Better Than Happy by Jody Moore

 I really wanted to like this book!

I think Jody Moore is brilliant, and her application of Brooke Castillo's Life Coach School model is often better than the original. I especially appreciate her gospel perspective and how she sometimes, on her podcast and in her coaching, brings in examples from the scriptures or aligns some concept with a gospel concept. I want more of that, because I'm still somewhat suspicious that some of the model does not necessarily align. Not sure where or how, just suspicious. So the subtitle really intrigued me: "Connecting with Divinity through Conscious Thinking."

Unfortunately, she did not deliver that well. Yes, the model is well-explained and applied, but the gospel applications are kind of a stretch. The ties are not strongly tied. It's really kind of superficial to me and not real applicable. Now that I'm thumbing through it again, though, I'm wondering if I shouldn't give it a second chance. I will. Maybe I'm wrong. I worry that my life experiences at the time I'm reading really color my like and dislike of what I'm reading! 

The Serpent and the Crown by Elizabeth Peters

 This is #18 in the series, and a very enjoyable one. It got me through a hard time! I was staying with my dad at the Meadows and the days were long as he gradually declined. The days were busy, too, and my reward at the end of the day was a little escape into Egypt with this book. I was pretty exhausted at the end of each day, so this was a welcome change of pace. I always enjoy the Emerson family, and they did not disappoint.

This episode centers around a beautiful golden statuette that astounds everyone who sees it. It's given to the Emersons in order to avoid being further cursed by its presence. From there, the story unfolds around the woman who gives it away, and her two step-children. It takes all of the Emersons to unravel the complicated series of events that lead to murder and explanations.

Radcliffe Emerson's brother, Sethos, is becoming more and more sympathetic as the series evolves. In this story, even Ramses is warming up to him by the end. As I near the end of the series, I see softening and aging and maturing of the adult characters, even as Ramses' and Nefret's twins emerge as precocious upstarts. 

I think I need to reread this one at some point, because my dad passed away right when I was in the middle. And the emotional upheaval was interfering with my comprehension. There were many times when I couldn't even read, and I knew I needed to just feel and reflect on my emotions and loss. And then I would need a break, like on my flight home to St. George, where I wanted to sleep, but couldn't, and read. So I missed quite a few details and it was hard to put all of the pieces together at the end. I'll give it another try sometime. This was less violent than many of hers, so it will be a lighter and more fun re-read. 

The Last Cowboys - A Pioneer Family in the New West by John Branch

 Donna Winget in St. George recommended this book to me over lunch one day. She raved about what it reveals about rodeo life and life in the more rural parts of southern Utah. She was right; not only is it good reading about fascinating characters, it's also about a way of life that is foreign to me and unique. And I probably understand more about horses and cowboys and ranch life than the average person, but still, I learned a lot. I really enjoyed the intimate look into this family's life. 

I took the book along with me to Napa this week because I figured my dad would enjoy hearing excerpts of it. Unfortunately, he was too close to death to be able to want to have anything read to him. He would have loved it, though! And I smiled every time I spied his lariat in his closet...

There were some very poignant lines and a lot of wisdom along the way. These cowboys were very stoic about their injuries and humble about their winning. I kept wondering about who was paying for the doctor bills and surgeries. I also wondered about the physical pain that had to be overcome to continue, and the price each would pay as their bodies aged.

I recommended this book to Glen Whipple, and he agreed it was good and well-written. One thing I'd like to talk to him about is how a writer like this one was able to become intimate with the family and capture all of the moments and insights he did. It makes me wonder, how did he become invisible? Or, more realistically, what impact did his presence have on the family? And how long did it take for him to get close and for them to get comfortable sharing. The family members' humility is such an endearing quality. They also seem unassuming and kind of private, so it's even more astounding that they would allow this level of exposure. 

Another theme was the encroaching public from Zion National Park on their cattle operations. Branch did a good job of depicting the opposing forces at work as this lifestyle struggles to remain viable. I really liked the seeming win-win solution described at the end of the book where the generational land is being converted into a place for limited numbers of tourists to experience ranch life. I would like to go see how that's going now. 

October 2025

I took this book along to Granger, Indiana, when a drunk driver hit Sierra and I needed a book to read on the plane and after I got there. I knew I liked this book, and it had gotten me through Daddy's passing, and I was ready for something completely different from what I was reading. It did not disappoint! Still an amazing family and I'm still amazed by their willingness to lead such a painful and exhausting lifestyle.

In talking with Carol Ann Gardner on our temple shift one day, I learned that she is a big fan of Ststson Wright, and so I have lent the book to her. I'n excited to hear how much she enjoys it! She watches the Cowboy Channel (which I didn't know existed), so she can fill me in on how the Wright boys are doing nowadays in their rodeo careers. 

Must You Go? My Life with Harold Pinter by Antonia Fraser

 Len gifted me this book after he heard some commentary on it on a radio or TV show. It looked intriguing to me, especially the blurbs on the back cover, so I started reading it right away.

