Another monthly update of what I have been reading. I am ahead of schedule for my Good Reads 30 book challenge this year, which isn’t really surprising when I actually relax enough to read. I read pretty fast when I have a chance to sit down and do it, which I have been making sure I do. Especially with the way work has been lately. Oh, and my new computer is still not set up. The process started today, but there was a problem with it (surprise, surprise). I am hoping the old computer holds together long enough to get this new one set up so I don’t lose any work time.
Now the books!
Salt, Sugar and Fat by Michael Ross
This book is really about the rise of the processed food industry and it is kind of scary, really. It all comes down to money. Even supposed ‘healthy’ foods are only designed with the idea of making lots of money and the purported health benefits are tenuous at best. The book is in 3 parts, each dealing with sugar, salt and fat and how the 3 combined actually magnify each other as far as palatability and desire to eat more. I really found the inner workings of some of the companies intriguing as well, particularly the egotism. At one point, Kellog’s dictated what type of car you could drive into the lot. You had to be in a certain level of the company to drive certain cars. Ridiculous, no?
Anyway, I would recommend this book to read. It will make you angry, but it also gives you a lot of food for thought – pun intended, I suppose!
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The Bread is in the Bed by Glen Stanford
Okay, I guess my secret is out. I have a desire to own a bed and breakfast. I figured out that really is the only way I can get the property I want with gardens and that would be my job to take care of it. Anyway, this book was free for me to read through Amazon prime (which I love!) and I got it to try to convince myself I *didn’t* want to do it. In fact, the book tries to humorously get you to not do this business. It’s about how to run a B&B effectively and think about whether it is something you should be doing.
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The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck
This was a short book, but really a good book. It’s the story of Ms. Ora, her housekeeper Blanche, and a homeless man (the Pecan Man). They cover for 2 related crimes and the book follows the fallout of the the lies told and the crimes themselves on the characters. Racism and societal prejudice are common themes throughout the book.
So much of the story is about the lies you tell and how it affects you for the rest of your life and how coming clean in the end is the only way you can have peace. I really recommend this book! It’s a very short read, but a very good one.
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The Good Knight (A Gwyneth and Gareth mystery) by Sarah Woodbury
This book was okay. Good for a summer beach read. I like reading about medieval times and I like mysteries, so thought I would give this a try. It’s about a a songstress and a knight. They reconnect on the way to a wedding trying to solve the mystery of who murdered a king and who is setting up Gareth. The mystery was solved about 70% through the book, so the rest seemed a bit of ‘now what?’
At times it felt the characters were too 21st century in their words and actions, so the book would lose some of the atmosphere. I think the author could have made this story better by fleshing out the characters more with descriptions and going into more depth of their history. Things were mentioned in passing that would have added a lot more depth and empathy for the characters had this been delved into. Again, a lighter summer read – library loan only. Not sure I would bother reading the other books in the series.
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*** Just a note that I don’t put any Amazon linkies to these books because I didn’t purchase any of them. These were all borrowed.
I currently am about finished with a really good book that I will share next month!
What are you reading now?
So did the B&B book work? Are you convinced to not do it? I’m thinking not…you’ll end up with your very own sweet B&B, complete with an amazing garden, fresh-roasted morning coffee and instead of cocktail hour, it will be latte hour. 🙂
As for what I’m reading right now, it’s your blog, silly! Well, this and a knitting pattern. No time for books at the moment.
I need to start saving my pennies to buy one LOL! Now you make it sound even better.
Hi Lori–I just finished reading Cloud Atlas–it took me a day or two to get into it, but once in, I loved it. There is also a movie which would be tough to understand if you hadn’t read it first (and yes, the book is better).
I love your book reviews. I just signed up for a free trial of Amazon Prime, and the book borrowing thing is a mystery to me. Do you have a book in mind, and then look to see if you can borrow it?
I think I already recommended this book: Crow Lake. It is a really really good fiction book, set in northern Canada, written by a Canadian author.
You have a kindle? If you go to the online store on your kindle, there is a link to the owner’s lending library.
HI Lori!
I’m reading ShockWave by Clive Cussler…..It is one of his better books……I own about a dozen of his adventure books and i love them…..but honestly the quality of the writing varies wildly. Not sure why. There are some books he writes on his own and others he has a co-author but i can’t even say thats the difference because the good and bad ones don’t seem to have a pattern of co author or no co author…..go figure……But ShockWave is a good one…..Hugs! deb
I think you will be a great hostess for a B&B especially if you do it like Shelley suggests. I will be saving up then to visit yours.
There has been a couple of television shows where they followed people that started a B&B. And they all made a mess of it. Because they were British or Dutch and decided to open a B&B in France or Italy. Didn’t speak the language, didn’t learn how it worked before they left, bought properties that needed so much improvement they ran out of money etcetera. It is fun TV entertainment though 🙂
I’m reading part 1 of book 5 of Game of Thrones at the moment. Book 4 was a bit boring but this one is much better. After part 2 I’m done with the books till he decides to publish book 6 (he said there will be 7 books in total).
I just remember I wanted to say something about the first book too. I read an article last week about diabetics. About how the number of patients have double in my country in 10 years. One of the biggest reasons is that we consume way too much sugar. I have already thought about sugar in the past but the article gave me the push to watch my sugar intake more carefully. So as less processed foods for me as possible because that are the worst products.
just finished my book last night (NOT GREAT AT ALL. BIG GIRL PANTIES) stealing yer recommendations.
Thx Lori – that Pecan Man sounds really interesting!
On the first book & Corporate crap as I call it since I worked it it – made me think of the days when they were measuring offices to make sure one level manager did not get a bigger office then another higher level manager or Director or above – the whole atmosphere drove me crazy! 🙂
I would like to make a reservation at the Lori B&B. Please ask housekeeper Pixie to visit our room, we’d love to see her! 🙂
You would have a beautiful B & B!!! My husband and I love to stay at them when we get away on our own. We talked about maybe running one when we retire but I don’t know if we really would – lots of work!!
The Pecan Man sounds really interesting. Thanks for the tip!
I have started the first book (Salt Sugar Fat). The conclusion I have come to so far: if you are going to eat sweets or snacks, etc., make them homemade. Stay away from anything that is processed. That may change even more after I finish the book, but I figured that was better than all the processed stuff. I already don’t eat sweets, and someday will probably address the other sugar still in my diet.