June 2014 Reviews

Point of Direction by Rachel Weaver

I don't know how this book was ever characterized as a "psychological thriller" because it was definitely not in my opinion. It was more of a "coming of age" for adults type of book. Anna meets Kyle while hitchhiking in Alaska. She is running from an event in her past, but being with Kyle seems to help. When Kyle wants to sign up to live on a remote lighthouse Anna actually thinks it might be the best thing for her to deal with her past. But, life is harder than they realized it would be and while Anna actually enjoys the challenge it seems to make Kyle edgy and irritated - and they aren't even close to winter yet. Anna also finds out that Kyle has been running from a problem in his past too and it might be closer to them than they realize. Both Anna and Kyle must confront their demons in order to move on whether together or individually.

I was really expected more tension or crazy events, but most of the book was pretty dull. There were a few moments of action, but overall it was more Anna in her head trying to sort things out for herself and realizing some things about Kyle along the way. It was OK and I did want to know what happened at the end, but it wasn't great and I wouldn't really recommend it.

Year of No Sugar by Eve Schaub

After Eve Schaub and her husband watched a YouTube video by Dr. Robert Lustig about sugar actually being a poison in our bodies, they make the radical decision for their family to eat NO added sugar for one year. At the time their children are 11 and 6 years old too. They do make a few exceptions - one "real" dessert each month, and each family member can pick one exception item. While I applaud the Schaub family for their experiment, I think the larger point from this book is just how much of our food now has added sugar in it - things that you wouldn't think like condiments, salad dressing, meats, etc. I was also impressed at how well her children did, but they were never eating McDonalds every day to begin with either. This is yet another book that shines a light on how unhealthy processed food is today and how so few people even think about it at all. Food is what fuels us so what is in our food should be priority #1! I also found it interesting that as their experiment went on Eve's taste buds began to change. In her words her mind still craved sugar, but her palate didn't. At the end of the book they do keep many of their diet changes, but they relax a little more and do eat sugar, but they are much more aware of just how much sugar is hidden in everyday food. I would recommend this one to anyone who cares about what is in your food.

Some quotes I really liked:

[From Dr. Lustig's video] "As a society, we all weigh twenty-five pounds more than our counterparts did twenty-five years ago...Even as our total fat consumption has gone down, our obesity has continued to accelerate...Simply drinking one soda per day is worth fifteen pound and a half pounds of fat gain per year...Americans are currently consuming sixty-three pounds per person of high-fructose corn syrup per year..." (p. 8)

"Part of the problem is that as parents and as a society, we are providing too many choices. Did Laura Ingalls refuse to drink her milk if it wasn't chocolate? To eat her cereal if it didn't have Day Glo marshmallows in it? I have to believe that, if your kid is hungry enough, they'll eat. If they're thirsty enough, they'll drink. Are Frosted Flakes and Lucky Charms really the best we can do?" (p. 119)

"What Rhonda's comment made me realize is that it's all well and good to demonize sugar when you're talking about the Big Bad Corporations sneaking high-fructose corn syrup into our ketchup and mayonnaise; it's another thing entirely to go after Grandma's lovingly baked molassas cookies. The problem is, nutritionally, your body can't tell the difference between the 'bad' sugar (from Big Food Inc.) and 'good' sugar (from Grandma). Fructose is fructose. And an excess of fructose consumption, now at its highest levels ever and still climbing, is making our society sick." (p. 140)

[After the experiment] "But, the thing is, we are weird. We were weird before - not eating at McDonald's and avoiding soda. And we're weird now - avoiding juice and crap sugar food (doughnuts, cookies, free lollipops), as well as anything that sweetened when we know it needn't be: dried fruit, chips, crackers, tomato sauces. We had become much, much more selective about the sugar we do consume, and in a culture like ours - which is utterly saturated with sugar, convenience food, and fast food - that's weird." (p. 260)

[from Stephen Schaub] "But what I have learned is that it is the food industry in our country that is really the extreme; eating local, fresh food - not loaded with needless added sugar, preservatives, additives, chemicals, and general crap - is really what should be considered normal. Because it is normal. It was normal for thousands of years." (p. 267)

Sea Creatures by Susanna Daniel

After Georgia's business goes under and her husband Graham is fired from his professor position in Illinois, they decide to move back to Georgia's hometown of Miami. One of Graham's friends has gotten him a position working on hurricane research. Their family is dealing with not only the scandal that cost Graham his job in Illinois, but also the fact that their 3-year-old son Frankie has stopped talking. Once in Miami, Georgia finds part time work running errands for an reclusive artist because she can bring Frankie along on the errands. Spending time with the artist helps Georgia begin to see what may be behind her son's speech issues and the best way to help him. As more of Graham and Georgia's story unfolds, Hurricane Andrew is brewing in the Atlantic. When the epic storm hits all hell breaks loose - for Florida, but also in Georgia's life. Once the storm dies down Georgia has to decide how best to move on for herself and for Frankie. 

I didn't really have any expectations for this book before I read it, but I was blown away and just could not put it down. The way the author unfolds the plot is unique and I didn't see any of the ending coming ahead of time. I also liked how the book was realistic and everything didn't work out in a cookie-cutter perfect way. This was a very unique book that explored a lot of issues - love, family, sleep disorders, selective mutism, the ocean, loss, and grieving.

The Meat Racket: the Secret Takeover of America's Food Business by Christopher Leonard

The Meat Racket explores the modern, industrial meat industry through the lens of one of the major companies - Tyson Foods. Christopher Leonard explores the rise of the industrial chicken industry that John and Don Tyson created and how that business model shaped all other industrial meat industries. I've read a lot about this topic and was very familiar with CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), but had no idea that Tyson basically created the first CAFOs for chickens and the other meat industries followed suit because there was no other way to compete with Tyson without CAFOs. This book also reiterates the illusion of choice that consumers have with industrial meat - there are only a handful of companies that control almost all the consumer meat. There may be various company names on packages of meat at the grocery store, but almost all of those companies are fronts for the illusion of choice and are owned by one of the few meat giants like Tyson. Leonard also explores some of the most unscrupulous practices of Tyson and how terribly they treat their farmers. Basically the fastest way to work yourself to death and end up bankrupt is to become an industrial chicken farmer. Some of the stories from the ruined farmers are heartbreaking. This is a really great overview of the industrial meat industry by examining one of the biggest players and leaders in this horrific industry. Definitely an eye-opening book!

