Educated, A Memoir by Tara Westover

Educated, A Memoir by Tara Westover - 334 pages

Tara Westover was seventeen when she first set foot in a classroom. Instead of traditional lessons, she grew up learning how to stew herbs into medicine, scavenging in the family scrap yard and helping her family prepare for the apocalypse. She had no birth certificate and no medical records and had never been enrolled in school.

Westover’s mother proved a marvel at concocting folk remedies for many ailments. As Tara developed her own coping mechanisms, little by little, she started to realize that what her family was offering didn’t have to be her only education. She taught herself enough mathematics, grammar, and science to take the ACT and was admitted to Brigham Young University at 16. 

Her first day of university was her first day in school—ever—and she would eventually win an esteemed fellowship from Cambridge and graduate with a PhD in intellectual history and political thought.

The Sound of Gravel, a memoir by Ruth Wariner

The Sound of Gravel, a memoir by Ruth Wariner - 342 pages

The thirty-ninth of her father’s forty-two children, Ruth Wariner grew up in polygamist family on a farm in rural Mexico. In The Sound of Gravel, she offers an unforgettable portrait of the violence that threatened her community, her family’s fierce sense of loyalty, and her own unshakeable belief in the possibility of a better life. An intimate, gripping tale of triumph and courage, The Sound of Gravel is a heart-stopping true story.

The Call of Earth by Orson Scott Card

The Call of Earth by Orson Scott Card -- 352 pages

This is book 2 of "The Homecoming" series.

Nafai and his family have been chosen by the Oversoul to travel back to earth and repopulate it, but it won't be as easy as standing up and leaving. One problem is that they have no wives with them. Another is General Moozh, who deliberately fights any attempt from the Oversoul to guide him. Now General Moozh can tell that the Oversoul is trying to keep him from taking Basilica, but not even a mind-controlling computer can stop him.

I listened to the eaudiobook.

The Memory of Earth by Orson Scott Card

The Memory of Earth by Orson Scott Card -- 352 pages

The Oversoul wasn't built to last this long. For 40 million years, the Oversoul has orbited Harmony, keeping watch over the people and insuring that evil does not get out of hand, keeping humans from making war machines and weapons of mass destruction. But the Oversoul is wearing down. It can tell that its own reasoning is waning, and worse, its power over the human mind is weakening. It needs help, human help, from the people who can still hear from it.

So it was a little slow at times, but definitely interesting. I liked when the feeling is more Sci-fi and less religious. I don't mind that the story is based on Mormonism, just that the worship is to--a computer? I did go on to the next book, but (WARNING!) the book leaves off on a cliff hanger, so I didn't have much choice, did I?

This is book 1 of "The Homecoming" series. I listened to the audiobook.

Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story by Shanna Hogan

Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story by Shanna Hogan, 342 pages

Picture Perfect is a very well written book that tells the story of how Jodi Arias murdered her Mormon lover, Travis Alexander in a very gruesome way.  The author, Shannon Hogan, writes in great detail how the relationship spiraled out of control.  She interviews Travis' closest friends and writes details from the very beginning of their relationship. She even gives us background on Jodi's and Travis' childhoods.  Travis Alexander was an up and coming executive for the Prepaid Legal Group, which is how he came to meet Jodi Arias.  This book describes in great detail how their relationship started innocent enough, but then turned sexual and at many times, perverted.  Jodi was extremely obsessed with Travis and could not let go of him even when she discovered he had been seeing other women.  The author describes in great detail the day of the murder and the day Travis' friends discovered his body.  I had not known that the body had been in the house five days before it was discovered, but what was even more shocking was that he had two roommates that were living with the dead body and did not realize it.  This book covers so much more than the trial and reveals shocking details of Jodi and Travis' twisted and toxic relationship.  This was the best true crime book I have read in a long time.  Also, included in the book are many graphic and disturbing photos.

A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson

A Serpent's Tooth: A Walt Longmire Mystery by Craig Johnson - 352 pages

The theme of homecoming carries throughout this latest entry in the long running Longmire series.  A young boy shows up in rural Wyoming in search of family.  Walt discovers that the boy is running from religious cultists that may be up to no good.  This is another strong entry that exemplifies the strong characters and awesome sense of place that are hallmarks of Johnson's writing.  As a fan of the A&E series as well it is a little jarring to go back and forth since the relationships and characters are on somewhat different paths.