Book Review: Toxin

So I actually finished this book a LONG time ago - I just kind of forgot to write my review about it.  I've read a few books since then. Jaycee Dugard's "A Stolen Life" and, okay, so maybe only one.  Man, I have to get on that! Remember when I said I needed to finish my "Summer Reading List". Well, this book was on it!

Toxin by Robin Cook was awesome.  I recommend it to everyone.  It started out scary and scientific and brought in a ton of emotion with a love story and played on parental instincts (or not, since I don't have any :-P ).  I cried.  I don't actually remember laughing - it's not really a funny book.  It made me not want to eat meat for awhile though.  It is about an E.Coli outbreak at a fast food restaurant (and no, it isn't a true story ~ although, it could be!!). I really don't want to spoil it for anyone.  I will just say that it makes me appreciate hunting and slaughtering my own meat! Or my husband doing it..hehe.

10 Things

As I've mentioned before, I love reading blogs.  I know I'm stealing this idea from a few blogs I currently follow, but it's such a fun and positive way to start out the day (especially with my rant and rave yesterday), so I am going to tell you about 10 things that make me happy right now (in no particular order).

1.)  Tailors! I'm short, I've always been super short and will continue to be short - I'm pretty sure I'm done growing.  So, I love tailors because I just bought 2 new pairs of dress pants and will need them to be hemmed.  I should learn to do this myself.  I can sew, but it's easier right now to let someone else do it for me - especially since I paid so much money for my dress pants - I'd hate to screw it up!

2.) Iced Raspberry Tea - I have told you about my love affair with Caribou Coffee before, yes?  Well, if not, I'm obsessed, but it's an expensive habit, so instead I have made my own form of my favorite tea.  I just brew lipton black tea, place it in the fridge overnight and add some sugar free raspberry flavoring to it in the morning with some ice cubes (also made from tea, see this gal's blog for the idea).  It's delicious and especially nice on these hot mornings of summer!

3.) Cucumbers - they are in season and they are my all time favorite veggie!

4.) Air Conditioning - seriously, I dont't know how people survived without it for so long.  Yes, it's still hot here.

5.) Blogs - really, they are one of my favorite things!  Can't you tell?

6.) Bonfires - I am about to enjoy one this evening - can't wait!

7.) Thunderstorms - but not on the night that I enjoy my bonfire, obviously ;)

8.) A good book, currently "Toxin" by Robin Cook - nothing beats a good novel.

9.)  Farmer's Market Flowers - can't wait to buy me a bunch of them...only $5 for a HUGE bouquet that would easily cost $20 in the store.

10.) My husband, without him my life would just not be as wonderful!

Book Review - The Help

So I finished "The Help" last night and I can't say enough amazing things about it.  It was definitely controversial and thought provoking, although I didn't really realize it until the very end.  I knew the whole time that people growing up in that era of maids and also people from more conservative families in the South would probably have a problem with it.  What I didn't know was the way the author felt about her book when she finished writing it.  Now, before I go on I want to make sure I preface this entry with the fact that I'm not trying to offend anyone or stir up issues, this is just my opinion.  On second thought, maybe it'll make more people read my blog people love to read about controversial topics, right?  Anyway, first of all, Kathryn Stockett is an amazing writer.  I loved the angles she took, her African American vocabulary was so interesting and what I would imagine was accurate - it was so fun to picture the ladies saying those exact words.  That's the best part about a book anyway, being able to use your imagination!  Anyway, back to where I was...what bothered me was first of all, how awful our country treated African Americans back in the day.  I knew it was bad, but until this book I never imagined it was THAT horrible.  It was so sad to hear how most caucasian women didn't even take care of their own children - but somehow we kept breeding generations of women and men that continued the awful treatment of African Americans despite their black upbringing.  It was disgusting to hear about how literature was published describing the different "diseases" they carried and how "transmittable" they were.  Then, at the very end where I read Ms. Stockett's recollection of her own maid and listened to her own understanding of how she misrepresented the deep love the white and black women shared, I became very upset.  I don't understand how she could somehow justify the way we treated African Americans by talking about a deep love they shared.  I have a hard time imagining the maids had anything but resentment, sometimes perhaps jealousy, annoyance and disgust.  It sounds like it was more rare than normal to have a decent white lady that went out of her way to do things for her maid and help her when things got rough.  I could have read it all wrong, but I was a little shocked.  I'm still glad I read it and will still seek out the movie.  Somehow, I don't think the movie will give the book justice, because you can't really beat a good novel.

On a positive note - one book down on My Summer Reading List

M is for Motivate, right?

"Don't be pushed by your problems, instead, be led by your dreams!"

Isn't it beautiful?!  The "Disney" Castle in Germany.  This is definitely on my list of place to go.  MCAT trip, maybe?!?!  In fact, I'm going to update my Dream Board with it tonight! =) However, first, I'm going to put in two hours of MCAT study time.  I mentioned how I was planning on studying on Tuesday and Wednesday (which is still the original plan) but this week I know I have a commitment on Wednesday so I'm going to "get it out of the way" tonight.  Well, one night of it anyway. Then, I will play with my Dream Board and do some scrapbooking and enjoy my evening!! I'll probably read a little more of The Help, too.  I'm 50% done and it is awesome!! I highly recommend it!  Oh, and I'm going to make more ice tea for my mornings.  Enjoy your Monday!!

My Summer Reading List

Yes, I know...Summer is almost over.  Well, not for me...it's not over until I say it's over ;)  I don't participate in any activities (right now) that really signify to me the ending of summer.  I don't have a garden, I don't have kids that go back to school, I don't lay outside and tan..etc.  so I get to choose when my summer is over and I need to finish my summer reading list first ;)  So to make sure I get it done before snow hits the ground (which really will signify the end of summer) I am only choosing two. 

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett - I hear it's amazing and I'm only on page 5, but I'm hooked too.

"Toxin" by Robert Cook - it's about a deadly E. Coli outbreak and so it has drama, medicine...all the things I love in a good book.  Well, except a love story, I like that a lot too.....

I downloaded them both onto my Kindle last night and like I said, have already started The Help.  I can't wait to finish it because the movie will be released soon and I'm all about reading the book before seeing the movie.  Do you have any last minute books you want to finish before your 'end of summer'?