Some of the many quotes I really enjoyed:

"Just a handful of companies produce nearly all the meat consumed in the United States, and Tyson is the king among them. The company sits atop a powerful oligarchy of corporations that determines how animals are raised, how much farmers get paid, and how meat is processed, all while reaping massive profits and remaining almost entirely opaque to the consumer...[this is]a system that keeps farmers in a state of indebted servitude, living like modern-day sharecroppers on the ragged edge of bankruptcy." (p. 3)

"Tyson could roughly predict which chicks would be healthy based on the age of the hens that laid the eggs. Older hens produced weaker chicks, while younger hens laid more vigorous broods. Edwards noticed that some farmers were consistently receiving chicks produced by the healthiest, youngest hens. Whoever was setting up the deliveries in the Broiler Office was giving these farmers the cream off the top. And he noticed something else: Other farmers were consistently getting the batches of culls. As Perry Edwards pored over the shipping logs, he saw that the pattern was the same. When there were bad batches of birds, they went to the same group of farms. And the healthiest birds also went to a select group of farms that, not coincidentally, always ranked as the highest paid farms in the network." (p. 37)

"Cash-basis accounting is simple. A company records its expenses only when it pays out the actual cash for them. And it only books income when the actual cash comes in the door. By contrast, companies using accrual accounting methods record their expenses when they sign a contract to pay someone, even if the cash hasn't actually left their account yet. Farmers were allowed to use cash-basis accounting because it was simpler, and Congress didn't think small farms had the money to hire accountants for complicated recordkeeping...By 1985, Tyson's Foods had avoided paying $26.5 million in annual taxes through the cash-basis loophole, according to a report written by two economists with the U.S. General Accounting Office. The morality of the ploy didn't seem to be a matter of much debate inside Tyson. When the company saw a loophole and a chance to make a profit, Tyson took it, a strategy that became part of the company's culture for decades to come...In 1986 Tyson was forced to quit using the scheme when the Tax Reform Act closed the loophole for farms with more than $25 million a year in gross recipts." (p. 72-4)

"At the end of any given week, a series of letters is mailed out from the Tyson complex in downtown Waldron...The letters are several pages long and packed with complicated financial figures. The farmers call them settlement sheets. The one critical piece of information the settlement sheets contain is the going price of chicken, or, more accurately, the price that Tyson deems appropriate to pay. Each farmer receives his own price, determined by the tournament system that ranks each farmer against his neighbor. At the end of each week, Tyson makes a competitive pool out of all the farms that have delivered chickens to the plant. The company has far more data about the farms than their owners; the company can compare how much feed each farm consumed compared to its neighbors, how many birds died and how much weight gained overall...All this information is fed into an equation that spits out a simple ranking: the most efficient farms on top, the least efficient at the bottom...But there are critical pieces of information that Tyson keeps secret. The company doesn't tell the farmer whom he competed against in a given tournament...If a farmer ranks near the top, he might earn 5 cents a pound for his labor. If he ranks in the middle, he would get paid 4.5 cents. Close to the bottom, he would make 4.1 cents...When a farmer gets hammered in the tournament, it might seem prudent for him to approach his neighbors and ask what they were doing differently. This is tough to do, and not just because the names on the tournament ranking are left blank. Each page is clearly marked with the warning: 'Confidential and Proprietary Information of Tyson Foods, Inc.' If farmers were to meet and compare their settlement sheets, or show them to a journalist or lawyer, Tyson can sue them for leaking confidential information." (p. 115-117)

"The tournament system is kept afloat by an obscure federal organization called the Farm Service Agency. The FSA spends hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money to make sure that there will always be cheap loans for a new chicken farm when an older one is put out of business...While the agency was limited in how much money it could loan directly to farmers, it had far more leeway in the size of the loan it could guarantee. Under the guaranteed loan program, the FSA would pay back the bank more than 90 percent of the loan value if a farmer defaulted...Between 1999 and 2009, the Arkansas FSA office alone guaranteed more than $797 million in new loans, leaving taxpayers on the hook if the farms failed...It's difficult to determine how much money taxpayers spend every year to support Tyson's system of contract farmers. Clearly, billions of dollars underpin the construction of new chicken farms in the United States. This steady flow of easy credit allows Tyson and its competitors to cast off farmers without worrying that banks will hesitate to lend money to the next chicken grower in line." (p. 139-143)

"The free market had very little to do with the U.S. food market anymore. The USDA, for example, centrally controlled how many acres of corn were planted each year. This wasn't as completely Sovietesque as it sounds: The production controls weren't mandatory. Farmers could plant as many acres of corn or wheat as they wanted. But if they didn't comply with the USDA's state production levels, the farmers got cut out of government subsidies. In essence, the USDA bribed farmers to go along with its central planning regime. And it worked remarkably well...In 1996, Congress ended the farm subsidy program with a new farm bill called the Freedom to Farm Act. Strangely enough, Freedom to Farm only enlarged the farm subsidy program and made it much more expensive...In 1998 taxpayers handed over $12.4 billion to farmers, and in 1999 they paid $21.5 billion, nearly triple what they paid before Freedom to Farm was passed. While it didn't end subsidies, Freedom to Farm made one critical change that benefited Tyson Foods. The law disbanded production controls. Farmers got their government checks, and they could grow whatever they wanted. When the production controls went away, farmers did what they do best: They massively overproduced. The world was glutted with corn, wheat, and soybeans. Prices plummeted, farmers bemoaned the low prices, and taxpayers subsidies grew rapidly to cover farmers' losses. This cycle led to a remarkable gift for meat producers. Feed grains were the biggest cost that Tyson Foods had to pay to raise animals. If feed grains got too expensive, the company's profits could quickly vanish. Freedom to Farm didn't just make grains cheaper for Tyson. The federal program went so far as to produce an upside-down food economy, where corn was actually cheaper to buy than it was to grow....For industrial hog producers alone, Freedom to Farm delivered about $947 million a year in savings, according to one study." (p.165-6)

