Open Post: What are you reading?

28th December 2009

Open Post: What are you reading?

posted in Book Reviews, Class & Poverty, Eating Disorders, Fat History, Feminist Topics, Food History, Race Issues, Rachel, Recovery |

When I was younger, our parents would have us fill out our Santa wish lists weeks before Christmas. As the sole bookworm in the family, I, of course, always requested a long list of books — Oliver Twist in the third-grade, Shakespeare at the age of 9 and later, in my teen years, Stephen King. My list must have not made it to the North Pole because instead I got things like a makeup brush kit or a t-shirt screenprinted with a picture of a black labrador. One of the joys of marrying a man who used to do all his Christmas shopping at Walgreens on Christmas Eve is that now all I do is fill out my Amazon wishlist and know that most, if not all, will be wrapped and waiting under the tree. I’ve already devoured the two fiction books I received — Stephen King’s new book, Under the Dome and The Strain, coauthored by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro — and am now ready to dig into my non-fiction gifts. In no particular order…

Sherrie Inness, Secret Ingredients: Race, Class and Gender at the Dinner Table

Sander L. Gilman, Fat: A Cultural History of Obesity

Jessica Weiner, A Very Hungry Girl: How I Filled Up on Life… And How You Can, Too!

Stewart Lee Allen, In the Devil’s Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food

So, what’s on your reading list? Any recommendations for the rest of us?

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1 On December 28th, 2009, buttercup said:

I’m a library hound. I’m currently reading “Gommorah” by Roberto Saviano and “Tristes Tropiques” by Claude Levi-Strauss. Both are highly recommended.

“Under the Dome” is in my queue at the Library-I think I’m something like 170 out of 250 waiting for it.

posted on December 28th, 2009 at 2:36 pm

2 On December 28th, 2009, Sara said:

I love Anthony Bourdain and I just finished reading his book, “The Nasty Bits,”…next on my list is one of his others, “Kitchen Confidential.” I love his writing style and the entire time I can hear this voice so clearly as I read his words.
I am also currently going through Jenni Schaefer’s, “Goodbye Ed, Hello Me,” just because I love Jenni Schaefer and HAD TO get her newest publication!
I look forward to seeing what everyone else has to say…I’m definitely on the lookout for some new recommendations!
Sara

posted on December 28th, 2009 at 2:40 pm

3 On December 28th, 2009, bettybetty said:

Just finished suite Francaise (remarkable when you consider the author’s life) and Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout – really liked. Just starting Atonement.

posted on December 28th, 2009 at 2:41 pm

4 On December 28th, 2009, Rachel said:

“Under the Dome” is in my queue at the Library-I think I’m something like 170 out of 250 waiting for it.

Good luck, especially considering that it’s 1,075 pages long! It’s well worth the wait, though. I don’t think it was as good as “The Stand,” but it’s definitely one of my new Sk favorites.

posted on December 28th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

5 On December 28th, 2009, Lexie Di said:

One of my favorite books of all time is GOOD OMENS: THE NICE AND ACCURATE PROPHECIES OF AGNES NUTTER, WITCH (commonly shorted to simply, Good Omens) by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It is the funniest book (about the end of the world) I’ve ever read with a bit of dark imagery stirred in. It even includes the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse, one of which is Famine and (interestingly enough, and to my further amusement)talks about how he strived to push weight loss gimmicks, starving people with his fake food and hate for their bodies. It was really interesting to see the weightloss industry so deamonized with no mention, to my memory, of any evils of being fat. I totally reccomend it if you don’t mind a little religious satire and a good laugh.

I’m also reading the “Lords of the Underworld” series by Gena Showalter. I’m not a huge romance (in the book sense) fan as I feel the portrayal love is often skewed. However, I really enjoy this series which follows a group of men and one woman who were lords and lady of Greece, immortal and there to protect the gods. When Pandora is given the box of Evils to protect, the Lords become upset, steal the box and open it, releasing the evils onto the world. As punishment, an evil is sealed inside of each of them. And it just gets stickier from there. I love these books so far, they’re heart-warming, funny, and filled with action. I really haven’t seen anything anti-fat in them either.

So, yes, these are the books I’m reading right now (and I throw a few manga in there now and again). I really enjoy them. Has anyone else read them?

posted on December 28th, 2009 at 4:40 pm

6 On December 28th, 2009, thordora said:

I second Good Omens-I recommend that to everyone.

