If you're struggling with your weight, sick of diets, and want to be at peace with your body and EVERYTHING you eat, read this book. It's changing my If you're struggling with your weight, sick of diets, and want to be at peace with your body and EVERYTHING you eat, read this book. It's changing my life....more
Short assessment: This book started off with good intentions but failed to deliver because the conclusion was just one more diet. If you want to lose Short assessment: This book started off with good intentions but failed to deliver because the conclusion was just one more diet. If you want to lose weight without dieting but instead through a lifestyle change, read Intuitive Eating.
Long assessment: Allen Carr's revolutionary book The Easy Way To Stop Smoking has helped millions of people break free of their addiction. He's done really great work, and I applaud him for the lasting change he's affected. However, he took the principles of that book and attempted to apply them to dieting. That was a great first step, but unfortunately, he both goes too far and not far enough.
Breaking through brainwashing is a key point in his stop smoking book, and in this one, he also sets the reader down the path to do just that. Among other things, he outlines how added sugar and salt keep those of us here in the Western world addicted to processed food.
I've had personal experience prior to reading this book with breaking free of pre-packaged and sugary foods because I had a food intolerance that didn't allow me to eat more than a few grams of sugar in one meal or I would suffer painful consequences (much like gluten or lactose intolerance). I'm now well-versed in "ingredient-list-ese" and just how awful those ingredients are. If you've never really--really--let what's in the ingredient list sink into your brain, it's a pretty mind-boggling experience to go through. It's even tougher to change your entire lifestyle to cut out foods that add no nutritional value to your diet. It's something you have to spend days or weeks wrapping your head around, and this book (like the stop smoking book) brings that information to your attention and allows you, if you want, to focus on the truth behind the crap the food industry is shoveling down our throats.
I would give this book four stars if that's where he ended it.
However, he goes off the rails in two ways:
1. I found a factually inaccurate statement in the book about the metabolism and chemical properties of sugar, which calls into question everything else he's presented as fact.
2. He takes his recommendations too far and tells the reader that if you're going to revise your eating habits, you're going to have to change your diet to (view spoiler)[vegan (hide spoiler)].
The first error lowers the impact of his statements about everything, and the second ensures that the readers stays in the diet trap. (And I'm not so sure about the arguments he presents for his particular diet, either.)
1. Factually Inaccurate Statement
Here is the factually inaccurate statement, quoted from the book:
The natural sugar in unprocessed foods such as fruit is easily digest and like all other nutrients, travels through the body and feeds it. In its natural form, it's the primary fuel for your mind. When you eat fruit, the natural sugar, fructose, enters your body, combined with fibre and water. These act together to create the glucose necessary for your brain to function.
Monosaccharides, or the simplest unit of sugar, come in different chemical configurations, but each one has its own unique properties. Glucose is a monosaccharide and fructose is a monosaccharide. They (and other monosaccharides) combine to form di- and polysaccharides. Saying that fructose combines with stuff to create glucose is like saying that a neutron combines with stuff to create a proton, or flour combines with stuff to create eggs. That's just not how it works, period.
They do, however, exist in different amounts in different fruits, which is, I suppose, how he got confused. Apples have a large amount of fructose and a small amount of glucose, whereas blueberries have a large amount of glucose and a smaller amount of fructose. Glucose and fructose chemically bonded together create the disaccharide sucrose, which is the chemical name for white sugar. They also have different names: Dextrose and corn syrup are both names for glucose; whereas high fructose corn syrup is primarily fructose.
I could continue, but I won't, since this is supposed to be a book review. Suffice it to say that this factually inaccurate statement calls into question the rest of his assertions. He doesn't include footnotes or cite sources. So every time he says, "Your body works this way," I got more and more dubious. Sure, some of it I knew to be true, but a lot of it, I couldn't trust.
Still, I don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. As I said at the beginning, he is indeed correct about the ridiculous amount of nutrition-free ingredients in processed and packaged food, and it is best to completely avoid them.
