Elizabeth Dean
200 Years from now: “Summers, you drive like a spaz!” “And THAT phrase stood the test of time?”
This one was awesome! Choicest lines, from Xander to Buffy: “I rate almost as good as trying to change your sexual orientation. You went – THROUGH GAY – to me.” Bless his heart.
I liked this book a lot. I was expecting more anecdotes and pseudoscience, but he actually presented a lot of promising research on the impact of diet & lifestyle on treating cancer. Hardly any of it was clinical research so causality still can't really be established, but still, the findings are exciting. However, while I was reading the book, I got sick with a bad cold and persistent asthma problems. I'm pregnant, so I tried to follow some of his recommendations for reducing inflammation through diet, meditation, gratitude, etc, rather than taking more medicines that will probably interfere with my biological terrain, but got quickly frustrated that none of my behavior mods worked. I can only imagine the frustration of a cancer patient in this situation. Still, I'm committed to practicing more of the habits & lifestyle changes he recommends . . . once I'm not sick anymore and actually have the energy to prepare my own food/get more exercise.
Basic findings from scientific research presented in this book:
1- Yoga does not improve cardivascular fitness.
2- Yoga is likely to cause you to gain weight, rather than lose it, because it decreases your metabolism.
3- Yoga significantly improves symptoms of anxiety and depression, across the board.
4- Yoga measurably, vastly improves your libido and sexual function.
5- Your brain on yoga, as measured by MRIs, is like your brain on spiritual inspiration and orgasm.
So don't do yoga to get in shape, physically, BUT - do it for all the other reasons. The evidence is there. It's a fascinating read.
A lovely story by Chapel Hill author Barbara Claypole White, who specializes in “love stories about damaged people.” I really love how she normalizes mental illness and incorporates people who are affected by it (either themselves or in their families) into her novels. I look forward to reading more by her!
I really enjoyed reading this. There is nothing surprising here but it is a well written and compassionate domestic drama. If it weren't written by a man and featuring a primary male character I'd call it women's fiction. I like that about it immensely.
The series expanded & improved with each book. Things that are better about later books: more emphasis on non-humanoid sentients in the Entire, the growth of Ji Anzi's character & getting to know some of the Tarig characters better.
This is the first truly excellent, not just ‘huh, that's interesting' book of the series. I recommend it (& the rest of the series).
I got to the story with ghosts of dead children and never was able to pick it up again. Gets me every time. I liked what I read.
Uhhhhh not sure if it was me or if this was a rare subpar George. This one was weirdly boring.
This book was just ok. But, fun to read after recently taking the plunge and listening to Hamilton. It's striking how much the Federalists and Democratic Republicans hated each other. Politics was definitely not more civil then.
I love this art but the story kind of drags. I will read Vol. 2 just to learn the story but I'm glad it ends there.
This book is filled with exciting and inspiring tales of 4 women, 2 confederate and 2 unionist, who were spies during the Civil War. Elizabeth Van Lew of Richmond is now one of my favorite Americans. She spent her family fortune leading an underground network of spies and helping union POWs escape the city. She gave everything to save the Union.
I found it useful to read through this book as opposed to taking an online test. I'm a 6.
It's Readathon time! Henry is reading the I Survived books and I've always wanted to read one so I did. Good, but not great like the Sunfire romance novels from the 80s, also based on famous disasters.
Loved this unique and thoughtful story. I didn't want it to end, I wanted to keep hanging out with Birdie and her mom and friends!
This book is really good - but why is it so irritating? Does everyone have their own love-hate relationship with Elizabeth Gilbert? I have been trying to figure out my reaction to it for months. Is it just envy? Cattiness? Gilbert's writing is very funny, likable, engaging - just the kind of person whose memoir you want to read. I love the earnestness with which she approaches her task. I was so grateful to read about someone else's struggles with meditation, mindfulness, and self-healing. But every time I get into a conversation about this book I want to roll my eyes, and, well, just be a mean girl about it. I can only determine that it is envy for her incredible experiences, perfect love story, and now, great fame. So forgive me.
This book was interesting, but it wasn't meant to be. I went to book club after half finishing it and learned that later in the book is what someone described as “the most horrible rape scene they'd ever read in a book.” We discussed the ending and I decided not to finish it.