Book Reviews: August

Ok these may not be the world's best reviews..but hey summer is winding down and maybe you are looking for something to read...so I wanted to share!! You can hookup with me on GoodReads.com too!
And if you haven't entered the birthday giveaway...well you should.

FOR FUN
Mischief becomes her by Kasey MichaelsSometimes you just need a good no brainer and this was it for me! I think I read the book in two days because I just found the characters amusing and of course there was romance...ahh the studly copy and the crazy independent female. This book follows a trio of sisters trying to prove their father's innonence in a murder and of course along the way pull their own crazy lives together.

The chocolate lovers' club by Carole Matthews
This was a fun book as well...except I may have gained 5lbs just from reading it! The book centers around an eclectic group of friends that share really only one thing in common...a love of seriously good chocolate. They use this as a tool to bond and support each other through jobs, marriages and well men. It's a funny lighthearted book.

Oolong dead by Laura Childs
This is part of a series...all about a woman who runs a tea shop and of course on the side solves mysteries. In this particular book our little heroine stumbles upon a dead body, of an enemy no less, and then must work to prove her innocence. A little Nancy Drew in a grown up version...a quick fun read with some recipes tossed in for good measure at the end.

FOR YOUR BODY
Sexy in 6 : sculpt your body with the 6 minute quick-blast workout by Tracey Mallett.
For the person with only a few minutes to put in to their daily routine, I actually found all of her exercises very effective! I'm also sure that for those who feel time strapped they would more than likely get started with the few minutes of exercise and go just a tad longer. I did not follow her diet plan, but it's generally a sound plan. I would say if you are looking for new ab exerices or some ways to change up what you've been doing...err just get yourself to do something this is a great book.

The inflammation-free diet plan : the scientific way to lose weight, banish pain, prevent disease, and slow aging by Reinagel, Monica.
The idea behind this book really intrigued me when I was fighting with my IT Band...then I got it and thought...well DUH! Ok not entirely, I definitely learned some thing such as bananas are considered inflammatory as are pretty much all meats and pretty much all veggies are anti-inflammatory. The book goes through how you shouldn't have to avoid foods, but should always balance them so that at the end of the day you have had far more anti-inflammatory foods. Truly a few years ago when I thought I needed meat at every meal this would have probably shocked me, but now that I am eating so many fruits and veggies...this was really more of an eye opener about which ones are considered the best from an inflammation stand point.

Inflammation can refer to acne, rashes, muscle and joint aches, stomach issues...etc. So I think this book may be worth a read for some folks...not much help to me personally.

Healing Back Pain by Dr. John Sarno
I know I spoke about this awhile back when I was looking for remedies to my IT band...many folks just couldn't buy in to it, but I did and it has worked. The idea that Sarno presents is many pains are not actual physical pains, they are emotional stressors that the body is creating to either help you avoid dealing with an issue or to signal you that there is an issue and you've been ignoring it. This doesn't mean you suddenly need to wallow in your anger or sadness, but it means you can't just sweep it under the rug. You need to say hey it sucks that I had to work til midnight when my team did everything right...then start to find ways to make that feel better...I love that my team is so dedicated, I love that my client trusted me to get it done and I am glad we proved people wrong who doubted our capability.

FOR YOUR SPIRIT
Live with Passion by Tony Robbins
Ok I know these rah rah books are totally cliche and some thing cheesy...but I really enjoyed this book. I listened to it during my long training runs and it mentally just lifts you up and makes you really think about all the ways you could more fully embrace and enjoy your life. One of the great things that he mentioned is to have a plan or a goal...example say that you go out for a run, when you finish how do you know if it was a good run if you didn't set any expectations. What defines a good run for you and how can you make every run a good run? Obviously you can't control the weather, so what can you control...running so hard you break in to a sweat? Running on trails, in the woods, with a friend?
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Gratitude Journal
Aug 19
I am grateful for a no flooding in our house
I am grateful for a solid roof over my head
I am grateful for a reliable car
I am grateful for kitties that love you even when cranky
I am grateful that this project is almost over