Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness

Oh you guys. Forget the craziness I went through in being diagnosed with celiac disease. This book. Wow! I can't believe what the author went through.  Just, wow!

So many people are misdiagnosed with illnesses, or not diagnosed, just told to sleep it off or take an antibiotic and you should start feeling better in the morning.  What about being told you are crazy? Though you know that isn't the case. I've read that people in comas, they can hear people talking to them. Sometimes they are aware of what's going on around them. The author as she got sicker and sicker and people just weren't listening, she knew she wasn't feeling well, that she was sick, that she wasn't crazy. 

Again, wow!

Enjoy!

The Silent Wife

Now that I've read the book, I've seen many reviews while searching for the image to use here, comparing this book to Gone Girl. I'm not sure about comparing it to Gone Girl though. It is much cleaner, yes, which was kind of nice. But it isn't as much of a page turner as Gone Girl was. I couldn't put that one down.  I think I read this one in one sitting, but more because it is much shorter and a quick read. But don't let any of that sway you.
It is a good book. It tells you right away she's going to kill her husband, so that isn't a spoiler. A good summer read.  As I think now about the different storylines in the book, yes, I can see similarities to Gone Girl. But I don't think anyone wants the pressure of being compared to a hit book because the readers will go in expecting a similar book. I've probably totally spoiled the book by mentioning the GG connection. How about you forget about it now.  In fact... you are getting sleepy, very sleepy. Sooooo sleepy, good now, I want you to forget any comparison between The Silent Wife and Gone Girl. Good, now when I snap your fingers, you'll wake up and not remember anything but it's a good idea to read The Silent Wife. OK, 3, 2, 1, snap.....

I recently read The Silent Wife. It isn't so much a mystery because the first thing you learn in the book is that our main character kills her husband. But we spend the story learning why she wants to kill this man and how she goes about putting her plan into action.

Enjoy

The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances

This book reminded me a bit of Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant.  A comic book/comedic approach to talking about something that some make think is tough. I got this for a friend who was going to run a race with me last month. Hoping to give her some funny encouragement. It was funny. Any runner would related to something in the book. I'll be honest, I've been a fortunate runner. No lost toenails. No restroom issues on the course (unless you count drinking too much waiting for a race to start, and then waiting in a too long of porta potty because I'm not a fan of peeing in the bushes...) I haven't had the usual injuries runners get. There is a lot of humor for runners who are looking for a fun read.

Enjoy.

How to Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers

I'm not a Buddhist. I won't be converting. I found this book on a recommended reading list for people with celiac disease. And I couldn't have read this at a better time. Having struggled especially over the last 4 months, missing so much work, missing out on events with friends and family and at Church, you just get tired of missing things. I just wish I had control over my health. But oh well. It's not in the cards right now.

This was a great book that gives a number a great ideas of how to handle different situations you experience when sick, all the time. I'm fortunate to not have the illness of the author, though some days it feels as though I do. But I am tired of being defined by my disease. For years, I was tired of being defined by my job, then by my car accident, then again by my job and now by celiac disease. Running gets thrown in there too. But right now, running isn't really possible with my health. It's probably part of what has drawn me into myself and not wanting to talk when around others - there isn't really anything to talk about, at least nothing that seems to interest anyone. And I don't like talking about being sick, I don't want to be identified as the sickee. I prefer to talk about other people, so I just ask questions, instead of answering them. This book didn't necessarily how to address that issue, but many others. So, I'm working on how to compliment what she recommends. Unfortunately just last night I had  bad night, as in pain level = 10. So fun. And today I missed a huge family event because of it.  But earlier today, as I was thinking about how I wasn't going to be able to attend, I was able to think of the book, and the author, and though I am sad to miss out on seeing so many family members, I knew that it would be OK, that it didn't mean I was a bad person, and I wasn't slacking in not attending a family event, that I'm not offending the family members today's event is for. I need to take care of myself.  Pushing myself too far may be part of why I am going through these troubles right now. I'm not one to do stuff for myself, to focus on me. But maybe I need to sometimes. My body just needs more rest. The author helps you understand that it is OK.

