What I Read — July 2022
This month we hit our one-year anniversary of living in Germany! Time seems to have flown by, and lately I’ve been working to enjoy the present instead of worrying about the future. Unlike our first July here, this one has been hot. We had multiple days of full sun, zero breezes and 90 degree temps, which sounds awesome…. when you have air conditioning. Hot (literally) tip for anyone thinking about traveling to Europe during the summer: it’s lovely, but air conditioning is not a thing… anywhere. Your hotel might have it, but stores, restaurants, our house, that’s a big NOPE. Since it’s been so hot, I was able to devote scores of time to tackling a gigantic book my mom gifted me at Christmas 2021.
In 2019, I inadvertently completed the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge and have decided to attempt the same challenge from here on out… mainly because my to-read list is out of control! Normally, I’ll have a physical book and audiobook going at the same time, so for review clarity, I will put either duration or pages for the stats based on how I completed the book.
Here’s everything I enjoyed this July:
Fast, Feast, Repeat
Gin Stephens
Stats: Health Nonfiction, 11 hours and 27 minutes
Quick summary
Following an 80 pound weight loss using intermittent fasting (IF), Stephens created an online support group to share the lifestyle with others. This book covers different fasting approaches, practical guidance to make IF fit your lifestyle and a lot of FAQs.
What I thought:
Other than The Obesity Code, which I read last month, this is the other top book regarding intermittent fasting. I loved it. While Obesity Code is much heavier on the science portion (Fung’s a doctor), Fast. Feast. Repeat. was lighter on the science and focused more on the how-tos of fasting, which is more my style. This book helped me tweak and troubleshoot my IF practice (aka got me to stop breaking my fast with Truvia) and has made an 18+ hour daily fast completely manageable. The only part I wasn’t crazy about were the two separate sections of reader success stories. They all sounded the same and didn’t add much value for me.
Who should read it:
Anyone wanting to learn about intermittent fasting and wants concrete steps in plain language.
The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to the Civil War
Joanne B. Freeman
Stats: History Nonfiction, 11 hours and 19 minutes
Quick summary
The subtitle gives a lot away in terms of the book’s subject matter. Freeman chronicles incidents of violence in Congress in our country’s fledgling years from the 1830s to 1860s. Since few records exist of the violence, or were often tamed by the media, much of the book draws from the journal of B.B. French, the clerk for the House of Representatives for much of the period.
What I thought:
I was recommended this book at a party after a lively discussion about how to make history more entertaining, much like the hit Broadway play, Hamilton. Still reeling from the insurrection, said book recommender mentioned our Congress has a long history of violence. I found this book fascinating, and since I’m not much of a history buff, I learned a lot about early U.S. government and how today’s violence is sadly not novel.
Who should read it:
I’m sure Poli Sci majors covered most of this in their studies, but for those of us who avoided history classes in college (hey, it’s me!), you’ll probably learn something new about your country.
Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen
Dan Heath
Stats: Business Nonfiction, 7 hours and 47 minutes
Quick summary
A small child is drowning. One person jumps in to save the child. Everyone claps. And then another child needs saving. And another. This person jumps in and saves them all. A different bystander observes and instead of jumping in, heads upstream to see why all of these children are falling in the water. Who is the hero? As the subtitle explains, this book looks at case studies (aka real life examples) of upstream efforts to prevent problems, avoiding reactive solutions: everything from reducing Expedia customer complaint call volumes to increasing graduation rates in inner-city Chicago to preventative medicine.
What I thought:
This has been on my to-read list since the Happier podcast interviewed Heath in early 2020, and I’m so glad I finally got to it. I think personally it would have been more beneficial to read while I was still actively employed, but I think there’s something for everyone here. To quote Stephen King’s The Institute, “Great events turn on small hinges.” We can all be agents of change, especially when it comes to upstream efforts.
Who should read it:
Heads of business organizations. People fed up with the status quo.
The Passage
Justin Cronin
Stats: Science Fiction, 766 pages
Quick summary
A government experiment gone awry leads the world into chaos between the living (souls) and the not-quite-living (flyers, smokes, vampires… they go by many names). The first book of the series is split between the time before, during the breach, and about 90 years into the future.
What I thought:
As a fan of the The Walking Dead TV series, this book reminded me a lot of that show, but with vampires instead of zombies. The book’s asset is also its downfall: the length. After reading quite a few books as of late that failed to fully develop characters, The Passage was a breath of fresh air. That said, the middle portion was way too long with too many characters who didn’t matter. I also got attached to a few characters who were discarded. Overall I liked it, but not enough to invest in the rest of the series, though I did Wiki the plots so I didn’t have any FOMO.
Who should read it:
If you like The Walking Dead, you’ll probably enjoy this. And based on feedback I’ve gotten from friends and family on other recs, this one has a fair amount of death/killing so it’s pretty dark. So there… you were warned.
Knit to Flatter
Amy Herzog
Stats: Crafts Nonfiction, 160 pages
Quick summary
Herzog provides step-by-step instructions on how to measure your body and how to adjust knitting patterns to flatter your assets. She also has recommendations on what types of fits look best on which bodies.
What I thought:
This is pretty niche, and probably speaks to none of the readers of this blog, but I can tell this book will be instrumental in helping me grow in my knitting skills. Sweaters are my favorite item to knit, but I’m often wishing I could make adjustments to the patterns I’m using (think: changing the neckline, making items accentuate my narrow waist a bit better, figuring out the correct sleeve length, etc.) This short book has me excited to start experimenting more with shaping to get the perfect fit.
Who should read it:
In the off chance a knitter reads my blog and is looking to make a sweater for the first time or make their sweaters fit better, pick up a copy!