I'm so glad I did! It's a beautifully written work of love. While the author's choices and thinking are not ones I could condone, she offers her descriptions unapologetically. For example, both she and Pinter are married when they meet, and begin a love affair that lasts the rest of their lives. They are both parents and seem oblivious to the consequences these choices might have on their spouses and children. Yet they soldier on, divorce their spouses, and finally, joyfully marry. She makes no excuses, just describes in beautiful prose what they did, whom they saw, what they said. 

It's clear that they are each passionate artists, and they seem to connect and beautifully support the other's writing. Their love is illustrated through the many poems he writes her, and they are moving. One wonders if maybe their love was meant to be? Or do you have to act that way when you've made these choices? I don't know, but it is fun to watch their lives move forward.

There are many references I don't understand since they live in London and are part of a culture that I know little about. I recognize a few names, and realize they moved in stellar circles. The way she writes is fun to read... Often phrases and quotes that speak for themselves.

She alludes to her own writing and some of her struggles with the biographies she writes. She describes how Harold sometimes reads to her and she asks questions that help him develop his plot. The hardest part to read is about his physical suffering as he neared death.  It made me want to read one of his plays to see if I agree that he is Nobel Prize-worthy. 

One thing I noticed is that Fraser describes the people she meets, whether friends, stars, famous royalty, or family members, in very colorful and positive terms. Nothing trite here at all. And even the people who are sometimes at odds with them, she describes in admiring terms. 

I think what I admired the most was the devotion these two had to each other. Utterly devoted and first is each other's minds. Yet they were also independent and followed their own artistic paths. It was interesting to note that they did not co-mingle their finances. He sometimes gifted the family with fabulous trips, but otherwise, she was often in need of funds and cost-cutting. Yet she never seemed to expect or want financial help from her husband. 

This book is a keeper, I think. I'd like to read it again in awhile and enjoy the beautiful writing style again. It's instructive for my journal-writing to let people speak for themselves, for example. Her entries, journal-style, are often brief but reveal a lot. I like that. 

Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

 This came up as a recommendation on Amazon from all of my Elizabeth Peters purchases. After reading the reviews, it seemed like a good risk. It was!

This "thriller" is quietly sinister and the setting of the Shetland Islands is cold and forboding. It's not a violent thriller in that sense, to me, it was more of a detective story. I really liked the characters who were interesting and so was the chilly setting of the Shetland Islands.

Great writing? No. Descriptive, though, and interesting. The tangled web of characters and how the mystery unfolded really kept my interest. It was a read I looked forward to after fun evenings and days with the Stevenson's in Rapid City. Will I get another one by this author? Maybe. 

Children of the Storm by Elizabeth Peters

This installment in the series had some very unexpected and delightful humorous moments. I believe Peters’ writing has improved over the course of these stories. The characters are so entertaining and stay consistent over time. I’ve especially enjoyed the growing softening of the master criminal, Sethos, as he is influenced by time in the Emerson family.

This longer story was complicated, but I was able to stay with it. The criminals were women from earlier installments, except for one, and she was despicable. She was disguised as a special needs boy, and he and his servant, Francois, were uncomfortably evil. They were determined to steal the massive treasure that had been discovered in one of Cyrus’ digs. His disappointment and subsequent plan to turn it  over to M. Lacau was a central point in the plot. 

I felt like Peters spent a lot of words filling out the familial scenes to give us an idea of how this next generation would operate. Ramses and Nefret’s twins get the last word in this book, and they are hilarious. Obviously, history is about to repeat itself in the form of two precocious children.

I read the ending of this in Las Vegas as we were attending a Rod Stewart concert. The action and darkness here on the streets can be unsettling. It was a relief to get into my most comfy and clean bed here in the Flamingo Hotel, and sail away into the safety of this story! Len is sleeping, so I took my pillow and comforter to a crack in the drapes so I could read the ending before we depart! It, like most of the stories, ended with a violent and dramatic culmination of the heroes overcoming the criminals in force. Very satisfying ending!

The Golden One by Elizabeth Peters

 This is #16 in the series, and I'm enjoying them more as I go along. I feel like I know the characters well, and Peters does a fine job of keeping them fresh, funny, and consistent. This particular book continues with Egypt at war, and Ramses continuing some undercover spy work for the British military. 

I read most of this on our houseboat on Lake Powell, and it was the perfect book for a summer read. It's light, intriguing, and the characters are interesting. I know I wrote they are consistent (above), but they are also full of surprises. And the intrigue and situations are always new and different. The Emerson family always overcomes incredible odds and people, but the settings and descriptions are always engaging.

In this story, we get to know Sethos much better. His mysterious facade is coming away, piece by piece, and we see more of his humane side. Ramses is faced with some moral dilemmas as he is rescued by a Turkish tyrant's daughter, and of course Amelia is in the middle of everything. 

The new character of Jumana is an interesting mix of loyalty and intelligence and will probably continue on into the next installment. Sennia is developing into a mini-Amelia, which will make for interesting developments in future installments. Nefret doesn't get much air time, but she does end up pregnant, so that opens up some interesting possibilities too, for future books. And I kept wondering, why is Amelia "in charge" of Sennia rather than Ramses and Nefret? Just a wondering. 

The setting of Gaza and other middle eastern cities and how they are situated was fascinating; as was the description of the homes and harem quarters, etc., These colorful details make this series even more interesting and hint at a rich culture and history. So many insights...