In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto
By Michael Pollan
Reviewed by Jane

I’m kind of a health nut and my latest obsession is about the food that we eat.  In particular, the horrible state of the American diet.  A lot of it is our bad choices, but there is a large component that stems from the junk that is sold as ‘food’.

Michael Pollan and I are on the same page.  He’s written several books on food and this one will scare you straight, if you’re ready to embrace a better way of eating and feeding your family.

Pollan is not a scientist or a nutritionist; he’s a journalist who has delved into the nuts and bolts of how we eat, how we should eat and how the government and food industry wants us to eat.  Here’s a hint: the latter isn’t all that concerned with our health.

There’s a reason that obesity and obesity-related illnesses are at an epidemic level in this country and the book lays it out pretty succinctly.  I’ll warn you that parts of it can be a little tedious with the science and studies, but taken as a whole, it could shake up how we approach food in this country and in my opinion, that’s a big, fat deal.

Pollan sums it up with this line:  ‘Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants”.

Pick up In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto at any of the three Tattered Cover Book Store locations in the Denver metro area for 20 percent off during the month of May.

Man’s Search For Meaning
By Viktor Frankl
Reviewed by Jane

A few weeks ago, we were talking about this book and how I believed that everyone should read it.  Viktor Frankl survived the Nazi death camps during WWII and his story is both horrific and uplifting. (more…)

Carter Beats The Devil
By Glen David Gold
Reviewed by Dom

When I was eleven, my parents bought me one of those goofy home magic kits. So, for about one month I was under the spell (pardon the pun) of misdirection and mystical potions. Alas, a career as a magician was not in the cards (pun intended this time) for me.

Glen David Gold had a similar path in childhood, only he used that experience to help craft his debut novel, Carter Beats The Devil. But before you assume that it’s just a book about a magician, wait; Gold stirs up an interesting mix of magic, mystery, and historical romance. And it all revolves around the death of President Warren Harding. (more…)

The Five Love Languages: The Secret To Love That Lasts
by Gary Chapman
Reviewed by Jane

We’ve talked about the “love languages” on our show on various occasions and while I knew what they were, I hadn’t read the book that lays them all out.  Now, I have and I’d recommend this to everyone in a long term relationship or marriage.

Chapman’s work as a marriage counselor led him to conclude a couple of things.  First off, the “in love” stage, where we overlook most of our partners flaws and quirks, lasts about 2 years.  After that, reality begins to set in and we realize they aren’t as perfect as we imagined.  That obviously leads to some problems in many relationships and in some, to an eventual split. (more…)

Women, Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything
By Geneen Roth
Reviewed by Jane

Let me start my review by saying this to you:  LADIES, BUY THIS BOOK!  TODAY!

Like most chicks, I’ve read my share of ’self-help’ books; everything from diet and exercise to meditation and spirituality.  I’ve read ‘em all, but there is one that I come back to, for a little refresher every now and then and it’s this book by Geneen Roth.

You may have seen Geneen on Oprah talking about this book or some of her other books or her workshops that she runs.  She suffered from an eating disorder for many, many years and says that she’s gained and lost thousands of pounds in her life.  I’ve never had a huge issue with food, at least to the point of a disorder, but like most women, I have a love/hate relationship with food and eating and how it affects my weight and obviously, how I see myself. (more…)

Taste of Home: Cookies: 620 Irresistible Delights
Reviewed by Jane

Hey, it’s the “most wonderful time of the year” and in my book that means good food and LOTS of cookies.  So, here you go: over 600 cookie recipes to help you get through the holidays and make you the star of your cookie exchange. (more…)

The Tourist
By Olen Steinhauer
Reviewed by Dom

I’m torn when it comes to spy/thriller novels, because I enjoy the action and the (sometimes) interesting plot twists. But, in my opinion, the writing is often cheesy and lame. Or the same story line has been done to death. Or the characters are just a little too similar to either Clint Eastwood or Bruce Willis.

I was pleasantly surprised by The Tourist. Olen Steinhauer created an interesting “hero,” if that’s what you wanna call the killer hired by the government. At the beginning of the story, Milo Weaver is shot by a bad guy that he’s chasing, and it all snowballs from there.

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To Kill a Mockingbird

By Harper Lee

Reviewed by Dom

It’s ridiculous to write an actual review of this masterpiece. Seriously, after fifty years, what more can be said?

Instead, let’s look at the book from a different perspective.

A visitor to my house might invariably walk downstairs to my basement, and perhaps down the corridor that leads to a room tucked into the far corner. Although I use the room for a variety of reasons, I often refer to it as my writing room. Sitting at the desk, I’ve labored over a few hundred thousand words in various manuscripts and articles.

But just before you enter the room you’ll find a large, framed poster, an expanded image of a classic book cover sketched by Shirley Smith. Of course it’s the cover for Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and it’s in that spot for a reason: I can’t walk into my writing room without glancing at one of the books that made a difference in my life. (more…)

The Wishing Trees

By John Shors

Reviewed by Jane

Ian is an Australian businessman who lost his wife Kate, to cancer.  He and his young daughter, Mattie are having a very difficult time coping with the loss.   Kate wrote a series of letters to them both before she died, in which she detailed a trip around the world for them.

That’s what the book is about; she sends them to the places where she and Ian began their lives together, in hopes of showing Ian that even though  she’s not with them, the memories survive. (more…)

Rules of Prey

By John Sandford

Reviewed by Dom

When John Sandford (a Minneapolis journalist whose real name is John Camp) first published this mystery/thriller twenty years ago, he introduced us to an interesting police detective who drives a Porsche and designs games. No, not video games, but role-playing games, including combat re-enactment stuff. In other words, not your typical tough-talking cop.

He also created a serial killer who is brutal, but is portrayed as intelligent and cunning. This killer, who goes by the tag “maddog,” leaves behind notes that contain his rules for a successful murder. For instance, one might say “never kill anyone you know.” Another insists “never carry a weapon after it has been used.” Our hero, Lieutenant Detect Lucas Davenport, is assigned the case, and everyone is breathing down his neck. The mayor is taking heat, the police chief is taking heat, along with everyone on the force. The media - painted by Sandford as conniving, cut-throat, morally-bankrupt snakes - are inflaming the fears of the good citizens of Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Of course, with any good crime/mystery/thriller, you’re watching to see if the bad guy makes a mistake, and if the detective is sharp enough to pounce. Rules of Prey offers loads of action, plenty of close calls, and a bad guy evil enough to keep you wishing for his demise.

A couple of things to note. If you’re bothered by gruesome crime details, this might not be for you. If you’re bothered by extremely sexist womanizing on the part of your protagonist, then you might not like Davenport. Impregnating one woman doesn’t stop him from sleeping with others.

The technology changes in the last two decades since the book was written make for a chuckle now and then. I loved it when Davenport had to find a pay phone, and when the killer uses his VCR.

There’s a reason that Sandford has sold a gazillion books. He’s around twenty or so Prey novels now, and they continue to do well. This story is very quick, the suspense is well-crafted, and the characters (although often slimy) are at least believable. I found myself wondering what happens to our soon-to-be-father detective by the end of this tale.

Rules of Prey is a good summer read, and a worthy addition to the Dom and Jane Book Club.