Book Review: The Jane Austen Diet

Book: The Jane Austen Diet: Austen's Secrets to Food, Health, and Incandescent Happiness by Jane Austen and Bryan Kozlowski

Edition: Paperback

Description:

What can Jane Austen teach us about health? Prepare to have your bonnet blown…

From the food secrets of Pride and Prejudice to the fitness strategies of Sense and Sensibility, there’s a modern health code hidden in the world’s most popular romances.

Join Bryan Kozlowski as he unlocks this “health and happiness” manifesto straight from Jane Austen’s pen, revealing why her prescriptions for achieving total body “bloom” still matter in the 21st century. Whether that’s learning how to eat like Lizzie Bennet, exercise like Emma Woodhouse, or think like Elinor Dashwood, explore how Austen’s timeless body beliefs are more relevant, refreshing, and scientifically sensible now than ever before. After all, it's still a truth universally acknowledged – Jane Austen’s heroines don’t get fat.

Currently Reading: The Jane Austen Diet

Happy Saturday!

After reading two mystery books back to back, I was set on finding something different to read. I was going through one of my bookcases when I found this nonfiction book, The Jane Austen Diet by Bryan Kozlowski and Jane Austen. I'm always interested in what research someone can gather from books. And from the description, it looks like the author took inspiration from Jane Austen's characters and looked into their lifestyle in regards to food, health and fitness. So, it will be interesting to see what informmation is in this book and how it relates to the characters.

Book: The Jane Austen Diet: Austen's Secrets to Food, Health, and Incandescent Happiness by Jane Austen and Bryan Kozlowski

Description:

What can Jane Austen teach us about health? Prepare to have your bonnet blown…

From the food secrets of Pride and Prejudice to the fitness strategies of Sense and Sensibility, there’s a modern health code hidden in the world’s most popular romances.

Join Bryan Kozlowski as he unlocks this “health and happiness” manifesto straight from Jane Austen’s pen, revealing why her prescriptions for achieving total body “bloom” still matter in the 21st century. Whether that’s learning how to eat like Lizzie Bennet, exercise like Emma Woodhouse, or think like Elinor Dashwood, explore how Austen’s timeless body beliefs are more relevant, refreshing, and scientifically sensible now than ever before. After all, it's still a truth universally acknowledged – Jane Austen’s heroines don’t get fat.

Book of Interest: Gracefully You

I don't usually buy a lot of lifestyle books let alone celebrity ones mainly because most of their lifestyles are unrelatable. However, I think Gracefully You by Jenna Dewan seems interesting. And after looking at a few sample pages I wouldn't mind reading it and seeing what else is in the book.

Book: Gracefully You: Finding Beauty and Balance in the Everyday by Jenna Dewan

Description:

Actress and dancer Jenna Dewan shares her uplifting message of how to elevate your life and experience beauty every day—perfect for fans of Jessica Alba’s The Honest Life and Kate Hudson’s Pretty Happy.

The frustrations and challenges that come with modern living can leave us feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and disconnected. In Gracefully You, Jenna Dewan uses her own deeply personal journey to show you how to find your true voice, connect to your deeper self, and live with grace.

From demonstrating how movement is essential to feeling good (whether it’s by going on a nature hike or dancing with your friends) to providing mantras that will help you begin each day with good intentions, Jenna shares clear advice on how you can cultivate happiness in every aspect of your life.

Learn how to create a home sanctuary, connect with nature to restore balance, foster healthy relationships of all kinds by establishing physical and spiritual boundaries, and maintain space for your own identity through it all. Filled with stunning photos, Gracefully You is a beautiful, insightful, and powerful vision for anyone who wants to feel better, focus on what’s important, and maintain a sense of balance—all with strength and grace.

Book Watch: Three Lando Calrissian Star Wars Books for Billy Dee Williams' Birthday

Since today is Billy Dee Williams' birthday (he's 83) here are three Lando Calrissian Star Wars books you might want to add to your To Read List. I have the first book (I haven't read it yet but I will) and I'm planning on getting the other two as well.

From smooth talking Administrator of Cloud City and former scoundrel to being a heroic General of the Rebel Alliance, it was great seeing Lando's return to the war and in his former ship, the Millennium Falcon.

Happy Birthday Billy Dee Williams and thank you for portraying one of my favorite characters, Lando Calrissian. May The Force Be With You!

