Review: FastLife

FastLife by Michael Mosley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yup. I'm doing this. I tried intermittent fasting before and had great results and felt great. My previous plan was a bit more drastic and hard to sustain. I'm starting this on the 1st. Can't wait!

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Review: Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days: Take Charge of Your Health with the Master Cleanse

Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days: Take Charge of Your Health with the Master Cleanse by Peter Glickman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I almost gave up on this book right away when I saw how often the author was using Wikipedia for source material. I'm a big fan of fasting, I've tried it before and it worked great. The sysem in this book seems like a horrible plan. I will not be trying it.

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Review: The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules

The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was quite funny. Not quite as funny as I thought it would be, but funny. I do want to real the sequel and see what other madness the oldies get up to. This would be a wonderful caper film.

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Review: Every Frenchman Has One

Every Frenchman Has One by Olivia De Havilland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As this book is about life in the 1950's, it's an interesting little cultural time capsule, in addition to being a great cultural comparison between America and France. I have heard of the author and know she was quite famous during this time period, when she was making movies. I don't think I've ever seen one of her films though. So without that sense of celebrity awe that sometimes taints memoirs of people we are fans of, this was just a lovely little read of a woman making the most of her challenges and facing them with a wonderful sense of style and humor.

This review is in exchange for a free copy received from Bloggingforbooks.com.

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Review: Dear Emma

Dear Emma by Katie Heaney
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I got the impression that this was supposed to be some sort of variation of Jane Austen's Emma. You could see that a little bit but it is just so far removed to compare the two. Maybe I'm just to old to enjoy a book about the college problems of young 20-somethings.

Meh.

This review is in exchange for a free e-galley received from Netgalley.com.

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Review: Along the Infinite Sea

Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Usually books in this genre are fairly predictable. You don't really get excited about reading them but they're a good way to pass the time. This book was genuinely enjoyable. The characters were interesting (although the story in the 1930's had events that made the people more compelling), and the whole story arc was wonderfully rendered. It's really not often I'm surprised and I really enjoy it when I am.

This review is in exchange for a free copy received through GoodReads Giveaways.

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Review: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not quite as funny as I was expecting. A lot of her stories are kind of disturbing or even a little sad. You do learn a lot about Amy though. I have to admit I like her more than I did before reading this book. I'd seen her movie and some of her show and thought she was funny but not exactly the type of humor I normally go in for. Knowing a bit about her now and realizing how down to earth she is elevated my appreciation a bit more to the point that I will probably continue to watch her work. I should backpedal just a little and make sure you know I did think this book had its funny moments and it will make you smile a time or two. Maybe just not laugh out loud.

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Review: The Glorious Heresies

The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a pleasant surprise. Who would have thought a book about a bunch of characters stuck treading water in their own separate but joined pools of misery would be so entertaining? This was gritty and real, well thought out and beautifully executed. My only complaint is that there wasn't enough of Maureen's narrative, since she seems to be a bit of the glue holding it all together. Mainly I wanted more of her because she was my favorite character. Really lovely writing.

This honest review is in exchange for a free copy received from bloggingforbooks.com.

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Review: The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is an absolutely harrowing story pulled out of one of the ugliest scars on this nation's landscape. The only problem I had with it was that the layers of metaphor were a bit distracting. The real railroad standing in for the symbol that was really still a symbol...I'm still not sure I've wrapped my head around that one. Timely read though, considering all the problems we are still having with racial inequality.

This review is in exchange for a free e-galley received from Netgalley.com.

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