Jodi Picoult - Nineteen Minutes

I just got done reading, Nineteen Minutes, and can't stop crying. In this book, Jodi Picoult deals with a boy named Peter, who has been bullied throughout his school life and finally snaps. In 19 minutes he kills 10 people and injures 19 others. Usually books written about school shootings take the side of the innocent shooting victims. In this book you here about the other victim, the shooter. The author goes into great depth telling Peter's side of the tragedy. "He just finished what they started..." Jodi Picoult has such a great writing style that I actually felt Peter's pain starting when he was 5 years old. On his first day on the bus, a bully grabs Peter's brand new superman lunch box and throws it out the window where a car runs over it and smashes it. The same bullies will continue to torment Peter through his junior year in high school. There were a number of times Peter would tell someone of authority what was happening. No one would listen. In high school, Peter fought back. He received a detention, the other boys didn't receive anything because they were on the basketball team and there was a big game that weekend. Peter gave up. People will remember Peter for the 19 minutes he went on a rampage but will forget the over 3 million minutes of good things he did. This was a brilliant inside look into bullying, it’s consequences, the heartache of a tragedy, it’s aftermath, and remembering that even a murderer has a mother who loves him.

From the Book Jacket:

In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five....In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge.

Sterling is a small, ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens -- until the day its complacency is shattered by a shocking act of violence. In the aftermath, the town's residents must not only seek justice in order to begin healing but also come to terms with the role they played in the tragedy. For them, the lines between truth and fiction, right and wrong, insider and outsider have been obscured forever. Josie Cormier, the teenage daughter of the judge sitting on the case, could be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened in front of her own eyes. And as the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show, destroying the closest of friendships and families.

Nineteen Minutes is New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult's most raw, honest, and important novel yet. Told with the straightforward style for which she has become known, it asks simple questions that have no easy answers: Can your own child become a mystery to you? What does it mean to be different in our society? Is it ever okay for a victim to strike back? And who -- if anyone -- has the right to judge someone else?

On Jodi Picoult's website she was asked why she wrote this book -

"As a mom of three, I’ve seen my own children struggle with fitting in, and being bullied. It was listening to their experiences, and my own frustrations, that led me to consider the topic. I also kept thinking about how it’s not just in high school where we have this public persona that might be different from what we truly feel inside…everyone wonders if they’re good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, no matter how old they are. It’s an archetypical moral dilemma do you act like yourself, and risk becoming an outcast? Or do you pretend to be someone you’re not, and hope no one finds out you’re faking?"

This book is one of the most memorable books I've read. I think this is a great book for all mom's to read. Our children should not have to tolerate bullies and bullies should be held accountable for their actions.

Book review - Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

Eat to Live – Joel Fuhrman, M.D. The book, Eat to Live, was talked about in, The China Study. The key message from the book - ” For anyone to consider his or her diet healthy, it must be predominantly composed of high fiber, natural foods.”

Most vegetables contain more nutrients per calorie than any other food. Leafy greens such as romain lettuce, kale, collards, swiss chard and spinach are the most nutrient dense of all foods.

What I learned from this book:

1. Chicken has the same amount of cholesterol as beef. Chicken is almost as dangerous as red meat for the heart.

2. On a whole, a vegetarian will live longer than a person who eats animal proteins. But living a vegetarian life style does not guarantee good health unless the diet is filled with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Vegetarians who eat only processed foods such as crackers, bagels, and breads in their diets and forget fruits and vegetables will live no longer than a person who eats fruits, vegetables and chicken in their diet.

3. Many green vegetables have calcium absorption rates of over 50 percent compared with milk with about 32 percent. Researches have found that those who eat the most fruits and vegetables have denser bones.

4. If you chose to consume dairy, use fat-free and minimize to very small amounts. Eat 90% whole plant foods and eat only 10 % dairy.