Book of Interest: Young & Hungry: Your Complete Guide to a Delicious Life

Lately, I have really gotten into cooking and baking and finding a lot of different recipes online. I will admit that sometimes it's a bit of a hassle going online trying to find recipes, which is why I love cookbooks because there's a bunch of recipes all in one book.

Since my latest obsession has me looking for cookbooks, I figure why not share the ones that interest me. I recently started re-watching the TV series Young & Hungry on Netflix, I like the show it's really funny. It's not a real re-watch since I only watched the first couple of episodes when the show first premiered on ABC Family (now Freeform). But I was so busy at the time that I didn't continue watching the series, so now I'm back to watching the show again.

Anyway, I had no idea the show was inspired by a real person and I'm very interested in getting this book. According to the description, it's a lifestyle/cookbook which sounds pretty cool. I will be adding this to my wishlist, hopefully, it has some really good recipes in it.

Book: Young & Hungry: Your Complete Guide to a Delicious Life by Gabi Moskowitz and Diana Snyder

Description:

The YOUNG & HUNGRY lifestyle/cookbook is written by Gabi Moskowitz and Diana Snyder.

Gabi is a food blogger and cookbook author and was the inspiration for the Freeform hit comedy. Diana is a writer for the show. Young & Hungry: Your Complete Guide to a Delicious Life features recipes along with advice about dating, friendships, entertaining, and health. This book is a girls' guide to being young, single, short on cash, and passionate about food.

Currently Reading: I'm Judging You

I'm taking a reading break for The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Six Easy Pieces by Walter Mosley. They're both interesting but I'm just not in the mood to read them at the moment. However, a book I am interested in reading is I'm Judging You by Luvvie Ajayi, I checked out from the library yesterday and already started reading it.


Book: I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual by Luvvie Ajayi

Source: Library

Description:

With over 500,000 readers a month at her enormously popular blog, AwesomelyLuvvie.com, Luvvie Ajayi is a go-to source for smart takes on pop culture. I'm Judging You is her debut book of humorous essays that dissects our cultural obsessions and calls out bad behavior in our increasingly digital, connected lives―from the importance of the newest Shonda Rhimes television drama to serious discussions of race and media representation to what to do about your fool cousin sharing casket pictures from Grandma's wake on Facebook.

With a lighthearted, razor sharp wit and a unique perspective, I'm Judging You is the handbook the world needs, doling out the hard truths and a road map for bringing some "act right" into our lives, social media, and popular culture. It is the Do-Better Manual.

Book Review: The Art of Money

Book: The Art of Money by Bari Tessler

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

This is the book your money–savvy best friend, therapist, and accountant would write if they could. It’s the book about money for people who don’t even want to think about money, until the arrival of that inevitable day when we all realize we must come to terms with this thing called money.

Everyone has pain and challenges, strengths and dreams about money, and many of us mix profound shame into that relationship. In The Art of Money, Bari Tessler offers an integrative approach that creates the real possibility of “money healing,” using our relationship with money as a gateway to self–awareness and a training ground for compassion, confidence, and self–worth.

Tessler’s gentle techniques weave together emotional depth, big picture visioning, and refreshingly accessible, nitty–gritty money practices that will help anyone transform their relationship with money and, in so doing, transform their life. As Bari writes, “When we dare to speak the truth about money, amazing healing begins.”

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

The Art of Money is not the typical money management book, it's more of a self-help/therapeutic guide at how we look at money. The author who is a financial therapist walks the reader through her approach and goes over information that can help the reader sort through their troubles with money. And also to encourage the reader to celebrate and reinforce all the good ways we deal with money.

The author would like the reader to look inward as well as check your current mood or feelings because our feelings can affect how we approach financial matters. With many afraid to deal with their finances and choosing to avoid it. That is, until it gets to the point they have no choice but to deal with it. The author wants to help the reader deal with those feelings.

This book has a Zen/New Age/Spiritual feel to it, it's like yoga for your finances. It's kind of weird to explain but the author approach is very compassionate based. She found that in her experience feeling shameful, belittling or being strict or harsh usually doesn't work in the long run in trying to improve money management.

There is practical financial advice and information provided in the book with most of it described in Tessler's unique way. Such as instead of creating a traditional budget, the author suggest creating a Money Map, according to the author it is a more meaningful way of tracking your income and expenses. The book also includes personal stories from the author as well as stories from her husband and some of her clients in how they have dealt with money.

