About

About this Blog:

From the time I read my first chapter book (The Boxcar Children), I've had a passion for reading.  Growing up, my brothers were grounded from TV and friends when they misbehaved; I had my beloved books taken away from me.  Today I still read constantly, voraciously, everything from books to magazines to the backs of cereal boxes.   A Literary Compulsion is my place to list, discuss, and review the books I'm reading.  It's an exercise of sorts, and I hope to become a stronger writer and better judge of literature because of it.  I don't pretend that my reviews are particularly sophisticated or unbiased.  I just want to get my thoughts down and make a few new book-loving friends in the process. 


About Me:

I was born and raised in Utah.  I love mountains, snow, and the BYU-Utah rivalry; I drop my Ts when saying words like mountain and Layton, and I've even picked up skiing in the last few years, so I can truly say that I'm a Utah girl through and through. 

However, in May 2014, my husband and I moved our little family to the Boston Metro area. We fell in love with the East Coast upon arrival and while we miss the mountains (and our families, of course!), the ocean, the history, the culture, and the amazing people we've come to know have captured our hearts.

I completed a bachelors degree in American Studies at Brigham Young University.  I'm passionate about history and the American founding (all the more reason to love our new home!), and I am convinced that the American Studies curriculum should be incorporated into every major in every university in the country.  I graduated in 2006 and, later that same year, married my sweetheart, J.  We now have two beautiful boys.

I worked full-time as an adviser and public relations coordinator in an academic department at BYU after my graduation.  I loved the job, the people, and the skills I learned there, but when our little family moved away in 2009 so that J could begin a PhD program, I happily made the transition to stay-at-home mom. 

In addition to curling up with a good book, I love music, being with my sweet little family, graphic design (see samples of my work here and here), hiking and camping, and watching BYU football.  I love to create--whether that means planting a garden, making a quilt, fixing a meal, planning a party, or raising my family. 


About the "content" portion of my reviews:

I really hesitated to include content guides to my reviews, but I hate starting a book and then finding that it's full of foul language, sex, or extreme violence.  I have an extremely hard time putting a book down once I start it (and it would appear that I'm not alone, as evidenced by this article from the Chicago Tribune), so I often end up reading the filth and then wishing that I hadn't.  I am in no way suggesting that we censor books, but I feel that adding content guides will, at the very least, allow other readers to approach the books I've reviewed with a better understanding of what they're about to read. 

However, there is a very good chance that your idea of inappropriate will in no way resemble mine.  I know that many people will find me to be overly prudish while an equal number of people will be scandalized at my permissiveness.  Please understand that I write my content guides from (obviously) my point of view, and that they reflect my beliefs and background.  Also, while I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, my views on the books I review do not represent the Church's stance on media content.