skip to main content

Reader's Paradise

Utah-related reading titles anyone?

15 years ago

I will be visiting Utah (and probably HQing in Salt Lake City) at the end of the summer, and am interested in reading some Utah-related titles.

The only one I can think of is Under the Banner of Heaven by Krakauer, but surely there must be others that you know of?

Any ideas? Fiction or non-fiction - nearly anything will work...

Thanks

liz

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

phaedosia
15 years ago
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff is pretty good. It alternates between a modern-day mystery and historical fiction passages concerning a polygamist family.
rosefolly
15 years ago
Two Zane Grey novels come to mind, The Rainbow Trail and Riders of the Purple Sage. I read them long ago in my teens.

Rosefolly
Related Discussions
Bonsai and related questions. plus small rant.
Q
Comments (19)
Thanx again you been very helpful i def thought of it but also thought an easier solution would occur like maybe using pool water but i am worried about the tree as far as evaporation with the chemical but then again my pool definately doesnt effect the trees in my backyard and lets be real pool chemicals is the.least of our trees worries with pollution and all so i.jus am curious i figured if i can use.pool water it has the.chemicals to stay.clear clean of algae and all that so i was hoping someone.would kno.if thats safe or not if.not.my only.other.option i figure is either.like u said or instead of using the filtered water i use for.my plants i.jus use sink water wich has the.lil bit of chlorine and whatever else in it and dont.keep.it filled.let it evaporate wipe doen and then fill again prolly my best easiest bet unless someone knows if the pool water will be safe for.my tree and thanx again moochinka people.like you remind me why i.joined thos forum in the first.place thanx and if you ever.need some.advice that i.can help.with.or.info please.by all.means hit.me up
...See More
I live in Utah. Am I screwed?
Q
Comments (15)
Soil that holds moisture needs less water than soil where the water runs right through. Utah: sandy, right? Add a lot of organic matter to your soil, esp the top six inches. Avoid turning the soil as much as you can, as turning exposes the soil microbes to sun and wind, which kills them (waste), the nitrogen in the soil outgasses into the atmosphere (waste), and it makes the soil dry out (waste). Mulch, mulch, mulch! It breaks down and feeds the soil, which feeds the plants, prevents evaporation, and helps prevent weed seeds from sprouting. Don't space your plants too far apart. Block planting is better than row planting because it is a more effective use of space and resources (like water). In the desert, esp, this is counterproductive: the plants tend to get more light than they really need, and they expire more moisture into the air (waste). Unless there's really a good reason to plant them apart (like running squash), group your plantings with similar requirements and moisture needs. Some plants like a little shade, esp midday. Plants like these could be planted in the partial shade of larger plants. This can reduce water demand. Read Brad Lancaster's books Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond (3 vols., only the first 2 are available, #3 probably next year). Holding water in containers isn't the only way to collect and store water. If you do it right, you can store it in the soil. One suggestion from his book: when planting a young tree or shrub, dig the hole twice as wide as you think you need it; then plant the tree in one half, and fill the other half with old phonebooks or a good stack of junk mail and soak it good, then finish planting. The mass of paper will retain water for a long time, like 3 months or more, and the young tree roots can gather moisture from the paper. Many, many drawings and ideas in his books - WONDERFUL! Get hold of Art Ludwig's books on Greywater - he's the king of greywater. If you only use 50 gallons of city (or well) water per day, that's over 18,000 gallons per year, so don't waste it. Pick your trees carefully, and try to avoid water hogs. Above-ground swimming pools can hold a lot of water. One that has a 12' diameter and is 4' deep will hold almost 3,000 gallons of water. If you get any rain in the warmer months, that will help to refill it as you use it. Think, plan and don't waste what you get. Sue
...See More
New "related discussions" placement
Q
Comments (25)
I'm on Safari for Mac right now and today I'm suddenly seeing those related discussions thumbnails in between the posts, rather than on a sidebar, like they used to be displayed... Looks like they might be trying to get people to click on them more often, but it sure doesn't seem like a smart idea to me...
...See More
Utah law loosens licensing requirements for general contractors
Q
Comments (3)
Interesting. Moved from eliminating the trade portion of the exam but possible increasing the business portion, adding continuing ed, etc. CA requires a license for all over $500.. a limit that hasn't been adjusted in 20-30 years. Meanwhile, there's an "owner builder" exemption hole that gets used on most flips and many spec homes. I read the defect case cited by the reporter. No relation to licensing issues, but definitely related to someone else hiring the contractor (not the home builder) who built the retaining wall and makes me wonder who graded the lot.
...See More
netla
15 years ago
I enjoyed Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness by Edward Abbey. It's about his life as a park ranger in Arches National Monument (which is now a national park) and is full of observations on people and nature.
yoyobon_gw
15 years ago
SALT: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
lemonhead101
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks... These are great to start with...