Although Tessler provides a sort of blueprint or plan, she encourages the reader to find their own way to figure out what works best for them. Not every piece of advice is going to work for everyone.

This was an easy read and I only had one issue with it. I found the writing at times to be rather repetitive. Perhaps, it's a way to reinforce the information but to me it just felt like I was reading something over and over again. But aside from that it's a good read with good advice.

Book Review: The Roommate Book

Book: The Roommate Book: Sharing Lives & Slapping Fives written and illustrated by Becky Simpson

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

In The Roommate Book, which is filled with whimsical drawings and quizzes, author/illustrator and expert roommate Becky Simpson uses her optimism and sense of humor to highlight the advantages of having a roommate and how best to enjoy these shared years of modular furniture, crockpot meals, and binge-watching Netflix. For high school graduates going off to college and new adults leaving college, this book is essential.

The Roommate Book is all about celebrating this short season of life. It’s the time between parental curfews and settling down with a significant other. It is for the single and proud, silly and crafty, witty and thrifty. It’s a non-serious look at how to live with a friend (or total stranger). Nuggets of wisdom are included, but so are comical pie charts, hypotheticals, illustrations, and brief essays. This book invites passersby to thumb through and stay a while.

Meet your roommate:  The Random, The BFF, The Bra-less & Lawless, The "I've never actually seen my roommate," The "We get along but we're not really friends," The Enemy, The Frenemy, The Platonic Opposite Sex, or The Faux Partner.  Use the "Should I Live with This Person" flow chart to help you choose.

This fun and functional book also includes:  The "Should I eat this without asking?" flow chart, the top 10 reasons it's awesome to have a roommate, the pet peeve awareness illustrated guide, the Eisenhower matrix for chores (important, urgent, not important, not urgent), the guide to creating nicknames, party and prank ideas, and so much more!



Rating: 3 stars

Review:

This was okay, it's a cute sort of guide book for enjoying the whole roommate situation. Reading this felt like I was reading one of those special Roommate Editions of a magazine (such as Seventeen or Cosmopolitan). In the book there are plenty of quizzes, suggestions, advice and fun things to do that should interest the reader.

I think this would be great for those who actually enjoy having roommates or want to make the best of the situation. I for one, never liked having roommates, so I'm not sure what benefit those of us who share that sentiment will get out of this book. I guess you could probably apply the advice to other areas in your life such as in your friendships or dating and being in relationships. I do think the illustrations were cute.

But as for cultivating a relationship with roommates if you're not a roommate sort of person nothing is probably going make you want to spend more time with them. No matter how cute this book is. As I said this is more for those who embrace the idea of having roommates and want to get the most out of it.

Book Review: Spark Joy

Book: Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class to the Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

Source: Library

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

From reading Spark Joy, I learned that Marie Kondo's tidying methods includes decluttering in categories starting with clothes followed by books and so on until the last thing is sentimental items. You are supposed to keep items if they give you that spark of joy. Full disclosure, I did not declutter my books or DVDs/Blu-rays. A few months ago, I donated a bunch of books. So, the books I currently have (albeit an extremely large amount) are ones that I will either be reading or are my favorites. As for paring down my DVDs/Blu-rays, that so was not going to happen. I love watching my movies and TV shows, so I left them where they were. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I probably have as many DVDs/Blu-rays as I do books. Hey, don't we all have things we really like.  

After undergoing Marie Kondo's way of tidying up, my place is very organized and it feels more light and airy. My bedroom is just the way I wanted it. And once I pared down my clothes, I found I had a lot more room. From there it was so easy to organize my clothes as well as put away my out of season clothes. I no longer had clothes lying around (due to me not having any room to store them). I have another disclosure, I did not fold my clothes the way she suggested. My clothes are folded and look great, which I think is the important thing.

I have to say for the most part, her cleaning method did work for me. I got rid of so much stuff that I was holding on to from old formal dresses to kitchen utensils I never use. I now have less useless knick-knacks taking up space and I was able to find more room to store and display my collectables.

This book had a lot of good information and interesting tips such as having a pending box for taking care of paper work (bills, messages, etc.) that require immediate attention. I also thought decluttering by category was interesting because usually when I declutter I go from one area or room to the next. But tackling my items by category made it easy to sort through everything.

I think what I find so interesting about Marie Kondo's method is that it's actually really simple (aside from the folding). The way the book is written, it's easy to follow without being bogged down by complicated techniques. It gives the reader all the information needed to get started plus she shares information about what her clients learned from tidying and about her own desire to tidy. The illustrations are also easy to follow while the artwork (see below) adds a bit of whimsy to the book.

