Bondage & The Rapture of Canaan

I have talked about that I had a big stack of books to go through/read. I was thinking about those books today because it is so odd that I lugged these unread books from one place to the next...and made it here...clear across the country. Yet a book of China that I can never replace got misplaced.

Anyway last summer when I did a major clean up of our closets and cupboards I found this box with all the unread books. So I put them on my book shelf next to the bed in hopes I would get through them eventually. And I am getting through them.

Last week I read a book called Bondage by Patti Davis (Ron and Nancy Reagan's daughter). I was given it as a gift in 2000 and never read it. It had some light bondage in it. It wasn't horrible. But it isn't a book I would read again or keep on my bookshelf.

Basic plot Sarah is has built up lots of walls around herself so that when she enters a relationship she controls it - she decides where it will go and what she will feel and how it will end. And then she meets Anthony and everything changes. He seems to be able break those walls down and crawl into her head and create her thoughts and feelings. I liked some of the descriptions of how he made her feel but not really a book about SM but more about the mental aspects of submission (for the most part).

So the book really didn't turn me on even with the title and the topic. But then I picked up The Rapture Canaan by Sheri Reynolds. In 2001 - maybe 2002 my Mom got on an Oprah book club book kick. She went through the archives and picked several books from all the past club years. So she gave me several of them after she was done with them. And The Rapture of Canaan is one of them.

Now the last book called Bondage didn't turn me on but there were moment in this next book The Rapture of Canaan did...as strange as that might sound to anyone who has read the book.

The book was about a 15 year girl named Ninah who lives in a very an isolated religious community ruled by her Grandfather Herman. She is allowed to go public school but really that is her only touch with the outside world. Their community has strict rules - like women wear long dresses and can't cut their hair. Men can't shave - they keep a beard. They all work her Grandfather's land and live on it. When they do something wrong they have to sleep on nettles, walk with walnut shells in their shoes, use clothes pins on their body to remind them of Jesus' pain. Ninah starts to like one boy and they are set as prayer partners. They really like each other and pray for their feelings to end and often do the self punishment to stop their lust feelings. But they end up having sex (in the name of Jesus) and Ninah becomes pregnant. So it is the story of Ninah how she deals with that her pregnancy and the community as she has sinned by fornicating although she denies it. I really liked the book but I didn't like how it ended. It was okay. I understand why it ended like it did but I wanted to know what next. That always irritates me when that happens with a book. But I am glad I read it and I could see reading it again. Oh something I almost forgot...and a part of the book that I liked was she weaved and her thoughts and how she weaved were interesting.

So Bondage I would give 3 out of 5 stars and and The Rapture of Canaan 4 out of 5.

7 / 25 (28.0%)

The links above on the books is an used book store a Better World has free shipping (in the USA) and their money goes to fund different literacy programs and care for the environment. So from now on when I link to books if I can find them there I will put a link there before using an Amazon link.

I also need to do reviews of books that I read before these 2 but these were fresh in mind so I wanted to get them done. Other books to review: The Academy and The Reunion by Laura Antoniou, Kink by Kathe Koja, Suicide Blonde by Darcy Steinke and Creative Utopia: 12 Ways to Realize Total Creativity by Theo Stephan Williams. I thought there was one more in there and I can't remember at the this time but not feeling like going and looking at this moment.