"On the meatpacking side, there are now just four companies that buy 85 percent of the cattle sold in the country. Tyson is the biggest, followed by Cargill, JBS Swift, and National Beef. As meatpackers have become bigger, feedlots have tried to keep pace, expanding to meet the needs of their corporate buyers...What has evolved is a kind of de facto vertical integration, with whole networks of feedlots tied to meatpackers under contract. The cattle market is technically an open one, but no one behaves that way, and it's an open secret that they don't. There is ample evidence that the big four meatpackers have chosen to divvy up the market, picking territories where they can buy all the cattle from a feedlot without facing a competing bid." (p. 208-9)

"While Tyson has been the architect of this system, the driving force behind it has been the American consumer. Americans have decided that meat must be cheap and plentiful. It must be consistent in its attributes and predictable in its taste. It takes factory farms to raise meat like that. It takes companies like Tyson. It takes networks of chicken farmers integrated tightly with big slaughterhouses like the one in Waldron. It takes a steady flow of genetically selected pigs from the nursery in Holdenville, Oklahoma, that are shipped to contract farms in Iowa for raising. It requires massive feedlots, controlled by contracts, that can guarantee a nonstop supply of cattle. The system also requires the rules that Tyson has imposed. This is what delivers the cheap pork chop, the Zilmax-infused hamburger patty, and the ever-ready supply of chicken McNuggets." (p. 226-7)

"Industrial food lobbyists know it's smart to stick together. A regulation over one of them could open the door to regulation over others. By pooling their money and time, they present a united wall against any legislation that might change the power structure of American agribusiness. They fight together, and they profit together. Meat lobbyists hold regular conference calls, sharing tips and news and planning future campaigns." (p. 251-2)

"The biggest meat companies - Tyson Foods, ConAgra Foods, Cargill, Smithfield, and JBS - spent a combined $5.94 million on lobbying during 2010 alone, according to an analysis of disclosure reports. Tyson had the biggest lobbying operation by far, spending $2.59 million." (p. 286)

"In 68 percent of the counties where Tyson operates, per-capita income has grown more slowly than the state average over the last forty years. Tyson counties, in other words, were worse off in terms of income growth than their neighbors, even as Tyson's profits increased...But the data suggests that Tyson is a suffocating economic force on the communities from which it derives its wealth. Without question, the company provides thousands of jobs and steady paychecks. But its cost-cutting ethos and the lack of competition restrains income growth in rural America. The company has expanded in economically marginal areas, and it has kept those areas economically marginal. Tyson Foods is feeding off the lowly economic position of rural America, not improving it." (p. 315-6)

Lies You Wanted to Hear by James Whitfield Thomson

This was a really interesting book. When Lucy and Matt meet it's love at first sight for him, but Lucy is still hung up on her on-again, off-again jerk ex-boyfriend Griffin. Matt is perfect on paper, but she knows she'll never love him like he loves her. But, when she finds out she's pregnant she decides to make a go of it with Matt. But, a few years later Griffin comes back on the scene and Lucy just can't resist him. I don't want to give anything away, but both Matt and Lucy have to deal with the consequences of their relationship and how that affects their children. When Matt does something drastic, Lucy realizes just how much she loves her kids and the lengths she would go for them. Overall it was a really interesting book that really makes you think about how every act has long-term consequences even when you think you're doing the "right" thing. I did think the ending was a little too vague and that's why I didn't give this one more stars. The story definitely kept me going wanting to know what would happen next, but I don't like vague endings.

Yin, Yang, Yogini by Kathryn Livingston

Kathryn Livingston was always a worrier, but it's gotten worse for her since her mother died. Her mother was a worrier too and they worried about everything together. When one of her sons signs up for a month-long class in Europe she really starts to freak out about him being on the plane and so far from home for a month. She starts seeing a therapist to deal with her anxieties and they suggest she try yoga before going on medication to calm down. The book chronicles her first 2 years of practicing yoga. In the second year she is diagnosed with breast cancer and that's when she really sees the changes that yoga has brought in her life. She learns to stop being afraid of everything and dwelling in the past. Yoga teaches her to enjoy the moment and not worry about the past or the future, but just to be in the moment.

I've been practicing yoga for about 6 months now and I love it. I thought I would love this book, but it just wasn't great. While you do see Livingston change and grow through yoga I didn't like the tone of the book - it almost seemed complaining even when she was talking about good things. It also seemed very repetitive and wordy. Overall, I would recommend going to yoga instead of reading this book about Livingston's experience with yoga.

The Sisters Weiss by Naomi Ragen

Rose and Pearl were not only sisters, but best friends when they were children. Growing up in an ultra-orthodox Jewish house Rose had a lot of responsibilities from a young age, including helping care for her younger sister Pearl. When Rose innocently borrows a book from her friend her parents freak out because the book has "indecent" pictures in it and banish Rose to a new school and living with her grandmother. From that time on Rose realizes that she will never have a say in her own life if she stays with her family. On the eve of her arranged marriage she runs away and never looks back. Pearl is heartbroken after her sister leaves and Rose's decision to run away also has a huge impact on Pearl's life. 40 years later Rose and Pearl finally interact again, but not because of something good. Pearl's youngest daughter Rivka has run away from home and show's up at Rose's daughter Hannah's house. Rivka's decision to run away stirs up a lot of memories and feelings for Rose. It also is what finally brings the two sisters back together after 40 years apart. An interesting look at the orthodox Jewish life from two perspectives - Pearl who stayed and Rose who left. Through Rose and Rivka's stories you also see that even when you run away from your past and family - it never really leaves you. 

I thought the ending felt kind of rushed and crazy, but overall I really liked the book. I do wish there had been more of Rose's back story of her life when she ran away - there is some, but not enough. Overall, I really liked it and it explores a unique segment of our society.

