Review 668: Snack

Snack by Eurie Dahn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Who doesn’t love snacks? This book explores the topic, but by no means exhaustive as there can be much said about snacks. The snack food category has become an explosion in recent years. Dahn provides some of the early history, such as the legend of the first potato chip in 1853, although it really isn’t the first.

Confusion around history of snacks continues with the first chapter discussing Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. There is some discrepancy on who invented this flavorful snack. Invented by Richard Montañez who rose in the Frito-Lay plant from janitor to manager? Or was it a bunch of scientists in a lab looking for a new flavor?

The second chapter was about snacks for children, which went a bit long, while the third chapter is an extremely short, labeled “Fruits and Vegetables” and Dahn says she will not discuss even though there are foods here that qualify as snacks. I loved that.

“Guilty Pleasures” discusses the ramifications of diet culture and who can be seen as eating snacks in public. And the last chapter is “Chocolate and Dried Squid” which discuss more of Dahn’s favorite snacks. Her ethnic snacks come up frequently in the book.

The blend of Dahn’s own history and experience of snacks growing up, to what she gives to her kids, was well meshed in with the history and culture aspect of snacks. The book was slightly fun, which is how snacks are often, or at least portrayed. And it left me wanting more.


Thanks to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 667: Doctors Cry Too!

Doctors Cry Too!: Essays from the Heart of a Physician by Frank H. Boehm
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

The author co-writes a column for his local newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee related to being a doctor. This book is a compilation of some of the essays that appeared there that he wrote. Each essay is fairly short, only takes a couple of minutes of reading. The grouping of the essays is into four sections, with the last the longest part of the book, titled “A Personal Point of View”, however, all of the essays could fall into that category.

The book is somewhat dated, since the essays were written mostly in the late 1990s. Medical advancements and understanding the human body have improved since then, making some of the advice not accurate any longer. But for the most part what he says, such as living life the fullest, is always good advice.

Many of the essays are personal, discussing his family and friends, as well as his own life. The book was okay, very heartfelt from the author, but not too sure how much I truly got out of the book. If it was a longer book not sure I would have read it entirely.

Review 666: An Extraordinary Union

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm not a romance fan...if you are, this book may work for you. 

Review 665: Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A retelling of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth told from the wife. This was a vastly different version, the characters are reinvented. The book was quite dark, yet the language for the most part did evoke an older time.

Roscilla/Roscille/Lady Macbeth is a hagseed, born with a witch curse, who makes men mad when they stare into her eyes. Thus her father placed a veil over her so as to protect men. Roscille is a teenager married off from her uncaring father to a brutish, overly large Scotsman – Thane of Glammis. He keeps three witches down below in the ocean water beneath the castle, they tell him the prophecies.

There are similarities to the original play, but the core, so much was not. Places are even spelled differently. It makes one wonder why not write anew and not be tied to, compared to the play. I think the book would have been stronger that way. Although, still, the main character was not drawn consistently.

I’m on the fence how to rate this, comparing to the original as a retelling I would rate it low. On its own a bit better, so I’m placing it in the middle with 3 stars.

Review 664: The Overhaul

The Overhaul by Kathleen Jamie
My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars

Quite enjoyed most of these poems. They are descriptive, mainly of nature. A few were in what I took to be Gaelic, were the most difficult to follow. Not sure I fully understood those ones. I read this fairly quickly, as it's a short book, but likely better if read slowly to savor the imagery.