Reading Reviews- January 2013

Whew this month gave me a lot of options in book reading! Perfect thing to do on these cold dark winter nights.  Here is the lowdown on what to read and what to skip:

The Primal Connection : Follow your Genetic Blueprint to Heath and Happiness by Mark Sisson
  This was the much awaited follow-up to the Primal Blueprint. Of course, I am biased when it comes to Mark Sisson. I read his blog Mark's Daily Apple and pretty much own all of his books.  He is my favorite writer in the paleo/primal community. So gush gush. Check out his blog and then buys his books!  
Verdict: Highly Recommend.  This is the only book I actually bought this month.

The Dressmaker: A Novel by Kate Alcott
  I liked this book, but glancing over the reviews, I might be the only one?  Apparently, it is full of historical inaccuracies of the sinking of the Titanic. Fortunately for me, my knowledge about that event is pretty much limited to Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCarpio 1997 movie version.  The story is as light or as heavy as you want it to be.  It is about a young woman,who longs to be a fashion designer. Of course, she is also pursued by two men and must figure out who she loves more. Yawn. What I found interesting, is it tells the story of the survivors- how they were put in the media spotlight and judged for not going down with the ship.  It explores the social notions of "what makes a hero?"
Verdict: I borrowed this an eBook from the library, so it was free. Would I have paid for it?  Yes, if I was going to be on a plane or stuck in jury duty all day.   

The Case for God by Karen Armstrong
  I only made it about a third of the way through this book and I couldn't even continue to skim it.  It is laden with detail and historical facts.  For me,  the details buried the interesting question about religion's place in society through out the ages.  It is written a step or two down from an academic paper.  In fact, if you told me this was adapted from the author's thesis paper, I would totally believe you.
Verdict: If you love detail, you will love this book.  

Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes by Tracey Daniels
  This was a free down load from Amazon and I might have just paid for it too! I haven't yet made any of the recipes, but they look good!  I love cooking in a crockpot and the author has recipes for everything: soups, sides, snacks, desserts, etc.
Verdict: I am thinking yum.

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
     This book got very good reviews.  The story is well written and it kept me interested, but the ending led me nowhere, except that living in North Korea sucks (and I kinda knew that already).  I get that it is a bold move to write about North Korea in such a unflattering narrative.  However, I found the story disturbing and depressing. I felt sorry for everyone, even the "bad" guys.
Verdict: If you are deadset on reading a downer- go for it!

Write Good or Die: Survival Tips for the 21st Century by Scott Nicholson
     I had a brief moment this month, when I flirted with a career as a writer.  This book is a collection of essays written by various authors about writing and publishing a novel. I found it quite inspiring not just for writing, but for life- if you love something go after it!  I like that the essays were short, so anytime I had and extra 5 minutes, I would read one.
Verdict: If you think you might want to be a writer, this provides insight about the all the things you will need to think about. The devil is in the details.

Catherine The Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie
     The author does a good job fashioning facts into a narrative, but I just couldn't get into it. This is a loooong book, so make sure you have time and patience. This story makes being a princess and queen sound not fun! 
Verdict: Meh, but better than the history book version of Catherine the Great.