I just finished a wonderful book by Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, which was a call for locally grown food that leaves a smaller carbon footprint, or just thinking about your food. It's called In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, and it's a wonderful argument for a whole food diet from multiple standpoints. He isn't preachy, just honest. It is rather cynical about the "cult of nutritionism" at some points and simply frightening at others. I highly recommend this if you are a conscientious eater.
With that said, I thought I would fill the entire world in on what is on my "to read" list for the week because I am obviously very important. Yes, I said for the week, as I have been satellite television free for a whole day now,and desire some entertainment for my off hours.
For my fluff book:
Club Dead by Charlaine Harris, a Sookie Stackhouse novel. It's the series that TrueBlood is based on. I don't dig the show; however, due to the gratuitous nature of the overblown sex scenes. They're briefly mentioned in the book, and crudely acted out on the show. Heavy handed much? I read the first two books, and I'm one of those who can't NOT finish a series I start unless my hatred and busyness outweigh my dogged determination.
Non-fiction:
I'm almost done with Is God a Vegetarian? which has to do with the role of animal rights in Biblical context and how we can be more responsible as Christians to limit suffering as much as possible for our food. It also unveils some of the things that go on in factory farms. Fight food ignorance! Know how your food got to your table!
American Classic:
I will start The Violent Bear it Away by Flannery O'Connor soon. I shall love it and hold it and think kind thoughts on the oddities of southern gothic literature. MMMMM. I will subsequently read Wise Blood, as my love for O'Connor cannot be tamed!
Odd choice:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Self-explanatory, really.
Used to be an illegal pamphlet:
The Communist Manifesto Yes, I know what you're thinking, and with my earlier mention of the proletariat, you can obviously assume that I don't care. So there.
What are you reading that you could recommend to me?
Excellent reading list!
ReplyDeleteHey, it's Stacie Rearden Hall.
ReplyDeleteI read the whole dang Sookie Stackhouse series and loved every fluff-filled minute. I can't explain my love for it. I know how cheesy it is!! I'm pretty sure that cheesy vamp novels was the only response that my brain could come up with after reading three Shakespeares (BTW, read Cymbeline if you get a chance. That's one weird story). I will say for TrueBlood, as the TV show continued, they became less heavy handed with the gratuitous sex.
My current read is American Gods by Neil Gaiman.
Ooh, American Gods is for later this summer. I also have his new children's novel, as well!
ReplyDeleteI just finished P&P&Z and it was JUST as useless as the original (I have no love for Austen, shoot me if you must) but the zombies at very LEAST gave some of the women a purpose for living. I found some of it laugh-out-loud funny and other bits just as triflingly boring as could be. I am about to move on to some Kathy Reichs for good fluff and maybe start reading David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest for a summer challenge with other internet peoples.
ReplyDeleteI read American Gods back in February and loved every page of it. Good Omens is on my list in here somewhere... just sitting around my house waiting on me.
Nice list! RE True Blood, they film some of the exteriors just outside of Shreveport near the paper mill I worked at last year. The exterior of Sookie's house actually belonged to a guy I worked with. For the past two years, they've come and painted it for their purposes and then painted it back to the color he has it. It's also modeled after his on the inside but not shot there. He said they took tons of picutres and it's weird to see something that looks so much like his house but know it's not. He's kind of a hippy dude, a beekeeper on the side. GREAT local honey!
ReplyDeleteSo, my nightstand is seriously loaded down for the summer. Here are some of the things I'm reading, plan to read and have read.
I'm reading Light in August right now to reach my SoGoth quota, and on to O'Connor next. What should I read first? Here's what my summer reading list looks like (some I've started and some I haven't):
One Hundred Years of Solitude / Gabriel Garcia Marquez (excellent so far)
The Bell Jar. Think I read this in HS but I don't remember it and I'm sure the thing my life is lacking right now is a little more depression...
The Partly Cloudy Patriot. LOVE Sarah Vowell!
I Was Told There'd Be Cake / Sloane Crosley. Amusing essays for when you need a bit lighter fare.
Things I've Learned from the Women Who've Dumped Me / Ben Karlin (former Daily Show producer. Haven't started this yet, but with essays titled, "Lesson 15: Nine Years is the Exact Right Time to Be in a Relationship" (Bob Odenkirk) and "Lesson 43: Don't Enter a Karaoke Contest Near Smith College; You Will Lose to Lesbians" I see laughter in my future.
The God of Small Things / Arundhati Roy. Beautiful. I got wrapped up in this one.
Runaway / Alice Munro. Don't know much about this other than that it got great reviews so it was an impulse buy.
The Post American World / Fareed Zakaria. I bought this a few weeks ago and keep meaning to open it but haven't gotten bogged down in too much politics lately.
Three Junes / Julia Glass. Bought this one a couple of years ago and it got stuck unread in the bottom of a box. Wasteful!
...and I'll see your In Defense of Food with Eating Mindfully (just finished). If I can learn to actually commit to the principles in the book, I'll be a healthier chica!
Can't wait for Don Miller's next book in the fall; thanks for the recommendation there, too!
Rhiannon, I actually wrote one of my essay questions on my HS english certification test about the anti-feminism in P&P. I'm reading P&P&Z for kicks and giggles. I want several characters to die... Also, I was inspired to read American Gods when matt told me that Rock City is in it! Yay! Love that place!
ReplyDeleteAllison, I re-read The Bell Jar a year or so ago. It was darker than I remember.
The God of Small Things and 100 Years are both books Matt read for his Master's thesis on post-colonial lit. I want to read them soon. All the Arelianos get a bit confusing...
With your love of essays about life, you should read We're Just Like You, Only Prettier or Stop Dressing Your Six Year Old Like a Skank, by Celia Rivenbark. Southern life at its best. :)
Yay for all of you making good recommendations! Thanks!