The 19th Wife

This book caught my eye at a sale while I was at Books-a-Million. It intrigued me enough to fork over the $6.97 plus tax. What can I say? What a fruitful investment!

Paperback Jacket of "The 19th Wife"

This book is fictional, however it reads like a non-fiction glimpse into the beginnings of the Morman religion and it's early leaders. What I think readers will like most is that there are actually two stories and almost each chapter will flip back and forth. But this back and forth nature is more pleasure than pain.

We are presented with the modern day murder of a man that is supposedly killed by his 19th wife (although you will see, the number a wife is given is oftentimes confusing and simply arbitary at times). While the reader starts to digest this murder/mystery, we are presented with the origins of Ann Eliza Young...one of the wife's Bringham Young himself.

This book will leave the reader questions just what it means to have belief in something that often times goes against your very being.  This book has stayed with me (and it's characters) long after I read the last sentence.

If you like this, try: 
-Mennonite in a little black dress by Rhoda Janzen (Much more humorous take on an often misunderstood religion)
-The Heretics Daughter by Kathleen Kent
-A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrich

Millennium Trilogy: It’s what to read!

Surely, the vast majority of you have heard of Steig Larsson’s “Millennium Trilogy.” There are currently three books in the series: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who played with Fire and The Girl who kicked the Hornet’s Nest.

The “Girl” in question in all of these books is the tough-as-nails, Lisbeth Salander. I believe it is impossible to read these books and not only root for Lisbeth…but desire to be in her shoes (or be that Doc Marten boots) for at least one day.

While Lisbeth is indeed a strong character, I have to plead for another front runner of these books, Mikael Blomkvist. The smart as a whip, yet debonair journalist that is always tied up in some way with Lisbeth (and the other way around).

Don’t let the fact that these books are translated from Swedish detour you from one of the best series in a long time. They read easily and quickly.

Sadly, the author died in November 2004. There is rumor of a fourth book in the series that is nearly completed. We can only wait with baited breath to see if it ever sees the light of day.

In the meanwhile, do yourself a favor and give the first book a shot. I can only imagine that you’ll be begging for more.

It’s worth noting that all 3 books were made into films in Sweden. I did see the first one…..a great adaptation! Will the U.S. version be as good? Again, we’ll have to wait to see.

(If you like this series, you might also like: The Passage by Justin Cronin, City of Veils by Zoe Ferraris, In the Woods by Tana French, Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg and Sun Storm by Asa Larsson).