Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
So I don’t really know what to say about this book. It was recommended to me by a friend, and I didn’t know what to expect. The story itself was interesting (the world’s greatest perfumer who steals the essence of young girls). But the writing was just, ugh. It was too much. The author was trying too hard. The story meandered off to places that were uninteresting (his years spent in a cave? yawn) and the flowery writing did too much telling and not enough showing. I was certainly interested enough in the story to keep reading, but reading felt a bit arduous at times.
The book has some really good reviews on Goodreads, so as with all books, it’s a matter of personal taste. I’m glad I gave it a try, but meh. View all my reviews »
Committed: A Sceptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
So here’s the deal: I really liked Eat, Pray, Love. Some people really can’t stand Gilbert’s writing style, but I find it endearing and thoughtful. Committed was no different. She kind of cracks me up: whenever she needs to know about something, she needs to know EVERYTHING about it. Her ability to synthesize what must be thousands of pages of reading into quirky, funny, direct passages is really what makes her books shine. I enjoy them. Because although I claim to know a lot about many things, I have no time or patience to voraciously read everything I can get my hands on about a subject (which seems to be Gilbert’s particular talent).
This book hit a cord with me, because I will likely be entering into the institution of marriage relatively soon. I enjoyed learning about it through Gilbert’s lens. So much so, that I plan to read Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy, or How Love Conquered Marriage, one of the many sources Gilbert recommends. I’m fascinated by the many forms this institution has taken over the years, especially considering some in our culture act as though it has always been a beacon of stability.
Hopefully marriage won’t cause Gilbert to stop travelling and writing, because I enjoy the byproducts of those adventures.
I really need to keep up with G more regularly, because I TOTALLY wish I had tried this out on Australia Day! I wonder how many WW points are in a Tim Tam…
This is what I do when John is out playing hockey and I have the apartment to myself. I make a how-to video on the important topic of Tim Tam Slams. You should watch this video if:
- You want to learn how to do a Tim Tam Slam.
- You want to hear what I sound like. I’m told I have a ‘funny’ accent.
- You want to see my enormous bump. Sorry about that, didn’t really think about the fact that it would be front and center during this vid.
- You don’t mind listening to Winston munch on his dinner in the background.
Post Cleanse Thoughts
My three day juice cleanse, courtesy of BluePrint Cleanse (I won a free cleanse from a contest on More Than Mary), was largely a success. I never felt dizzy, lightheaded, or starving. Certainly my body missed food, but I think these effects were more mental than physical. The juices were pretty tastey. The green juice grew on me and I continued to love the cashew milk (I must figure out how to get a hold of something like this on a regular basis).
I eat fairly healthy to begin with, and I adhered to the recommended vegan/raw diet in the two days leading up to the cleanse, which I think really helped the transition as well. However, the day after the cleanse I was only able to eat raw/vegan for 2/3 of the day. I had made plans to go out to eat with some girlfriends, and although I tried to make healthy choices (I didn’t order the baklava!), my stomach was not happy with me. I had some serious bowel issues immediately after.
Overall, I would do a cleanse again. I did feel refreshed and healthy. And it has certainly given me a fresh perspective on what I put in my body. I don’t know if I would say it “erased my cravings”, as some people claim cleanses do, but I just add the feelings I had on the cleanse to my arsenal of reminders for why I should consistently make healthier choices.












