Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating by Christy Harrison (★★★★★)
Print • Library • Nonfiction (Self-Help) • 2019
Short synopsis: In Anti-Diet, Christy Harrison takes on diet culture and the multi-billion-dollar industries that profit from it, exposing all the ways it robs people of their time, money, health, and happiness.
At some point, I would like to write up a whole post about this book because I was taking pictures of quotes like crazy and had a lot of epiphanies while reading this book. I’ve been on a long journey of unlearning diet culture and figuring out how to eat intuitively. That’s why I started working with a dietician this year, to better understand how to fuel my body appropriately but in a way that would be satisfying, too. This book is a must-read if you are also unlearning diet culture like I am—or if you just want to better understand how diet culture has affected our society and how to be a better ally to your fat friends/family members who need you on their side. (And need you to stop saying fatphobic things that you may think are helpful, but are actually harmful.)
Like a House on Fire by Lauren McBrayer (★★★★☆)
Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2022
Short synopsis: When Merit, mother of two and in a lackluster marriage, starts a new job at an architecture firm, she meets Jane. Jane is enigmatic and they form a tight bond quickly. What happens, though, when this friendship starts to feel like something more?
I picked this book for our November book club, and I’m relieved to learn that most of my friends enjoyed it (based on their Goodreads ratings; our meeting is on Thursday!). I really enjoyed it, too. I need to mention up front that this book centers around infidelity so it’s not going to be the right book for everyone (looking at you, Lisa!), and there were definitely parts of the book that felt icky. That said, I really liked this book! I think it’s one that many women could probably relate to (mostly the discussion of middle marriage, being a working mom, etc.) and I found the chemistry between Merit and Jane just leaped off the page. It’s not a perfect book—I really wanted so much more from the ending—but the more that I sat with this book, the more I realized how prescient it is and how it really flips the script on gender roles and marriage. I highly recommend reading the Vogue article featuring the author once you finish the book because I think it does an excellent job of delving deeper into why the author took the book in the direction she did. All in all, a story I truly loved and will probably stick with me for a long time.
Codename Charming by Lucy Parker (★★★★★)
E-Book • Libby • Contemporary Romance • 2023
Short synopsis: Petunia is the personal assistant to Johnny, who is married to a princess in line for the throne. When she and Johnny are seen in a compromising (but entirely innocent!) position, the tabloids go crazy with speculation. Enter: Matthias. He’s senior security for the royal family and they enact Codename Charming. Pet and Matthias will pretend to be dating until this tabloid fodder dies down. But when they share an electrifying kiss, this fake relationship starts to feel real.
Gahhhh, this book. Lucy Parker has always been a knockout romance writer for me. She just writes the most perfect romances with full-drawn characters and interesting plots. She even skips the dreaded dark moment that happens in so many romance novels; her characters are people who do things like communicate when an issue arises. Imagine that! This book was so very good, not that I expected anything less from her. I loved the way the romance blossomed between Pet and Matthias. The way Matthias cared so deeply for Pet and her for him. Was Matthias a little too perfect? You could say that, but I’m not reading my romances for reality. I get that enough in my dating life. There were a few side plots to this novel, all of which came together in a really nice way at the end, and I just finished the book in the best mood.
What are you reading?
I love that you know me well enough to know that a book that features infidelity in the plot is NOT for me! I am curious about this book, though. I can handle books with infidelity if it’s handled right. I don’t like it when infidelity is like normalized or romanticized, if that makes sense? Like that book where the maid of honor starts to sleep with her best friend’s fiance? And justifies it because her best friend is kind of awful (but why are you friends with her then? And nothing justifies infidelity for me – freaking end the relationship you are in first!!). So there are a few infidelity-based books I can handle. But it’s so rare that I kind of steer away from them.
I just finished a middle grade book with Paul last night – Because of Winn Dixie. I am glad he’s at a stage where I can read chapter books to him! I also just finished ‘Kill Show’ which was a buzzy super fast read about true crime and how problematic it is to turn it into entertainment. And now I am reading ‘faking Christmas’ by Kerry Winfrey because I needed a light Christmasy book!
I feel like the infidelity was handled okay. We just talked about this yesterday during our book club meeting and none of us had any issues with the infidelity, but it’s also a trope we dislike. I don’t mind it for the sake of the story, even though I am WHOLLY against it in real life, which is so odd.
Because of Winn Dixie! I remember that book. I think I read it when I was an education major for a children’s lit class. It’s a sweet story. I also added Kill Show to my TBR because I saw that you liked it!
I have not read any of those books. I am not too into romance books but for the holidays I probably will pick something up again. You could do a book list with holiday seemed books. I am sure you have a ton of recommendations.
Anyway, I am with Lisa. I am not a fan of infidelity storylines.
I am currently reading “The Change” by Kirsten Miller for our book club. I am only 60 pages in but it is promising.
I don’t know if I have too many holiday-themed book recs! I love romances but I don’t always love holiday-themed romances, weirdly enough!
I find that I get really angry with infidelity storylines. As Lisa said, “Just end it” I like that the third book is a romance but doesn’t have miscommunication as a plot device, because that can be REALLY annoying.
The first book sounds really useful for anyone trying to improve their relationship with food.
Infidelity as a plot device can be very divisive. Oddly enough, it doesn’t bug me too much but I’m wholly against it IRL, so I’m not sure what that says about me, haha.
I can tell people are going to be divided on the infidelity issue! I agree I don’t like it if it’s treated lightly, but if it’s a story where the complexities of marriage are truly examined, it can be interesting. I mean, it happens. WHY does it happen? If a book delves into that, I would read it.
The anti-diet book sounds really good, and I want to read it.
I think you’re spot-on there, Jenny! I think this book does do a good job of showing the complexities that not only happen in a marriage, but also with infidelity. It DOES happen, and in this case, it was a woman exploring an entirely new part of her identity in falling in love with a woman, so I think the author did a really great job at showcasing how complex these situations can be.
The Anti-Diet book is great. I read that a few years ago (right after I read The F*ck It Diet) and both books together changed my mentality around eating COMPLETELY.
I just finished her book The Wellness Trap and it was soooo disappointing compared to the Anti-Diet, which I thought was great.
I also really liked You Are Not a Before Picture
Thanks for the rec on Anti-Diet! I really, really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it.
That’s such a disappointment about The Wellness Trap. I was thinking of adding that one to my TBR, but I’ll probably skip it.
Although I have never been on a diet (true fact), I am super-intrigued by the Anti-Diet book.
I think it could be interesting to read! I think it’s a useful book even for people who don’t struggle with their eating habits/diets/etc. It gives you a different perspective, at least.
The Anti-Diet book sounds interesting!
I’m reading The Invitation and it just has NOT captured me the way I thought it would. It’s okay, though, so I’m going to push through.
Anti-Diet was so, so good. It gave me a lot to think about!
I totally need to read Anti-Diet! I am going to see if Libby has it now. 🙂 (it’s available, yay!)
An author that skips the dark moment? SIGN ME UP! LOL
I am trying to read Atomic Habits but it puts me to sleep every night.
You’ll have to let me know what you think of Anti-Diet! I really found it to be so interesting and helpful.
I giggled a bit about Atomic Habits putting you to sleep. Nonfiction books like that can definitely make me sleepy!
Hm. I may need to read the Anti-Diet book. I have my own challenges with the idea of eating intuitively (I love your dietitian’s approach!) and perhaps this book will help me think differently about it.