Chickens in the Road by Suzanne McMinn

After Suzanne McMinn's divorce she decides she wants to live somewhere with "chickens in the road" and decides to move to West Virginia where her father's family is from. Suzanne grew up spending time in West Virginia, but has never actually lived or worked on a farm. She and her 3 children move to a very small community and she begins working on her farm. Once in WV she meets the man she calls "52" and they decide to buy land and build a house and farm. It's VERY obvious from the very beginning that 52 is an asshole and their relationship won't last, but Suzanne tries because she loves the farm so much. Finally she begins to realize that she CAN support herself and live her own dream without someone like 52 in it making her life miserable. While a lot of the book is about her tumultuous relationship with 52 there is a lot of great stuff about the farm and Suzanne trying to live more self-sufficiently on the farm. The end of the books has a lot of recipes and craft projects too. After reading the reviews of this book I wasn't sure how much I was going to like it, but I liked it more than I thought I would. I definitely want to try out some of her recipes too!

My Wish List by Gregoire Delacourt

This is a very odd little book. It was so short I finished it over the course of one day. The story follows Jo, who lives an average life with her husband and almost grown children. She owns a fabric shop and is mostly content with her life. When two of her friends convince her to play the lottery she wins 18 million euros! But, Jo doesn't tell anyone that she won. She is worried that the money will change things between her and her husband. But, then he betrays her in a terrible way. He seemed like a terrible husband, so I'm not sure why she wanted to keep their life the same. The end of the book is very odd and doesn't really explain everything clearly. It was a very odd book with a not great ending, so I wouldn't recommend it. The only redeeming part was that it definitely makes the point that money can't buy happiness.

May 2014 Cookbooks

The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook by Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Brent Ridge, and Sandy Gluck

This book is worth looking at if only for the beautiful photos and illustrations. It made me want to visit the actual farm and see it all in person! There weren't as many recipes I wanted to try as I thought there would be. A lot of the recipes were just not my taste, but there were definitely a few I plan to try. I really like the other Beekman 1802 cookbooks because they all explore heirloom vegetables and recipes which I think are important to keep. If nothing else you can just enjoy all the beautiful pictures!

Surprise-Inside Cakes by Amanda Rettke

This is an amazing book. The author basically taught herself how to create these amazing surprise-inside cakes! But, most of the surprise-inside ones look REALLY time-consuming and complicated. Thankfully she does have some other easier cake recipes too. The "stripe" cakes where each layer is a different color look really pretty and are MUCH easier than some of the others. She also has a few recipes for cakes that aren't "surprise-inside" too. At the beginning she gives some basic cake and icing recipes and tips on how to spread the icing on for a smooth finish. This is definitely eye-candy, but I don't think I'm going to attempt any "surprise-inside" cakes. I will try some of her other easier ideas though.

The Chopped Cookbook by Food Network Kitchens

I LOVED the show Chopped, so of course I had to check out the Chopped cookbook. It was definitely worth looking through and I did find a few recipes I want to check out. There are various broad categories like pasta, chicken, eggs, etc. and lots of good tips about sauces, salad dressings, ways to make variations on the same dish like pot roast. Overall, it was good and if you're a fan of the show you'll definitely like the cookbook as well.

May 2014 Reviews

Strangers at My Door by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

This was really an amazing book. Many people may be familiar with the scripture where Jesus says "I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in..." and the response is "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger? and He replied what you did not do for the least of these you did not do to me." (Matt. 25:40-45 paraphrased) Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and his wife Leah take these words to heart and decide to try to be Jesus to the least in their community. They move to the Walltown neighborhood in Durham, NC - an area of mostly African-Americans known for povery, drugs, and gang violence. They basically open up a hospitality house and will take in anyone in need. Anytime day or night their neighbors can call or stop by for help. They live with the very people they are trying to help. He is honest with the struggles and the failures, but there are also LOTS of success stories. Many of the people they help never had long-term, healthy relationships with anyone and fell easily into drugs or gangs and prison, but when they realize these people truly care for them and will be there for them many are able to completely turn their lives around. This was an inspiring read of a couple who truly took Jesus's words to heart and decided to try their best to be Jesus in their community for people who need it the most. Obviously, not everyone can do work like this, but I'm thankful there are people out there like the Wilson-Hartgroves who are giving their lives to really help people like Jesus did - meeting them where they are with love, compassion, and grace.

Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith (book club)

I don't know how this book was recommended for our book club since it's the 7th in the series, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I haven't read anything else in this series, but I guess these don't HAVE to be read in order to get the story. I'm sure there were things that would have made more sense if I'd read the previous 6 books, but I was able to understand everything going on. I'm not a fan of mysteries and I'm definitely not a fan of "cozy" mysteries, which is what I would classify this book. I'm just not much for cutesy, everything-works-out-in-the-end, and everybody-learns-an-important-life-lesson type books. I also didn't love that most of the detective "cases" were just either miscommunication or a misunderstanding. Even though I didn't love it, it was a quick, light read and I can see why it has such appeal for some people. Not a bad book, just not my reading style.

Sum It Up by Pat Summitt (Books & Banter book club)

I remember hearing about Pat Summitt's Alzheimer's diagnosis when she announced it a few years ago, but I didn't really follow women's basketball and didn't really know who she was. The only reason I read this book is because of my book club, but I absolutely LOVED it. Pat Summitt was an incredible trailblazer, not just for women's basketball, but for women everywhere. I had no idea that until 1979 some states did not allow high school girls to play full-court basketball because they thought it would "damage" them somehow. Pat and other women in basketball fought to change those out-dated rules. Through her experience you see how Title IX started to change women's sports - how her teams went from being on the fringes to getting all the same perks and benefits that men's teams did. Her personal life was amazing too. She grew up with 3 older brothers and 1 younger sister and everyone in the family worked HARD all day, every day. She grew up knowing what hard work means and how important that is for success. While her father was not openly affectionate with his family he obviously loved his children and did everything for them. When Pat was in high school her school didn't offer a women's basketball team - so her family moved over the county line so she could go to a school with a women's team. That was unheard of at the time in the early 1970's. While I've never been into watching women's basketball my husband did get me interested in college basketball, so I think that helped me enjoy the book more. But, whatever your interest in basketball, Pat Summitt is a trailblazer for women and everyone should know who she is and what she's accomplished.