I sort of skipped sections when she got too much into the Buddhist philosophy because I either didn't understand or it didn't interest me. But if you have a chronic illness,  you know someone with a chronic illness, or maybe you just have chronic struggles, this is a great book to read.

Enjoy.

Not Becoming My Mother: & Other Things She Taught Me Along The Way

This book was also written by Ruth Reichl (the food critic). Before you think she's writing a book to rip her mother apart, I think she does a good job with the book.  Not having a good relationship with my own mother, I seem to do the same thing she does, find the positive things. Sometimes that's all you can do.  So I appreciated this book as I do the same as the author, you find the positive in hopes to forget the negative.  No one has a perfect life, but you do what you can to make the best of the situation you have. Rose colored glasses.

I also listened to this one, and it's read by the author which I liked.

Enjoy.

The Calorie Myth: How to Eat More, Exercise Less, Lose Weight, and Live Better

An unusual choice for April book club. But I enjoyed this book.  I'm not a dieter. Never have been.  Just stuck to a healthy lifestyle.  This book did have some good suggestions though. As I've had way more health struggles that I'd like this last year, mostly stemming from celiac disease, but also from just not knowing how to get enough to eat, of what I can eat, of what can give me the energy I need, this book contained a lot of great suggestions I've already started to adopt. While I'm not willing to give up my running (the book contains a 20 minutes routine you should do once, at the most twice a week) - the food recommendations are worth the read.

There is a lot of science in the book. A lot of explaining why the author makes the recommendations he does. I recommend reading it all so that you can figure out what would work best for your body (since no diet is meant for every person.)

Enjoy

Wonder

Oh boy!  This was our March book club story.  And it was a tearjerker. It was a beautiful story. I just enjoyed so much about this story.
A warning to a future reader. Someone at book club mentioned that their copy had an added chapter, a new ending or something? Don't read it! Just stick to the original story. It is perfect as is. 
Forget Don't Sweat the Small Stuff. Read this children's story, and your attitude will get a swift kick in the pants.  Fiction can be powerful. If I had children, this would be on the top of the list of stories I'd want them to read. Yup, that means I'll be getting it for my nieces and my godkids.

Please, enjoy!

Funny Girl

 

In the end, while I liked this book, I felt like I wanted more our of the story. It read as though it were a biography, and I'm sure much of it was based on true stories of many different actors. It was fun how the author brought in real people of stage and screen so that readers had a sense of real time with the events of the story. And it isn't that I wanted the story to end differently (I enjoyed the ending.)  I'd mentioned in the previous post that someone had recommended Hornby's books to me. I think it was because I enjoyed the films versions of his "About a Boy" and "High Fidelity".  This is the first book I read of his. I'll have to try another book to see if it is just his writing? Maybe, while I like his stories, I may not like his writing... like Jane Austin. I'm not actually a fan of her writing, but I like her stories.

Enjoy

Things I’ve Learned from Women Who’ve Dumped Me

Nick Hornby's books were recommended to me so I have added them to my library queue. This one I listened to. It isn't actually a book by him. It's a collection of stories by another of comedians. I didn't listed to all of them. Some of them went too far for my taste. Some were funny. Some were stupid. Not my favorite, but I  prefer to have comedians read their own materials so that helped.

Enjoy 

The Last Anniversary

Moriarty is another author I really enjoy. This is a fun story of how a little white lie grows and grows. I enjoyed trying to figure out the truth behind the story. No surprise I enjoyed Moriarty's storytelling. It makes me sad when I finish all the books currently published by an author I'm enjoying.  I of course don't want her to rush a story just to publish more quickly. Take your time Liane. I have no problem waiting for another enjoyable story.

In the meantime, I discovered two teenage tales she's written, but my library doesn't have them. I'll try to hunt them down and give them a shot.

Enjoy!