Spencer’s Cult Insanity is a follow-up to her previous memoir Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist’s Wife and focuses primarily on the events centering around the foundation of the Mormon Fundamentalist sect known as the Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Times, the subsequent splintering of Ervil LeBaron and his followers, the formation of the cult known as the Church of the Lamb of God, and the “blood atonement” murders carried out by order of Ervil LeBaron. It is not necessary to read Shattered Dreams before reading Cult Insanity in order to understand everything that goes on in this memoir, although it certainly wouldn’t hurt, as Spencer takes the time to educate her readers on the principles of Fundamentalist Mormonism and how her faithfulness to this religion would lead her to become the second wife of Verlan LeBaron.

By the second chapter it becomes clear to the reader that the author herself still wonders how she could have remained with the LeBaron’s as she did. Each chapter is rich with the author’s emotions. Spencer looks back over this harrowing and uncertain time period and recounts the events as they unfolded around her as well as filling in the gaps that time has provided answers for. As a plural wife, Spencer recalls the times she spent in abject poverty trying to raise her brood of thirteen children in a foreign country with a poor understanding of the language while sharing her husband with his other wives and children all the while living with the threat of death hanging over their heads. Spencer’s struggle with her conflicting thoughts and wavering faith in Fundamentalist Mormonism; the gut-wrenching loneliness she felt as she longed for a husband who was in hiding from his own brother; and the spine-numbing fear she lived in as she constantly fretted over her and her childrens’ lives as well as their day to day survival serve to add another dimension to this frightening tale of a madman and his reign of blood and terror.

Despite how riveting this story was I couldn’t help but notice some problems that detracted from the overall enjoyment of the book. The is no real continuity in the relaying of events. For example, the author initially speaks of the events that occurred when she first arrived at Colonia LeBaron and then jumps forward a few years and continues on for a bit. The author then begins relaying events that occur at a much later date, even mentioning people readers have not been introduced to, before returning once again to events set in the early days of the Church of the Firstborn. The author does not do this once or twice either, Spencer repeatedly jumps around recalling events and tying them together without any real regard for a working time line. Which left me at times wondering just how the events fit together.

There are also a large number of people to keep track of as well, which combined with the jumping around, can make keeping track of all the happenings and numerous players rather difficult. I honestly found myself having to keep track of the names mentioned on a notepad so that I could remember who was married to who, who followed whom, who defected from the Church and when, which kids were whose kids and from what marriages, and so forth. Some of the confusion was alleviated upon reaching the epilogue, where a quick timeline of the violent crimes carried out by Ervil and his followers was provided. Also provided was a list of Ervil’s wives and children, however, since Ervil’s wives and children only make up a fraction of the players in this story it didn’t provide too much clarification. A map is also provided at the beginning of the book which will prove beneficial for those unfamiliar with the South West.

Ultimately I found the book to be highly engaging and addictive, I simply could not put the book down for prolonged periods of time. I would highly recommend that anyone with an interest in religious crimes, cults, and true crime, pick this book up. Despite it’s faults it is an excellent read and provides a riveting first-hand insight into the Mormon fundamentalist cult known as the Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Times, the birth of the murderous offshoot cult Church of the Lamb of God led by Ervil LeBaron, and the assassinations in the name of blood atonement that occurred as a result.

Joana’s Rating: (3 out of 5 stars)

Special thanks to Anna Balasi of Hachette Book Group for providing a copy for review.

There have been numerous books written about outlaw motorcycle gangs from the perspective of law enforcement officers, experts, and even former members who “turned” and assisted federal agents in prosecuting these groups. But what of the actual members of these groups? What do the members have to say about themselves? And by members I don’t mean those who have testified against the groups or infiltrated them. How do these people see themselves and what are their goals? Those are the very same questions I had in mind when I first picked up this book.

As the founder of the Oakland, California charter of the Hell’s Angels, Sonny Barger is perhaps one of the most well-known motorcycle club members of all time. Not only has he appeared in movies centering around the Hell’s Angels, he’s also been a source of information for several movies that utilized motorcycles in them. Then of course there are the various incidents that were splashed across newspapers everywhere. As a result, one would expect to really get an understanding of the club and their many exploits.

