The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale. I really enjoyed this book - got completely sucked in and couldn't stop! I regularly laughed out loud and had to read bits and pieces out loud to Tim while we were on the plane, the beach, trying to go to bed, etc. Shannon Hale is an LDS writer who has written several YA novels and a few adult novels centered around the idea of literary or movie romance and if it has a place in real life. This book is about a Mormon housewife who meets her movie crush and hits it off in a best friend kind of way. Fair warning, this book might also make you cry (her husband gets cancer) but I felt like it dealt with real emotions in an honest way that made me love all the characters. Four stars!
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. This is the woman who wrote The Secret Life of Bees, which I loved, but this book was very different. It's a kind of "coming of middle age" tale about a woman who goes home to take care of her mother and deals with the question of what her life has become. Her mid-life crisis takes on the form of an affair (with a monk, no less), which I did not appreciate, and the story revolves around some very dramatic and kinda far-fetched plot points, which had me rolling my eyes occasionally. Beautifully written, but it just didn't resonate with me. Really, this story was about a woman coming to terms with herself, which I firmly believe we all have to do at some point - accept ourselves as we are, alone, without relationships to define or control us. I just couldn't relate at all to her process of coming to that point. Two stars.
Bossypants by Tina Fey. Yes, that Tina Fey. My mom brought this book to Hawaii and I needed something to read so I breezed through it. It was funny, naturally, and had a few moments of poignancy. Lots of interesting stuff about Tina Fey's work and her stint as Sarah Palin on SNL. Plenty of words, idioms, and stories to be offended at, though, which made it less fun to read. If you don't mind swearing and crude language, I'd give it two stars. If you do mind those things, probably skip this one.
Yearning for the Living God: Reflections from the Life of F. Enzio Busche edited and compiled by Tracie A. Lamb. Elder Busche was a general authority for many years in the LDS church and this book is all about his life as a young boy growing up in Hitler's Germany, his conversion to the LDS church, and his many, many years of service in the Church. He shares some really amazing stories and beautiful messages. I especially appreciated his description and explanation of what it was like to grow up in Germany during Hitler's rise to power. I gained such a depth of understanding from just a few pages. My mom lent me this book quite a while ago and I'm so glad I finally finished it. Highly recommended - four stars!
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