I have seen where some have said they are not interested in trying Marie Kondo's method because they don't want to get rid of everything. Honesty, I did not get rid all of my stuff, only the things I no longer wanted or needed. The author even makes a point of saying "keep what you love in confidence". Because to me, it makes no sense to get rid of everything, you would end up being miserable. The whole point of this method is to find joy in what you have and where you live.

I found Marie Kondo's enthusiasm about tidying and organizing to be very motivating. In the past, I have read other organizing books but for some reason those methods never quite worked. The Marie Kondo way of tidy may not work for everyone but I'm pleasantly surprised it worked for me.

365 Days of Books of Interest: Day #88: Design Your Life

From reading a sample of Design Your Life, this is part memoir and part style guide as Rachel Roy describes her incredible life story as well as giving realistic fashion advice. I already added this to my wishlist.

Book: Design Your Life: Creating Success Through Personal Style by Rachel Roy

Description:

The internationally renowned designer and entrepreneur helps women look and be the very best version of themselves with this strong, sexy style guide filled with practical and inspirational tips and personal insights gleaned from her own journey in life and business.

“As a teen, I’d draw the type of glamorous clothes and accessories I longed for. In retrospect I realize that I was a designing the life I wanted and would one day achieve.”

As a designer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and working mother, Rachel Roy has a unique perspective on how fashion defines who we are—and who we want to be. Growing up in a low-income neighborhood in California, she envisioned the life she lives today. The head of her own fashion business, she’s a successful, hard-working entrepreneur who believes through style we can help design the life we want to live.

Design Your Life is the embodiment of Rachel’s ethos—a style guide every woman, no matter what stage of life she is in, needs to help her define and implement her personal look, motivate her to focus on the person she wants to be and the job she aspires to have, and make choices based on where she wants to go. Rachel offers hands-on tips for developing personal style while staying true to yourself, using and updating what’s in your closest, and adding essential pieces to your wardrobe. Throughout, she shares stories from her own life and the vital role fashion and style has played each step of the way.

Elegantly designed and illustrated with more than fifty exclusive color line drawings, filled with her passion, vision, and commitment to empowerment, Design Your Life takes fashion one step further—from looking great to becoming great, from the inside out.

Book Review: Thinner in 30

Book: Thinner in 30: Small Changes That Add Up to Big Weight Loss in Just 30 Days by Jenna Wolfe

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

A month from now, you'll wish you had started today.

Yes, a month is all it takes to see long-term results.

And seriously-even YOU can lose that weight!

Food and exercise fads come and go, mainly because they just aren't sustainable. After a few days, you're hungry, bored, or hungry AND bored. That's why the Today show's very first lifestyle and fitness correspondent, Jenna Wolfe, created her famous 30-Day Fitness Challenge for her viewers. The challenge was wildly successful because of its unprecedented and simple approach to everyday health and fitness-one small tip a day for 30 days.

Now, in THINNER IN 30, Jenna takes her foolproof program to the next level, giving you the tools and motivation you'll need to achieve your wellness goals with thirty small changes that add up to big results-in as few as 30 days. It's all possible without joining a gym, counting calories, or signing up for a trendy class you can't even pronounce. The perfect plan for busy men and women of all ages and fitness levels, THINNER IN 30 puts the focus on small, bite-size tips which lead to long-term weight loss.

Jenna blends athletic wisdom, laugh-out-loud humor, and easy-to-follow advice, like how many times to chew your food per bite, what the heck carbs are all about, and how to sneak in workouts without any time, money, equipment, or energy (pretty much covering any excuse you may have). THINNER IN 30 will help you discover just how easy it is to get healthy without having to deprive yourself or work out 12 hours a day.

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Health and Fitness beginners, looking for some motivation to start getting healthy, well I think Thinner in 30 would make a good resource (even for health nuts).

The author Jenna Wolfe gives 30 easy to use and follow changes which also includes plenty of tips and advice to get the reader started on their way to being healthy. There are also exercises and workouts provided throughout.

I love taking challenges so doing this one wasn't such a big deal for me. After completing Thinner in 30, did I notice a difference? Actually, yes, because as much as I don't like to write down what I eat which was change #2, I made myself do it. By doing that, it did make me aware of what I was eating especially when I was snacking. I'll be honest, I thought I was eating more healthy snacks (like fruits and veggies) but what I found was I was also eating a lot of chips. That's my mindless midday snacking.

