I frequently browse the books at the Little Free Library closest to my house in hopes that I’ll find something good. Romance and crime novels often fill the two small shelves. And sometimes pamphlets on Jesus or PETA. There’s been an Anne McCaffrey book in there for months now that always catches my eye, except it’s the second book in a series. I keep looking anyway because once in a while, there is a real gem. (Also, knowing that I’m unlikely to find anything I want actually makes it feel safer to look because I’m not worried about coming home with a giant pile of books.)

The Forester’s Log by Mary Stuever (Amazon affiliate link) was one of these occasional gems. Mary Stuever spent here career as a forester, working mostly in the southwest United States. During this time she wrote a column called The Forester’s Log which was published in a number of newspapers. The book is largely a collection of some of these writings with a few of her other articles added in.

There are five main sections including fire, forestry, burn area recovery, environmental education and recreation. Each section contains several articles. The articles are from 1985 to 2008. The articles are often aimed at enlightening the general public on forestry practices and issues.

What I love about it

The locations covered

This book covers a lot about locations that I am familiar with, particularly in New Mexico. One of the fires mentioned even happened in my neighborhood (long before I lived here) so it hits close to home. I love books about places I’m familiar with although I also get very into books that let me feel like I am learning about totally different places too.

There is also a part in the recreation section about Stuever’s attempt to climb Pico de Orizaba in Mexico. I climbed it when I was 13 so again it was fun to be intimately familiar with the setting.

The importance and relevancy of the topic

The writing about forest management, forest fires and burn area recovery seemed particularly relevant today as there are so many wildfires across the world. The problems Stuever writes about have only grown exponentially more pressing.

The section on burn area recovery includes a lot about the work after the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski fire in Arizona. According to Wikipedia, this was Arizona’s worst recorded fire… until 2011. As we see record-breaking fires each year, I think it’s really important to think about how this land is rehabilitated afterward. There are huge issues post-fire like soil erosion and flash flooding that we see repeatedly in burned areas.

After reading this, I strongly believe that burn area recovery needs to become a much more talked about (and funded) piece of the climate-change fight.

This book also makes clear the increasing urgency of better forest management. After decades of fire suppression our forests are so filled with excessive fuels that when fires do burn, they burn hotter, longer and further than 100 years ago.

It’s clear to me that doing something about this problem needs to be a much higher priority in our country. Sadly, with so many of our forestry professionals spending more and more time on active fires there will be even less time for them to focus on fire prevention.

Overall, I learned many things about forestry and burn area recovery.

What I don’t love

The book is a collection of articles originally intended to be able to stand on their own. There are several articles that contain redundant information which is just a little obnoxious when reading the book straight through.

At times the author’s sense of humor and wit really show through and at other times the reading can be a bit flat. It’s definitely more of a book to read to learn about the issues than something to read purely for entertainment. (It did still have some moments of entertainment though.)

I also would enjoy a book that just dug a little deeper into some of the topics. Something that allowed me to geek out on forest management a bit more. Although that may not be a fair critique since that’s not really what this book is trying to be.

Who might love this book

I’d definitely recommend this book to anybody who cares about the forest or is interested in learning about wildfire issues.

Actually, I think it would be a relevant book for just about anybody. As smoke from forest fires is spreading across the country and globe, we are ALL impacted by these issues. Even people that don’t live in or near forests are impacted. At the end of the day, healthy forests are part of a healthy planet. That is something we should all care about.

Also I wish all of our government officials in Washington would read it. Maybe I can mail a copy to the president.

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Today I wanted to share my favorite books on food. Some of them are cookbooks and others are a bit different. They’re all books that for one reason or another I really love.

In one of his books, Michael Pollan talks about how people spend more time watching cooking shows than actually cooking these days. He ponders about this fascination with watching other people cook. I don’t watch cooking shows, but I do seem to have a certain fascination with reading about food.

At least I can say that I’m quite certain I spend more time actually cooking than I do reading about it. I’m constantly trying to find a more wholesome approach to food in my life – without actually giving up baked sweet things.

