Most Talkative by Andy Cohen

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

Corked: A Memoir, by Kathryn Borel

I won this book from The Broken Teepee and thought it was perfect for me. You know I am interested in wine so I am excited to read it.

It's about a girl who's father is a wine connoisseur and has tried to teach her everything he knows about wine since she was a little girl, but she just doesn't have any interest. The two go on a wine tour together in Paris and France and the daughter hopes to force herself to learn about wine and impress her father.

Smart Organizing by Sandra Felton

Yes. Another Organizing book

Shop Your Closet, by Melanie Charlton Fascitelli

If you hate shopping and have no sense of style, like me, then this book is for you!

Project: Organization

I started this book to keep me motivated in my organization efforts. I am actually just reading it while I wait to receive a few other organization books that have been recommended to me.

This book is very simple. It does have a lot of good ideas for organizing your house and your life, however I have found that I disagree with some of the suggested techniques.

But as far as the motivation factor goes, it does the job. I'm staying motivated and excited about my organization project!

Piece by Piece by Tori Amos & Ann Powers

Read the review.

This is a behind the scenes look into Tori's life as an artist, career woman, mother, and feminist. It is written in a dialogue format including conversations between Ann Powers and Tori in which Tori shares herself with the reader.

She starts out talking about her life, growing up, her childhood as a musician and Preacher's daughter, and how her love for music formed. She then takes you with her on her journey into her career. The ups and downs of the music business and life in general.

My favorite part about the book is that she explains the meaning behind a lot of her songs in these pages! She explains where she gets her inspiration, why each album is different but are all a piece of her and also how the songs can change meaning with time.

Tori is an amazing woman who truly knows who she is and what she wants. Her life is centered around Mary Magdalene and she dives into the myths and archetypes of women in general including the Native American Corn Maiden, Demeter and Persephone, Aphrodite and Venus. She is very connected with mother earth and the life she creates. She is a Goddess and I love her.

She is an inspiration.

Real Simple

So I have this magazine overflow problem so I decided I better put them to use and read them! Even though Real Simple doesn't have any crosswords, it does have a lot of cool ideas for your home so I like it anyway.

Take Better Family Photos

An Easy To Use Guide For Capturing Life's Most Treasured Events.

I found this book at the library thinking it might help me understand photography better but just flipping through it, I've noticed most of it is pretty common sense. I hope there are some instructions to help me understand how to use my camera better.

We'll see.

Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford

I don't quite remember what compelled me to read this book. I always hear something somewhere about a book or band and then I just have to go find out more. So I decided to read it. So far, it is long! Okay so I'm only on Chapter 4, but it seems so long because she is just giving the background of her mom's life right now.

Oh, I guess I shouldn't assume everyone knows what this book is about! The author is Joan Crawford's daughter who writes about her life growing up with her very crazy mother. I've only seen parts of the movie "Mommie Dearest" so I want to read the book before I see the whole thing.

You know me, I love reading about when bad things happen to good people. Why? I have no idea.


Update 9/9/09

So I'm almost done with the book and have noticed that I've lost interest in the second half. The beginning of the book is great when Christina documents the interactions between her and her mother but the second half of the book is full of their correspondence through letters. Which gets a little tiring and a bit on the boring side.

However, it does make me want to watch a Joan Crawford movie!

When Angels Intervene to Save the Children by Hartt Wixcom

I don't know why I picked this book up at the library, I just grabbed it and left. It's a really quick read and I have to admit I didn't really finish it all the way through.

It's about the Cokeville, Wyoming bombing incident on May 16, 1986. Some crazy guy held an elementary school hostage asking $2 million dollars per kid. The authors of the book are parents of one of the student hostages and they describe the events leading up to the bombing as well as the after math.

I thought the book was interesting up until after the bombing. That is when the authors go all spiritual and try to convince you that angels were present and saved the children. I'm not saying I don't believe in angels and spirituality or anything like that, it's just that the book got boring during that part.

I know, I'm weird, if it doesn't keep my attention then I just don't finish it. I can't say that I would recommend the book, but I didn't think it was quite a waist of my time, it kept me busy when I was bored.

In Plain Sight by Tom Smart & Lee Benson

I loved this book. The author is Elizabeth Smart's Uncle who reveals everything that went on behind the scenes in the Elizabeth Smart investigation. How the police did not investigate important leads because they just wanted to close the case. Their suspect was dead and they just wanted to wrap it up.

It was so interesting to learn about how the media influenced the investigation. I remember the day they found her because I was at work and she was found just down the street from my building! I love true stories and this one obviously hits close to home for me.

Mommywood by Tori Spelling

I just love Tori. I read her other book, sTori Telling, and loved it. I love her reality TV show "Tori & Dean - Home Sweet Hollywood".

She is seriously hilarious! I love how open she is on her show, you should check it out.

No Man Knows My History by Fawn M. Brodie

This is my second time reading this book but I thought it'd be a good end (hopefully) to my little polygamy kick. It's a pretty controversial book about Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon church. Believe you me I've got a lot to say about the Mormon church but because most of my family is Mormon, I will keep my opinions to myself.


At least for now.

Stolen Innocence

After reading Escape, I guess I'm on some sort of polygamy kick. I was so appalled by Escape that when I found Stolen Innocence, I just couldn't stop myself.



Update 7/7/09:

I just finished the book last night and it was a good read. At first I felt the author repeated herself a lot while telling about her childhood, and at times did not pay attention to chronological order, but in part II it really got better.

This is a nonfictional book and the content was truly shocking about the FLDS culture. Unlike Escape, this book goes into the trial against Warren Jeffs which happened right here in Utah so that was interesting hearing it from the witness's perspective.

Overall I loved the book, definitely worth a read!

Escape by Carolyn Jessop

I love reading Non-Fiction and haven't done so in a while. This one is about a woman who grew up in a Polygamist FLDS community and how she was able to escape.

I seriously cannot believe that these people live like this! I just can't fathom how they can believe that what they are doing and the way they are living is what God wants them to do!

Makes me sick. This book was such a good book, kept me reading right through to the end. This woman's story is incredible you've gotta read it!

It Sucked And Then I Cried, by Heather B. Armstrong

I had to put Sookie on hold because I finally got this book in the mail last week. I had pre ordered it back in January!

So far I love it. No surprise because I love her blog dooce.com. The book is about her pregnancy and postpartum depression, among other things. Her writing is just so entertaining in itself and the story is good too.

I can just relate to her in SO many ways and not just because we are both stuck in freezing Utah! I'm just waiting to run into her at the grocery store someday and then we'll be BFFs forever.

LOL

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

Ok I finished this book and it has changed my life! Want to know the secret to life?

Read. This. Book.

It is my new Bible. I keep it at my bedside to reference it anytime I need to. With the secret you can basically accomplish anything that you want to in life! Loose weight, get rich, cure diseases, or just get happy!

Everyone needs to read this book, suddenly everything in my life makes sense. Everything I've learned as a child and everything I've experienced as an adult all makes perfect sense.

I highly recommend this one! Thanks Dennelle!

sTori Telling by Tori Spelling