Currently plowing thru Complete Works of Anne Sexton, various Raymond Feist novels, Vanity Fair, and The God particle. Best book I read this year was The Cellist Of Sarajevo however. Stunning. Every word.

posted on December 28th, 2009 at 5:27 pm

7 On December 28th, 2009, Kelly said:

I’m reading Hermpaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex. I got it from an intra-library loan. It’s really good and I highly recommend it!

posted on December 28th, 2009 at 5:57 pm

8 On December 28th, 2009, WendyRG said:

I just finished “The Man Who Smiled” by Henning Mankell. If you like really good crime fiction, Mankell’s your man. He writes in Swedish, but the English translations are excellent. I suggest starting at the beginning of the Kurt Wallender series (of which “Man” is number five, I think), with “Faceless Killers”.

I have now started “The Elegance of the Hedgehog”, by Muriel Barbery. A friend of mine was raving about it and since I make my living as a translator I naturally picked up a copy in the original French. So far, I find it unbelievably pretentious, but out of curiosity, I read a few pages of the English translation on the Amazon website and I have to say, the translation is amazing. It’s a much more readable book in English than in French. The cultural chasm between English and French is huge and I really have to take my hat off to the translator who has made this book into something absolutely delightful in English. Nothing is missing in the translation (at least what I read of it), nothing has been tampered with, but the translator has succeeded in turning an almost indigestible mass of convoluted phraseology (yes, it’s even worse than this sentence) into fabulously readable English. I am green with envy.

posted on December 28th, 2009 at 6:49 pm

9 On December 28th, 2009, Sayhealth said:

I’m reading:

Gaining: The Truth about Life after Eating Disorders by Aimee Liu
(I don’t like what she has to say about eating disorders & vegetarianism, but other than that, it’s incredibly insightful so far!)

Kabul Beauty School
(I’m reading this for a class and to me it feels problematic & condescending, to be perfectly honest.)

The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
(I mean, what can I say – it’s Toni Morrison!)

posted on December 28th, 2009 at 9:20 pm

10 On December 28th, 2009, All Women Stalker said:

Right now, I’m reading “And the Sea Will Tell” by Vincent Bugliosi. Murder, myster, courtroom drama. Love it.

posted on December 28th, 2009 at 9:41 pm

11 On December 29th, 2009, Rachel said:

@Sayhealth: I read Kabul Beauty School and didn’t think it too bad, but then I later heard reports on NPR about how many of the Afghani women in the book dispute some of the accounts related by the author.

posted on December 29th, 2009 at 12:03 am

12 On December 29th, 2009, Eleanor said:

I”m reading the Twilight novels and am on the last one, so I was really interested in that post you had about the eating issues within the books. Let’s just say I’m not going to buying these books to pass on to my daughters.
I’m really intrigued that you are still reading Steven King. I stopped reading his novels when I realized I hated all the female characters. They either were pathetic and poorly drawn or the source of all evil within the books. I finally decided he’s a misogynist and gave up on him.

posted on December 29th, 2009 at 12:27 am

13 On December 29th, 2009, Glen Coco said:

Hungry by Crystal Renn, the autobiography of a (gorgeous and inspirational) former anorexic model turned plus-size. It’s an incredibly book, and very pro-fat acceptance!

posted on December 29th, 2009 at 12:37 am

14 On December 29th, 2009, Rachel said:

I stopped reading his novels when I realized I hated all the female characters. They either were pathetic and poorly drawn or the source of all evil within the books. I finally decided he’s a misogynist and gave up on him.

I don’t think so. There are plenty of strong female protagonists throughout his works… The Stand, Firestarter, Gerald’s Game, Cell, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, The Shining, Desperation, Cujo, Lisey’s Story, Dolores Claiborne, etc… I started reading SK when I began babysitting for the couple next door at the age of 13. I scared myself silly on Pet Sematary and haven’t stopped reading since. The man is brilliant.

posted on December 29th, 2009 at 1:11 am

15 On December 29th, 2009, Kath said:

Ahh you all make this old librarian very happy.

Right now I’m reading Down Under by Bill Bryson. I wanted a laugh.

Next up I’m going to read Kerry Greenwood’s Corinna Chapmann books – I need me an awesome fat heroine!

posted on December 29th, 2009 at 8:44 am

16 On December 29th, 2009, Phyllis said:

Currently reading Truck by Michael Perry. I also highly recommend his Population 485. Perry delivers a vivid sense of place and characters.

posted on December 29th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

17 On December 29th, 2009, Lisa said:

Hooray for Bill Bryson! He’s so good at going from laugh-out-loud to oh-jeez poignant in a paragraph.