I also like change #14 which is Reward Yourself. Getting healthy isn't necessarily easy but if you've been doing a good job making time to exercise, even if it's just walking the dog, why not congratulate yourself for staying with it.

The most difficult change for me was #15 which was Prepare Your Meals and Workouts for the Day/Week. I never have any idea what I want to eat and I certainly have no set plans when I workout. So to actually figure it out in advance was a bit of a challenge for me. I gathered up some of those quick and easy recipes I always say I'm going to make and yet again, made myself do it. Yeah, some of the recipes weren't so great but I found out that if I had to I could find time to cook. I also like that take-out wasn't out of the question but I made sure to go for the healthy options.

As for the workouts, knowing what I was going to do ahead of time beyond working my upper body, lower body or total body wasn't bad. But I still prefer to just pick and choose when the time comes to workout.

By following this challenge you're gradually getting use to making healthy food choices and making it easy to fit in exercise. But also with being more relaxed such as with changes #9 (Stop, Sit and Disengage for at Least Five Minutes a Day) and #28 (Drop One Stressful Thing in Your Life).

This challenge wasn't bad and I even found quite a few things I would like to continue doing.

Book Review: The Year Without a Purchase

Book: The Year Without a Purchase: One Family's Quest to Stop Shopping and Start Connecting by Scott Dannemiller

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Rating: 3 stars

Review:

Prior to reading this, I had just made a decision to become more frugal and to work on my impulse shopping and my nonstop book buying. I am currently on a book buying break until May 1st. This break is a way to cutback on buying so many books and as a way for me to catch up on reading the ones I already have. So far, I'm doing pretty well with the impulse shopping but I still need to work on it.

Meanwhile, about this book, The Year Without a Purchase follows the author and his family as they decide not to buy any unnecessary items during the year. They were trying to see if this would allow them to connect more as a family, appreciate what they already have, contribute more to society and connect spiritually.

Many years ago Scott and his wife Gabby spent a year doing missionary work in Guatemala and learned to live a more simplified life. Several years later and now with two young children, the author felt like shopping and materialism were becoming overwhelming and didn't want to continue in this constant purchasing rat race.

However, it wasn't until Gabby made the suggestion that they shouldn't buy anything for a year that they finally decided to actually to do something. After setting ground rules, they were ready to proceed with the plan.

I like that instead of giving the usual gifts they gave experience gifts but at times this shopping break didn't feel genuine instead it felt like a reason just to write a book. I was a little thrown and annoyed when their son needed new gym shoes which according to the book's description were falling apart. They should not have needed to second guess the issue or try to find free alternatives. I thought the whole point of this experiment was to stop buying unnecessary items, those shoes were not unnecessary. They eventually bought him a pair of gym shoes but seriously why was it even an issue. It's not like he was asking for expensive designer gym shoes, all he needed was a regular pair of gym shoes.

Something else that started to annoy me about this book was the author's humor. There were times when he was really funny but after a while it started to feel like he was trying too hard to make this book funny. His humor style is a cross between self-deprecation and sarcasm. A little humor sprinkled in throughout a book goes a long way otherwise it becomes overdone and takes away from the message.

I love the concept of this book but there were a lot of things in this that seem like nothing more than filler. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad read, it's fast-paced and it does make you wonder about how and why you spend your money. And there were a lot of feel good moments and I believe the author and his wife were truly trying to simplify their lives (for the year) and teach their children about consumerism and materialism but this project felt more like a chore that they had to endure instead of something they really wanted to do.

Currently Reading: The Year Without a Purchase

I wrote a post yesterday about cutting my shopping which is mainly impulse shoping to save money. With that in mind, I thought I would read this book to see if this family could actually go through with this project of not shopping for a year (minus essentials). It seems a bit daunting but it will be interesting to see if they accomplished it.


Book: The Year Without a Purchase: One Family's Quest to Stop Shopping and Start Connecting by Scott Dannemiller

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

The Year without a Purchase is the story of one family's quest to stop shopping and start connecting. Scott Dannemiller and his wife, Gabby, are former missionaries who served in Guatemala. Ten years removed from their vow of simple living, they found themselves on a never-ending treadmill of consumption where each purchase created a desire for more and never led to true satisfaction. The difference between needs and wants had grown very fuzzy, and making that distinction clear again would require drastic action: no nonessential purchases for a whole year. No clothes, no books, no new toys for the kids. If they couldn't eat it or use it up within a year (toilet paper and shampoo, for example), they wouldn't buy it.

