The Age of Will Rants and Ramblings of a guy named William

“The Body Myth”

"The Body Myth: Adult Women and the Pressure to be Perfect" by Margo Maine, Joe Kelly
Reviewer: linda

While this is not the most well-written book I have read, it is thought provoking. Aimed generally at eating disorders that cause women to starve themselves (anorexia or bingeing and purging) it has some applicability to anyone with an eating disorder. The book concentrates mostly on the media and the "body myth" from there, i.e., all women should look like teenager boys but with big boobs.

The author lets us understand some of the processes of therapy without the therapist. There are exercises intended to help us, as adults, to evaluate what we were told as children about weight and body image. There are also exercises to help remember how we felt when told those things. The insights just from reading the exercises were interesting; doing them would likely result in real revelations.

Here's a quote that I saved:

"The next time you feel a food binge or a shopping frenzy coming on, stop and ask: What am I really hungry for? I may be harder to answer than you imagine, but that answer is what will truly satisfy your appetite for living."

All in all, an interesting book.

“The Fat Girls Guide to Life”

"The Fat Girls Guide to Life" by Wendy Shanker
Reviewer: linda

This is a book which discusses acceptance of one's weight and appearance. The author is funny and her discussion of Duke's weight loss center is wonderful.

When your weight is getting you down and you feel like you are ready for radical change, read this book. If you still feel that way after reading it, maybe you are ready for radical change. As for me, FAT GIRLS UNITE!

“Petty Pewter Gods”

"Petty Pewter Gods (P.I. Garrett)" by Glen Cook
Reviewer: littlemissthing

Add one part Kolchak: The Nightstalker, a touch of Columbo, and heavy helping of wizards, elves, dragons, and all sorts of fantasy creatures. Blend quickly while tongue is planted firmly in cheek. There you have the entire Garrett P.I. series from fantasy writer Glen Cook. Petty Pewter Gods is the 8th book in the series. While it definitely helps to have read the first seven before jumping into this simultaneously zany and action filled installment, Cook does a great job providing just enough back-story to explain the sometimes (O.K. quite often) strained relationships between our hero and his so-called allies.

In this installment, Garrett finds himself in the employment of the gods themselves, who seem to be having a problem holding on to their followers. And when the number of followers falls below a certain level, the gods are threatened with eviction! This one starts out with all the fun and mayhem of the other books, but unfortunately doesn't quite live up to the others in the series. The problem is that in this installment I think the story got too big for Cook, and it appeared destine for multiple volumes. Instead, the author chooses to try and wrap everything up in the last fifteen or so pages, with our hero making a lucky guess and having all you-know-what break loose. While the ensuing chaos is a fun read, don't think to hard about it afterwards, because then you will realize just how contrived it was.

If this was done by most other authors, the story would have fallen flat and turned me off from the rest of the books. But Cook has a way of letting you feel like you are in on some big, cosmic joke. Never taking his protagonist or storyline too seriously, the end result is a fun ride through the magical city of TunFaire. The end result is a lighthearted action-fantasy-adventure that fans of the series will enjoy. If you have never read any of the Garrett P.I. books, don't start with this one, however. Fans of Cook's Black Company series may be surprised by the high humor and just outright silliness that appears in this book, and in the entire series.

This book has been out of print for a while, but is still available at used bookstore vendors and in many libraries. While not the best in the series, its definitely worth reading if you are familiar with the books.

“So Many Books, So Little Time”

"So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading" by Sara Nelson
Reviewer: linda

It's not really a year of passionate reading, but it is a wandering, meandering discussion of books and life and so forth. I loved reading it and I got lots of books from it.

And here are the quotes that pulled me in:

"Explaining the moment of connection between a reader and a book to someone who's never experienced it is like trying to describe sex to a virgin. . . .. For me, the feeling comes in a rush: I'm reading along and suddenly a word or phrase or scene enlarges before my eyes and soon everything around me is just so much fuzzy background. . . . The book--this beautiful creature in my hands!--is everything I've ever wanted, as unexpected and inevitable as love."

Here's a quote about stopping a book partially completed, that I love:

"Allowing yourself to stop reading a book--at page 25, 50, or even, less frequently, a few chapters from the end--is a rite of passage in a reader's life, the literary equivalent of a bar mitzvah or a communion, the moment at which you look at yourself and announce: today I am an adult. I can make my own decisions."

A fun, quick read for the book lover only!

“Even Whispers Can Be Heard”

"Even Whispers Can Be Heard" by Gerard Brooker
Reviewer: Bardsandsages

I received a copy of this book as part of a book exchange program sponsored by the Poetry Superhighway. In college, I read poetry all the time, but as time passed I read other things (as time permitted). I just wanted to say thank you to Gerald for reminding me why I use to love poetry so much.

The poems have an earthy, yet cerebral tone that reminds me of the works of Wendell Berry. One of my personal favorites is the poem "About Goodness", in which the author wonders about the meaning of good and evil. When speaking of the terrible wars of our time, he writes "a blur/of places where goodness must be held/in contempt for failing to show up";. The words are stunning in their simplicity.

Another poem, both soothing and heart-rending in its elegance,"9/11 in a Jar." In the poem the author recounts a jar of rubble given to him by a friend who had been at Ground Zero. What he find in the rubble while examining it is a grounding snapshot of the surreal nature of the event. The poem summons powerful emotions.

Even Whispers Can Be Heard is a beautiful collection of poems worthy of anyone's bookshelf, and I am pleased to say that it is on mine.

“Julie and Julia”

"Julie and Julia : 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen" by Julie Powell

Julie Powell felt she was in a rut. Turning thirty, dead end temp secretary job, crappy loft apartment and trouble with her husband. On a visit home, she finds her mothers copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and decides to cook every recipe in the book. In one year. And write about it online.

The book was not what I expected. I was expecting a book about the author's love of cooking and her experiences and challenges cooking in a decades old style. But instead, the book doesn't discuss the actual cooking much at all. Instead, the book is about the author, her friends and her emotional challenges.

The writing is good, the book is entertaining and engaging and the author's friends add some interest. However, the book isn't a 'stand out' in the genre. And the author doesn't come off as likable. She doesn't seem to like anybody or anything. Even taking into account the fact that the author is a 20 something living in New York, she still seems very hateful. And she clearly hates Republicans. She takes several opportunities to display her dislike and actually promotes violence towards them. She hates her job and the people she works for, but I guess it's typical for a temp secretary to think she knows better how to run a government agency.

One odd thing about the book is the author's husband, Eric. We learn about Julie's friends, Isabelle, Gwen, her mother, her brother; but we don't learn much about Eric. He's in virtually every scene, yet he remains a mystery.

Overall, a cute and entertaining book but lacks substance and leaves the reader wanting more.

“All Creatures Great and Small”

"All Creatures Great and Small" by James Herriot
Reviewer: spratt

All Creatures Great and Small is a class written in 1972, but I just discovered it. It is now an all-time favorite.

The author is the main character. James Herriot (a pen name) evidently kept a journal through the years about his experiences as a country veterinary surgeon. Each chapter tells one of his experiences. They follow in chronological order, so it reads like the story of his first year in practice. It is at times hilarious and at times tense as he deals with difficult cases.

James Herriot had the good fortune to be hired as assistant to a vet in Darrowby in Yorkshire Dales. He fell in love with the highland countryside. We learn quite a bit about what a country vet deals with--the real danger in working with large farm animals, the weather, being on call 24-hours-a-day, etc. I was surprised at how much detailed information was given about the actual care of the animals. I was even more surprised that it was actually interesting.

I highly recommend this very entertaining book.