Book Review: Frenemy Fix-Up (Six Gems) by Yahrah St. John

Frenemy Fix-Up by Yahrah St. John is the fourth book in the Six Gems series, but can be enjoyed as a stand alone as well. Accountant Colin Anderson is working himself into an early grave. Shay Davis is finally living her dream of owning a yoga studio. Sure, they went to high school together—but that’s where their similarities end. He’s Mr. Corporate, hustling late into the night so his firm can go public, while she flows through sun salutations and half-moon poses at her own pace. So when a health scare pushes Colin to make a few life changes, he knows where to turn. If he’s going to get right with his career, he’ll need the right woman—and to get the right woman, he has to prioritize his health. Who better than Shay to help whip his butt into shape so he can win back his high school girlfriend? The catch is, she only has ninety days to do it. And they both really, really get on each other’s nerves. Soon, though, their sessions are heating up the studio. But as Colin gets closer to achieving his goal, he and Shay both move further away from what they thought they wanted. Before they know it, they’ll have to step out of their comfort zones and rethink their own versions of “right" before their time is up.

Frenemy Fix-Up has a fun set up and I thought the story was engaging and entertaining to read. I liked the complexity of both characters. I liked the reality of all the characters, not just the man players. Everyone made good and bad decisions, things that needed forgiveness and understanding- and the book covered more about the families and friends to give a better understanding of the characters than many other books offer. I greatly enjoyed this bigger picture- because we are all shaped by our lives and experiences and leaving that out of the equation does not feel authentic. The book gives a full picture of the characters and I enjoyed getting the big picture. My only disappointment was that the resolution felt a little flat for me, I wanted a little follow up to the discussion, but I am sure those reading the series will get to see more of how they find their way forward together. 

Early Book Review: The Everything Low-Cholesterol Cookbook: 200 Heart-Healthy Recipes for Reducing Cholesterol and Losing Weight by Laura Livesey

The Everything Low-Cholesterol Cookbook: 200 Heart-Healthy Recipes for Reducing Cholesterol and Losing Weight by Laura Livesey is currently scheduled for release on March 28 2023. Keep your cholesterol levels in check and reduce your risk for developing heart disease and other chronic conditions with these 200 healthy and satisfying low-cholesterol recipes. Is your health care professional concerned about your high blood cholesterol levels? Do you worry that excess weight could have a detrimental effect on your health? Or are you simply looking for a healthier lifestyle? Changing your diet can be an effective way to lose weight and reduce your cholesterol level. This cookbook is your introduction to the benefits of a heart-healthy diet. Learn about cholesterol and its role in heart disease, how lifestyle changes can reduce your risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions, and how losing excess weight can improve your health. Each recipe is low in sugar but high in flavor, so you don’t have to sacrifice delicious foods to be healthy!

The Everything Low-Cholesterol Cookbook is exactly what the title promises. It offers readers suggestions on changing how you eat, because the order you eat the food on your plate and when you eat different food can have a big impact, as well as what to eat. The encouragement and note that being health and making this changes for yourself is a process and not a zero sum game, doing your best and taking things at a pace that fits your needs and life will make the change in habits easier to stick with. I thought the recipes were well varied and written, with a healthy something that will appeal to most everyone. Each recipe includes the nutrients per serving if the recipe is made as printed. I am big on substitutions and changing things up once I have done a recipe once or twice, so this will not hold true long for me, but it is good to have a starting point. To be honest, there are not many of these recipes that I will be adding to my repertoire. I cook for a family of four (with one picky kid eater and one picky adult eater), and while there are some I can get by with, there are not a whole lot that would be eaten. There are a couple meals I will try for the family, and a few more I might try out just for myself on the weekend.  Also, there are several ingredients that are just not regularly in my house (like kelp noodles and bee pollen) but that all  might be less problematic for others. I think the book is well written and provides exactly what it promises- but it is just not practical for my household.