Hell’s Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club opens up with an introduction from the author discussing the release and promotion of his book. Barger shares a few anecdotes from the book signing tour – all of which help to set the pace of the coming tale and let you know exactly what to expect from the rest of the book. A blunt and bold retelling of some of the most infamous Hell’s Angels escapades and an honest recollection of Barger’s life from his earliest memories. Barger’s style easily draws the reader in from the get go and holds onto them until the last page is turned. I found Barger’s style to be not only amusing, but also mildly shocking and highly entertaining and informative. Some readers will find Hell’s Angel to be offensive, insulting, and derogatory; there is no question about that, and certainly Mr. Barger makes no apologies for it either.

For example, Barger has no qualms speaking about drug use, sex, and violence in the club. The author does not gloss over fights and instead details how they went down: every blow and every expletive that was uttered. As such, I would not recommend this book for anyone below the age of eighteen or those with a sensitive constitution. In short, the book is anything but politically correct. Despite this fact, I was engrossed in the book from beginning to end. Hell’s Angel provided a wealth of information about the Hell’s Angels, Sonny Barger, motorcycle clubs [in general], and motorcycle-riding and repair as well.

Readers, no doubt, are curious as to whether or not Barger’s depiction of the Hell’s Angels is the “true” and accurate version or if it is an attempt to merely paint the Angel’s as the misunderstood victims. Barger does not sugarcoat or gloss over things, however, neither does he attempt to disprove the claims made against the Angels either. Barger merely provides his version of the events, some of which has rarely (if ever) been told from the perspective of a Hell’s Angel member. Such as the rioting and stabbing at the 1969 Rolling Stones free concert at Altamont. In short, Hell’s Angels provides a counter-argument to information already readily available about the Hell’s Angels and encourages readers to come to their own conclusions. That is not to say that the book is not without bias though. There is a great deal of author bias, all of which is easily distinguishable from the facts of the story and provides yet another source of amusement for the reader.

Joana’s Rating: (4 out of 5 stars)

After continuous months of seeing the death toll of U.S. soldiers in Iraq continue to rise I began to subconsciously block out anything that had to do with the so-called “War on Terrorism”. Yet some how, some of the statistics and events still managed to filter their way into my mind. One thing that I was not aware of however, was the story of a marine trying to bring home the dog he loved. I honestly do not recall any mention of this in the newspapers nor did I catch it on television either. After finishing this book I honestly felt as though I had missed out on something special by not having been aware of this when it occurred.

During the first week of the U.S. invasion of Fallujah, Iraq the members of the First Battalion, Third Marines, also known as the Lava Dogs, were securing a building to be used as their base of operations while stationed in Fallujah. They circled the building and as they heard shuffling and clicking noises inside they could only come to one conclusion – the building was occupied. It would have been the safer, and the more logical, choice to toss in a few hand grenades to clear the building before entering it. For whatever reason, they decided against and entered with their guns trained on the source of the noise. It would be the first glimpse the marines had of a small puppy soon to be named Lava. Fed on MREs, de-wormed with chewing tobacco, and bathed in kerosene to de-flea him, Lava was a source of comfort for the marines stationed in Fallujah, a reminder that despite their training and expectations, they were still human.

When I first picked up From Baghdad, With Love I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The summary intrigued me, and yet I hesitated over the book. Did I really want to willingly read literature about the war in Iraq, something that was and is such a touchy topic? Despite my hesitation, I am glad I gave this book a chance – it was well worth it.

The author, Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman, does a remarkable job relaying the events leading up to the safe arrival of Lava on American soil. Along the way we are regaled with tales of Lava’s mischief, the fear and worry that gripped the people involved in Lava’s escape from Iraq and the numerous attempts it took before finally succeeding. Most intriguing, however, is the change that Lava wrought upon the author himself. Perhaps what I found most entertaining, not to mention refreshing, was the fact that Kopelman managed to lay all of the details, all of his thoughts and feelings, bare on the table for the readers to rummage through as they saw fit. He sugarcoats nothing, tells you exactly how it is, and lets you decided to take it or leave it for yourself. While he doesn’t go into crude details, Kopelman, as mentioned, does not gloss over any of the details and there are a few explicits as well. Some might find this offensive, but I found the stark honesty of the author to be like a breathe of fresh air in a room filled with people too hell-bent on censorship.