Filled with humorous wit, curious statistics, and poignant conclusions, the book examines modern America's spending habits and chronicles the highs and lows of dropping out of our consumer culture. As the family bypasses the checkout line to wrestle with the challenges of gift giving, child rearing, and keeping up with the Joneses, they discover important truths about human nature and the secret to finding true joy. The Year without a Purchase offers valuable food for thought for anyone who has ever wanted to reduce stress by shopping less and living more.

365 Days of Books of Interest: Day #31: kate spade New York: Things We Love

Sometimes, you need a dose of inspiration and I guess that's what this book is about. According to the description, the staff at kate spade New York compiled a list of things that inspire and interest them.

I love that cover because you never know what will inspire you.

Book: kate spade New York: Things We Love: Twenty Years of Inspiration, Intriguing Bits and Other Curiosities by kate spade New York

Description:

within the four walls of kate spade new york, personal style is applauded and cultural curiosity is encouraged. long before the days of pinboards and social sharing, the brand’s in-house creative team began amassing a collection of things we love on their website: a crayon ring, a cocktail doodle, a particularly dreamy photograph.

people began visiting and chiming in with suggestions. now, the things we love have come to life in celebration of the brand’s 20th anniversary. each of the book’s 20 chapters is filled with things we love—from the color red to a well-placed bow to a sense of humor and handwritten notes. part visual diary, part inspirational reference and sprinkled throughout with playful tips and practical advice, things we love is a beautiful compilation that visually represents the spirit of kate spade new york—a place where the colors are bold, smart design is key and fashion is fun.

365 Days of Books of Interest: Day #29: What I Know For Sure

I've found that good advice never really goes out of style. And if a very successful person such as Oprah Winfrey wants to share some of her life experiences, I certainly wouldn't mind giving it a read.

Book: What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey

Description:

As a creative force, student of the human heart and soul, and champion of living the life you want, Oprah Winfrey stands alone. Over the years, she has made history with a legendary talk show - the highest-rated program of its kind, launched her own television network, become the nation's only African-American billionaire, and been awarded both an honorary degree by Harvard University and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. From all her experiences, she has gleaned life lessons―which, for fourteen years, she's shared in O, The Oprah Magazine's widely popular "What I Know For Sure" column, a monthly source of inspiration and revelation.

Now, for the first time, these thoughtful gems have been revised, updated, and collected in What I Know For Sure, a beautiful cloth bound book with a ribbon marker, packed with insight and revelation from Oprah Winfrey. Organized by theme―joy, resilience, connection, gratitude, possibility, awe, clarity, and power―these essays offer a rare, powerful and intimate glimpse into the heart and mind of one of the world's most extraordinary women―while providing readers a guide to becoming their best selves. Candid, moving, exhilarating, uplifting, and frequently humorous, the words Oprah shares in What I Know For Sure shimmer with the sort of truth that readers will turn to again and again.

365 Days of Books of Interest: Day #9: Thinner in 30

The beginning of a new year always seems to prompt people to want to be healthier and get in shape. I'm no different, it something about that time of the year that's inspiring and a little hopeful. On this upcoming Fitness Monday post I hope to have some kind of update to my weight loss efforts.

This book that has caught my eye and according to the description, it will have easy to use health and fitness advice. That's good because anything too hard or difficult and most people will lose interest it.

Book: Thinner in 30: Small Changes that Add Up to Big Weight Loss in Just 30 Days by Jenna Wolf with Myatt Murphy

Description:

Food and exercise fads come and go, mainly because they just aren't sustainable. After a few days, you're hungry, bored, or hungry AND bored. That's why the Today show's very first lifestyle and fitness correspondent, Jenna Wolfe, created her famous 30-Day Fitness Challenge for her viewers. The challenge was wildly successful because of its unprecedented and simple approach to everyday health and fitness-one small tip a day for 30 days.

Now, in THINNER IN 30, Jenna takes her foolproof program to the next level, giving you the tools and motivation you'll need to achieve your wellness goals with thirty small changes that add up to big results-in as few as 30 days. It's all possible without joining a gym, counting calories, or signing up for a trendy class you can't even pronounce. The perfect plan for busy men and women of all ages and fitness levels, THINNER IN 30 puts the focus on small, bite-size tips which lead to long-term weight loss.

