Under the Banner of Heaven by jon Krakauer

Non-fiction work about the history of the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints).

I continue on my FLDS theme with this work of non-fiction tracing the history of the mormon church, and then specifically the fundamentalist break-away (which basically happened over the practice of polygamy).

I found this book fascinating and it really helped to link and clarify the other personal stories I've been reading about women who escaped their lives in these communities.

It is dark in places, but I think that is simply the truth of the history of this group, like so many other religions and particularly religious zealots.....

High marks from me, but perhaps only due to all my other recent reading? 8.5/10

Escape by Carolyn Jessop

Wow. This was quite the book. Along my mom and I's theme/obsession this fall with the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, this book stands out as an incredible story. It is about a woman who eventually left her polygamous husband, and he was a pretty high-up church guy, high up with Warren Jeffs.

This book gives a nasty view into a world where women and children - boys and girls are systematically abused in the name of religion. And Carolyn Jessop's account is so frightenly similar to the other memoirs and books we've read, that I cannot just dismiss her story as a "one-off". There is evil flourshing in those remote FLDS communities, and the states of Utah/Arizona are only recently beginning to do something to protect these citizens (who usually have their own FLDS police and judicial system).

I found this memoir to be well written, interesting, personal and also absolutely haunting. I do think that more people should read this type of book, I had no real idea of what really was going on in these cults and it is not good.

Worth reading, in my humble opinion, but difficult at times: 8.5/10

Deadly Appearances by Gail Bowen

This is a mystery, written by Regina author Gail Bowen. I believe it is her first novel...... I found it easy to read, and sort of engaging, but I did not find her characters very believable or real, especially her three mostly perfect teenage children (Huh?).

Also, I was so distracted by the Regina setting, disguised for some reason known only to Gail Bowen. The book is clearly set in Regina, yet she changed names - and no, she did not invent new names, she just scrambled them so that they were just weird...... She named the Cathedral "Little Flower Cathedral" for example, she put landmarks on the wrong street, that's just one little example but it drove me crazy..... also she put a Piggly Wiggly in Regina, and the characters smoked Kool's Marlboroughs and Camel's...... I was just irritated.

So...... about a 5/10 from me, but perhaps I am harsh for a first novel?