Now, not only does Kopelman do a remarkable job of conveying the thoughts and emotions that were coursing through him as he struggled to secure a safe passage for Lava out of Baghdad, but he also carefully slips in information about the situation around them. In doing so, Kopelman sets a more dramatic and real atmosphere for the reader that couldn’t have been achieved otherwise. Something that isn’t seen often enough in memoirs and biographies is research and background information. Readers are often given only one side of the story, however, Kopelman makes certain to back up all of his claims with actual data. Data that somehow becomes more alarming than flowery words could have ever hoped to be.

As the reader reads that the military began cracking down on the strays found in or around base by ordering their immediate extermination upon discovery, one can understand Kopelman and the Lava Dog’s fear for Lava. But when one sees the results of the strict enforcement of General Order 1-A¹, through anecdotes, the panic, fear, and worry that those involved in protecting and aiding Lava felt becomes all too real. It settles deep within the pit of reader’s stomach, where it sits there gnawing at you, forcing you to turn the pages at a faster pace so that you can see for yourself that everything is going to be all right.

Along with giving Kopelman another vehicle with which to help convey the emotion and thoughts behind the words, the snippets of information about the war going on around them will also help serve to give the reader a better sense of the time line in which all the events played out.

From Baghdad, With Love is a well written work that does a remarkable job of taking the reader from the comfort of their own home and placing them into Kopelman’s boots. As you read you, Kopelman’s mission to bring Lava home will become your mission as well. I highly suggest that anyone who calls themselves a pet or dog lover pick up this. Do not, for one moment however, believe that this book is only for animal lovers. The road to bringing Lava home was a treacherous one filled with a great deal of sacrifice and the selfless acts on the parts of many people. It will call out to folks from many walks of life.

Joana’s Rating: (4 out of 5 stars)

1. General Order 1-A: Prohibited activities for service members include adopting as pets or mascots, caring for or feeding any type of domestic or wild animals.

Truth be told, I did not know what to expect when I picked up this book. It’s been at the top, or near top anyway, of several book recommendation lists for animal-lovers which, I must confess, is what helped to draw me in. After all, there is nothing worse than to pick up a book written by a self-proclaimed animal lover, only to find out that the term could never be applied to them. Thankfully, this wasn’t such an occasion, and for once, the recommendation lists were spot on.

Chosen By A Horse opens up with with Richards standing in the cold March drizzle outside of a coral where forty horses, rescued by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, are awaiting new and loving owners. She questions why she’s there, especially since she already has three Morgans of her own to care for, and yet Richards still came to adopt a mare and her foal. All of the horses are rightly terrified and the volunteers are having a hard time locating the horse that Richards picked off of a list, let alone herding it into her horse trailer. In the end she tells them that she’ll take whoever will get in the trailer easiest. From the terrified herd a single horse calmly trots up and into the trailer, her foal not far behind. Once the mare and her foal were secure in the trailer, a worker called off the horse’s number and Richards was informed of the name of her new horse; Lay Me Down.

Chosen by a Horse is not just another tale about a singular animal who had a lasting affect on their owner. Rather, Richards does a remarkable job of reliving her past moments spent with Lay Me Down for her reader’s benefit. Intertwined with Lay Me Down’s story is Richard’s own struggle to pick herself back up and live again after a failed marriage and despite her gaining in age. In the process, Richards and Lay Me Down develop a bond that is unlike any that Richards has ever had with any of her own horses, even her beloved Georgia, a Morgan whom she dotes upon.

Initially, Lay Me Down is a horse who has Richard’s sympathy and understanding, yet as time passes, it becomes quite obvious that Lay Me Down not only has Richard’s respect but also manages to teach her own owner a few lessons about life. The need to keep going, to pick oneself up, to be patient and gentle, but never submissive or a doormat – these were all things that Richards observed in Lay Me Down and her interactions with the other horses in Richard’s stable.

Despite having a sense of where Lay Me Down’s story is heading throughout the tale, one cannot help but feel a sense of loss, regret, and slight anger when Lay Me Down’s tale comes to an end. Loss and regret that such a beautiful spirit was taken away and anger at the circumstances that led to this loss. After finishing the book I couldn’t help but to feel that Richards was incredibly lucky to have met such a horse and been able to take care of her and watch over her for that period of time. There were many different messages and themes in this book, however the most important one was simply to keep moving forward no matter the obstacles or hardships and enjoy what you can while you can.