2. Recommendation for a New Diet
The book perpetuates the negativity around eating that you truly need to break free of if you're going to lose weight and be happy without dieting. (Sorry to toot its horn some more, but one of the key principles of Intuitive Eating is to remove the morality around choice and frequency of eating. After all, eating is not a religion. Why is some food "bad" and some food "good"?)
The author does seem to have followed the principles of Intuitive Eating to find his own happy place, which is great for him. But rather than guiding you to your own conclusions and happy place, he presents his own diet as "this is the way it should be." He does say "it's ok" to eat some of the "bad" stuff because we have a "junk margin." But, I mean, if you want to eat stuff in "the junk margin..." Well, "junk" is a pretty clear indication of what the author thinks of your eating habits, and another assignation of morality.
Conclusion
If I hadn't discovered Intuitive Eating through discussing this book with someone, I probably would have been able to noodle my way through the principles in this book to a happier lifestyle. But when I finished this one, I was left with an empty, unsatisfied feeling, as though he'd left out a significant principle or two. I may have come up with them myself, but why do that when the heavy lifting has already been done for me elsewhere?
The bottom line is that you have to remove the guilt around eating and tune into your body's cues. You're the only one who knows what your diet is. We're all different, with different needs--sometimes quite different, even from day-to-day--and no one can tell you what you should eat. Only you can figure it out--albeit with a lot of work and possibly the help of a counselor and/or dietition, if you're really stuck and unsure where to turn....more
I appreciated the information contained in this book about the midpoint; however, in terms of value for my money, I was dissatisfied. The relevant parI appreciated the information contained in this book about the midpoint; however, in terms of value for my money, I was dissatisfied. The relevant parts were the length of maybe a two- or three-part instructional blog post. The author ran out of material on "writing from the middle" and went on to talk about his writing process and composing a novel in general. For some people, that might be OK, but I found myself getting annoyed. "Yeah, um, thanks, but stop telling me how to write." I was looking for specific information about creating a midpoint and felt like I was wasting my time on the other half of the book.
I also don't agree that the mirror moment is the midpoint. It is a key output of the midpoint, and his observations of it are insightful, but it's not the midpoint itself. He's confused the issue, in my opinion. However, finding and including a mirror moment can help you pull together your novel and locate your true midpoint, so it's not as though it's worthless information.
This would be much more useful as a couple chapters in a larger book about novel structure. Quite honestly, this feels like a money grab....more
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Please note that this contains spoilers of the firMy Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Please note that this contains spoilers of the first book, Running Home. See my review here.
Before I get into the review, I want to say I really like Julie's work. For the sake of disclosure, she asked me to read the book, which I thought was classy of her, since I only gave Running Home 3 stars. (Then again, as an author, I do like 3 star reviews, since, as a reader, I find that they're more realistic than the 5 star ones. Not that I'm saying I'm right or anything. I'm just saying that... Never mind. I'm digressing.)
Anyway, I like her ideas, I find her tweets and blog posts entertaining, informative, and touching, and I really wanted to love this book. But once again, I liked it, but I didn't love it.
In preparation for reading this sequel, I re-read the first and found I feel the same way about it again as I did the first time. My biggest issue with both books is how long it took for anything to happen. My writer's curse is that I'm constantly analyzing what I'm reading. If I'm having trouble getting into a story, I look for the reason. If I'm getting swept away, I look for the reason. I'm a student of the world, what can I say?
With both books, I feel as though imparting back story replaced major plot points, which makes it feel like a whole lot of nothing is happening for a long time. In the first book, almost 75% of the book (thank you, Kobo app) is Ellie and Nicholas falling in love. She discovers he's a vampire, admires his physique, finds out that he can create a bubble in the snow, learns about how he and Roman know Lynch. A few things happen, but again, if I'm analyzing this, I'd say the inciting incident is when Jennevieve shows up. And she doesn't show up until the last quarter of the book. Which is a problem since inciting incidents are supposed to happen at 20%. So for most of the book, it's descriptions of how delicious Nicholas smells and them chilling at his house and having a nice Christmas. In my completely and utterly humble opinion (hahaha), that's not plot.
