Linda the Librarian

This book is a yearly read, because I need the regular reminder that God does His part and I need to do my part to grow in Christ-likeness. This is a great read if you need direction for getting out of debt or just a resetting of your attitude toward money.   If you enjoy historical fiction, this may be the book for you. This is the author's idea of what a possible back story for King Hezekiah and Queen Hephzibah might have been.  I enjoyed it from beginning to end.  Because sometimes you need a good picture book. I think we all go through mid-faith crisis at least once - probably more than once in our lives.  I appreciated her honesty and I could see myself in some of her story. I liked the authors' take on cancer prevention and treatment.  They really put a lot of power back into the hands of the patient.  We have more control (for good or for ill) over our own health than we realize, I think. Enjoy!...

It seems you can't watch television without seeing an advertisement for medication to treat some form of depression or anxiety.  Is all of that medication necessary?  Can we do something to alleviate the problem or heal ourselves?  This book definitely gives direction for those seeking an alternative way to care for anxiety and fluctuating moods.  Each chapter deals with a different aspect of our health as it relates to food (sugar and blood sugar swings, caffeine, alcohol,  nicotine, gluten and other food sensitivities, digestion, and taking supplements).  Really what a lot of this boils down to is paying attention to our bodies when we eat and noting how food makes us feel (both physically and emotionally).  Ms. Scott encourages food journaling to track what was eaten and what our reaction was to the food.  She also shares real life stories of  her patients that relate to the topic in each chapter.  I don't believe that we shou...

Lost Connections by Johann Hari My guess is that most of us know someone who struggles with depression or anxiety.  Maybe we are that someone.  If you or someone you care about has paid a visit to the doctor about depression or anxiety, chances are high that you were prescribed an antidepressant for your trouble.  In Lost Connections, Mr. Hari seeks to give real life reasons for our depression and anxiety and to propose solutions that are not solely based on medication.  Some of the causes for depression and anxiety that he includes are lost connections to people, nature, meaningful work, meaningful values, etc. I liked the fact that he did give real solutions for each of the lost connections (gardening, group projects/volunteering, changing jobs, etc.).  I like that the power for our own healing is put back into our hands and that this is a long term solution, a more permanent solution than a little pill can give.   I didn't agree w...

I read The Clean 20 by Ian K. Smith and 100 Days of Real Food on a Budget by Lisa Leake over the last week.  These are great books to read together.  Ms. Leake's book zeroes in on strategies to eat more real food and less processed without breaking the bank.  Dr. Smith's book takes the idea of eating real food and adds weight loss and fitness.  What I liked, the books' eating plans are very similar.  In a world of conflicting nutritional advice from experts this was a welcome change.  Neither author advocates a diet that removes any food group.  Both allow meat, dairy, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.  Neither plan restricts the number of times you eat or has a "no snacks" policy.  Both present a mindful approach to eating.   I thought both authors were clear and easy to follow.  Dr. Smith includes exercises in his book.  I felt that the directions made sense.  I'm currently participating in a 10,000 step...