The Beauty of a Story

Here are all of the books I read in the coldest month of the year (supposedly anyway, the weather this year is doing its own thing). When I looked back at my list, I was surprised at how little I read this month. But then I remembered how many bookmarks are in commission right now. I read many more books, but they are all in various stages of completion, very few actually got finished.

In case you were wondering, I always list these in the order I read them.

‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ by James Herriot.

I got the whole series (I think) for Christmas, and I plan to slowly enjoy them over this next year. I think I have said this before, but I don’t like animal books. Books which feature animals tend to bore me. This book doesn’t feel like an animal book. It is just as much about the people who own the animals as it is about the animals themselves. The quirky farmers and towns people are the real stars of the show. Without them, the book would be a dull list of animals and ailments. I also love how the author describes the setting of his veterinary practice. The love he has for the countryside shines through the pages, and makes me want to visit the place he so lovingly describes.

‘Life After Birth’ by Jessica Prescott and Vaughne Geary.

This is a book about postpartum. It was chock full of facts about what a woman’s body and mind goes through after giving birth, or after a cesarean. The vast amount of changes, in such a short amount of time, are nothing short of astounding. I also appreciated the practical advice the book gave on how to care for body, mind, and spirit during the intense time right after having a baby.

‘Sugarless’ by Nicole M. Avena.

I actually listened to this one all the way through. Shocking I know. After years of disliking audio books, I actually made it through one. It helped that it was short. And I found that nonfiction audio books are easier for me to listen to than fiction books. I don’t have to worry about keeping track of a story, I can just listen and absorb the information. I find the topic of being healthy and nutrition endlessly fascinating, and I appreciated the depth of research this book represented. The author quoted multiple studies, including some she had done herself. She goes through what an excess of amount of sugar does to our bodies and how bad it can be for our health. She also talks about why so many people are addicted to sugar. Towards the end of the book, she discusses some practical ways to beat a sugar addiction and live a life that is in control of what we are eating, not the other way around. Did I go through our house and toss everything that had sugar in it while reading this book? Yes, yes I did.

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What did you read in January?

Shaina Merrick