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Love Times Three: Our True Story of a Polygamous Marriage

Authors: Joe Darger, Alina Darger, Vicki Darger, Valerie Darger, and Brooke Adams  Like many people, my entire knowledge of polygamy comes from how it’s represented in sensational news stories, TV shows, and novels — many of which have their own reasons for presenting polygamous marriages as salacious, abusive, and culty. Controversial even when Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism, instituted the practice of “celestial marriage” in the 19th century, plenty of people today despise polygamists with a burning rage that drives them to violence and hate crimes. So, whatever you may think of the institution itself, it did take courage for [...]

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Author: Laini Taylor Maybe I’ve been reading too many young-adult novels lately, but I’m starting to get Teen Fantasy Title Fatigue. Regardless of their actual quality, every new book seems to be weighed down with an absurdly grand and meaningless title like Midnight’s Firefall: Book 1 of the Platinum Bloodwar Cycle or something. So you’ll excuse me for suspecting more of the same when I heard about Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and why I was hesitant to read it for that reason. I still think it’s a pretty clunky title, which hints at some of the book’s problems, but [...]

2016-12-31T17:57:45-07:00January 31st, 2012|Tags: , , , , , |

Ruby Red

A Jewel of a Book Author: Kerstin Gier and Anthea Bell (translator) Although I make no excuses for reading — and fully enjoying — young-adult fiction in my decrepit thirties, I do like to read with a ghostly specter of my younger self on my shoulder to see what she thinks of the books. Would she find the female protagonists believable and admirable? Would the writing come alive for her, and the stories feel compelling? Would she learn anything or be inspired to do further reading on a related subject? I pondered these questions frequently while reading the international bestseller [...]

2016-12-31T17:57:45-07:00January 26th, 2012|Tags: , , , , , , |
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