I'm not a big paranormal (or any) romance fan. I do enjoy one from time to time, but the long-winded descriptions of the hot love interest are usually just too much for me. When it comes to Nicholas, I love how he's described to make Eliza comfortable and draw her to him. That's the majority of the book, which is interesting when held up against my previous comment about lack of plot.
The strong character description also extends into the second book, when we're introduced to Irish Kieran. This is probably the strongest part of the writing--two book boyfriends for fans of PR to fight over. But, well, steamy love interests don't replace plot, and even though it's romance, things need to happen while people fall in love.
The second book starts on a melancholy note, with Ellie mourning Kat while she and Nicholas travel to Japan. Totally legit, but again, it starts to drag. Things really start to happen when Ellie becomes a vampire. Until then, she's meeting the new cast of characters, chilling on a mountaintop, and denying her anger to Nicholas. Which, unfortunately, goes on for half the book while nothing much happens. I mean, things happen, but they're not big enough, or, at least, they're drowned out by the "hanging out in someone's room" scenes. Once Ellie becomes a vampire, things get real. She's got awesome powers coupled with anger management issues, which makes for a jaw-dropping second half.
I love the concept of vampires as presented in both these books. I love how Ellie's character is developed in the second one, as she becomes who she's meant to be. My favorite part is the brutally awful hostage situation where she's exploited for her new awesome powers, which (in my completely and utterly humble opinion) should have been a major focal point of the book but only lasts for a short period of time. It could have been deeper, more revealing, more sickening, more "I know I shouldn't look, but I can't stop staring at this car crash"... Kind of like when Ellie takes her first victim. Now that was an epic chapter.
If these books wound back story throughout plot, I would definitely love them. I crave books where the story takes you by the throat and strangles you as it races onward. I hope that the third book explodes on the page like I know it has the potential to do.
P.S. I'm still disappointed in the editors at Books of the Dead Press. "One in the same?" Missed words? Incorrectly placed commas? C'mon, guys. I'm also not impressed with the composition of this cover. It looks amateur to me. Good idea, good picture, but it needs to be composed better....more
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Creepy. Imaginative. Vivid.
When I received the author's request to review TNote: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Creepy. Imaginative. Vivid.
When I received the author's request to review The Soul Mincer and Other Stories, I devoured the first story and couldn't wait to continue the book. This is unusual for me: Usually I skim through the first chapter before deciding to put it on my to-be-read-in-the-future list. I've never been gripped so much by the initial offering that I wanted to keep reading immediately.
The stories evoke H.P. Lovecraft or Poe, and although that sounds cliche, it's still true. I can't help myself in that I love both of them and can't get enough of their works or the works they inspire. The voice is creepy and haunting and dark.
I wasn't a big fan of the several poems included, but I've only ever tolerated poetry in all its forms. Half of the time, I wonder what's wrong with me that I don't understand poetry, and the other half of the time, I wonder what's wrong with people who enjoy it enough to read or write it. Perhaps someone else would like it, if it's your thing.
A couple of the stories left me thinking, "What is the point of this?" I feel that way about short stories more often than books, so I think it's a normal reaction. And the answer, usually, is that there is no point. It just is. But that's what kept me from loving this collection. Some of the stories resonated and some of them didn't.
I was looking for some good horror to read before Halloween, and this definitely fit the bill. If you're looking for something creepy and unique, take a gander at this collection.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I couldn't get into the story. I started skimming at 25% aStopped reading at 47%.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I couldn't get into the story. I started skimming at 25% and couldn't get past the first half. Although things happened, it felt like nothing was happening. I couldn't keep track of the characters and too many descriptions of inanimate things weighed the plot down. That is, temples and buildings replace what's actually in the locales, but I'm not familiar with them, so I have no frame of reference. Every time a new character is introduced, a perfunctory description of what he or she looks like interrupts the action. The disagreements / discussions between religious people and atheists seem a caricature of the real world.
Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to care about the story; however, I will note that thrillers are not one of my favorite genres....more
DNF - Read first chapter. Not my genre and didn't catch my interest. Too many characters introduced without anything happening.DNF - Read first chapter. Not my genre and didn't catch my interest. Too many characters introduced without anything happening....more
Stalking the Demon is a solid sequel to the debut Confronting the Demon. Both books are on the shorter side, two novellas with complete story arcs, anStalking the Demon is a solid sequel to the debut Confronting the Demon. Both books are on the shorter side, two novellas with complete story arcs, and both have intriguing plots and thoroughly fleshed-out worlds.
One of the only complaints I had about the first book was that I wanted to know even more about the world that the characters live in. Specifically, I wanted to know about the magic system and the political landscape in Alloran's world, and this book delivers both, along with a big dose of nail-biting tension on several fronts.
Alloran is faced with the difficult task of healing his lover, Gisayne, from the dark spell that connects her to the evil Ladanyon, now in one of the hell realms. But Alloran is opposed by a powerful man on the ruling council of wizards, who wants nothing more than to see him to be stripped of his magical ability. As Alloran secretly researches the spell--against the council's wishes--he discovers that reality itself is collapsing. To save Gisayne, he must leave the council chambers and chase Ladanyon into hell.
I really liked the first book, and this sequel is a great follow-up. The descent into the hell realm is exciting, better even than the climax of the first book, when hell makes an appearance in Alloran's world. I love the tentacled first-realm demons, very kraken meets Lovecraftian Old Ones. My only complaint was that I would have wanted to see the political intrigue portion shortened and the action lengthened. The demons are the best part, and, after all, they are in the titles--I want more of them.
If you like fantasy, I would recommend picking up both these books. Ms. Ballintyne's writing is only getting stronger, and I look forward to her future works.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Shadowcursed is a well thought-out fantasy novella that features distinctivNote: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Shadowcursed is a well thought-out fantasy novella that features distinctive characters and world. It gives the impression that this is a part of a larger body of work--with three-dimensional supporting cast and a land that seems to extend beyond the pages.
Bolen, the main character, is caught in a web of deceit that centers around a carving that everyone seems to want. Bouncing between his fence, a demon, and a guy controlled by said demon, he must also come to terms with his aging physique.
Seeing him grow as a person, to accept who he is and find strength within his limitations, was the most engaging part of the story for me. I'm weary of fantasy stories where the main character is a strapping young teenager or early twenty-year-old who is "the chosen one." This is something different, with a new sort of struggle.
If you like fantasy and real characters, I would recommend Shadowcursed, and I look forward to Mr. Fleisher's future works.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lexus Sam is a well-written novel that compelled mMy Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lexus Sam is a well-written novel that compelled me to keep reading. I usually like but don't love thrillers, but this drew me in and kept me guessing to the very end. Actually, it kept me guessing beyond, since the ending was one that made me reconsider the entire context of the novel.
The main character, Lexus Sam, struggles with his identity and memory. The story is written so as to not give a clear indication of whether what he "knows" is true or not. I flip-flopped several times between thinking he was delusional and thinking he was right about the memories that broke through his amnesia. This was the aspect of the novel that I liked the best. Although amnesia stories have been done before, this broke some ground I haven't encountered before.
Without giving away the ending, I want to say that the subtle way it finished surprised me. Although it had elements of speculative fiction, I wouldn't necessarily categorize it as anything except contemporary. The fantastical elements had just enough ring of reality to them.
If you're looking for an interesting thriller that keeps you wondering until the end, I would definitely recommend Lexus Sam. Don't let the small number of reviews on Goodreads and Amazon deter you (since it almost did me). This is a well-edited, well-paced, generally well-written novel.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is the second volume in the Transcendent Tales series, the first Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is the second volume in the Transcendent Tales series, the first of which I reviewed several months ago. This volume's stories are as varied as the first book, taking the reader from the shores of doomed Atlantis to the vast reaches of space once again. As with the first, two of the seven stories are unfinished in this volume.