In speaking about feminism and the women's movement Pat describes watching the famous Battle of the Sexes tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs:
"Did I have grievances as a young woman? You bet. But protesting or sign carrying wasn't me - and wasn't going to get it done. Billie Jean, now there was an influential force. Was there anything more equalizing than her sheer toughness, her combination of smarts and muscle? I wanted to influence, and to change. But there was only one way I could see that changed things: winning. You changed things for women by winning." (p. 79)

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

The Girl You Left Behind follows the stories of two women separated by over 100 years. Sophie Lefevre's artist husband Edouard leaves her in 1916 France to fight in the first world war. Sophie clings to a painting Edouard did of her when they first met to remember him by. As the Germans begin to occupy Sophie's small town, a commander takes a liking to both Sophie and the painting. Can Sophie trust this German soldier to help reunite her with her husband? Or will her decision be her ruin? Fast forward over 100 years to Liv Halston living in modern day London. Her late husband bought a painting for her on their honeymoon that he said reminded him of Liv. After his death Liv remembers all the good times with her husband whenever she sees that painting in their house. But, one day she finds out that her painting was supposedly stolen from it's original owners by Germans in WWI and the family of the artist is trying to get the painting back. Liv can't bear the thought of giving away one of the only remaining things from her husband, so even though she can't really afford to she hires a lawyer to fight to keep the painting. As both sides try to find out what really happened to Sophie and the painting, now known as The Girl You Left Behind, during WWI and it's aftermath, Liv tries to figure out not only how to keep her beloved painting but also how to move on from her husband's death. Sophie and Liv's stories show the power of true love that can overcome any hardship.

I really like Jojo Moyes and it seems like every book she writes is even better than her last one. She is truly a gifted writer and as the storylines unfold you just can't put the book down - you have to keep reading to find out what happens to the characters. I would highly recommend this one!

Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life by Marta McDowell

This was a really interesting book that explored Beatrix Potter's life through gardens. I knew Beatrix Potter had gardens and drew plants and flowers, as well as the animals that inspired her books. But, I had no idea just how much land Beatrix Potter bought over the course of her life. Apparently because of her much of the Lake District in Northern England has been preserved solely because Beatrix Potter bought every piece of property she could, then had all that property willed to the National Trust after her death. "Our access to the views, the lakes and hills, the cottages and pastures of Cumbria, are thanks in great part to Beatrix Potter and her Tales. The lakesides are not strewn with holiday cottages. The jagged vertebrae of the fells are free of vacation homes perched on unlikely heights. She left a legacy of land as well as words and pictures." (p. 143) And she also farmed much of the land she purchased, not because she needed the money, but because she felt like it was wasteful to have all that farmland and not actually farm it. The book is divided into 3 sections - Beatrix Potter, her life as a gardener, the year in Beatrix Potter's gardens, and visiting Beatrix Potter's gardens. I feel like the middle section was kind of redundant and could have easily been left out. The first and last sections are the more interesting, but the whole book is filled with beautiful photographs of the areas described, photographs of Beatrix and her family and friends, and of course lots of Beatrix Potters drawings and illustrations. If your a fan of Beatrix Potter and also like to garden this is THE book for you! I thought it was a really unique way to explore Beatrix Potter's life.

Lighthouse Island by Paulette Jiles

Nadia Stepan is born into a future, dystopian US, where after the population exploded and cities popped up on every available square inch of earth drought seized the land. Most animals are extinct, only a few crops can be grown, and water is issued by the quart. Nadia is abandoned by her parents at the age of 4 with only a scrap of paper with some constellations drawn on it. She is shuttled from orphanage to foster home with little hope of a better life. But, Nadia is convinced that if she can get to Lighthouse Island in the Pacific Northwest she will be reunited with her parents. When the political climate heats up to the point where people are rounded up, arrested, and executed for no reason Nadia decides that she must escape and make her way North. Along the way she meets James who's confined to a wheelchair, but knows he will someday walk again. James is surprised by Nadia's intellect and helps her on her journey. Will James and Nadia make it to Lighthouse Island? Will things be better there or worse? In this dystopian nightmare world James and Nadia cling to their dreams and to the hope of each other.

This was really a weird, yet interesting book. The first 1/3 of the book is a little slow, but once the pace picks up you can't wait to find out what happens to Nadia and James. There are parts where the story is too slow and lots of added detail that probably could have been left out. Overall, it was interesting, but definitely not great. I did like Nadia's character and how determined she was to be more than what was expected of her.

Harvest: field notes from a far-flung pursuit of real food by Max Watman

This book was so much fun to read. Max Watman wants to make/produce/grow as much of his food as he can. Throughout the course of the book he buys his own steer to raise for beef, tries his hand at making cheese, grows and cans vegetables, makes his own kimchi and charcuterie, and even his own salt from the ocean. He is honest about the failures and mistakes and makes lots of hilarious, dry remarks about everything. I very much appreciate his desire to produce as much of his food as he can because I strive to do the same thing, although I don't think I'm anywhere near the cook he is. He makes points about the problems and wrongs of the industrial food system, but the book is still light-hearted and funny. He hits just the right balance of being informational and entertaining. If you are a regular at your local farmer's market this is the book for you. Max Watman is the foodie neighbor and friend you wish you had!

Some quotes I really liked:

"...but what I'd really wanted was something that didn't take you back to the land. You don't have to walk out of the city and buy a farm - and you'd better not even try to, unless you have a magically refreshing bank account and a television show all lined up about doing it...I just wanted to do what I could with what I had, tune the system up and get better at it. I wanted my readers to think to themselves that maybe they should make their own bacon, despite the fact that they live in a tiny apartment in the city. I don't want a Garden of Eden, something out of reach, something aspirational. I want to do things that everyone can do. To turn myself on to the seasonal, agricultural rhythms. To live, in other words, as if I were on a farm but without the farm." (p. 156)

"One of the most powerful bits of Katz's book comes in his defense of amateur fermenters in response to Paul Stamets, who writes that 'making Kombucha under non-sterile conditions becomes, in a sense, a biological form of Russian Roulette.' Katz replies, 'The idea that kombucha (or any ferment) is safe only in the hands of technical experts denies the long lineages of home and village production that spawned them and plays right into the disempowering cult of specialization. Make sure you understand the parameters of the selective environment you need to create, and you are not playing Russian Roulette. Basic information and awareness are important. Empowered with them, you may ferment without fear'." (p. 194)

