#1 of 2012: Chicken Pox for the Soul by Jessica Zafra
A Jessica Zafra wasn’t exactly what I had in my mind to open the new year, but I guess it’s not bad to start 2012 armed with irony…. right? Wrong. No, I’m kidding, this book was a treat. Zafra is one of my earlier writing “idols” and I love how her twisted-ness never seems to… straighten. In the book, she spills her darkest thoughts about people, the L-word, and well, life, in general in the snappiest ways possible - as expected - you’ll never get bored. You’ll even wish there were more pages to it.
Yay!s
“People who read books in public places are regarded with suspicion because they appear self-sufficient. When you seem self-sufficient, other people think that you think you’re better than them, and they get resentful.”
“Greasy food might not be good for your body, but it does wonders for the soul. A healthy diet may prolong your life, but what would you have to live for? What is the point of living to a hundred if you have to subsist on bland food? One may as well die of boredom.”
Boo!
Only 160 pages?!?
#100 of 2011: Dry by Augusten Burroughs
I have a love-hate relationship with memoir writers because I don’t know anymore if even half the stories they write ring true, but I always make Augusten Burroughs an exemption because his. life. is. fascinating and I just can’t bear to let his smartly-written anecdotes pass me by. But with Dry, uhm, he kind of let me down. I know I loved Burroughs for his Running With Scissors but really, his writing has got to grow. After all, he’s gone so far in his life already. I feel like he’s only writing these memoirs to have closure with his past, and well, he could do that by moving on to fiction now, couldn’t he? Because honestly, there were a lot of times - going back to my first sentence - that I got the vibe of Burroughs going over the top with his stories. I really hope the next Burroughs book I read will redeem him back to his pedestal.
#93 of 2011: The New Me Diet by Jade Teta and Keoni Teta
The title got me, what else can I say? Not that I haven’t read anything similar to this healthy lifestyle plan but I took the risk because… the blurbs seemed real and honest, too. It sure had a lot to say about the right kind and amount of exercise to be done, but my favorite part was when I was made to take this quiz to find out whether I was a muscle or a sugar burner, or both (as foreseen, I am both), and it provided a detailed workout and diet plan for each type afterward, which all looked easy, practical and effective. I’ve been trying SO HARD to vary my routines and meals to shake up my weight plateau and fortunately, I found a couple of new tips from the book that I have started trying out - like new veggie recipes and smoothies - and so far, they seem to be working. This book can also be useful to those who are not the biggest gym frequenters because the exercises it suggests can be easily done at the confines of a home, an office, or even just a room.
