Age 30+ ... A Lifetime of Books: The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance

Who AM I?

That's a good question ... I'm a daughter, a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend ... and there's so much more! But for the purpose of this blog I am a first and foremost a reader.

When I was in the first grade I read The Hobbit and my love of Fantasy took root. By the time I left elementary school I had completed the entire series as well as The Belgariad by David Eddings. Seventh grade brought me the beginning of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series ... which is still not complete. High school and college introduced me to the classics and to history. My reading disappeared for several years when I had a child. Then I started a book club and it came back in full force.

Today I read anything that catches my eye ... at the moment that includes historical fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, and any titles I find interesting. I'm always on the lookout for the next great find ... any suggestions?

The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance

by Elna Baker

276 pages

I first heard of this book a few months ago when I saw the hilarious video below - after watching it I knew I just HAD to read it!

The book is a memoir of a formerly overweight Mormon girl living in New York City and trying to reconcile her beliefs with her life experiences.

Fair warning: this video doesn't include any bad language but the audio isn't exactly save for work or for the kiddos. Don't miss out though - pop in your earphones and check it out!

Ok, so ... at my last book club meeting one of the ladies said she'd just read it and enjoyed it. I immediately asked to borrow it and started reading that very night.

I cannot tell you how much I truly loved this book - it was wonderful.

It started off being laugh-out-loud funny - just what I needed at the time. Then it got to be a bit more introspective but without loosing that sense of humor and fun. I started getting to know Elna and began wanting the best for her.

If you have ever struggled with weight loss and reconciling the old you and the new you, you'll love that portion of Elna's story. If you have had difficultly living your religious beliefs because the world around you is so different than you, you'll love that part of Elna's story. If you simply enjoy getting into an author's head and seeing how the world looks through their eyes, definitely pick up this book.

I cannot recommend it enough. I loved it and it will stay with me for a very long time.

7 comments:

Trisha said...: I could use a laugh out loud type of book, so thanks for the suggestion!; March 18, 2011 at 11:06 AM
bermudaonion said...: This has been on my radar for a while (I just love the title) so I'm glad to see you loved it!; March 18, 2011 at 2:20 PM
Erika Robuck said...: I've got to read this!; March 18, 2011 at 2:53 PM
Andi said...: I'm so glad you liked this one. It caught my attention when I was browsing recently, and I hadn't seen anyone mention it until your post popped up!; March 20, 2011 at 10:03 AM
Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...: I have this one sitting on my desk (and have for months) but after I accepted the book I mentioned it to my cousin who actually knows the author and shared some things that I fear will bias my reading of her book. Just need to separate the two in my mind as it sounds really funny!; March 30, 2011 at 8:34 PM
Reading Rambo said...: New follower from Amanda's blog. I absolutely want to read this now; thanks for writing about it!; April 20, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Heather J. @ TLC Book Tours said...: Alice - Thanks for dropping by, and welcome! I hope you enjoy this one - I really loved it!; April 20, 2011 at 10:20 PM