Christine Amsden

I am only halfway through this book, but I want to throw in something that I am feeling strongly positive about so you don’t go thinking I dislike or am ambivolent about every book I read. I enjoy a great many books that, in time, will probably end up getting a review here. (I wanted to start with books that I read recently.)

Secrest of Feeding a Healthy Family by Ellyn Satter is really having a positive effect on me. I do not often read non-fiction or self-help but with my son starting table foods, I asked my neighbor for help and she loaned me this book. It’s message broke down a barrier in my mind and I can’t wait to get through the details so I can implement the plan in my life.

Basically, her message is to stop trying to control, stop trying to count, stop harping on “the rules” to the point that it drives you to misery — or obesity. She says that borne into all of us is a natural ability to know how much and what kinds of food we need. For our children she recommends giving them a wide variety of food at regular mealtimes and letting them decide how much to eat and whether or not to eat. It may take some time for them to experiment with some foods, but she suggests that eventually they will come to enjoy eating a well-balanced diet with no coersion or lectures needed.

The trick for me is to get back to that point — the point where my body can tell me how much it needs without interference from my brain, “You shouldn’t eat that! Bad!” or “Wouldn’t a salad be better?” She advocates meal planning in which we plan in our favorite foods so we don’t feel deprived but at the same time we have enough variety of food that we eat all the things we need. If you can look forward to your next meal and know that you will let yourself eat enough (not stopping because your brain told you how many calories you just ate), then you will not feel the urge to snack at all hours of the day.

I think she is right. I love bread. I sometimes end up eating bread products all day long. Today I am baking home made bread to go with dinner and I am looking forward to it so much that I have not felt the urge to pop a handful of animal crackers in my mouth. (I often end up popping a handful of animal crackers about ten times — that adds up!)

As with any life changing nutritional strategy, I am sure initial success will shortly be followed by a period of uncertainty and relapses. I want this plan to work, though. This is the first book I’ve read that asks you to TRUST your body instead of thinking too hard about food. It may be difficult for me to give up that control, but I feel in my heart that it is right.

I will stop here and recommend that you go read the book, especially if you have kids. My biggest fear with my children was that they have as hard a time with food as I have had in my life — I hope I have found a solution to that here.

I read The Eye of Anna by Anne Wingate about two weeks ago. I often try to throw in a mystery/detective novel into the mix from time to time and I understood that when it comes to forensic science, Anne Wingate knows her stuff.

I will agree — Anne Wingate does know her stuff when it comes to police procedure and forensic science. Her premise was also good — throw the characters, including a serial killer, into the middle of a hurricane. Shake well.

In the end, I am forced to say that this book is just okay. The serial killer seemed cliched to me with his dislike of “wanton women just like her.” Anne Wingate used his point of view to create suspense but honestly, I think the book would have been better if she had left those scenes out.

If you are particularly fond of serial killers and police procedurals, though, you may like this better than I did.

I returned the edited version of my novel to the publisher last week. I am relieved, excited, and nervous about it. It’s out of my hands now — but on the other hand, it’s OUT OF MY HANDS! No more tweaking this thing in chapter 6 or reconsidering that flashback in chapter 10. It’s done.

I think it’s good. I think the edits improved the story. I think people will enjoy reading it.

For those of you who are writers, you will recognize the shifting voices of the angel and demon on my shoulders — one telling me I’m great and the other telling me I’m not. For the rest of you, this is normal.

The next step is to wait again. Once the novel comes out, there will be marketing to do, but in the meantime I will just bide my time and continue to work on my second novel, The Immortality Virus. For those who are interested, that novel is pure science fiction. It follows the life of a private investigator, Grace Harper, as she searches for the man who ruined the world some four hundred years before her time (but not too far from now in our time). The rough draft is nearly complete and so far I really like it. I think I have once again inserted a meaningful character story into a science fiction backdrop. I have also been having a lot of fun exploring a future world of my own creation.

As for Touch of Fate, you will know as soon as I do when any new information comes out. Right now, I believe a copy editor is putting all the commas in the right places. :=)

I’ve decided to start a section of my blog dedicated to letting you know what I’m reading and what I think about it. I try to read a wide variety of books but you will see more science fiction and fantasy on this blog than any other type of story. I will begin with a book I finished reading two weeks ago for my book club, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.

I am not a fan of books that try to imagine, whether for the sake of fiction or non-fiction, what happens after we die. I have almost written such speculation into my own stories many times, but each time I back off for one very important reason: There is nothing I can write or imagine on this topic that will not be a huge disappointment.

This book vividly reminded me of the reason that I do no care for such books. In the end, the revelations of purpose handed down in heaven were nothing more or less than what we humans could have figured out on our own. Maybe that’s all there is to know and if so, I can accept it when the time comes, but for the moment I would rather imagine that there is something more for me to understand than what I could ever imagine here on Earth.

Setting aside that major flaw, the book was a smooth and easy read. Eddie, the main character, lived a full and balanced life complete with flaws and good deeds. There is probably an aspect of his life that any of us could relate to, which made him an ideal character for this type of novel.

The premise is that when you die, you meet five people in heaven that explain things to you. These people may or may not be the ones you expect, but each has something important to contribute. When you are finished, you will wait and be the guide for someone else. (If you’re like me you will spot a math error in this setup, but try to ignore it for the sake of the story.)

As a book about who we are and what our life is for, this is a good read, but not particularly deep or insightful. Give it a chance sometime when you want something light, short, and sweet.