For the most part I found the book to be an enjoyable read. Richards manages to insert a fair amount of wit into the book while still managing to convey the emotions felt at the same time. As a result the author manages to allow us a chance to not only live the moment in her shoes, but also allow us a glimpse into her thoughts as well. Something I haven’t seen many authors manage to accomplish, with regards to memoirs and biographies.

There were, however, moments where I was lost with regards to horse-terminology. For the most part the author gives a very brief explanation of what purpose certain tools and terms are, and yet there were times where the author completely neglected to do so. In those moments I found myself floundering about, trying to not only grasp the full purpose and meaning of the term, but also to picture the scene in my mind. Other than those instances however, I found the book enjoyable and I highly recommend it for any person who calls themselves an animal lover. Regardless of whether or not you know a thing about horses, this book will definately reach out and touch you.

Joana’s Rating: (4 out of 5 stars)

First of all, I must disclose that the version I read of this work was provided for me by the author himself and was contained in a .pdf file. Thus the copy that readers pick up off the bookshelves in their local booksstores may be an edited or revised version and not entirely the same. For that reason I won’t be commenting on the grammatical errors that I encountered. Secondly, this Book Review was at the behest of the author and I was compensated for my time. While I do not feel that this has colored or biased my review others might feel differently.

In Birth of an American Family the author, Geoffry Moehl II, recounts the time he spent with a Russian refugee family. From the trials and tribulations that the family over came in order to adapt to American society and culture to the broadening of his own beliefs and ideals. This book is truly a remarkable piece that allows the reader not only the opportunity to step into the lives of the Russian families that Moehl interacted with but Moehl’s own writing allows the reader the both see and feel what he felt at the time. The chance to be in both the subject and the author’s position at the same time, truly well thought out and written.

Living in a border state and less than two hours drive from the border with Mexico I have had some indirect experiance with the immigration process and have found myself rather frustrated to hear and see just how little our government seems to care for its new citizens. Aid that is promised upon the completion of certain criterion often gets misappropriated or there is adament denial that such aid and funds were promised. It’s disconcerting to see and to be honest I had hopped that this was something that was regional and not reflective of our [US] government as a whole. I am disheartened to see that it does occur, with alarming frequency, in other parts of the United States as well.

I confess to not knowing a great deal about Russian culture and what I do know is limited to stereotypes and cold hard history facts that are taught to all US children in public schools. That is to say that my knowledge is largely biased and and extremely limited. I was most glad to see that the author, when encountering anything that would have made one not familar with the families’ culture, took the time to explain the why behind it. For example, I found it odd at first that the families would offer soup and water that was literally boiling hot. Upon coming to that statement I was a bit puzzled and wondered if maybe the author had done something to offend the families and this was a subtle retaliation on their part. Embarrassingly enough, I too take for granted the availability of clean drinking water and it never once crossed my mind that serving and consuming beverages that had been boiled were the only sure way of knowing that it was safe to consume and that the water was not diseased.

One thing that detracted from the pleasure of reading this account was the author’s habit of switching from present to past tense. Initiailly Moehl started off BoaAF by recalling his experiances with the Russian family and then in midstride he altered his course and began to speak as if the events were unfolding before his eyes. While this hardly deterred me from continuing, it might be enough to give some readers pause. There were also some recollections and experiances that came off far too choppy. I would have liked more detail, what exactly did the author feel, what were the families’ reactions? On more than one event this was lacking which had me struggeling initially to get a feel for the people I was reading about.

While the author may have been enlisted to aid the families as an English tutor I received the impression that he taught the parents and children more than just a language and how to adapt to the U.S. culture. There is a sense that they gained far more from the experiance than even the author realizes and he in turn received just as much, if not more.

For anyone who enjoys reading memoirs and personal accounts I would recommend giving this book some serious consideration. Despite some falterings it is worthy read.

Joana’s rating:

My first knee-jerk reaction to this book and it’s shocking contents was a jaw-dropping oh dear I cannot believe there are real people like this. It was like watching a horrible and bloody accident unfold on the side of the road. You see the blood and body parts splatter on the pavement right before your eyes, and you know the pain and horror of it will traumatize you so you should avert your gaze, and yet you are oddly transfixed it. At the same time reading this is akin to watching a horrible Indie (Independent) film where the deep thinking director and writer tried a little too hard to make their characters off the wall in an attempt to create a “thought provoking” film that just makes you wonder what they were smoking.

