The Valley of Amazement Review

I'd like to interrupt the regularly scheduled wedding stuff to post a quick review that has been a long time in the making. I almost didn't write it, but sharing is caring.

This was an interesting journey for me. I'll keep it brief, mostly because I don't want to sway people away from reading The Valley of Amazement. The book was incredibly dynamic, compelling and well-written. The subject matter is, unfortunately, not my cup of tea.

The book takes place primarily in Shanghai, early 1900s. Vivid descriptions haunt each corner of the novel. As for what the novel is about, it's the story of the struggle for a female's independence in an otherwise male-driven world. It's about the love of family. It highlights hope, and how many hopes just lead to disappointment. The Vally of Amazement follows Violet, and her mother, Lulu. Be prepared to learn about racism and the life of a courtesan. Be prepared for your emotions to get caught in every page.

I honestly struggled to read this one. I would read a bit, and then put it down, hesitant to pick it back up again. I'd like to say it is the time of year (full of holiday cheer), but I've mentioned before that dramas, or any book with a good bit of strife, just ends up causing me stress instead of enjoyment. I prefer a simple, entertaining book to a thoughtful drama any day, no matter how well written. I decided to read the book based on the author's name instead of checking the inside cover.

If you like dramas, ignore this review. I know there are many glowing ones, from people far more qualified to review books than I am. The subject matter is interesting, and it certainly is never boring. If you are like me, then I would say pass this one up. There are other books from my Fall Reading List that I certainly enjoyed more.

This concludes my Fall List. The Winter Reading List is in full swing!

Winter Reading List 2013-2014

Winter is coming....

Sorry, I couldn't resist a Game of Thrones reference. And for those of you located in the East Coast/Midwest, you have likely already had snow, and therefore, winter is already here. Time to snuggle up with a book by the fireplace.

I had tons of fun with my last reading list. It was a great way to make sure that I didn't let reading take over my life, as it so often did. I still have one additional book to review for Fall, but I will need a few days to recover from it. Sometimes books do that to me.

There are so many good books coming out, but so many older ones that I want to read. Winter is going to be a mix of these, I am thinking. It's not completely fleshed out, because who knows where my literary whims will take me this winter. I have left two open spots at the end of this list, so I can add things in as I go.

- The Chase 2/25/14 Janet Evanovich, Lee Goldberg. This is the sequel to The Heist, a new series by my dear friend, Janet E., who paired up with Lee Goldberg to write a police drama/comedy. I am not actually friends with Ms. Evanovich (I wish!), but I've read all of her books, so that kind of counts. It's a bit one-sided, this friendship.

The first one was a bit predictable, but I love a pairing of the bad guy meets kickbutt chick, so we will let that slide. I found the first one enjoyable, and am looking forward to a second helping.

-The Princes of Ireland, Edward Rutherford. I have to admit, I picked this one off the shelves of a bookstore randomly a few months back, but just haven't sat down to read it. It's staring at me as I type this, so I better get to it before it truly feels neglected. I'll let you know how it goes, because I truly don't know more about it than briefly glancing at the back cover. Sometimes, that's how I pick out books.

-The Blackberry Pie Murder (Hannah Swenson #17), Joanne Fluke. This is another adorable murder-mystery novel that always brings a smile to my face. And who knew there could be so many murderers in a small town? And there are recipes! Yum. The first ones are always on sale right before the newest book comes out, so I would check them out then (February), if you want a nice cold-weather pick-me-up.

-The City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1), Cassandra Clare. Another one that I've had around for a while, this one on my Nook, that I bought on super sale. They made a movie out of it, so it can't be THAT bad. Famous last words, I am sure. But, hey, I'm going to try it out. If I like it, I know there are more and I won't have to wait to read them. I won't blog about this one, so don't worry if you really don't care or already read it AGES ago.

To be honest, I will probably read two more books this winter, but I haven't set my heart on anything yet. There are a lot of authors that I've read before that I'm interested in reading their new books, but I've been burned before. I may also catch up on some other books I have stockpiled. If I read anything spectacular, I will be sure to let you know.

What are you excited about reading this winter? Any suggestions? And if you are looking for more ideas on what to read, check out my Fall Reading List for reviews.

Holiday Gift Week 2013: Day 1

Here we are, kicking off Holiday Gift Week 2013 with gifts for the Reader in your life. The rules are: must be available online and must be under $100.

1. The Classics Collection - Barnes and Noble $80.98 2. Page Nibs - Levenger $19 3. Personal Library Kit - Amazon $13.34 4. Cable Knit Throw - Pottery Barn $79 5. Kate Spade Library Card iPhone 5 Case - Nordstrom $40

Stay tuned for more gift ideas, every day for the rest of this week. 

Discover Your Optimal Health Review

As some of you may know, I have been participating in the Take Shape For Life program for the past 20 weeks. I am beyond thrilled at the huge impact this has had on my life, so this review may be a bit biased. I'm trying to remain objective, but forgive me if I lose my way. This also was not on my fall reading list, but it seems like it is going to take the place of another on the list. Sorry, A Brave New World. I may never read you.

Dr. Wayne Scott Anderson has come out with a new book called Discover Your Optimal Health. The purpose of this book is a swift kick in the butt to get you, the reader, started on a journey to create the healthiest self possible. I've read a few weight loss books in my time. It's not a hobby per say, but I never really got past the reading, and if I did, it would be for a few weeks before I would give up. I was more content in my routines than motivated to be healthy.

This isn't a weight loss book. This is a book about motivation, and about how being unhealthy isn't your fault. It's easier, quicker, and often cheaper to eat unhealthily. We have stressful jobs; we have stressful lives; brownies come in boxes. You get the picture? Okay, so he is a doctor and has facts and editors and such that make it sound a whole lot more impressive. But he has a point. And the point is, it is easier to be overweight than not in this day and age.