"Canning made me even more nervous than fermenting. Fermenting, after all, even if it's just rotting on the counter, is working with the natural proclivities of salt and bacteria. Also, in my experience, a ferment gone wrong is an obvious thing. Canning, however, is an attempt to create an environment in which nature can't happen...It seems improbable, if not impossible, that a thinking person would simply put some jars in boiling water and imagine that after so doing he could go ahead and set those jars on a shelf in the basement and everything would be fine. It works, obviously; it just doesn't feel like it should, and it certainly didn't feel like it should the first time I did it." (p. 196-7)

A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke

Eva and Jackson have been married less than a year when he is killed in a tragic accident. Eva knew Jackson had had a falling out with his brother Saul and didn't like to talk about it. To deal with her grief Eva decides to travel from England to Tasmania to visit Jackson's family and help heal her grief. But, once there Eva finds out that her whole life with Jackson was based on lies. She has to deal with her grief and the anger she feels toward Jackson as she finds out more about his life before her. Eva is also surprised at the attraction she feels toward Jackson's brother Saul - is it because he reminds her of Jackson or is it something more? 

The plot moves very quickly and this is a fast read because you want to find out the truth about Jackson and his past. I totally saw the ending coming so I wasn't really surprised, but there are a LOT of twists and turns and secrets to be revealed - it was almost too much. I liked it because it was so fast-paced, but I liked her previous book Swimming at Night better.

Falling in Honey by Jennifer Barclay

This book was a HUGE waste of time to read. I was so excited to read it because I thought it sounded really interesting, but I didn't like the author and a lot of the book was very repetitive. Basically, Jennifer Barclay always enjoyed traveling and lived in a few different countries, but she always loved Greece. She had gone to a few of the Greek islands before she discovered Tilos and she just fell in love with the friendly, small-town atmosphere. After a heart-break she decides to stay on Tilos for a month to relax and recover from her breakup. When she returns home to England she reconnects with an old friend and they discover they each have feelings for each other. Soon they are engaged and going back to visit Tilos together. While they are there her fiancée rashly makes an offer on a house and they decide to live there permanently once his business sells in England. Then a week before they are supposed to fly over to Tilos together he confesses that he never owned the business, never owned the houses, etc. and Jennifer goes alone. 

While I do think it's great that Jennifer always wanted to live on Tilos and she made it happen, she made some really poor choices otherwise. She tells her mother she feels like she doesn't know her fiancée well enough to get married quickly, but they're trying to get pregnant - so you know him well enough to have a baby and be linked to him forever, but not to get married?! And one of her Greek friends that she meets on Tilos, Manolis, seems like a jerk and it's not like she doesn't have other friends so I never understood why she spent so much time with him, then complained about it! Basically, I did NOT enjoy her story and would NOT recommend this book. This book was a big waste of my precious reading time.

April 2014 Cookbooks

The B.T.C Old-Fashioned Grocery Cookbook by Alexe Van Beuren, Dixie Grimes

I may have to buy this one. Not only were there TONS of recipes I want to try, but I just loved all the stories about the B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery in Water Valley, Mississippi. Alexe Van Beuren and her husband moved from Virginia to a very small town in Mississippi. She had an idea to transform a empty storefront on Main street into a local grocery store and restaurant. They struggled in the beginning like any new business, but eventually became part of the local small town scene. B.T.C. stands for "Be The Change" and I really appreciate the author's commitment to local small businesses. Plus, I LOVE southern food and all these recipes make me want to plan a trip to Mississippi and visit the B.T.C. to sample some of this food! I would highly recommend this one to any die-hard southern food fans.

Okra: a savor the South cookbook by Virginia Willis

I LOVE okra, so I knew I had to see this book when I heard about it. I've also found that okra is really easy to grow and have beautiful flowers! This book does a great job of giving an overview of okra - how it's used in cuisine, how it grows, some heirloom breeds, tips for growing it and how to save it or cook it. Then it gets into the recipes, which are divided into two categories - southern and global. I'm a southerner and I grew up eating okra and now I love growing it in my garden too. Most southerners have "their" way of cooking okra and I do too, but I did find a few recipes I want to try out. Overall I thought it was a great "ode to okra."

From Scratch by Laurence Laurendon

I have tried more and more over the past few years to make more of my own food from scratch instead of using processed "convenience" foods. Usually making stuff from scratch is not much more time consuming than using the more convenient processed items. I did find a few recipes I'd like to try, but I was disappointed that most of the bread recipes were written to use with a bread machine. I may try to get a bread machine, but I know you don't really need one to bake homemade bread. Also, I would not recommend trying to can just by using a book - you should really take a class on canning. I took one through my local county extension office for a very small fee and learned a LOT. Overall, this book was pretty good.

The Southern Bite Cookbook by Stacey Little

I think I will probably buy this one. Growing up in the South I LOVE Southern food and this cookbook just embodies everything that is great about Southern food. There were so many recipes I wanted to try and I liked that the author also showed variations on some traditional dishes. I love pimento cheese and can't wait to try the pimento cheese crisps! All of the recipes are very simple and easy to follow. This would be a great cookbook for someone who likes simple, Southern food. I can't wait to try out some of these recipes myself.

Love Your Leftovers by Nick Evans

I wasn't as impressed with this book, although I did like how it was laid out. The author takes one ingredient for each chapter and shows multiple ways that ingredient could be used in many dishes throughout a week. I just didn't find very many recipes I wanted to try, but I did appreciate that he talks about making your own stock with leftover bones, which I've started doing and it's much easier than I thought it would be. Overall, it was OK.