Milligrams of Calcium in 100 calories:
Bok choy 1055mg
Turnip greens 921
Collard greens 559
Kale 455
Romaine lettuce 257
Tofu 236
Milk 194
Broccoli 182
Sesame seeds 170
Soy beans 134
Cucumbers 108
Cauliflower 88
Carrots 63
Fish 38
Eggs 32

If your goal is to lose weight, instead of going on Adkins or Zone diet try:

6 week – Eat to live plan - here is the basics to the plan

Unlimited
Eat as much as you want

All raw vegetables, including raw carrots (goal 1 pound daily)
Cooked green vegetables (1 pound daily)
Beans, legumes, bean sprouts and tofu (1 cup daily)
Fresh fruit (at least 4 daily)
Eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onion, tomatoes

Limited

Not more than one serving (1 cup) per day
Butternut or acorn squash, corn, potatoes, rice, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, breads, cereals
Raw nuts and seeds (1 oz max per day)
Ground flaxseed (1 T)

Off limits
Dairy products
Animal products
Between meal snacks
Fruit juice, dried fruit

Foods to have in the house:
Canned beans – chickpeas, red kidney beans
Canned vegetable and bean soup
Canned Chinese vegetables – water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and others
Tofu
Frozen vegetables – peas, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, mixed chinese vegetables
Lots of low sugar fruits- strawberries, kiwis, oranges, grapefruits, melons, apples, lemons
Vinegars of your choice
Vegetables to be eaten raw, carrots, clery, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, lettuce and snow peas
Lots of vegetables for cooking – eggplant, mushrooms,tomatoes,cabbage,broccoli, string beans, swiss chard, kale, spinach, onions, garlic cloves
Whole wheat pita bread
Low calorie salad dressing

Book review - The China Study

Just got done reading a great book by T. Colin Campbell called the China Study . It was recommended by my son and daughter. The book examines the relationship between the consumption of animal products and illnesses such as cancers of the breast, prostate, and large bowel, diabetes, coronary heart disease, obesity, autoimmune disease, osteoporosis, degenerative brain disease, and macular degeneration. The study is a survey of death rates for twelve different kinds of cancer for more than 2,400 counties and 880 million of their people conducted jointly by Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine over the course of twenty years. The results were amazing. Animal proteins (meat, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy) are responsible for many of the diseases we have.

From the study the author advocates a whole-foods, plant-based diet (a type of vegan diet which also restricts refined carbohydrates and highly processed foods) as a means to minimize and/or reverse the development of chronic disease. The authors also recommend that people take in adequate amounts of sunshine in order to maintain sufficient levels of Vitamin D. The authors criticize "low carb" diets (such as the Atkin's diet), which include restrictions on the percentage of calories derived from complex carbohydrates.

The China Study describes 8 princples of food and health:

* Nutrition represents the combined activities of countless food substances.
* Vitamin supplements are not a panacea for good health.
* There are virtually no nutrients in animal-based foods that are not better provided by plants.
* Genes do not determine disease on their own, they must be activated or expressed, and that nutrition plays a critical role in determining which genes, good and bad, are expressed.
* Nutrition can substantially control the adverse effects of noxious chemicals.
* The same nutrition that prevents disease in its early stages can also halt or reverse it in its later stages.
* Nutrition that is beneficial for a particular chronic disease will support good health across the board.
* Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence.

Hum, if this study is so good then why aren't doctors, the media, and government promoting a plant based diet more? Who stands to lose when we change our eating habits? The drug companies from all the prescription drugs that we'll no longer need to control our diabetes, high blood pressure etc? How about farmers who raise the meat and provide the dairy needs of the country? I'm sure there are many other people who will suffer economically if we eat better and are healthy....Oh, how about the funeral homes....not as many people dieing prematurely.

Dr. Dean Ornish has a great program designed on the same basis that this study found. He has has a lot of success in reversing heart disease. If you are interested in his life modification plan check out your local library for a number of books by Ornish.

After reading this book I've decided that Tim and I will try going vegetarian once a week. I'll pick a day of the week, and on that day all our meals we'll be vegetarian. After that we'll see what we think and possibly introduce another day. Not sure if can go totally without meat,chicken, and fish but we'll try.

Book review - Lottery by Patricia Wood

On Sunday afternoon I started the book Lottery by Patricia Wood. It was recommended by Les who has a book blog. The book was so good that I hated for it to end. I was getting so upset at some of the characters that I wanted to climb into the story and help protect Perry from his family.

Perry L. Crandall (L. stands for lucky) would like you to know that he is not retarded he is just slow. Retarded would be 75 on an IQ test, and he is 76. Besides, Perry takes care not only of himself, but also of his Gram who is always giving him words of advice and encouragement. His mother abandons him and his brothers want nothing to do with him because he is retarded.