With that said, here are the books that made my list of favorites:

Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking

Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat is an amazing book. It starts with a chapter for each of the title elements of good cooking and then has recipes to put the principles into practice. It has been eye-opening to me and has provided me with interesting tid-bits that I think will make me a much better cook.

Among many, many other things, I learned about how adding a little salt and a few drops of fresh lemon juice to my eggs for omelettes will make them fluffier and moister… and it works!

In the salt chapter, Samin also makes a claim that salt does more to cut bitterness than sugar. For example, putting salt on a grapefruit does more to change the flavor than adding sugar. So I had to try it, even though I don’t like grapefruit.

It was a fun little experiment to run: I lined up a plain piece, one with salt, one with sugar and one with salt and sugar. She was right! The salt really did make the grapefruit less bitter. I still don’t like grapefruit though. Not even with salt.

After reading the chapter on acid, I started squeezing fresh lemon juice on the veggies on my omelettes right before eating. It makes them taste so much brighter without being lemony at all.

This book also has some of the best illustrations: they’re gorgeous and also come packed with a bit of humor.

Kids Cooking: A Very Slightly Messy Manual

This was my favorite cookbook as a kid and I fondly remember many of the recipes such as Buried Treasure Muffins, Happle Bagel Sandwiches, Juicy Orange Rounds, Carrot Raisin Salad, Frosted Chocolate Conecakes and Disgustingly Rich Brownies. Plus it has a few non-edible recipes for things like Play Dough and Face Paint.

I’m not sure who in my family has the original copy of the book we had when I was little, but when I saw it again as an adult, I snagged my own copy. Sadly, it seems to be out of print, but used copies are available on Amazon (they might not come with the original color-coded measuring spoons though).

I love this book for it’s illustrations and my fond memories of making (and eating) many of the wonderful recipes. Also, for the brownie recipe.

The Tassajara Bread Book

The Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown was my one and only introduction to baking bread. My mom gave it to me when I was 14 or 15 and it’s continued to be my reference book. It has incredibly detailed instructions to get you started with a simple yeast bread and many other variations and recipes to keep you going after that.

I love this book because it’s how I learned to bake my own bread and because the author’s warmth and earthy passion for baking really shine through.

Nom Nom Paleo

Nom Nom Paleo by Michelle Tam and Henry Fong is a gorgeous book with lots of pictures and entertaining cartoons. Plus it even has some great paleo recipes. Even if you’re not a paleo eater, it’s a wonderful cookbook filled with flavorful awesome recipes like Magic Mushroom Powder.

The website by the same name (nomnompaleo.com) also has tons of great recipes. My favorite this month has been Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas with Avocado Crema. These are ridiculously awesome. Even Toddler B seems to agree… sort of. He won’t eat the onions or bell peppers but will devour the chicken pieces.

Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation

Cooked by Michael Pollan is an amazing read. Actually, I borrowed the audio-book version from my library on the Overdrive app and it was wonderful listening to it in the car. (This being the only one of these books I don’t own, I have no pictures for it.)

The book is divided into four sections with the themes of fire (grilling pigs), water (cooking with liquid), air (baking bread) and earth (fermenting things like cheese and beer). He finds experts for each of these areas to teach him the ropes.

He also forays into things like the history, chemistry, politics, and mass-production of food. It was clear that Pollan had exhaustively lived and researched what he was writing about. I’m the sort of reader that is just curious about everything, so I really enjoyed all of the details and his various tangents.

I loved this book for it’s depth in exploring the topics covered and for the desire it sparked in me to be more hands-on with my food. Sometimes cooking can feel like just a chore, but this book is a reminder that it can also be something really special.

Well Fed

Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan is another fantastic paleo cookbook that I’d recommend even if you’re not paleo. The pictures are wonderful, she includes lots of options for variations on the recipes and her love of different flavors really shines through.

The recipe for sausage seasoning which turns plain ground turkey into a savory delicious food and spices up breakfast is one of my favorites. (This can be very important if eating paleo or doing a Whole30 when eggs for breakfast are just getting really old.)

