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Thursday, September 02, 2021
Mormon Mentions: Jon Billman
1:05 AM
If you haven't got a clue what a Mormon is, let alone a Mormon Mention, allow me to explain: When I see a reference to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nickname: Mormons) in a book which was not written by a member of the Church, I post it here. With commentary from Yours Truly. I'm no theologian, but I try to explain doctrinal issues as well as debunk myths and clear up misconceptions. Speaking of, I should probably make this crystal clear: My dad only has one wife. As does my husband. And, yes, people really have asked me those questions. (I've also been asked if I have horns. Of course I do! I just keep them hidden under my hair. Duh.) Just FYI: mainstream Mormons haven't practiced polygamy for more than 120 years.
Everybody got that? Great. Let's move on...
In The Cold Vanish, Jon Billman talks about the search for a man named Troy James Knapp, a survivalist who lived off the spoils he acquired from breaking into cabins in Southern Utah for seven years before he was caught and jailed in 2013.
- Of Southern Utah's arid landscape, Billman says: "It was drier than a Mormon wedding." (205)
Ha ha. This reference made me laugh out loud! If you know anything about my church it's that its members abide by a health code known as The Word of Wisdom. It stipulates that we abstain from drinking alcohol, hot beverages (coffee and tea), using tobacco, and ingesting other substances that are harmful to the body. Thus, alcoholic beverages are not consumed by Latter-day Saints and not served at Mormon wedding receptions. In fact, I was shocked when, at a recent reception, I was handed an empty glass for a later toast to the bride and groom. Toasts are not traditionally part of Mormon receptions. This one—of course—was done with Martinelli's sparkling apple cider!
- About Knapp: "At times he appeared angry at Latter[sic]D[sic]ay Saints—he shot holes in a portrait of Joseph Smith and ripped up the Book of Mormon." (200)
I don't know anything about Knapp's religious background. Perhaps he is a disgruntled former member of the Church. Or he just likes to be destructive. Morality is obviously not the man's strong suit. Desecrating religious paintings and sacred books, especially while in the act of ransacking a stranger's cabin, are simply not the actions of a good man (although the owners probably forgave him since both Joseph Smith's [the Church's first prophet and president] teachings and the Book of Mormon preach forgiveness for all).
Haunting and Memorable, The Cold Vanish Explores Alarming Number of Missing Persons Lost in North America's National Lands
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Did you know that each year in the United States about 600,000 people go missing? Most vanish in populated places. The majority of them are found alive and in a short amount of time. While these statistics are comforting in a way, the one Jon Billman is concerned about is this—around 1600 people are currently missing from North America's public lands (including national parks, national forests, and BLM land). And this, Billman says, is likely a vast understatement. For various reasons, hundreds go missing on federal land every year; many are never found.
In The Cold Vanish, the writer uses the story of Jacob Gray (link contains spoilers)—a 22-year-old from California who disappeared in Washington's Olympic Peninsula while on a solo bicycling trip—as a springboard to explore these disappearing acts. Who is most likely to vanish on public land? Why? And what is being done to locate the missing? Billman discusses obstacles to finding people in the wild (vast acreage, inclement weather, difficult terrain, bureaucratic red tape, etc.) as well as the lengths that volunteers (including a group of dedicated Bigfoot hunters) have gone to to find missing hikers, bicyclers, and explorers. Since so many of the circumstances surrounding these disappearances are strange, even inexplicable, Billman also talks about the more out-there explanations embraced by some: aliens, Sasquatch, and other otherworldly explanations. The levity of this discussion is over-balanced, however, by those about how a missing persons investigation affects the family and friends who are left behind with no answers and no closure. It's heartbreaking.
Although there has apparently been a bit of a hubbub over Billman's portrayal of Jacob Gray, including some "facts" of the case that Billman may have gotten wrong, I found his coverage of Jacob's case to be both sensitive and absorbing. On the whole, The Cold Vanish is very informative, compulsively readable, and highly compelling. Also, sad and disturbing. Although I read the book quickly, what I learned has stayed with me. Haunted me. My biggest takeaway: always maintain a healthy respect for Mother Nature, which will kill you just as soon as cradle you. When exploring, stay on established paths, don't venture out alone, take a cell phone, and always—always—be prepared with emergency supplies. Not doing any one of these, as Billman so clearly points out, can be deadly.
*Thanks to Lark for recommending this book to me. You can see her excellent review of The Cold Vanish here.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of books by Jon Krakauer, especially Into the Wild, as well as Carried by Michelle Schmidt and Angie Taylor)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a dozen or so F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: The Best Novels I've Read So Far This Year
9:12 PM
I'm not much for book boyfriends—I've been married to my real-life sweetheart for 24 years as of yesterday and that's better than any fictional romance!—so I was going to skip this week's Top Ten Tuesday. Then I realized that as tomorrow is September 1, we're official 2/3 of the way through 2021. With only four months left in the year, I started thinking about what I've read so far and what I still want to get to before 2022. Of the 135 books I've read, only a handful have been really stand-out reads. So, I decided to share with you the ten (well, eleven) best novels I've read so far. Since I'm not feeling very inspired by next week's topic either, I'll post my ten non-fiction picks then.
Before we get to that, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give Jana, our lovely TTT hostess, some love!
