book club!

A couple months ago, Amy and I started a book club at work!  I will be the first to admit that I'm not a huge reader of anything but chick lit (which I devour), but it's actually pretty fun to get together once in a while and discuss a deeper book with some good office girlfriends.  The first book the club read was Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins, which I heard had some crazy characters along the lines of a cracked out sugar packet and a witch doctor lamp or something like that.  (I made those up.  But they're just as crazy.)  Needless to say, I didn't read it, and the book got mixed reviews.

But now, we're reading The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff, and I'm enjoying it so far!

It weaves the story of Ann Eliza Young, the 19th wife of Brigham Young, into a modern day murder mystery that takes place on a polygamist ranch in Mesadale, Utah.  Ann Eliza Young actually ended up leaving Brigham Young and crusading to end polygamy in the United States, but since I haven't finished the book, I'm not quite sure how it all fits together yet!  With shows like "Sister Wives" on TV these days, it's kind of interesting to read about how all that stuff actually "works" and how the Mormon culture really despises what this particular sect of the faith has done to its reputation.  In the Baptist church, we sort of dismiss it as a cult and don't talk about it too much, so I just think it's interesting to read a little more about it, even if half the story is fictional.

Also, they apparently made a Lifetime movie out of this book, so I feel a Friday night movie party coming on!  If any of you have read it, don't tell me how it ends!  But do feel free to recommend other books we might read next!