REVIEW: The Iodine Crisis by Lynne Farrow

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My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆

This book was a real eye opener. It's amazing how good Iodine is for us, yet how badly it's been demonized over the last several years.

Iodine has the same molecular weight as bromide, chloride, and fluoride, and because of this it is often displaced in the body by these less than helpful minerals. Iodine is extremely important to both breast health and thyroid function as well.

If you've got any issues with your thyroid, or sketchy breast tissue, I'd definitely suggest you check this book out.

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REVIEW: Rabbits: From Hares and Jackrabbits to Adorable Pets by Tom Jackson

My Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

As a bunny mama to 4 adorable rescue house rabbits, I simply HAD TO read this book. Rather than a handbook on keeping house rabbits—I'd recommend The House Rabbit Handbook by Marinell Harriman for that (or direct from Drollery Press here)—this delectable delight is chock full of large, full-color pictures and information on rabbit origins, various breeds, behavior, particularly in the wild, and other fun facts. Yes, even this long-time bunny mama and foster learned a thing or two about rabbit history, as well as the relationship between domesticated rabbits and their wild brethren.

With all the gorgeous pictures contained within, the hardcover edition (once released) would make a fantastic coffee table book, especially for bunny peeps like me. I also really appreciated that the author included pounds in addition to kilograms when talking about weight. As an American, I still have a hard time relating to kilograms, or doing the conversion in my head. :)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amber Books for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book for review.

#Rabbits #AmberBooks #NetGalley

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REVIEW: The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon

My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆

"In this best selling business fable, The Energy Bus, takes listeners on an enlightening and inspiring ride that reveals 10 secrets for approaching life and work with the kind of positive, forward thinking that leads to true accomplishment - at work and at home."

I really enjoyed this book. A lot of the beginning stuff I already knew—and for the most part, already practice—in my own life and (hopefully) my business dealings as well. But even throughout this part that was a bit of a review, the surrounding story was highly engaging and entertaining, allowing me to better retain some of the "rules of the bus".

Some of the later rules—a little over halfway through—progressed into newer territory for me. I enjoyed expanding my brain, and was really drawn in to the way the story was told. Maybe it's because I listened to it in audiobook, I don't know, but Jon Gordon was really good with the different voices of the various characters. I had such a vivid image of Joy in my head as a big, beautiful black woman with a smile from ear to ear every time he read her lines!

I'd definitely recommend this for leaders and business builders who want to motivate and encourage their team.

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REVIEW: Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis

My Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

I know a lot of people that loved this book, but it didn't contain any earth-shattering revelations for me. Sure, it was fun and quirky, and I like her writing style, but for me personally, it wasn't as "self-helping" as I'd have hoped.

Still, it gives a lot of good advice—with plenty of entertaining storytelling—that will probably help a lot of people feel better about themselves and possibly even give some direction to their lives. For me, I probably need the more advanced version of these concepts. LOL :D

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REVIEW: Vitality: The Young Living Lifestyle by Jen O'Sullivan

My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★

Jen O'Sullivan is a great resource for all things essential oils, and her Vitality book is no exception. Not only will you learn a great deal about using essential oils for health and wellness, but you'll also learn how to fully embrace an oil-infused lifestyle.

Aromatic, topical, and internal use are all covered—and yes, it's totally safe to ingest certain oils in moderate amounts—as are the abundance of essential oil infused cleaning, personal care, and supplement products that Young Living offers. By the time you've finished reading, you'll have all the tools you need to eliminate those nasty toxins and endocrine disruptors from your home, and get your wellness back on the right track.

I'd love to be your guide on your oily wellness journey, so please reach out to me personally when you're ready to embark and I'll help you get started. :) You can also visit me at MadlyDivineEssentials.com for more oily information.

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REVIEW: Return To Life Through Contrology by Joseph H. Pilates

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My Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Return to Life was written by Joseph Pilates back in 1945 when he was 60 years old. Contrology, as he called it back then, became the basis for our modern day Pilates. Many of the principles introduced then have been brought forward into how we practice today, while others were slightly changed, refined, or modernized as we learned more about the various systems of the body.

The style of writing immediately struck me as old fashioned as it was originally written in 1945. While oftentimes a bit wordy in trying to get his point across, the writing was still typical of it's time, whereas today we focus on employing as few words as possible to get our point across. Unfortunately, it sometimes got a bit tedious in the reading, waiting for him to get to the point with all the comparisons and examples, and often taking 500 words to say something that today we could easily get across in 100. But then again, seeing as exercise and fitness was not a common subject of the time, perhaps these people needed it hammered into their head in such a way!