Early Book Review: The Magic of Sleep: A Fascinating Guide to the World of Slumber by Vicky Woodgate

The Magic of Sleep: A Fascinating Guide to the World of Slumber by Vicky Woodgate is currently scheduled for release on March 2 2021. We spend about 26 years of our lives sleeping, but how much do you really know about what happens when your head hits the pillow? This book answers all your questions about what goes on in your head when you snooze, including the difference between light and deep sleep, where dreams come from, and how essential sleep is to staying healthy. Discover fascinating facts about how people slept in the past, and how people sleep in different ways around the world. Did you know that the oldest mattress was found in South Africa and is 77,000 years old? As well as humans, learn about the sleeping habits of other animals, from bears hibernating to how bats sleep upside down. Even plants sleep! Finally, learn how you can get a proper night's sleep with practical tips and ideas for meditation to calm your mind before bedtime. 

The Magic of Sleep is a well written, illustrated, and organized book about sleep for young readers. I thought the chosen information was well phrased. It made the information interesting and engaging while not crossing the line into being condescending. I thought the illustrations did a good job of demonstrating the facts while keeping or increasing the interest of the reader. I will admit that I recently listed to an audiobook on the same topic, for the same age group. They started of very similar, and shared many of the same facts,  so it was hard for me to separate the two in my mind. However, since both covered the topic so well, and with such a high interest level, being compared did nothing to decrease my enjoyment of either. I enjoyed that the time was taken to include a glossary and index, to allow for a closer reading and understanding for interested readers. 

Early Book Review: A Garden in Your Belly: Meet the Microbes in Your Gut by Masha D'yans

 A Garden in Your Belly: Meet the Microbes in Your Gut, written and illustrated by Masha D'yans, is currently scheduled for release on October 6 2020. Your belly is full of tiny creatures—and they love to eat! Along the river of your gut, tiny creatures move, eat, and grow. Learn more about the garden of microscopic flora growing inside the body and come on a journey that explains an important biological concept: the microbiome, the health of which affects everything in our bodies. Did you know that some foods are better for your microbiome (and you!) than others? Striking, original watercolor illustrations keep things from getting too gross. Informational back matter goes further into the science of the microbiome and reveals amazing facts about the gut.

A Garden in Your Belly is a colorfully illustrated book that helps explain to young readers how important the microbiome that lives inside of all of is. The important information is written in a way that is accessible and nonthreatening, because learning that a bunch of little things live inside you could be scary to some readers. I think the artwork helps keep the tone light and fun, and still shows the danger of not taking care of our gut health without being over the top. The message is very well conveyed, and I think it is well done. I really enjoyed the more in depth information at the end of the book, interesting facts, and the glossary included in the end pages. I think this book would be a good addition to school, library, and classroom shelves. It would also be a good tool in households where someone might have digestive health problems, that make this information even more important and relevant.

Book Review: The Easy 30-Minute Cookbook: 100 Fast and Healthy Recipes for Busy People by Taylor Ellingson

The Easy 30-Minute Cookbook: 100 Fast and Healthy Recipes for Busy People by Taylor Ellingson is a collection of recipes that are budget-friendly, health-conscious, and super tasty—and all of them can be made in half an hour or less. No need to be an experienced home chef. This cookbook can show you how to make good, fresh food at any skill level and help you make your kitchen as convenient as possible, with guides to the best equipment and ingredients to keep on hand. Some of the included recipes are: Mixed Berry Pancake Muffins, Pesto Turkey Burgers, Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, and One-Skillet Cashew Chicken. This cookbook includes recipes tagged with icons for No Cook, One Pot, 5-Ingredient, or Superfast (10-minute) meals.

The Easy 30-Minute Cookbook is a book geared towards helping people eat healthier, faster. I like that the book starts with the basics, the information and tricks that new cooks might need to make informed decisions and speed up their cooking time. I found all of it to be common sense, and things I had been doing for years, but those just striking out on their own or just moving past pasta and the basics. The recipes are easy to follow with, with clear instructions and good tips and tricks for substitutions and shortcuts when applicable. I like that while the recipes aim for healthy and using fresh ingredients when possible, there is still some fat and richness with lower fat suggestions rather than ignoring the fact that we can all treat ourselves to an alfredo sauce if the mood strikes. Some of the recipes looked fantastic, and gave me ideas of things I might try to mix things up in my own cooking. However, not much struck me as terribly new or original- perhaps because I spend way too much time watching the Food and Cooking channels. I do think that this might be a valuable book for those just starting to have an interest in cooking more, or cutting back on take out for whatever reason. 

The Easy 30-Minute Cookbook is a well organized and accessible cookbook. I think it would be the most valuable to those just starting to cook on their own.