Read in July

The Peach Keeper- by Sarah Addison Allen

Amazon description:  It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather and once the finest home in Walls of Water, North Carolina—has stood for years as a monument to misfortune and scandal. Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite Paxton Osgood—has restored the house to its former glory, with plans to turn it into a top-flight inn. But when a skeleton is found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, long-kept secrets come to light, accompanied by a spate of strange occurrences throughout the town. Thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the passions and betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover the truths that have transcended time to touch the hearts of the living.

I liked this book.  I didn't love it.  It was a little too chick-lit for my taste.  I wish there had been more of the magical element to it, and I would have liked deeper character development, but overall it was a decent read.  I have two more books by this author, and I will probably be reading them in the future.

Love Times Three- Joe, Alina, Valerie and Vicki Darger

Amazon description: "This first-ever memoir of a polygamous family captures the extraordinary workings of a unique family dynamic, and argues for the acceptance of plural marriage as an alternative lifestyle."

I find polygamy fascinating.  

We've heard horror stories of it in the past, but we're now learning about decent families like the Dargers and the Browns (from Sister Wives).  I think these people are doing a lot to change public opinion on polygamy.

I don't think it's a bad thing when it's done right.  As long as all wives are aware of each other (!), are not under-age, and approve of the living situation, then who are we to judge?  I also know that I could never handle it, but kudos to them for living the life they believe.

This book tells the story of how Joe came to marry each of his wives, and it gives insight into how they run their households.