing homes for a few years and saw the good in hospice

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Ask ME About MARY KAY: The true story behind the bumper sticker on the pink Cadillac by Jackie Brown

Ask ME About MARY KAY: The true story behind the bumper sticker on the pink Cadillac by Jackie Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am not at all into makeup, cosmetics, & only the most basic of skin care. When I was asked to review this book, I agreed because Mary Kay is a household name, but what did I know about the history of the company? I didn't even know that there was an actual Mary Kay, let alone anything else.

The story starts in the beginning, of course, with the author, Jackie Brown, meeting Mary Kay for the first time, and goes on from there. The book reminds me of a badly written soap opera (not that the book is badly written, that's not what I mean), with so many one-sided, narcassistic characters, drama on every other page, lies, deceit, twists & turns, people being sued & killing themselves, and did I mention the drama? I was absolutely horrified that people treated each other the way people did in this book. I've never bought Mary Kay cosmetics, and I sure as heck won't buy them now; even if half of the things are true, I wouldn't want to support that company.

If you are at all interested in cosmetics, how to successful run & grow a business, or interested in soap operas *smile* then add this book to your TBR pile!

(I received a copy to review for free)

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Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage by Kody Brown

Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage by Kody Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another book I read months ago but had to spend some time thinking about it before I had to read it.

This is the story that goes along with the TV show, Sister Wives. I admit, I'm a fan of the show. Do I believe it's all true? No, no reality show is gonna be that - the editors are going to pick and choose what scenes to show to share the story they want to tell. It's still fascinating to me all the same, all the more so as the kids are getting older and going off to college.

The book is told by Kody Brown and his wives. A lot of the information is the same as the show, but there's some new information presented here as well - especially the early years, when Kody Brown had just one or two wives. Meri was truly horrible to her sister wife back then, and it's really unclear how she feels about it now. The wives all struggle with jealousy, which is understandable, and you do see some small insights into that in this book as well - how they handle it.

Whether or not you agree with their lifestyle and choices, it's still an interesting read and if you enjoy watching the show, you'll most likely enjoy the book as well. I watch the show - and read books like this - because I enjoy learning about other lifestyles and cultures, and because more often then not, the truth is stranger than fiction.

If you are looking for more information about their faith, and what they believe - that's not covered in this book, as it's a 'personal' thing. This book is about their lives and relationships, not their faith.

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Howard Hughes: The Untold Story by Peter Harry Brown

Howard Hughes: The Untold Story by Peter Harry Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been obsessed with Howard Hughes since I was little - yeah, I was a weird kid. I just couldn't imagine anyone living the way he did in later years. This is a big book, and goes into depth about Hughes personal & professional lives. Most of the time, you got enough detail, and the book moved along well, but a few times I would have liked to have known more (though the lack may have been due to the fact that so little is known about some details of Hughes life). It's such a sad story about an interesting character - I can't help but wish he was alive now, when medical knowledge could have helped him & improved his life dramatically & who knows what else he could have accomplished.

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