April 2014 Reviews

The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean (Books & Banter book club)

This book was actually better than I thought it was going to be. Based on the description and the cover (I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but it can make a differnce) it seemed like it would be depressing and slow. While it was partly depressing, it was actually a pretty quick read. The story follows Marina, an elderly Russian woman who is now living in America and suffering from Alzheimer's. When Marina was a young woman she was living in Leningrad during the time of World War II. She worked as a museum guide at the Hermitage and when Russia was invaded the museum staff all lived in the museum and removed the priceless masterpieces and secreted them away for safekeeping. The war time was not something Marina wanted to discuss, but as she ages and begins suffering from Alzheimer's it's almost like she goes back in time in her mind and remembers it all again. I thought the author did a good job of writing about the Alzheimer's from Marina's perspective. She really showed how Marina kind of knew something was off, but how she was also just sliding into the past and not realizing it. Overall, it was OK and I wouldn't really recommend it.

Mastering the Art of French Eating by Ann Mah

Ann Mah always wanted to live in France ever since she visited with her family as a child. Her husband, Calvin, also lived in France when he was in college. Calvin works as a diplomat so they move to a different country or city every 3 years. Then suddenly Calvin gets an assignment in Paris! Ann is so excited and can't wait to spend 3 years with Calvin in Paris. But, shortly after they arrive in Paris Calvin finds out that he has to go to Baghdad for a year. Ann can stay in Paris, but it means they'll be apart most of that first year. Ann decides to take advantage of that first year and explore some of the traditional French dishes and the areas where they originated. Her exploration of France's signature dishes helps her learn more about France and also helps her deal with missing Calvin in that year they are apart. It was definitely an interesting book and when she was describing some of the dishes it made me wish I was there to eat it with her! At the end of each chapter Ann gives a recipe for that signature dish that that chapter explored. Overall, a good culinary memoir that will make you want to go to France and sample the dishes for yourself.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (book club)

I absolutely LOVED this book! I probably never would have read it either if not for my book club. The narrator is 11-year-old Julia. One day Julia's family wakes up and hears on the news that the rotation of the Earth is slowing and their days are getting longer. Soon, they have more than 24 hours of daylight and 24 hours of darkness. The slowing of the rotation brings about cataclysmic changes, but slowly at first. Soon there is a divide between "real-timers" and people who continue to follow the old 24-hour day. What I found the most interesting was how some of the characters didn't really react to this news at all - they just kept on doing whatever they had been doing before, but others really freaked out and seemed to understand before others what these changes would mean in the near future. I also thought the author did a fantastic job with Julia's voice and dealing with the super awkward time of the middle school years. Julia not only has to cope with the normal pre-teen angst, but also all the additional issues the slowing brings. I really felt like the author did a great job with how she had the effects of the slowing play out and also with the main character Julia. Overall, I thought this book was great and I would highly recommend it!

Pilgrim's Wilderness: a true story of faith and madness on the Alaska Frontier by Tom Kizzia

In 2002 a man calling himself Papa Pilgrim arrived in the remote Alaskan town of McCarthy with his wife and fourteen children. He said they were a strong Christian family looking to live off the land and raise or hunt all their own food. They purchased land around a deserted mining camp inside the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. At first the locals in and around McCarthy thought this new family would be a great addition to their community, but within a matter of weeks they were bulldozing roads through the National Park, which is illegal, and forcing their ways on the small town. Anyone who got in their way or disagreed with Pilgrim was "against God" and would be damned to hell. Pilgrim also started a heated battle with the National Park Service over access to their land through the National Park. As author Tom Kizzia, who was working as a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News, dug into the story he also began to uncover background on the Pilgrim family. He found out that Papa Pilgrim was really Bob Hale who grew up in privilege in Texas. After marrying Kurina Rose and starting a family they moved to New Mexico where their neighbors quickly grew to see the Hales as manipulative thieves who took what they couldn't get legally. After an incident in New Mexico that drew authorities into the picture the Hale family re-christened themselves the Pilgrims and started out toward Alaska. As their drama with neighbors in McCarthy and the National Park Service grew, some of the older children began to attempt to break away from Papa Pilgrim. What they disclose about life with the "Christian" Papa Pilgrim would make your hair stand on end - brutal punishments and beatings for small infractions, forced fasting, sexual abuse, and brainwashing. 

This story was very fascinating, but I still hate to see a story of someone abusing their family in the name of being a Christian. While disturbing, I was glad to see a good resolution to the story. Thanks to an awesome family who took in most of the Pilgrim family, the children have all moved on to better things and more normal lives without their father in the picture.

Tempting Fate by Jane Green 

I was pretty disappointed with this one. I saw an interview with Jane Green where she said this is the only book she's written that's based in the real town where she lives, Westport, Connecticut. Green says this book is based on not any real person she knows, but on friends of friends who suddenly lose weight, dress better, wear more make up and then it comes out a few months later that they're having an affair. In Tempting Fate Gabby never thinks of herself as someone to be tempted into an affair - she loves her husband Elliot and their two daughters, Olivia and Alanna. But, she is also starting to feel old and overlooked. At a girl's night out she meets Matt, who is 10 years younger than her and obviously attracted to her. What she views as a harmless flirtation to make her feel better about herself turns into an obsession with her relationship with Matt. When things go too far Gabby finds out that the consequences of "one-time" fling can be devastating.

My biggest complaint is that at first this book seems to glorify adultery, but when Gabby realizes the consequences for her fling it seemed much more realistic. Then the end wrapped up everything WAY to perfectly. Just very unrealistic and unlikely to ever actually happen. I really like Jane Green, she's one of my favorite authors, but I didn't really like this one much.

Cat Sense: how the new feline science can make you a better friend to your pet by John Bradshaw

I liked this book more than I thought I was going to when I started reading it. I did learn a lot about cats that I didn't know, but there was SO much scientific information and detail that it wasn't an easy non-fiction read. Bradshaw goes over how cats evolved into the pets we know today, the history of keeping cats as pets, how cats today still have to learn to be pets, how cats think and feel, how cats relate to humans and each other, how cats impact wildlife and what the future looks like for cats. It seems that Bradshaw came in with the assumption that most pet cats will be outside some of the time, which I personally don't always agree with. Although I did learn a lot, it wasn't a very "readable" non-fiction book and was VERY scientific, so it's not necessarily for everyone.