After Gram dies three strangers prove to be more valuable than family. Gary, the owner of Holsted's Marine Supply who has employed Perry since he was sixteen years old; Keith, Perry's co-worker; and Cherry a young, tattooed and pierced cashier at the local Marina Handy Mart.

When Perry wins the Washington state lottery we learn just who his real friends (and real family) are. His mostly estranged cousin-brothers come knocking, strangers arrive on his doorstep... I was sitting on the edge of my seat hoping that Perry would be able to distinguish the friends from the leeches (his family).

There is so much to love about Patricia Wood's first novel. She was inspired by her father winning 6 million dollars in the Washington lottery and her brother-in-law who has downs syndrome. The characters are rich and real and alive. You will be cheering for Perry through out the book. The ending is so unexpected and perfect. Typical Perry response.... A great feel good book!

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

I just got done reading another great book by Jodi Picoult. Kristin introduced this author to me last year. Once again, it is one of those book that you can't put down.

A synopsis from the book,"Sometimes I wonder....Can a ghost find you, if she wants to?""An intricate tale of love, haunting memories, and renewal, Second Glance begins in current-day Vermont, where an old man puts a piece of land up for sale and unintentionally raises protest from the local Abenaki Indian tribe, who insist it's a burial ground. When odd, supernatural events plague the town of Comtosook, a ghost hunter is hired by the developer to help convince the residents that there's nothing spiritual about the property.Enter Ross Wakeman, a suicidal drifter who has put himself in mortal danger time and again. He's driven his car off a bridge into a lake. He's been mugged in New York City and struck by lightning in a calm country field. Yet despite his best efforts, life clings to him and pulls him ever deeper into the empty existence he cannot bear since his fiancee's death in a car crash eight years ago. Ross now lives only for the moment he might once again encounter the woman he loves. But in Comtosook, the only discovery Ross can lay claim to is that of Lia Beaumont, a skittish, mysterious woman who, like Ross, is on a search for something beyond the boundary separating life and death. Thus begins Jodi Picoult's enthralling and ultimately astonishing story of love, fate, and a crime of passion. Hailed by critics as a "master" storyteller (Washington Post), Picoult once again "pushes herself, and consequently the reader, to think about the unthinkable" "(Denver Post). Second Glance," her eeriest and most engrossing work yet, delves into a virtually unknown chapter of American history -- Vermont's eugenics project of the 1920s and 30s -- to provide a compelling study of the things that comeback to haunt us -- literally and figuratively. Do we love across time, or in spite of it?

It took a little while to get into the book because there were a number of different characters that were being introduced and you had to try and figure what was going on. But once all the connections and interconnection came together, it was a hard book to put down.

Jodi Picoult is coming to Wisconsin.I bet she would be a great author to listen to. Here is her schedule:


Wednesday March 12 MILWAUKEE, WI 7 PM Alverno College's
Pitman Theatre, 3401 S. 39th St. books sold by Harry W.
Schwartz Bookshops (414) 270-3434. $33 ticket includes
admission to the event and a copy of Change of Heart.
Alverno College will handle ticket sales. The box office
number is (414) 382-6044 or www.alverno.edu.

Thursday March 13 MADISON, WI 7 PM Borders Books, 3750
University Avenue, 630-574-0800

These Granite Islands - Sarah Stonich

During the summer I love to go rummaging and pick up used books to read. A couple of years ago I bought the book, These Granite Islands. On the back cover it gave great reviews so I bought it for 50 cents.

This past weekend I read the book. It was so good that I had a hard time putting it down. This morning I finished a great book. The only question I have, if someone reads the book or has read it, can you please tell me how do they think the husband died?

Here is a synopsis:

The novel is set in the small town of Cypress, Minnesota. Isobel, a former milliner, now an older woman on her deathbed, recalls the summer of 1936 -- a pivotal season that forever changed her life. It was the summer that bought a remote island where he took their two young sons to vacation while she stayed at home working in her hat shop with her daughter, Louisa. When a striking,woman named Cathryn enters the shop, she and Isobel forge a fast friendship, sharing intimacies and deep secrets. As Isobel says, "A person need only walk over your threshold and your life can become forever changed, lived under a different sky." The author weaves her story seamlessly between the present -- the elderly Isobel's hospital bed in the wake of a stroke -- and the past. Isobel examines her own tragic losses -- losses even more devastating than that of her friendship with Cathryn, forcing Isobel to view her life, her marriage, and her own choices in a new light.

This book was so good I look forward to reading more from this author.