Jenna blends athletic wisdom, laugh-out-loud humor, and easy-to-follow advice, like how many times to chew your food per bite, what the heck carbs are all about, and how to sneak in workouts without any time, money, equipment, or energy (pretty much covering any excuse you may have). THINNER IN 30 will help you discover just how easy it is to get healthy without having to deprive yourself or work out 12 hours a day.

Book Review: Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic

Book: Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic: Lessons in Everyday Elegance by Jennifer L. Scott

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

The New York Times bestselling author of Lessons from Madame Chic and At Home with Madame Chic revives the timeless quality of poise and shows how to cultivate it as a daily practice and a life-long endeavor.

Just step out your door today and you will notice that poise is a rarity in our wired, fast-paced, and unmannerly world. As uncivil behaviors like flip-flops at Broadway shows and digital oversharing proliferate, this timely book reminds us of the quiet power of behaving with dignity, kindness, and grace. Jennifer Scott’s Parisian mentor, Madame Chic, embodied poise, and not just with the good posture, stylish attire, and natural manners that made her extraordinarily elegant. She also demonstrated steady assuredness and graceful calm in everything she did—from interacting with her family and receiving guests at home to presenting herself in public. Jennifer L. Scott passes on the lessons she learned as well as some of her own hard-won wisdom, addressing topics such as proper attire at social events, good grooming, communication skills, hospitality and being a good guest, our interactions with neighbors and strangers, role models, self-discipline, and self-image.

This charmingly illustrated, practical, and inspiring book, full of tips, lists, and ideas, is certain to start a new conversation about the timeless art of poise.


Rating: 1 star

Review:

As the author was discussing her concept of poise that she gleaned from Madame Chic it came across as being judgmental, snobbish, superior, condescending, pretentious, belittling and preachy.

When talking about the scarcity of poise in our society this is when the author really became judgmental and preachy. In referring to people who walk around sloppily dressed or people talking loud on their cell phones, she responded by saying it's not their fault. They might not have had good role models or were not introduced to the concept.

In reference to modern celebrities, she stated, can you imagine Audrey Hepburn's reaction to not only twerking but to the nakedness of some of today's female celebrities. My thing is who is to say what Audrey Hepburn's reaction would be. The author seems to think she would disapprove but for all we know she would have cracked a smile and made a ladylike joke or she could have been appalled by it, but we will never know. I don't think the author should have used the late Ms. Hepburn as an excuse to pass her own judgment.

Perhaps the problem is not the lack of poise on our informal society but that there are too many people passing judgment on others. Earlier in the book there was a comparison chart that showed Poised vs. Not So Poised. There were a lot of judgy things in that chart but one that sort of stuck out was in the Poised category "Seeks Out The Arts" while the Not So Poised counterpart "Is Content with Reality TV Marathons". I might not be a huge reality TV show fan (I have watched a few on occasion) but I don't look down at anyone who is.

Something that made me laugh (unintentionally) was the author recommending a ten-item core capsule wardrobe. Yeah, that is so not going to work for me. That's like only having a ten book home library. I wouldn't follow that advice because that's too restrictive for me. She did say that you can adjust it, the ten-item core isn't set in stone.

I feel like the author has taken too many inspirational cues from Madame Chic which isn't necessarily a bad thing but the thing is, it's Madame Chic's way of life and after three books maybe it's time for the author to find her own. There is nothing wrong with wanting to better oneself but you don't need to pass judgment on others or to emulate someone else to do that.

This isn't a bad book perse, it does have good information, advice and tips but it's the delivery that ruins it. I actually enjoyed reading the second book At Home with Madame Chic much more. It was written in a more fun and upbeat way and without the judgmental attitude this book seems to have. As with the previous book, a majority of the information I've seen before either from magazines, online or other lifestyle books. So there is nothing really new here for me but if you can get pass the author's tone in this it may make a good lifestyle reference book. However for me it wasn't a good read.

Books of Interest: Hawkeye vol #5 and Year of Yes

Two books that I'm really interested in reading are: Hawkeye vol #5 and Year of Yes.

Although, I have the first four volumes of Hawkeye which were written by Matt Fraction, I've only read the first two. I loved reading every page so far and even with two books left to read, I still can't help wanting to pick up volume #5 which has a new creative team. I'm interested to see what changes if any the new writer brought to the series.