It’s made all that much worse and sensational because you know it’s real and that these things did happen and that these sick, twisted, and just plain messed up people did exist and do exist. It’s almost like being a child and having your parents walk up and tell you that, yes the bogey man does exist and would you like to meet him? It’s not something you want to fathom and the true horror of it is the veracity of the tale.

Despite my initial shock and the offensiveness of some of the content I found myself flipping the pages and reading the book in one sitting. Augusten Burroughs has a talent for writing and his own satirical style of writing mixed with this exotic and twisted tale is enough to curl your hair captivate you all in one fell swoop.

I must say this though: this book is not for the faint of heart. Your moral sensibilities will be pushed to their limits and you will be forced to ask yourself painful questions such as: what is wrong with this picture and why does it offend me? I consider myself to be a very open minded person yet even I was left feeling horribly scandalized. Once I recognized what this reaction was I was forced to ask myself why I felt this way. Was I being narrow minded and what basis did I have for my stance on this?

After I had turned the last page in the book and read the prologue there were only three things floating in my mind: 1) That was wrong on so many levels, I cannot believe there really are people like that out there; 2) I really, really love my mom and how she raised me and; 3) I need a drink. No joke, those were my exact reactions and in that order.

So what exactly is Running with Scissors all about? Running with Scissors is the true story of Augusten Burroughs. It chronicles his early years living with his mother and father who were locked in an unhappy marriage and follows the events that lead up until the point he decided to pursue a writing career. Along the way the reader is regaled with tales of his youth living with with his psychotic mother whose “shrink”, and I use that term very loosely, should have been stripped of his license long ago, the escapades he got into while living with the Finches and later when he was legally adopted by his mother’s shrink (Dr. Finch).

Burroughs writes it all out there with no regard for the reader’s tender sensibilities. So if you have qualms reading about a thirteen year old girl being adopted out for money, by her father, to a forty-one year old man who she is sleeping with or a thirteen year old boy involved in a sexual relationship with a pedophile in the family’s own household (with no real objections made mind you) among other things you may want to skip this book. Is there such a thing as having too much freedom? Can it be possible to have so many options available that you actually have no options or opportunities? These are the things that Augusten had to find out for and deal with himself.

Your perception of this world will be forever altered after this read. In all honesty I’m not altogether sure whether I liked this book or rather I disliked it. On one hand the writing style flowed and captivated the audience as much as the shocking content, yet at the same time some of the scenes and incidents both horrified and sickened me. This is one book in which I really had mixed feelings on.

Joana’s review:

As a cat lover, let me just say that this book was absolutely heartwarming and gripping. This book is comprised of ten different stories featuring a variety of felines, all of which are told in such exquisite detail, as to capture the heart and imagination of the reader. Any person, cat lover or not, would be hard pressed not to smile at the antics of Olly and Ginny and trials and tribulations that they put the good doctor through as he tried desperately to care for them and to earn their trust. Even more heart wrenching was the tragic end that came to this happy duo that broke them up. I found myself tearing up and had to put the book down in order to search for a box of Kleenex.

Another story contained within these pages that I found equally moving was the story of Buster and his mother Debbie. His mother was a stray who visited one of Dr. Herriot’s clients quite frequently. When the winter came she disappeared for a lengthy time only to return on Christmas day to bring the woman a special present in hopes that the woman would care for it as she could not. On Christmas day Debbie the stray returned to the lady’s house to bring her newborn kitten, Buster, to stay as she passed on. This was a beautiful tale and perfect for the holidays.

One of the biggest problems with adding in illustrations to a novel, especially illustrations that don’t just mark the beginning of a new chapter, is the fact that the illustrations may detract from the story itself. Lesley Holmes did an excellent job bringing to life the images of each adorable feline in a manner that complimented Herriort’s stories without detracting from the story, or distracting the reader in the least.

My only criticism of this book would be that it was all too short. If you are cat lover or just an animal lover in general I highly recommend you pick this book up. It’s an excellent read and makes for a great afternoon.

Joana’s Rating: