Supergut by Dr William Davis

 My Rating: 4.8

Because of our highly processed diet, pesticides, and overuse of antibiotics and many other factors, our guts are now missing so many of the good bacteria that we require to be healthy. As a result, many of us have lost control over our health, weight, mood, and even behavior. Super Gut shows us how to eliminate bad bacteria and bring back the “good” bacteria with a four-week plan to reprogram your microbiome. This not only gets to the root of many diseases, but also improves levels of oxytocin (the bonding/happy hormone), brain health, anti-aging, weight loss, mental clarity, and restful sleep. Also included are more than forty recipes, a diet plan, and resources so you can pinpoint your gut issues, correct them, and maintain your long-term health and well-being.

I am a firm believer that disease is caused and cured in the gut. I am a testament to that with curing my 4 auto-immune diseases. I found this book very easy to read and yet packed with so much great information. I think it will be the rare individual that will incorporate all of the ideas but, I think there is something here for everyone. I found some things I used to do (more fiber, chia seeds, etc.) that I am focusing on incorporating back in and some new things (probiotics in my yogurt, green tea). I loved that for most of us, we eat our usual diet and just do a few small additions to have some powerful results. I think everything we can do to help build the good bacteria in our guts is beneficial.

Purposefooled by Kelly Needham

 My Rating: 4.7

Many of us are exhausted from dreaming big and chasing the extraordinary lives we long for, but when we try embracing the everyday and find meaning in the mundane, we fear we're settling for a boring life. Are we missing something? In Purposefooled she explains 

•  why we feel like we were made for more and shows us the freeing answer to our longings, 
• the ways modern technology affects our desires and dreams--and how to live free from its pressures and pitfalls, 
• how familiar Bible stories reveal that being a world-changer is more accessible and simpler than we think, 
• why we need to reclaim our imaginations from culture and steward them with eternity in mind, and 
• what it looks like to live a deeply meaningful life today instead of wearing ourselves out trying to reach the next big thing.

This was a great easy read that really resonated. I love Kelly's writing style. There is something I think every Christian can related to - what are we supposed to do with our lives. I found all of Kelly's examples very relatable and I finished this book with so much resonating and staying with me. Excellent read.

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

 My Rating: 4.9

Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia is the third daughter of the grand duke. She is comfortable with her obscure place amongst her siblings in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father just as quick to accept on her behalf. 

Having barely left girlhood behind, Lucrezia must now enter an unfamiliar court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Perhaps most mystifying of all is her new husband himself, Alfonso. Is he the playful sophisticate he appeared to be before their wedding, the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians, or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble? As Lucrezia sits in constricting finery for a painting intended to preserve her image for centuries to come, one thing becomes worryingly clear. In the court’s eyes, she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferranese dynasty. .

The book opens with Lucrezia fearing for her life and then flashes back to how she came to be married to the Duke and so far from her family. This is a retelling of Lucrezia de Medici who had to marry her sister's fiance, had a short marriage before dying of TB but there were speculations that she had been poisoned by her husband. I love how it captures Renaissance Italy and the writing was full of beauty and emotion. This completely captured me and I will definitely be reading more of O'Farrell's books.

Operation Paper Clip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists To America by Anne Jacobsen

 My Rating: 4.6

In the chaos following World War II, the US government faced many difficult decisions, including what to do with the Third Reich's scientific minds. These were the brains behind the Nazis' once-indomitable war machine. So began Operation Paperclip, a decades-long, covert project to bring Hitler's scientists and their families to the United States. Many of these men were accused of war crimes, and others had stood trial at Nuremberg; one was convicted of mass murder and slavery. They were also directly responsible for major advances in rocketry, medical treatments, and the US Space Program. Was Operation Paperclip a moral outrage, or did it help America win the Cold War?

This was LONG and I think it could have been edited down a lot. I do appreciate that she wanted to show all of the background and research but I think it could have been edited down a LOT. Still, it was interesting to learn about this time in history. It is definitely a dilemma as to whether we made the right move or not to allow such horrific individuals to escape their crimes and to come to America to help our scientific endeavors. Thanks to Jenna on Instagram shoegaljeana for this recommendation.

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good

 My Rating: 4.5

This story revolves around five children, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Masey who were all in a remote church run school. Released when they are 16 years old without any family, skills or support, they have to find their way to try to survive.

This was very gritty and uncomfortable. That being said, it was good and captured what happened to so many Native American Indian children. It also did a fabulous job of capturing the E. Hastings Street area of Vancouver. 

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

 My Rating: 4.5

1950s Philadelphia: Ruby is 15 years old and on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright. 

Eleanor arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his par­ents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done.

This was an easy read and about half way in, you could see what was going to happen but it still kept me interested. The discrimination amongst blacks based on their skin lightness/darkness was very predominant in this story. The pregnant school was so sad as were the choices that women had to make. All in all, it was a good read.

Burning Bright by Nick Petrie (Peter Ash #2)

 My Rating: 4.7

War veteran Peter Ash is back. He is in the forests of the Redwood hoping to escape civilization for some peace and quiet - but it doesn't turn out like he planned. A grizzly chases him up a tree. As he is escaping and climbing he finds a rope. It leads up and up and up into the canopy of the trees where he meets a woman named June. Peter discovers that June is on the run from some men. June's mother was a prominent software developer exploring an AI app when she was killed in an accident. From below them, they hear men and gunshots and Peter and June are on the run...trying to avoid the bad men and figure out what is going on.

This was another fast-paced action packed thriller while still being light and including some romance. This one pushed the boundaries of plausibility more than the first book in the series but I really enjoy Petrie's writing style and it was a fun read. I will continue reading more in this series.