I also love her Chocolate Chili recipe. The Meatza Pie is delicious and the Cocoa-Toasted Cauliflower was surprisingly good (not that I didn’t expect her recipe to be good- just that cauliflower strikes me as a washed-out version of broccoli both when it comes to color and to flavor).

Mostly, I love the attitude towards food and all the suggestions for experimenting and trying different options.

It Starts With Food

It Starts With Food by Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig is the original book behind the Whole30. It goes into the science of why some foods are good for us and others aren’t. It makes it so clear why the low-fat calorie-counting method of dieting doesn’t work.

One of my key take-aways from this book was a better understanding of how certain foods affect our hormones (such as insulin and leptin) and these in turn affect energy levels, blood sugar levels, fat storage and the ability to burn fat for energy.

It has lots of sciency bits, but they do a good job of breaking it down to be accessible to anybody. I’m the sort of person that if I see the word ‘sciencey’ I’m ready to dive in. If you’re the sort of person that sees it and wants to run the other way, don’t worry. This book explains things so they’ll make sense.

Another key take-away for me was understanding how some foods can cause general inflammation in the body leading to symptoms like achy joints and acne. Even foods that one isn’t necessarily allergic to can cause problems to the immune system.

After going through the things you shouldn’t be eating and why, it goes through the things you should be eating. Then it covers the Whole30 guidelines and discusses putting all of the theory into practice with a few sample recipes.

It also led me to try the Whole30 twice now, which has had a big impact on my dietary habits. I really did see some amazing results. The big things I noticed on my last one were more consistent energy, not feeling like I was ABSOLUTELY STARVING when I was hungry, my acne totally disappearing, and losing almost 10 pounds.

One of the amazing things about that last point is that there is no calorie restriction (or even calorie counting). I ate tons of food. But EVERY SINGLE bite was nutrient-dense, real food: meat, eggs, seafood, tons of vegetables, healthy fats and a little fruit. To me, it really does prove that when food causes a healthy hormonal response, it becomes so much easier for the body to lose fat.

You can read more about my personal Whole30 experience here.

What are your favorite food books? Let me know in the comments.

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I just finished reading Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin and it turned out to be a very interesting read. I find habits to be a fascinating topic because they have such an impact on our lives.

What I really loved about this book was how it acknowledged that different ways of making habits work for different people.  Rubin talks about many different strategies for making habits stick while keeping a continual focus on the fact that some of these strategies will work for some personality types and not others.  This is a refreshing take compared to the many things on habits that are written by somebody that found something that worked for them and thus assumes that technique must be the best one for everybody out there.

This really helped me to consider precisely why I sometimes struggle with some of the techniques that others seem to find useful.  For example it mentioned how some people have an easier time with 30 day challenges because the newness and excitement of it gets them psyched up.  Other people are “finishers” that really want to stick to something.  (This really made something click for me because while I really like to stick to things and finish them, I find the idea of 30 day challenges to be energizing.  Sometimes I struggle with the guilt of getting into something for a relatively short period but not sticking to it but maybe I could leverage aspects of that trait to my benefit.)  Or some people do great if they are accountable to somebody else for something and other people don’t need that.  It has made me ponder the need to both make habits that work for me and to find ways of making those habits stick that work for me.

There are a lot of references in this book to four categories of people as far as what motivates them to keep habits and commitments.  I found it to be a useful framework as far as identifying that different things may work for different people, but couldn’t put myself into just one of the categories and think that I have aspects of a couple of them.  I also think that what strategies work for me varies from one habit to the next.

This book has made me examine my own habits- ones I currently have, ones I have had and have somehow lost and ones I might like to develop.  It was definitely worth reading.

View Better Than Before on Amazon.  I also really enjoyed The Happiness Project also by Gretchen Rubin.  You can read my post on it here.

(I participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I only link to the few products that I would recommend anyway.)

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Leo Buscaglia is known for his books on love.  Seven Stories of Christmas Love is a quick, heart-warming read that will remind you of the real meaning of Christmas and perhaps refresh your soul a little if you’re feeling a bit of the stress of the season- shopping, cooking, commercialism, and crowds.

My mom gave me this book a few years ago for… well, for Christmas of course.

In this book, Buscaglia shares a few stories from his life- a few from his childhood, a couple from his time as an elementary school teacher, and one from when he was in the hospital after a massive heart attack.  Each story is told such that it feels almost like you are there in the memory yourself.  There are obvious ‘lessons’ to the stories about love, but mostly the stories convey the lessons: they’re not over-done.  There are many humorous moments in the stories and each is enjoyable to read.

Bottom line: this book is well-written, quick and enjoyable to read, and reminds one of the meaning of Christmas and life in general.

View Seven Stories of Christmas Love on Amazon.  This is the only Buscaglia book that I’ve read, but I’ve heard good things about Love: What Life is All About and in fact just got it in the mail from Amazon this morning.  So, if it turns out to be a great book, I’ll report back on it later.

(I participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I only link to the few products that I would recommend anyway.)

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I was browsing my book shelf, looking through all of the good books which didn’t quite seem good enough to be considered a Best Book, when I noticed one of my Calvin and Hobbes books sitting on the shelf.

Now, I would highly recommend any Calvin and Hobbes book, but this one is a particular favorite of mine.  My dad bought it for me for Christmas when I was very young and then he’d read a few pages of it for bedtime story.  For me Calvin and Hobbes is connected with other feel-good memories too.  Beyond those warm feelings of nostalgia I can still open it up to any random page for a smile or laugh.

Calvin an Hobbes is lovable for Calvin’s endless ability to entertain himself with his imagination (with Hobbes’ help of course), his interactions with his parents, baby-sitter, the kids at school and let’s not forget Suzie- all combined with the strip’s social commentary.

Recently I’ve been thinking about the role of fun and humor in my life and blog.  Now, we all like to have fun and we like to laugh.  And yet, do we really do it enough?  How easy is it to be serious and to not take the time to be silly?  Laughter seems like the sort of thing that should happen impulsively and naturally.  Sometimes it does.  But sometimes, maybe we need to try to bring a little more laughter into our lives.  This is certainly something I could bear to focus on a little more.  (I do have a sense of humor, but I consider it to kind of be on the dry side. That care-free sort of silliness some people seem to find so easy is harder for me.)

If you’re looking for a good laugh(and we all need more of those), think about picking up a Calvin and Hobbes book.  Or if you had another favorite cartoon as a child get one of those books and spend a few moments reading cartoons.  Take the time to do something that will make you laugh.  Make it a point to bring just a little lighthearted fun into your life.

View The Calvin and Hobbes: Tenth Anniversary Book on Amazon.  Of if you’re feeling a bit more splurgy, consider the Complete Calvin and Hobbes Box Set.  (OK, I gotta admit, I don’t have the box set and I have a policy not to post links for things I don’t have and love.  But I totally believe you can’t go wrong with Calvin and Hobbes and this is sitting in my Amazon cart as I drool over it.)

(I participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I only link to the few products that I would recommend anyway.)

What was your favorite comic strip as a kid (or adult)?  Share in the comments below!

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The Language of Letting Go is a book of daily reflections.  It is gentle, encouraging, and kind.  Topics vary from having fun, setting boundaries, accomplishing goals, and of course lots of letting go: letting go of fear, letting go of worry, letting go of anxiety, and letting go of attempts to control others or the world.  It is packed with wisdom for living life and is one of my very favorite books.

I have read through this book a few times- reading the day’s entry each day throughout the year.  I don’t know what first attracted me to it when I picked it up at a book store in Oklahoma, but I liked the book.  Later I realized that Melody Beattie is famous for books for codependents.  Codependent was a term originally used to describe those affected by alcoholic or addicted loved ones, but is also now inclusive of those affected by people with other problems like gambling, etc.  Don’t let that scare you away from this book.  It’s a great book for codependents and non-codependents alike.

Sometimes codependency can also be used to describe the tendency to focus on others rather than ourselves, and not in a positive way.  “If only he did this, then I’d be happy.”  “I can’t believe what she did yesterday!”  Codependent or not, I think most of us can get caught up in those sorts of thoughts on occasion.  Some of the readings in “The Language of Letting Go” provide gentle reminders that we can’t make others do what we want, but we can focus on the things we should be doing.