Some quotes I liked:

I knew the Egyptians were one of the earliest cultures to keep cats as pets and even view them as deities. They also mummified some special pet cats. I did not know "...the sacrificial cats were bred specifically for this purpose. Remains of catteries have been found adjacent to the temples of all the deities associated with cats or other felids. There is little doubt that these cats were deliberately killed for mummification, since X-rays of the mummies show that their necks had been dislocated, and others were probably strangled. Some were killed when they were still kittens, at two to four months old, while others were fully grown, at nine to twelve months: presumably the purveyors of such a commercial operation saw no benefit in feeding a cat for any longer than this unless it had been earmarked for breeding. The mummies would be sold to visitors to the temple, who would then leave them there as offerings to the appropriate deity." (p. 38-9)

"Littermates that are homed together usually form a stronger bond with one another than two unrelated cats. In August and September of 1998, a student and I studied this by recording behavior of pairs of cats in boarding catteries...We compared fourteen pairs of littermates that had lived together since birth with eleven pairs of unrelated individuals that had not met each other until at least one of the pair was more than a year old. Despite the hot weather, all the littermate pairs slept in contact with each other, but we observed only five of the unrelated pairs ever lying in contact with each other, and even those only occasionally. Many of the littermate pairs groomed each other; the unrelated pairs never did. Almost all the littermates were happy to feed side by side; we had to feed most of the unrelated pairs from separate bowls or in turns." (p. 94)

"Cat need to meow because we humans are generally so unobservant. Cats constantly monitor their surroundings (except when they're asleep, of course) but we often fix our gaze on newspapers and books, TVs and computer screens. We do, however, reliably look up when we hear something unusual, and cats quickly learn that a meow will grab our attention...Some will deliver the meow at specific locations - by the door means 'Let me out,' and in the middle of the kitchen means 'Feed me.' Others find that different intonations lead to different results, and so 'train' themselves to produce a whole range of different meows. These are generally different for each cat, and can be reliably interpreted only by the cat's owner, showing that each meow is an arbitrary, learned, attention-seeking sound rather than some universal cat-human 'language.' Thus, a secret code of meows and other vocalizations develops between each cat and its owner, unique to that cat alone and meaning little to outsiders." (p. 140)

"Cats are descended from a species with a solitary lifestyle, and therefore much of their behavior is guided by the need to compete, not to collaborate." (p. 146)

"If you don't yet have a cat, consider getting two littermates; they will be good company for each other. If you already have one indoor cat, plan ahead before getting another cat for 'company.' Cats that have never met before are unlikely to adapt spontaneously to sharing a confined space." (p. 217)

"Few veterinary procedures excite as much controversy was declawing...This is regarded as routine in the United States and the Far East, but is illegal in many places, including the European Union, Brazil, and Australia. Declawing is a surgical procedure that involves amputation of the first joint of the cat's toes. The initial pain resulting from the procedure may be controlled by analgesics, but we do not know whether cats subsequently feel phantom pain due to the nerves that have been severed...Declawed cats are more likely to urinate outside their litter boxes than other indoor cats, possibly because of the stress of this phantom pain [or pain after the procedure that they associate with the litter box not the surgery]. Claws are an essential defense mechanism for cats. While owners of indoor cats will argue that their cat never meets other cats, and so should never need their claws, a declawed cat that is picked up roughly by a person may resort to biting, unable to scratch to indicate its discomfort, and thereby cause a much more significant wound." (p. 267)

Soy Sauce for Beginners by Kirstin Chen

Gretchen Lin always felt pulled in opposite directions by her parents. Her mother wanted her to go to school in the US and become more American, but her father always hoped Gretchen would come back to their native Singapore and help run the family artisanal soy sauce business. When Gretchen does come back to Singapore she's trying to escape her failed marriage and lack of direction; at first she isn't interested in getting involved in her family's business. But, she quickly realizes there are some problems brewing in the business and without meaning to she jumps back in. While trying to work out what direction she wants for her life, Gretchen has to deal with the family business drama, her mother's worsening health, and a possible new romance. Eventually Gretchen realizes the importance of family and continuing her grandfather's legacy with the soy sauce business.

I thought the author did a good job with Gretchen's character. Her depression and apathy is almost palpable, but it's also depressing to read too, which is why I didn't rate the book higher. I found the first part of the book harder to read because she is SO depressed and you KNOW what the right thing for her is, but it takes her almost the whole book to figure it out. It was a quick read and I did like that not everything is wrapped up in the end, but you definitely feel hopeful for Gretchen's future.

The Stop by Nick Saul and Andrea Curtis

This was a really interesting and inspiring book. Nick Saul takes over as the director of a food bank in a rough area of Canada. He knows that the people they serve need more than a food basket once a month - especially when a lot of that food is high-calorie/low-nutrition processed food. Over fifteen years he takes The Stop from a small food bank to a model organization for a better way to help get better foods into the hands of the people who need it the most. The Stop begins growing a garden to introduce more fresh foods into the hands of the people they serve. They also start offering nutrition classes for pregnant women, cooking classes and demonstrations, and so much more. It's really amazing what they are able to accomplish in a relatively short amount of time. Saul is honest too about the problems and set backs - the realities of doing the work that they do. There are lots of success stories, but there are also the people they try to help who go back to their old ways. I think the idea of food banks incorporating gardens is a great idea and helping the people who use them learn more about how to grow and cook healthy food is vital. Overall, this was an inspiring book about how food banks and how they can be transformed in the future.

The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler

I was SO disappointed with this book. Whatever I had read about it before I got it made it sound fantastic, but it was so bad I wish I hadn't wasted the time reading it. The story follows Esme Garland, a PhD student at Columbia University. Esme's been having a relationship with Mitchell van Leuven, an upper crust, blue-blooded New Yorker. When Esme finds out she's pregnant it changes everything with Mitchell. At the same time she learns of her pregnancy Esme starts working at The Owl used bookstore. Unexpectedly her co-workers at The Owl will become her substitute family while she deals with her pregnancy and Mitchell. While Esme may be a PhD student her character is SO stupid - everyone else can see through Mitchell right away, but she keeps hoping he'll change. And there was a lot of unnecessary and over the top sexual stuff that just didn't work at all. Overall, I would NOT recommend this one to anyone. I wish I hadn't wasted my time.