I just finished The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. I loved it, even though it was a bit hard to believe at times.

posted on December 29th, 2009 at 1:26 pm

18 On December 30th, 2009, Lu said:

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Course in Miracles

posted on December 30th, 2009 at 3:55 pm

19 On December 31st, 2009, Lori said:

Juliet, Naked — Nick Hornby (the guy who wrote High FIdelity)
The Year of the Flood — Margaret Atwood

posted on December 31st, 2009 at 4:35 pm

20 On December 31st, 2009, Twistie said:

I’ve nearly finished the book I got for Christmas: Salem Witch Judge, which is about the life and repentance of Samuel Sewell. He was the only judge at Salem who eventually publicly apologized for his part in the proceedings. He also wrote the first anti-slavery tract and first essay on the equality of the sexes in America. I’ve just gotten to the reprint of the anti-slavery one. When I’ve read that and the sexual equality (at least in God’s eyes) one, a very pleasurable read will be finished. Luckily I have a lot more books when I’m done with that one.

posted on December 31st, 2009 at 10:36 pm

21 On January 1st, 2010, Literate Shrew said:

“Hidden Warrior” by Lynn Flewelling (gender-bending fantasy, no really! It’s the second in a series, sequel to “The Bone Doll’s Twin”)

and

Crafty Chica’s Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life by Cathy Murillo (yes it’s a crafting book… but so good!)

posted on January 1st, 2010 at 5:40 pm

22 On January 3rd, 2010, Val said:

During the holidays at my parents’house , I found a great book written by a Vietnamese author : Duong Thu Huong. It’s “No Man’s Land”
(I read it in French, I hope the English translation is as good as the French one).
One book I strongly recommend for those who like black humor, is Sam Lipsyte’s ” Home Land”. Witty, funny, insightful…you will read it one sitting !

Thank you for this post and the answers. I’ll check all the books you mentionned ! ) Reading more is one my 2010 challenges…and what a bliss !

posted on January 3rd, 2010 at 3:57 am

23 On January 3rd, 2010, Emerald said:

At the moment, my default comfort reading, which is any Terry Pratchett Discworld novels I can lay my hands on. Trying to stave off the post-Christmas, post-jetlag, pre-back-to-work blahs, and this is the best way I know.

I have a ton of art/craft/creativity books I brought back from the US, but I know I won’t appreciate them until my head is more together…

posted on January 3rd, 2010 at 12:06 pm

24 On January 3rd, 2010, Lady Di said:

I’ve recently decided to go vegan after being a vegetarian for 1 year. I am reading “The Kind Life” by Alicia Silverstone. Any other vegan cookbook suggestions?

posted on January 3rd, 2010 at 2:08 pm

25 On January 3rd, 2010, Lady Di said:

Oops, I meant to put that I am reading “The Kind Diet”

posted on January 3rd, 2010 at 2:09 pm

26 On January 3rd, 2010, Bethface said:

At the moment I am reading two books.

For leisure I am reading Damia, by Anne McCaffrey.
and then I am reading PCOS Protection Plan by Collette Harris and Theresa Cheung. It is a good book if you are struggling with PCOS. It has helped me a ton!

posted on January 3rd, 2010 at 3:40 pm

27 On January 4th, 2010, Gimcrackgirl said:

I know the feeling about Christmas gifts that are so gender-specific (however, I’ve come to appreciate expensive bath goods!)

I asked for (and excitedly received) as many A. S. Byatt books as my family could find / were willing to buy. Just read her 2000 book, The Biographer’s Tale (very impressive) and now onto her first novel, The Shadow of the Sun. These were also intensely practical, as Byatt’s fiction is the main focus of my PhD.

posted on January 4th, 2010 at 8:13 am

28 On January 13th, 2010, Erich said:

I am working on Global Revolt from Amory Starr.
Awesome read!
In my library holds is a large selection of Mark Bittman books on food!

posted on January 13th, 2010 at 5:46 pm

29 On January 17th, 2010, plusplus said:

Hey all, can anyome recommend some positive books with a fat female protagonist. You know not the usual diet obssesed, self hating woman. Rather someone who’s cool, sexy and gets the guy. I need some positive writings about fat women. Thanks

posted on January 17th, 2010 at 3:41 am

30 On January 18th, 2010, Kath said:

plusplus – read the Corinna Chapmann books by Kerry Greenwood. The first one is called Earthly Delights. Corinna is a fat heroine who is beautiful, sexy, funny, intelligent, has a HOT, HOT boyfriend, loads of lovely friends, a successful business (the most delicious sounding bakery ever) and busts crimes in her spare time. And she’s also not just a “little bit” fat – she’s obese.

They are AWESOME books.

posted on January 18th, 2010 at 6:48 pm