Top Ten (Okay, Eleven) Best Novels I've Read in 2021 (So Far)
- not including re-reads and in no particular order -
1. The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian—This historical novel set in 1920s Mississippi features two young women living hardscrabble lives who must team up to cover up the unintentional murder that brings them together. Absorbing and atmospheric, this is a beautifully-written debut.
2. The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny—No surprise here. I adore the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series and this installment, the 11th, is particularly intriguing.
3. Bluebird by Sharon Cameron (available October 5, 2021)—I've enjoyed all of Cameron's books, but this YA World War II novel is my favorite. It has everything I love in a good hist-fic read: an atmospheric setting, a compelling plot, lovable characters, and excellent writing.
4. Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty (available September 14, 2021)—I was thrilled to get a paper ARC of this up-and-comer from an author whose books I've enjoyed. Not gonna lie, her last few have not been up to snuff. This one, though? It's a gem. A family saga + a mystery + a funny, upbeat plot. What's not to love?
5. The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs—Another no-brainer. The long-running Tempe Brennan series is one of my favorites. This installment, the 20th, has our intrepid heroine digging into the mystery of a storage container with two corpses stuffed inside that washes up during a South Carolina storm at the same time a horrifying flesh-eating bacteria is rearing its ugly head around the U.S.. It's another riveting page-turner from Reichs.
6. If It Rains by Jennifer L. Wright—I just finished this debut, which tells a rich, powerful story about the Dust Bowl. It's technically a Christian novel, but the religious elements are well-woven into the tale and never get preachy or cheesy, at least in my opinion. It's moving, hopeful (in the end, at least), and faith-promoting.
7. The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman—This middle-grade novel was one of my first reads of the year. I loved the story about an adopted, mixed-race girl who has to learn to come to terms with her different ethnicities, cultures, and families.
8. Dark August by Katie Tallo—Also read early in the year, this gritty mystery/thriller set in a mysterious ghost town, kept me turning pages late into the night. I just saw that a sequel is being released in 2022. Can't wait!
9. The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner—This historical, about an Irish immigrant who travels to San Francisco to become the wife of a man she's never met and finds herself in the middle of the famous 1906 earthquake, is another atmospheric, absorbing read. I've enjoyed lots of Meissner's books, but this one is my favorite (I think).
10. The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm—I tend to read mostly darker, more serious fiction, so it's always nice when I come across a book that's just a fun, feel-good read. That's exactly what this middle-grade gem is!
11. A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott—This historical is also on the lighter side. It deals with a female photographer who is determined to take her dead father's place on an 1871 expedition to the Grand Canyon. Along with proving herself as a photographer, she also has to survive the treacherous trip and guard her heart against an old flame. Also a Christian novel, this one is clean, uplifting, and compelling. It's a fun start to a series I'm very much enjoying. Thanks to Lark for the recommendation!
There you go, eleven of the best novels I've read this year. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What are the best books you've come across in 2021? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Friday, August 27, 2021
Inside Trading at My Favorite Indie
2:51 PM
Here's what I took with me to trade:
These stacks are a combination of books I've received for review and those I purchased with my own money. I do feel a little bit guilty about trading in volumes I got for free, but honestly, I donate a good 85% of my books to the library, so...
Of these 29 books, Changing Hands accepted 14 for a trade-in credit of $67.80. I know the titles they accept depend on a lot of factors like current inventory, demand, sales, time of year, condition of the books, etc., so I'm always intrigued by which titles they take and which they don't. The books they accepted from me (most of which were in new or like new condition) this time were:
- A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins
- The Wish and the Peacock by Wendy S. Swore
- Blink of an Eye by Iris and Roy Johansen
- While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart
- A Trail of Lies by Kylie Logan
- The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington
- The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
- The Sanitorium by Sarah Pearse
- The Deep by Alma Katsu
- Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
- Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
- The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
- Dreams of Falling by Karen White
Although you can choose to donate the books Changing Hands doesn't take for credit to the store, I always opt to take them to the library instead. I'll be dropping what's left of my pile off there next time I go. If you live locally and you want any of the leftovers, let me know.
What did I get with my newfound book wealth? I thought you'd never ask! Changing Hands sells both new and used books. Since I prefer the latter, I picked up three new books (two are hardcovers) and one used paperback.
- Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly deVos—deVos is a local author, so this YA satire/zombie novel, which came out in June, is signed by her.
- Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo—This National Book Award winner explores poverty in India. It sounds super sad, but also totally fascinating.
- Thunderstruck by Erik Larson—I'm a new fan of Larson. This 2006 book by the narrative non-fiction master explores the accomplishments of Guglielmo Marconi and the near perfect murder committed by Hawley Crippen.
- Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara—This historical mystery/thriller came out earlier this month. It concerns a family of Japanese-Americans who has just been released from Manzanar and is being resettled in Chicago. The suspicious death of a family member who was sent ahead sends them into a tailspin.
After using my trade-in credit, I paid a total of $12.07 (including taxes) for these four volumes. Since I spent over $10 in real money, I got a punch on my frequent buyer card. Altogether, not too shabby of a trip.
What about you? Do you have a local indie you love? Do they accept books for trade-in? Have you read any of the books I just traded in or bought?
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