Nightstand Reads

Someone suggested that I should add to my blog book reviews as it seems I go through a book a week. I usually read for an hour before actually falling asleep as a way to relax. But, as I have found it does make me sleepy, sometimes it has the opposite effect as I enjoy what I'm reading so much I stay up longer or think about it long after I close the book.
Since I have finished 3 books in the last 3 weeks, I thought I would just do a quick review of them and then try to do a more through book review going forward.

First book is Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. I thought the book was going to be just sarcastic ways to stay skinny, like be on the grapefruit only diet. But as it turns out it actually had a lot of good information on why one should be a vegetarian, if not a vegan. The book definitely has some straight forward humor about the reason behind your big behind... Like eating cheese and dairy products pumped full of hormones (notice the kids going through puberty a lot sooner nowadays?). They give a very in-depth, sad look into animal factories and slaughterhouses which will definitely make you want to become a vegetarian for sure. At first I found this book really funny with facts (or so I think they are as I haven't looked them up myself) turned into a real education about the food you are putting into your body and why we are now a very overweight, sick nation. Definitely a worthy read for anyone thinking of changing their eating habits. I know I will be eating a lot less meat and diary and if I do it will be local and organic.

Next book was a fun novel Italian for Beginners by Kristin Harmel. I read somewhere on the internet that they are planning on making a movie out of it, even though in the book it references the old film Roman Holiday. It reads very quickly and easy and fun. It's about a woman who is in her thirties, not married and no real prospect in site who loves Italy and photography (No, it's not my biography, but very familiar subject for me). She ends up meeting a man who turns out to be married and on a whim takes a vacation back to the last place she was happy, Rome. The book follows her misadventures while there. There are some good laughs. I would say it falls a bit under the chick lit category and will translate well into a movie, as long as they don't completely change it like they did to Under a Tuscan Sun and RUIN the book. For those who have been to Rome will enjoy it for it's familiar surroundings and people. Look for it on the big screen soon staring someone like Anne Hathaway in the lead role.

The last book I finished this weekend is Homemade Table by Molly Wizenberg. This is a combo life stories mixed in with recipes. I really enjoyed this book a lot. The chapters were quick and each recipe came with the story behind it. She started with a blog called Orangette, which then turned into this book. (wonder if the movie is far behind with the success of Julie and Julia?) This book made me laugh and cry. I know it sounds like a cliche, but she puts a lot of heart into personal stories, having to do mostly with her family and it's very clear how important they are to her as well as cooking. She has some mouth watering recipes in there, mostly vegetarian because she is, but they all sound great. You don't know if you want to read the next chapter or go straight to the kitchen to try the recipe (I'll be trying her French Yogurt Lemon Cake tomorrow, look for that blog). She has spent time in France but most of the recipes are from family, are user friendly and not intimidating at all. I believe she also just opened a restaurant called Delancey in Seattle according to her blog, Orangette. Hopefully I can talk my boss into having a meeting up there so I can find an excuse to stop by and give the food a try in real life.