Every Needful Thing edited by Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye and Kate Holbrook

 I picked this up at Deseret Book on a whim. I had read some biographical details of both of the editors and knew they were articulate disciple scholars. I loved that this volume was all women authors, because I've been lamenting for quite awhile now the low number of women speakers at General Conference. I didn't know what the essays would be like, but I knew they would enlighten and challenge me and uplift me more than my steady diet of fiction has done lately!

This past year I've noticed that I don't remember as much when I read at night as I used to. Maybe I fall semi-asleep before I stop reading? Whatever the reason, I usually had to start over the next night if I stopped in the middle of one of these essays. They were often heavy with philosophy or reflection that was challenging to absorb on a light read. I enjoyed the autobiographical elements of each woman's life, and they were each VERY different! Some were more engaging than others...

There are lawyers, scientists, artists, and all around deep thinkers in this collection. Their unique perspective was shared with rich examples from their various cultures around the world. It was heartening to read that such accomplished and noted women in the world are also faithful, practicing members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And, they don't all claim to have it all figured out. I found that very real and refreshing. 

One of my favorite essays is by Marion Bishop, and is entitled "Becoming Mormon." She has Wyoming roots, she's an ER doctor, and she addresses specifically how she was, as a woman, able to draw on male role models in the scriptures. I liked that, and felt kind of sheepish about my assertion that I need to learn from female role models in General Conference, In fact I liked this essay so much that I sent it to Glen and Darla Whipple, and Glen agreed it was a good one. 

I want to reread some of these and see if I can retain a little more in the daylight. I am also thinking about lending it to my neighbor M. I think she would like it. 

Off the Grid by C.J. Box

Sequestering gift table in our apartment's front lobby yielded a bunch of C.J. Box novels. I had heard of him, as a western kind of writer, and thought I'd like to try him out. But the reviews on Amazon were not such that I wanted to spend money on him. So it was a happy surprise for me to see this and many other "Joe Pickett" novels on the table. I thought I shouldn't be greedy and would start with just taking one. I chose "Off the Grid" because it wasn't named something like the others which all seemed to have a lot to do with COLD, ice, or blood! I was also hoping it would be near the beginning of the series so I would have some context. Looking in the front of the book for the list, this one came second, and the first one wasn't on the table, so it seemed a good choice. Later I realized this is the second to the latest--the publisher had put them in reverse order, probably to fool people like me! But no matter, I'm not going back for more.

That's not to say it wasn't an enjoyable, fairly clean read. It was. I liked the characters--the silent strong Nate, a falconer, and the hapless Joe Pickett and his family. They were likable and admirable. Their situation was interesting too--terrorists hiding out in the desert in Wyoming. I could feel the authenticity of the Wyoming--incuding UW--vibe. But it's not great writing and it's not great plotting, just good and a page-turner. Box definitely keeps the tension high as the adventure unfolds. That part was enjoyable. The dialogue was a little stilted and unreal too, at times. Uneven, I'd say. I enjoyed the scenery and the birds and the little I learned about falconry.

I know there are better books and better choices. This one wasn't bad, but it's going back on the table for someone else to pick up.