However, this book isn't just for the overweight. That's why I said it is not a weight loss book. It's about how no matter what you are doing, optimal health should be your focus. Dr. Anderson defines this as is a healthy mind, a healthy body, getting beneficial sleep, and spending good quality time with those you love. Sounds like a dream, right? Maybe, but Dr. A seems completely convinced, and I want some of that.

Discover Your Optimal Health acts as sort of a prequel to the Take Shape for Life program, which includes his other books (The Habits of Health and the supplementary workbook) as the guideline for making a healthier you for a lifetime.

Some of the negatives for the book:

There is a lot of repetition of key phrases and stories that can get annoying, especially if you have already read the Habits of Health. I know that repetition is key for remembering, so I suggest only reading a chapter at a time, and not trying to read the whole book in one go.

Dr. Anderson sometimes seems like he doesn't live in the real world. This is specifically in reference to what is feasible for most Americans monetarily. For example, although it may be more relaxing to completely redesign my  bedroom, travel to Europe, and get regular massages, I am not made of money. And while swimming regularly is an excellent workout, I am not going to be able to install and indoor pool in my house to make this happen. A suggestion to join the YMCA would have been more appropriate.

Otherwise, I'm a huge fan. It's a great book to read if you are considering Take Shape for Life, already on the program and need a bit of motivation, or even considering any diet out there. Dr. Anderson has a gift for motivating and framing the issues, and he provides some answers on how to take your life into your own hands. It's not an all-encompassing text by any means. It is more an avenue to start the journey of shifting your life from a non-healthy trajectory to a path toward optimal health.  I can't gush enough about it. If you are looking for health, start here.

My Insignificant Grammar Rant

Everyone has something they believe in strongly. For example, I've seen countless posts on Facebook and Twitter about the government, the latest awards show, or Sunday's game. Here's my declaration of belief: I believe strongly in the Oxford comma. If you aren't sure what that is, look at the second sentence of this post.

Or at this sentence: I'm obsessed with office supplies, stormy ocean colors, and nail polish (from the About Me tab at the top of my page). Somewhere in the course of my school years, the comma before the "and" in a list of 3 or more subjects became unnecessary. It upsets me, confuses me, and I reject this change completely. See what I did there?
 
Now, I'm not a grammar expert by any means. I write conversationally and speak in run-on sentences that sometimes just trail off. I rarely correct others' spelling and grammar, unless you are one of my younger siblings, in which case, it is on. Okay, and I sometimes correct celeb's tweets and then change my mind and delete, not wanting to be that girl.

This change really did confuse me. One year they taught it, the next they didn't, changing the rules of my Language Arts class forever. For a long time, and sometimes still, I used it part time, depending on which part of my brain I was channeling. Seriously grammar, you can't do this to me! It's like Ziva leaving NCIS, why???

I list things often, you may have noticed. Commas are my favorite punctuation (followed closely by the parentheses). So that's what I believe in. Pretty profound, huh? And you thought this was going to be another controversial rant. We try to avoid that here.

Note: Via Wikipedia, it's called a serial comma. Take a look here at some of their examples on ambiguity that omitting this comma can cause. Or don't. We aren't about pressure here.

Self-Inflicted Wounds Review

I just finished Aisha Tyler's semi-autobiography Self Inflicted Wounds. You may know Aisha as a comedienne, co-host of The Talk, actress, voice of Lana in TV's Archer, or video game enthusiast. I bought the book, mostly because I read so many good reviews (due to the fact that I follow Tyler on Twitter) and also mostly because it was a Barnes and Noble daily deal on my Nook. Yes, I meant to say mostly twice. Oh, and I mostly think she's hilarious.

This book is a collection of short stories that showcase some of the more ridiculous moments in the star's life. Let's get right down to the review.

The Positives:  Aisha Tyler is funny AND human. I got a kick out of her metaphors and antics. The book jumps around from some highly questionable decisions (that you totally made at one point or another) starting from age 5.

On some occasions, I could understand perfectly where she was coming from, and why she made that decision. Oh, you don't respond well when people tell you what to do and do the exact opposite? Me too! Oh, you don't have a filter when you speak and sometimes say the world's dumbest things? I understand. 

There were also parts of the book that I couldn't relate to at all-and that made it all the funnier. I didn't come from San Francisco with vegetarian, hippie parents in the 70's, but that makes an excellent background for stories. Imagine it.

The Negatives: I do feel that some of her stories, to be made longer or more exciting, borderlined on preachy and redundant. I didn't feel like we needed as much justification or "feel-goodiness" after every story of high school stupidity. I felt like she didn't need to tell me, because I know. I did some of these stupid things too-new meaning to the phrase preaching to the choir, because I don't sing (especially in collegiate A Capella) .

I also feel like Tyler forgot that most Americans read at a sixth grade reading level. Either this is due to her Dartmouth education and the fact that she is well read, or the girl just wrote next to her handy thesaurus. I thought that the vocabulary was a little low-level for a comedy book. Not that I don't enjoy reading intelligent books, but I kept getting that nagging feeling in the back of my head that there is a time and a place for it. And seriously, there is no excuse for using the word "halcyon" more than once in a book, unless it's in the title. 

Overall: I liked it. Any woman who is taller than me and willing to publish super embarrassing photos of herself just to get laughs is okay in my book.  I love how Aisha Tyler was able to make fun of herself, but still feel proud of her life and accomplishments, scars and all. Don't let my negatives stop you from reading this incredibly funny book, I'd love to giggle about it with anyone who has read it.