Book 44: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

I never read mysteries, but this one had been mentioned by some other 52 Books in 52 Weeks-ers and I decided to give it a try.

 

I enjoyed it. It was a fairly light, "cozy" mystery, and Flavia is quite an interesting character. It's a series, too, so there are currently five Flavia books available, with a sixth being published in 2014.

Incidentally, I began listening to the audio book, but my loan ended and it disappeared from my phone, so I had to finish reading the printed book!

Book 43: The Book of Mormon Girl

Hey, look, another religious book!



This one was great, though sometimes a little disconcerting. Joanna Brooks is just a few years older than I am, and attended BYU just before I did. True to my usual obliviousness, I was not all that aware of some of what went on during the early and mid '90s at BYU regarding feminists in the English department.

Anyway, Joanna's experiences are both similar to and different from mine. My upbringing does not seem to have been that much that of other Mormon girls who lived in the Mountain West. I suppose growing up in central Canada will do that for you. But I remember having many of the same questions and thoughts.

Book 42: The Five Books of Jesus

I don't normally read religious books of any kind other than the standard works, but this year, I challenged myself to read five in my 5/5 challenge. This is my first.



I found it surprisingly compelling. It's a retelling of the Gospels as they might have happened. I really enjoyed the imagined perspective of those who began to follow Jesus. To see them as real people, with feelings and dreams and worries, even if those traits were only imagined by the author, made the familiar story very thought-provoking.

Book 41: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety

I joked that the book I read last year called Freeing Your Child from Anxiety was really Freeing Yourself from Anxiety, but really, the same author did write that very book!



The strategies are nothing particularly startling, but it's good to be reminded. There were also some great suggestions for dealing with perfectionism, procrastination, and criticism.

Unfortunately for me, this type of subject doesn't work so well with an audio book because it's harder to look (or listen) back and review. In one ear and out the other? We shall see if any of it sticks.

Book 40: Let the Great World Spin

I recently heard an interview with Colum McCann on NPR about his latest book, which reminded me that I had one of his earlier books.



I really enjoyed it. There is a lot of raw emotion and tragedy in the book, but he's a great storyteller. I can't wait to read his newest book.

Book 39: How Will You Measure Your Life?

It took me a while to get into this book. I actually feel pretty confident about my career path, so the early sections about not choosing a job just because it paid well were sort of lost on me.




However, there was a whole section that was written to apply to relationships and family life. It gave me a lot to think about--in a very good way.

Book 38: Salt Sugar Fat

Ahh, processed food, why are you so tasty? This book will tell you, and it ain't pretty.



My takeaway: Processed foods are awful in so many ways. "Healthier" processed foods are not going to improve your health. Whole foods, prepared at home, are the way to go.

And so I'm off to the kitchen.