Other readings include topics like being patient with ourselves, being direct in our communications with others, asking for help, listening to our feelings, identifying the things we want or need and a whole lot of other goodness.  Starting the day with one of Melody’s readings always helps me feel like I’m getting my mind in the right spot for the day ahead.

View The Language of Letting Go on Amazon.    And if you want more, you can view the second volume, More Language of Letting Go for lots more goodness.

(I participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I only link to the few products that I would recommend anyway.)

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While thinking about the Best Books series, I asked myself, “What books have really changed my life?”  The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo came to mind and not because the title promised it would be life-changing.

I bought this book about a year and a half ago when it came up as a popular title on Amazon.  Sometimes, I don’t like to like things that are popular, but this book really made a difference to me so I wanted to share about it.

Marie Kondo writes in detail about how and why to discard excess clutter.  She writes about keeping the items that make us feel joy and discarding the rest.  Reading this motivated me to start the process of discarding excess stuff.

I followed her instructions for a couple of categories of things including my somewhat large book collection.  I then donated about 40% of my books to the thrift store in one go.  I didn’t follow her instructions exactly when clearing out a lot of other clutter, but her book changed how I was thinking about my stuff and really influenced the fact that I have gotten rid of a lot of stuff.

Of course, reading a book only changes your life if you take action on the things you learn from it.  This book inspired me to take action and that really has changed things for me.  Having a cleaner, less-cluttered house makes me feel calmer and more at peace at home.  My life really is better with less.

If you are interested in learning more, you can visit Marie Kondo’s website or view The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up on Amazon.

(I participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I only link to the few products that I would recommend anyway.)

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The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin is a great book.  When I decided to start the Best Books series, The Happiness Project immediately came to mind.  First off, it deals with a great topic- happiness.  Pretty much all of us just want to be happy, but how much time do we really spend working with that specific goal in mind?

Gretchen Rubin decided to take a year to really work on being happy.  She listed 11 areas she could work on to improve her happiness and spent a month focusing on each one and then dedicated the last month to practicing them all.  I think that sort of project is a brilliant idea. The book details her experience throughout the journey and also has a lot of interesting facts about happiness thrown in from her research.

The writing style is enjoyable and easy-to-read.  Many scenes are light-hearted and funny.  It’s the sort of book that makes you want to just keep reading page after page.

I found many of the things she tried to be inspirational and wanted to apply them to my own life.  It made me think about the little things I could to do be happier.  There was a lot I could relate to, including a part about not liking some things she wished she liked.  I even wrote a post on that same topic when I was in Chicago wishing that I liked big cities.

I think anybody could get something out of this book because we all want to be happier.  It’s enjoyable to read, well-written, inspirational and informative.  What more could one ask for from a book?

Want to know more?  Visit Gretchen Rubin’s website or view The Happiness Project on Amazon.

(I participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I only link to the few products that I would recommend anyway.)

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Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

(This link will take you to where you can purchase this book on Amazon.  I participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I only link to the few products that I would recommend anyway.)

Bird by Bird is a simply amazing book.  Anne Lammott had me hooked as soon as I started reading.  Her writing style is amazing- humorous, witty, and sarcastic, but at the same time heart-felt, generous and kind.  She could probably write about anything and have me hooked with her word choice and very unique voice.

The book covers her suggestions for writers, and is just such a joy to read because of her style.  I would definitely recommend it to any writers out there but also feel many non-writers, especially avid readers, would enjoy it as well.  Some of the advice is applicable to things other than writing as well.

Bird by Bird includes technical advice on writing including things like sitting down and just getting writing done, character and plot development, and finding writing groups.  Anne Lammott also discusses reasons to write, the emotional impact of it and things like dealing with jealousy when your friend who doesn’t write nearly as well as you gets published before you.

The advice is amazing and heartfelt and made me feel motivated to want to write.  That said, the number one reason why I would recommend this book is that I loved the writing style.  I definitely have plans to read more books by Anne Lammott in the near future.

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