What I’ve read lately is referring to books of course, however it feels a little disingenuous because 3 out of 4 of these have been audiobooks. It’s really the only way I’d get any reading done outside of read aloud time with the kids. I listen on long road trips, while walking Finley, or sometimes when I’m making dinner or folding laundry.

While I’m seriously slacking on a couple of my 2022 goals, I’m chipping away at my “read 15 books” goal quite well. Check out the other books I’ve read and recommend here. Ok, let’s Go- here are my two cents and ratings on the four books I’ve read lately.

Unlocking The Keto Code by Dr. Gundry

From Amazon: In Unlocking the Keto Code, Dr. Gundry reveals the biological mechanism that makes keto diets so successful: a cellular process known as “mitochondrial uncoupling.” As it turns out, ketones are not the magical fuel source they’ve been made out to be; in fact, the body cannot run on ketones and fats alone. Over the long term, a very low carb-diet can lead to muscle wasting and poor cognitive health.

I chose this book after having it recommended on a health podcast. It was a quick listen (6 hours and 12 minutes). I appreciated his simple metaphor comparing mitochondria to a night club. While it sounds silly, it did help simplify the science and explain what he means by the importance of mitochondrial uncoupling and its impact on our health.

The book details the history of the ketogenic diet and why so many people trying to implement it today have in consistent results and are not helping their health in their attempts. I appreciated the detailing of what to do instead of just not what not to do, which includes recommendations like dietary fiber, fermented foods, MCT fats, hot and cold temperatures and more. Rating 3.5/5.

12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson

From Amazon: What does everyone in the modern world need to know? Renowned psychologist Jordan B. Peterson’s answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research.

Humorous, surprising, and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street.

I’ve been listening to this book for months and months despite it’s 15 hour and 40 minute audiobook length. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I found myself needing to be in a certain mood or mental state to want to listen, and sometimes having to go back and listen to parts again. Jordan Peterson is long-winded at times as he goes into detailed science, history, theology, mythology, personal stories, and more while sharing his 12 rules for life.

Beyond that critique, I found myself nodding along with his life rules, many reminding me of the straight-shooting advice my dad would have offered his clients or me. Don’t expect soft and gentle encouragement of “you’re doing just fine,’ or someone telling you want to hear. Some of his truths for successful living are tough pills to swallow. He is direct yet compassionate in detailing our common humanity, our struggles, our capacity for evil as well as good, and paths we can take to bettering our time spent on earth.

I see how this book has ruffled some feathers, it did mine at times, too. But if you’re willing to wrestle with tough love and are on a genuine path to self improvement, I recommend it. Above all, it highlights the power of honesty with others and ourselves, and can put us on a path to deeper contentment. Rating 4.5/5.

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

From Amazon: Number-one New York Times Best Seller Discover the life-changing memoir that has inspired millions of readers through the Academy Award-winning actor’s unflinching honesty, unconventional wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.

This was a surprisingly delightful listen! I’m not sure what I expected, but for 6 hours and 42 minutes I was thoroughly entertained by McConaughey’s unapologetic openness. I laughed out loud at points, raised my eyebrows in surprise at others, and enjoyed learning about his life that he shares so candidly. It’s more than just a story of his life though, it pulls out threads of common humanity and emotional experiences that we all can relate to in our own ways.

He offers bits of life advice/reflections along the way and encourages us to find our own “greenlights” through life. It’s not deep, but it’s enjoyable and highly entertaining. Rating 4/5.

Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast by Ken Forkish

From Amazon: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From Portland’s most acclaimed and beloved baker comes this must-have baking guide, featuring recipes for world-class breads and pizzas and a variety of schedules suited for the home baker.

I picked this up from the library in an attempt to create a successful sourdough starter on my own after plenty of failures. And what do you know, success on my first try! I loved the detail it goes into from gram measurement, to water and dough temperatures, aromas, and more. I would recommend this book for just the how to get a starter going section alone. I will say, it does use a lot of flour, and I wonder if it can be accomplished with less waste, but it nails the process and I can’t argue with success.

I’ve only tried one bread recipe, a pure levain recipe. I made two dough batches, four loaves, and had varying success. Some rose beautifully, and another fell completely flat, but ALL were absolutely delicious. The bread had a much deeper flavor than loaves I’ve made in the past and could have passed for loaves purchased at a legit bakery. I was super proud of myself and fully credit the detailed instructions.

I’m on the fence on purchasing it myself; I am going to give another recipe or two a try, but if you want to get into the sourdough world, I highly recommend picking this up from the library to get going. Also, his tip to purchase a 12 qt and 6 qt plastic tub to mix levain and dough in was another game changer for me. It makes the process so much easier! Rating: 4/5.