Joseph continually emphasized proper breathing technique, and breathing through the exercises—though we've refined that a bit more today to incorporate what we call 360 degree breathing. Balance is another key concept in his work—balanced muscles, balanced body, balanced mind—and was essential to bring to life your otherwise dormant muscles for optimal balance, health, and better brain functioning. He touches on improved blood circulation and talks about brushing with a stiff brush in the shower, what we refer to today as dry brushing or lymph node brushing. Definitely a pioneer of his time.

A few things that have evolved from his original exercises have more to do with specifics of how they're performed. For example, in many of the exercise descriptions, he says to flatten your spine to the floor, whereas today we often work in a neutral spine for some of these same poses. In addition, when legs are extended, he advises to lock your knees. Perhaps the meaning was different back then, but in today's terminology, locking your knees often leads to hyperextension in many people so we don't really use that term anymore.

Going forward, I'd like to see more men practicing Pilates. It certainly appears that Joseph focused more on men in his original design. Of the men practicing today, at least they seem to understand some of the main principles behind Joseph's work and it's value in overall wellness. As a Pilates Instructor, I hope to help spread that word far and wide, and prove that Pilates is not just for women.

Joseph Pilates was indeed a pioneer of his time, and were he alive today, I'm sure he'd be extremely happy at how his work has progressed while still remaining true to his original vision.

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REVIEW: Lucy Libido Says... There's an Oil for That: A Girlfriend's Guide to Using Essential Oils Between the Sheets by Lucy Libido

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My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★

Awesome awesome awesome!! I picked up this book before I even knew Lucy would be offering her hilariously amusing online Facebook class again. I learned so much about the right oils to use in the bedroom for libido and hormones—how to not stuff a dry turkey, and how to keep his soldier standing at attention! ;)

If you need a little more bow chicka wow wow in your life, then get yourself this book and some Young Living essential oils pronto! (contact me if you need an oil hook-up.) The recipes section is detailed and precise, and you'll be a maven mixer in no time—from Inner Thigh Potions to Love Button Lubes, Soldier Serum to Perky Pellets, this book lays it all out for you. You can thank me later! :*

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REVIEW: Fearless: Confidence with Essential Oils in 2 Hours by Sarah Harnisch

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My Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

This is a great book for an Essential Oil beginner. While I'm not a newbie to EOs, I wanted to read this before handing it off to one of my new members—as well as being able to reliably recommend it to others down the road, which I certainly will.

Sarah Harnisch presents a no-nonsense hands-on approach to using essential oils by diving right in and doing—while providing guidance and safety information along the way. Challenge action items encourage the reader to step out and try new things while learning interesting tidbits along the way. A fun, light read that for a new user can be used as a guide to help them get the most of all the oils in their starter kit.

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REVIEW: The All Souls Real-time Reading Companion by Deborah Harkness

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My Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

I read this book alongside A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night, the first two books in Deborah Harkness's All Souls trilogy. I followed along, chapter by chapter, delving deeper into the world of All Souls that this reading guide provided. Pictures, historical facts, and additional detail provided a deeper understanding into the components that made up these books. Particularly useful during the historical 16th century parts, the guide shed light on many of the intricacies of the time with which I was not familiar, and for that reason, I found it very useful and enlightening.

I was slightly disappointed however to find that the final book in the trilogy, The Book of Life was not included in this guide. I will definitely miss it's companionship while reading that final book.

REVIEW: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

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My Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

The KonMari Method of decluttering is quite simple when you think about it—simply remove from your home any items that don't spark joy. Yes, I realize that may sound a bit oversimplified but the logic behind it is thus: if an item is no longer bringing you joy, it has reached the end of it's usefulness and you should let it go without regret or guilt. You do this for all your items starting with clothes, then moving on to books, then papers, then miscellany, saving mementos for last. If you tidy completely in this fashion, following her advice, you need only do this once and clutter should never infringe on you again.

I haven't yet put the advice from this book into practice yet but am very much looking forward to doing so this week. I also picked up the companion book Spark Joy which expands on some of the frequently asked questions and includes illustrations for folding and storing, and which I'm reading now. I will update this review after I've more thoroughly begun the process.

