Everything I Read in May

'Twas another slower reading month. I just haven't been that into it. Anyway, here are reviews of what I did read*:

44) The Bright Side Running Club by Josie Lloyd—Keira seems like she has it all: a good marriage, sweet kids and a profitable business, until her world comes crashing down with a breast cancer diagnosis. Written by UK author Josie Lloyd, this is a first person, fictionalized tale about running through cancer and relying on the power of friendship. It is a really well-written book, with some interesting exploration of relationship dynamics both inside and outside of the family. There is also a mysterious subplot having to do with Keira's business. It is an excellent, encouraging book in terms of giving readers hope for life after cancer. Character Tamsin's statement that “'life is a gift, not a given'” is one to take away. Unfortunately, despite these bright spots, there is a lot of language and some of the content is R-rated. For these reasons, I cannot recommend the book.

45) Snackable Bakes by Jessie Sheehan—This was a fun little read, inspired by me hearing the author on an episode of the podcast, Didn't I Just Feed You. The cookbook contains little snippets of stories, photos for every recipe, and most often, several variations for each recipe (rendering far more than the 100 recipes the book promises). As former baker at Baked in New York City, Sheehan shares a lot of tips to make baking easier (such as mixing in one bowl and using a marshmallow to stabilize whipped cream), and her wry sense of humor makes reading entertaining. This is by no means a healthy-for-the-body cookbook—it has plenty of sugar, butter, and oil—but it is healthy for the soul: entertaining and making the fun parts of baking and eating more accessible, and for that matter, snackable.

46) Smitten-Natalie: Birthday Wishes by Colleen Coble—This is a short, sweet story (part of a collection of four, only the library separated them in the Libby app) about Natalie Mansfield, aunt, business woman, and creative thinker extraordinaire. Natalie is raising her niece Mia, running a coffee shop, and now trying to help keep the town where she grew up afloat. Meanwhile, she is trying to figure out how to make things official by adopting her niece, her May 10^th birthday wish. Things move a little quickly, but what can a reader expect from a short novella? There are some pretty sweet lessons about trust—in God and in others—that make me smitten enough to want to find the rest of the novellas so I can read more.

47) Stories of Hope: An Anthology of the Redeeming Hope Found in Jesus by Wendy Palau—Composed of short testimonies from women around the globe, this book truly is one of hope. The authors share tales of Jesus saving them from alcohol and drugs, eating disorders, the occult, promiscuity, and more. The tales are not ones of toxic positivity, but of true rescue and redemption. This is an excellent, easy-to-read, and inspiring book. Taken a story at a time, or in full, it is worth a read!

48) Keep on Running: The Highs and Lows of a Marathon Addict by Phil Hewitt—Written by a British journalist turned marathon runner, this book chronicles the author's participation in a variety of European marathons. The writing is not necessarily spectacular, but well describes the flops, faves, and foibles of over 20 marathons. Readers can pick up a few tips along the way, but mostly, they can get a picture of what it looks like to be a marathon runner. This is not my favorite running book ever, but I did enjoy it for some light reading.

49) The New Rules of Running: Five Steps to Run Faster and Longer for Life by Vijay Vad—This is a different type of running book, written by a medical doctor versus a seasoned runner or a coach. While the book's title lends itself to a book full of running tips, this is more a book about running, aging, and marathoning. There is more medical terminology than in some books (though still understandable for the layman). There is quite a bit about what happens to the body as people age, and what runners can do to combat it (stretching, and strength training—he recommends calf raises, standing leg kicks, monster walks, dumbbell hammer curls, push-ups, crunches, and planks as base moves). He suggests elliptical training or water jogging as cross-training when injured. He also says its better to get niggles checked out than run through them. The book contains 10-day cycle marathon plans, as well as half-marathon plans. He does write a bit about the marathon, but maybe that is where most people are aiming in this new age of running? I learned from this book, but I wouldn't say I learned to run faster. That would be more of a training book. This is more of a book about lifetime care for the running body.

50) Happy Herbivore: Light and Lean by Lindsay Nixon—Though not vegan or trying to lose weight, I like Lindsay Nixon's cookbooks for their plant-forward focus and variety. I could definitely pick this one up and cook quite a few recipes from it. I could do without all the diet references, but for those who want a diet plan, this book has aspects of it. Overall, though, it is just a source for easy, happy, good-for-you cooking

51) Church: Why Bother? by Philip Yancey—Set forth as a book about how the author left the church and came back, this really is not a book about that. Rather, it is a book about how and what the church can be in the community. Sharing personal anecdotes about his time at churches in the inner city of Chicago and elsewhere, Yancey writes about how the church is the hands and feet of Christ. I found the last chapter about how to endure as a Christian servant most helpful. All in all, I think the book is a bit dated (especially in the language Yancey uses to describe struggling people), and not what it set out to be. I would rather read the last chapter as a stand alone encouragement for those in Christian ministry.

52) Half the Sugar, All the Love: 100 Easy, Low-Sugar Recipes for Every Meal of the Day by Jennifer Tyler Lee and Anisha Patel—This book is genuinely what it says: a cookbook that reduces sugar in recipes by at least 50%. The book's authors posit that natural sugars from fruit are better than those from processed sugars, as they contain vitamins and nutrients, so the book is not sugar free. It is just lower on processed sugars. Anyway, the authors include recipes for everything from breakfast favorites like muffins to sweet and savory stir fries, as well as the expected cakes and cookies. The authors use dates for sweetness in a lot of recipes, not something I have on hand regularly, but something I could use. If I wanted to branch out into some of the recipes I usually avoid because of their high sugar content, I would buy this book. The book is also family friendly, including a “What kids can do” section for every recipe. All in all, this is a quality, well-done cookbook, obviously developed and written with love.

53) No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert—This book took a bit to get into, but man, when I did, it had me! No One Ever asked artfully weaves together the lives of at least three women, sharing the perspectives of each amidst its seventy-four chapters. Covering sensitive issues like transracial adoption, marriage, divorce, health, sexual harassment, gun rights, and school integration, this book really has no agenda, other than to give inside looks at the hearts and lives of people affected but these struggles. No one ever wants to ask about the heaviness of things like what these characters struggle with, but in the end, forgiveness wins. This is in many ways a heavy read, but also one hundred percent worth it!

*I realize that I am privileged to be able to read, to have access to so many books via the library, and to have time to read. I just haven't been as into it lately has I had been.