Your Personal Paleo Code:

Your Personal Paleo Code By: Chris Kresser
Non-fiction: food/cooking, diet 392 pages
Book Count: 21

I read this book because it was the only Paleo-Primal book that the library also had on audio book, as I read it in the hopes that someone that only "reads" audio books would like it, but although it did have a lot of useful information in it, at the start it is too strict for them.  So this book wouldn't be my first choice for someone interested in this diet.  It would; however, be great for someone that has already started the diet and wanted to adjust the diet for their own body, medical conditions and likes.

Best of Grain Free Meal Plans, Vol 1:

Best of Grain Free Meal Plans, Vol 1 by: Cara Faus
Non-fiction: Cooking/food, E-book


This book is clearly written as a Paleo (or similar diet)  cookbook and not just for people with gluten issues.  As such it has non-dairy options for most times that dairy is used.  It does use fermented dairy, which  many lactose intolerant people can still eat.  And it even has a section on how to make many different fermented foods; as well as breakfast, lunch, dinners, snacks and desserts.  The recipes look good, but a number of them I have seen elsewhere, also the e-book has some formatting issues so a number of recipes are jumbled up.

Pope John XXIII : The Good Pope

Pope John XXIII : The Good Pope By: Wyatt North
Non-Fiction: E-book, History, Biography

This book is a  biography of Pope John XXIII, who by the time that this post is published will be officially a saint.  This book goes over his life before he was pope, how unexpected his papacy was, how he was sainted without the customary number of miracles and how his papacy and Francis's have many similarities.  It also includes the first 2 chapters on the same author's book on Pope Francis.  Some of the similarities between the two popes: unusual name choices with questions on numbering (there was an anti-pope called John XXIII, and no one had taken the name John since him),  they were older when elected,  they are/were known as more pastoral popes and visit(ed) the poor, sick and imprisoned, they have appointed a diverse mix of cardinals, and many other things.

Simon's Cat:

Simon's Cat by: Simon Tofield

Non-fiction: Cartoon, humor 240 pages 

Book Count: 20

This book is a collection of the Simon's cat comics that are popular around the Internet.  Some are part of larger arcs in the book and some are just of a cat acting like a cat. 

Why We Get Fat:

Why We Get Fat: and What to do About it by: Gary Taubes
Non-fiction: food, science 225 pages
Book Count: 19

First, a list of things that I ate while reading this book that conventional wisdom would say is bad for weight loss: bacon, McDonald's cheeseburgers (sans bun and ketchup), full fat cheese, coffee with whipping cream in it, veggies cooked in bacon grease, and something called a fat bomb.  Weight lost when reading this -0, but I lost a pound the day after I finished it.

This book is mostly a easier to read and shorter version of Good Calories. Bad Calories.  It is much less detailed in all the science involved and more about how you can use this information.  Also as it was written after the other book, there was a major study that included a comparison of 4 diets: Atkins, LEARN (a traditional diet), Ornish, and the Zone.  This was called the A TO Z Weight Loss Study and it found that the low carb Atkins diet had the most weight loss and the greatest reduction in triglycerides and blood pressure.   

The Elements of F*cking Style:

The Elements of F*cking Style: a helpful parody By: Chris Baker and Jacob Hansen
Non-fiction: writing, humor, NYR, 86 pages
Book Count:18

Eighteen books and four months and I am finally onto one of my NYR books. (remember my new year's resolution post on reading books I own?)  For other people that have studied writing you might notice that this book title is much like that of THE BOOK to read to learn all the details of proper written grammar. And this book has the same goal as the original, only it's much, much shorter and full of sex and drugs and rock and roll (and so many swears.) In short it is transgressional non-fiction. (Transgressional fiction is the genre of books that things like Fight Club fall into. They deal with breaking free of societal norms and often deal with taboo subject matter.)  So it is somewhat ironic that a book on the rules of writing uses a anti-rules format to teach them in; however, which can you name, the first two rules of fight club or what a gerund is? I know some of you can answer both, but I bet you didn't have to think about one at all.  This is why the authors picked the way of writing they did, so maybe you remember some of these rules and not just fall asleep trying to read it.

Also, although this should go without saying do not give this book to your grandmother or a five year old, unless your grandmother is a very unusual little old lady.

Paleoista:

Paleoista : Gain Energy, Get Lean, and Fell Fabulous with the Diet You Were Born to Eat By: Nell Stephenson
Non-Fiction: Food/Cooking 257 pages
Book Count: 17

First, I am glad that this wasn't the first book on the Paleo diet that I read.  As if it was I would never be interested in it.  The author insists that the Paleo diet is not in fact low carb, but that you eat almost the same amount of carbs as the standard American diet.  And also that the fat and protein amounts aren't that different either.  She then sticks fruit in most everything to up the carb count and insists on lean meats as well.  Also for some reason she hates salt, not the added salt in pre-made and canned food, but all salt.  So the only people that are allowed a pinch of salt on any of their food is pro level athletes. (as salt is an important electorite that you need and loose during exercise.[Which is true for everyone and not just people working out for hours a day, who need a lot more then a pinch of salt with dinner.]) Which might have you thinking, so what I'll just add a pinch of salt to my food so it tastes good, well her answer to that is that if you ever eat even a bite of non-Paleo food you have complexly ruined your entire diet. She also makes random comments about how this or that is horrible and not food with out explaining why, (even with foods that other Paleo writers are fine with.)
Now there are some good bits in the book.  As you get into the book she does talk about what fruits are lower GI and talks about eating more lower GI foods than high ones.  She also includes information on other books on the Paleo diet that have more information in them. And she has stories of women that went Paleo peppered throughout the book, that are more realist then the rest of the book.
In short, I wouldn't recommend this book to any of my friends that want to know more about my diet.

Coffee with Jesus:

Coffee with Jesus By: David Wilkie
Non-fiction: Religion 118 pages
Book Count: 16

This book is a collection of the popular Internet comics called Coffee with Jesus.  Along with the comic strips there are short bios on the characters having coffee with Jesus and a set of questions at the end.