The next book Year of Yes is one of those books that I seem to be drawn to. It's a book that has the author take on a year long project. I've read similar books like this before with only a few ending up being a disappointing read, when the author lost focus of the project.

Book: Hawkeye volume #5: All-New Hawkeye (issues #1-5) by Jeff Lemire with illustrations by Ramon Perez

Description:

Hawkeye returns in an all-new book featuring superstar writer Jeff Lemire in his Marvel debut and Eisner Award-winning artist Ramon Perez, as they bring you a fresh new look into the life of everyone's favorite Avenger. With Kate Bishop, his trusted ward and protégé (not titles she would use) back at his side, Team Hawkeye is thrown into an all new adventure spanning two generations of avenging archers. Past and present lives collide as Kate and Clint face a threat that will challenge everything they know about what it means to be Hawkeye.

Book: Year of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes

Description:

The mega-talented creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away With Murder chronicles how saying YES for one year changed her life―and how it can change yours, too.

With three hit shows on television and three children at home, the uber-talented Shonda Rhimes had lots of good reasons to say NO when an unexpected invitation arrived. Hollywood party? No. Speaking engagement? No. Media appearances? No.

And there was the side-benefit of saying No for an introvert like Shonda: nothing new to fear.

Then Shonda’s sister laid down a challenge: just for one year, try to say YES to the unexpected invitations that come your way. Shonda reluctantly agreed―and the result was nothing short of transformative. In Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes chronicles the powerful impact saying yes had on every aspect of her life―and how we can all change our lives with one little word. Yes.

Book of Interest: Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic

Love the cover, it's really cute.

I read the author's second book At Home with Madame Chic and thought it had some interesting advice. The description for this one seems as if it will include even more advice that ranges from fashion & beauty to manners and social skills.

I don't read very many lifestyle books but sometimes I do like to find some new tips or suggestions on ways to do things.


Book: Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott

Publication: October 27, 2015

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Description:

The New York Times bestselling author of Lessons from Madame Chic and At Home with Madame Chic revives the timeless quality of poise and shows how to cultivate it as a daily practice and a life-long endeavor.

Just step out your door today and you will notice that poise is a rarity in our wired, fast-paced, and unmannerly world. As uncivil behaviors like flip-flops at Broadway shows and digital oversharing proliferate, this timely book reminds us of the quiet power of behaving with dignity, kindness, and grace. Jennifer Scott’s Parisian mentor, Madame Chic, embodied poise, and not just with the good posture, stylish attire, and natural manners that made her extraordinarily elegant. She also demonstrated steady assuredness and graceful calm in everything she did—from interacting with her family and receiving guests at home to presenting herself in public. Jennifer L. Scott passes on the lessons she learned as well as some of her own hard-won wisdom, addressing topics such as proper attire at social events, good grooming, communication skills, hospitality and being a good guest, our interactions with neighbors and strangers, role models, self-discipline, and self-image.

This charmingly illustrated, practical, and inspiring book, full of tips, lists, and ideas, is certain to start a new conversation about the timeless art of poise.

Book Review: Super You: Release Your Inner Superhero

Book: Super You: Release Your Inner Superhero by Emily V. Gordon

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication Date: Available now


Rating: 3 stars

Review:

The author Emily Gordon is a former therapist who devised a way to get readers on there way to a better them a.k.a. a Super You. I don't read a lot of self-help books but compared to the ones that I have read this wasn't bad. Similar to traditional self-help books the author is seeking to help the reader but the author took an interesting approach by using the concept of superheroes as a way to reinforce her methods and advice. The superhero angle was interesting although there isn't as much superhero stuff as I thought would have been in the book especially in regards to how the description was written.

I think there is a lot of helpful advice in this book and it was nice to get a refresher on how best to deal with problems, how to understand what you're feeling and understanding others feeling, how best to express yourself and more. This book would really benefit anyone but more so for someone who has very low self-esteem or maybe need some help in figuring out their lives.

The author makes a point of stating that improving oneself isn't something that's going to happen quickly or over night, it takes time. Something I found really interesting about this book was that the author not only wrote about the good things about her life but also the bad and insecure parts of it. She allowed the reader to see that her life was a bit of mess at times too and how she eventually went about fixing it. Because as the saying goes "Nobody's Perfect."

As far as self-help books this wasn't a bad read, it certainly wasn't boring but the author does ramble on at times. The book does sort of kick start your inner-cheerleader or in this book's case inner-superhero and start seeing if there are areas in your life that maybe need looking at.