REVIEW: Dragonflies: Magnificent Creatures of Water, Air, and Land by Pieter van Dokkum

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My Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

This is one of the few non-fiction books I've read this year. I usually stick to fiction for the escape from reality it provides, but I do like to indulge in some good non-fiction now and again, especially if it relates to a subject I am particularly passionate about. And dragonflies are indeed one of those passions... beautiful, splendid, awe-inspiring dragonflies!!!

I have been an avid lover of dragonflies for a long time. When I lived in the Boston area, I was surrounded by many more dragonflies than I have been since moving to California, probably due to the lack of ponds, marshes, and streams in the immediate vicinity of where I live now. And I do very much miss seeing them on a daily basis, precluding winter of course, like I used to.

Dragonflies are often seen as a symbol of change, reflecting a profound understanding on the deeper meaning of life, due to their metamorphosis from nymph to adult, and the fact that their underwater nymph stage is very different from their adult life spent soaring through the air. There is plenty of other symbolism associated with the dragonfly, but more often than not, these symbols deal with self-actualization and strength, particularly the strength to make positive change in yourself. This site describes a lot of the symbolism I've come to associate with dragonflies over the years. When I moved from Massachusetts to California, and made some major life changes in the process, I got a dragonfly tattoo on my ankle which spoke to me of these very same changes I was experiencing in my own life. But I digress...

I found this book quite informative and interesting, filling me in on several facts about these graceful, elegant insects, all without getting too bogged down with scientific and technical terms. For example, did you know that the majority of a dragonfly's lifespan is actually spent underwater in their nymph stage? The adult dragonfly, once it's gone through it's metamorphosis, is usually only a few months beyond that. This book is not a field guide, but instead geared towards the layman dragonfly lover or beginning hobbyist, those who love these mysterious and transformative creatures as much as I do, and want to learn as much as they can about them. It's filled with page after page of beautifully photographed images, all while explaining their life cycle, hunting habits, mating habits, and lots more. If you live in the Northeastern United States, you may recognize a lot of the dragonfly species photographed within its pages as this is where the author hails from, and he claims that about 1/3 of the photographs were taken from the pond near his home. The remainder come from various locations in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, and The Netherlands.

I think this would make a great coffee table book, the pictures within so fascinating to look at again and again. At the end of this 176 page volume is an appendix with specific recommendations for further reading, especially useful if you wish to further study dragonflies in the field.

This book will be published in March 2015, by Yale University Press, and I may well pick up a hardcover copy at that time. For now however, I am extremely grateful to NetGalley and Yale University Press for allowing me to review an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this exquisite, exceptional book.

#42 The Penis Book by Joseph Cohen

My Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Apolonia handed this off to me during one of the meetings at the 2006 Toronto BC Convention. It was passed around the table and a good time was had by all! :) At one point, I held up one of the centerfold pics with tongue pretending to lick one of the sexy guys and SandDanz snapped a pic with her non-digital camera, so I've yet to see if that came out or not since everyone at our and surrounding tables had me cracking up laughing by that point!

Though I looked through many of the pics in this book there, and read a bit of the text, I definitely want to share it with some of my other non-BC friends, and since this coming weekend is a Pagan holiday (Beltane, which actually falls on Monday the 1st), I'll have a fun group around to laugh over it some more with. :)

And then later... since I still had it into July...
I'm sorry I've had this so long... I've been reading the articles, I swear! ;)

Actually I have... plus I wanted to have it here during the few get togethers we've had at my house over the summer. I was planning to buy my own copy to keep in the RV and bring to Starwood with me. Since I haven't sent it out yet, and I'm heading off to Starwood next week, I'm going to bring this with me. (I promise if a bunch of wacky Pagans get too excited over it and make a mess, I'll keep this one and replace it with the new copy I was going to buy anyway. LOL)

See the BookCrossing journal page for this book for more reviews and information.

#75 Quit Your Job And Move To Key West by Christopher Shultz & David Sloan

My Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

A quirky and fun guide to living in Key West, and how to decide if Key West is right for you. Each page is filled with humor-filled facts, and the authors writing style, which brings to mind that of Christopher Moore, makes this 115 page guide a really fast read.

Mike and I have actually been considering this very thing. With the approach of another hard New England winter (how depressing!), and a recent vacation to the Keys (we've been there 3 times now), we're seriously thinking of doing it! This is a fun, but fact-filled book that'll keep you laughing from cover to cover. :)

See the BookCrossing journal page for this book for full book description and links to more information. See more progress on In 2005 read 100 books.