Mr. Train's concepts are imaginative and his world-building thorough. He describes both ancient and future races with precision and detail, providing the reader with vivid cultural, physical, and emotional characteristics. My favorite story, "War Chief," describes an alien race in fascinating detail, after our protagonist crash lands on their planet. As with Ender's Saga and Xenogensis/Lilith's Brood, the race is intriguingly foreign.
However, I struggled with a couple of things: First, the world-building is so thorough that it takes up the beginning of most stories in an information dump that serves more to underline prowess at world creation than to illuminate the stories. This is not always the case, but I did find myself skimming parts and wishing for something to finally happen.
Second, the edits devolved in this book. I mentioned in the review of the first that it could have used another pass to correct grammatical errors; upon re-reading the beginning of The Treaty of Nine, I found that to be a fair assessment. The second book, however, seems not to have seen an editor. Multiple errors, ranging from comma splices to incorrect homonyms to sentence fragments, riddled every page.
I enjoyed the overall concept of the stories and I loved the science fiction landscape that Transcendent Tales, Volume II painted in my mind. However, I need a clean, well-edited book, and I found this one lacking. If you enjoy science fiction and aren't the stickler that I am, I would suggest picking up a copy--both of Volume I and of Volume II.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Even though I've reviewed several short story collMy Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Even though I've reviewed several short story collections, I'm usually on the fence about reading them. I prefer novels because I like to get invested in the characters and story. Especially when it comes to multiple authors, you never know what you're going to get from one page to the next.
However, I'm happy to report that Quantum Zoo is awesome. If you asked me to pick a favorite story, I wouldn't be able to, and I might not even be able to rank my top 5. I was only disinterested in one story, the final one, and that was because I couldn't figure out what was going on. Maybe I missed something; maybe the story was too esoteric for my taste.
The stories themselves are varied, from humans in an alien zoo to a pet tyrannosaurus to an arrogant, long-forgotten goddess who embodies different animals and people throughout time. I was impressed with the unique takes on the zoo theme. In one story, mammoth and sinister beasts were found floating at the outer edges of the solar system and, like Lovecraft's Old Ones, had sinister plans for the human race. (I lied; I would pick that one as my favorite. I love Lovecraft.)
Impeccably edited and with a great variety of stories, Quantum Zoo is a collection that I would recommend to lovers of speculative fiction. You just might find a new author--or twelve--that you'll just have to read more of.
I loved--LOOOOOVED--Parasite, so I was probably more disappointed in this book than is warranted. If you've given Book #1 five stars, you at least expI loved--LOOOOOVED--Parasite, so I was probably more disappointed in this book than is warranted. If you've given Book #1 five stars, you at least expect... well, four stars? Y'know?
When trying to figure out if this crushing disappointment was mine alone, I glanced through some of the other reviews. Apparently this series was originally supposed to be only two books, and that brings everything into focus. Symbiont wasn't meant to be. The plot was pretty much non-existent, with the characters rushing around from here to there, not much emotionally engaging happening, and no real solid explanations for what was going on. My opinion? When the author wants to write two books, you let her write two books. I'm looking at you, Big Publishing House.
My biggest overall beef with this series, and why I'm so apprehensive about reading the third one, is that it makes no sense. Here's the formula for the premise:
Why? Why do the tapeworms turn people into zombies? Why do they eat people's faces? Why do they attack? WHY WHY WHY? Just because a tapeworm takes over a body doesn't mean that it's going to hate all humans. And even if it hates all humans, it doesn't mean that it's going to eat them. Wouldn't it be smarter for the tapeworm to integrate into society? And if it can't, why does it attack and kill other humans? Is it so dumb that it doesn't know that the species it's overtaken isn't food? URGH.
This is my first Mira Grant series, and I'm not big on zombies, so maybe that's my own problem. I'm just having a hard time buying into the premise.
Here's hoping the next one will be as good, or at least half as good, as the first....more
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