Another one I thought of is Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Aron Ralston (the climber who was forced to cut his right arm off with a dull knife)... I think he was from Colorado, but it happened in Utah.
lemonhead101
Original Author
15 years ago
And the book by Elizabeth Smart who was kidnapped by a Mormon Fundamentalist (who was also a complete and utter nutjob and thought he was the next leader guy for the church...)

Karakuer's book Under the Banner of Heaven is really interesting. I had no idea that the Books of Mormons had the history it did, nor that it said that Jesus visited America. (Must have missed that lesson somewhere...) :-)
J C
15 years ago
If you go to Amazon and put "Wallace Stegner Utah" in the search box, a long list of fiction and nonfiction will come up. Anything by Stegner is worth reading IMHO. (We discussed his Angle of Repose a few years ago.)
lemonhead101
Original Author
15 years ago
I love Stegner... Great suggestion, Siobhan! Thanks.
friedag
15 years ago
Siobhan beat me to it in suggesting Wallace Stegner, especially his Mormon Country which I remember as a fascinating collection of essays, anecdotes, and stories. Also, there's his A Gathering of Zion. But it was some forty years ago that I read them and I don't know how they hold up.

If you are at all interested in America's other infamous 9/11, I think The Mountain Meadows Massacre by Juanita Brooks and Sally Denton's American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows, September 1857 are both enlightening.

Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders by Linda Sillitoe and Allen Roberts is fascinating if you like true crime. I recall that some of the things revealed about LDS church history seemed really bizarre and not at all pleasing to the church bigwigs.

Of course, if you want to bone up on the LDS, you could read Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon?, but it would probably be best to do it either before you go or after you get back home. In my experience, it is impolitic to have it in view in Utah. :-(

Liz, you mentioned reading Under the Banner of Heaven, so maybe you can help me. I am trying to recall the title of a book by one of the many daughters of the patriarch living down on the Utah/Arizona line. Krakauer described this man in UtBoH (quite amusingly, as I recall). If I could just get the right surname of this man, I could probably find the book that seemed to me to be titled something like Deadly Kinfolk; but I don't get any hits at Amazon with that, so it must be something else.
J C
15 years ago
Is the surname Jeffs? That is a very common name in the polygamy crowd for the obvious reason. Warren Jeffs is an infamous polygamist. You could try a search at Amazon like "Mormon Jeffs." Even if that is not the name, it might bring up something that rings a bell.

I have way too much useless information knocking around in my brain!
lemonhead101
Original Author
15 years ago
Frieda - One of the main characters is one of a set of brothers with the last name Lafferty... Does that help?
ginny12
15 years ago
Another vote for Desert Solitaire. It is a classic of landscape literature and very personal as well. I bought and read it when we were in Utah visiting the national parks some years ago. What country!

Related Stories

KITCHEN DESIGN The Cure for Houzz Envy: Kitchen Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

Take your kitchen up a notch even if it will never reach top-of-the-line, with these cheap and easy decorating ideas

FUN HOUZZ Don’t Be a Stickybeak — and Other Home-Related Lingo From Abroad

By Mitchell Parker

Need to hire a contractor or buy a certain piece of furniture in the U.K. or Australia? Keep this guide at hand

INDUSTRIAL STYLE My Houzz: From Raw Space to Hip Home in a Converted Utah Garage

Creative repurposing with an industrial edge defines the first home of an engaged couple in Salt Lake City

CONTEMPORARY HOMES Houzz Tour: Toasty Warm and Energy-Efficient in Utah Ski Country

By Becky Harris

An architect builds his own first home with passive house standards at the forefront

LIFE Houzz Call: Where (and What) Are You Reading This Summer?

By Stacy Briscoe

Whether you favor contemporary, classic or beach reads, do the long and lazy days of summer bring out the lit lover in you?

FEEL-GOOD HOME 15 Cozy Book Nooks and What They Want You to Read

By Becky Harris

Put the beach reads away; these comfy spaces are creating a fall reading list. What books do they suggest to you?

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Stripping Down Uncovers a 1910 Bungalow's Beauty

A first-time homeowner brings out the charm and coziness in her Utah home through determination and patience

VACATION HOMES Houzz Tour: A Mountain Retreat Goes Against the Grain

By Bryan Anthony

A woodsy ski lodge near Park City, Utah, lightens up its mood and color palette

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Wanderlust-Fueled Decor in Salt Lake City

Globally gathered and family pieces bring personal warmth to a historic Utah home

BEDROOMS New This Week: 4 Bedrooms Worth Waking Up To

By Mitchell Parker

Read how designers planned, designed and furnished these bright and inspiring spaces

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Remodeling Company in New Albany, Ohio

More Discussions

The Game Flowers in May

101

The game continues in July

106

The September Game for Early Autumn

103

September books in cozy nooks !

69

The Golden October Game

33