What to Read (and eat)

September book recommendations + the lunch I eat almost every day

I read some great books in September:

1. The Trouble With Heroes by Kate Messner: library book. From my Instagram review: Finn’s hero dad is gone and Finn is about to fail seventh grade, AND, he was caught on camera kicking over “some old lady’s headstone.” Charges will be dropped if Finn agrees to climb all six Adirondack High Peaks in a single summer. Oh, and he has to bring along the dead woman’s dog.
   
   Misadventures, mud, and unexpected mentors will help Finn find his way. There’s also this terrific theme: when life feels heavy and you’ve been climbing and hanging on for so long - the mountains are there, mighty and silent. They patiently wait for us to find them…and eventually, ourselves. I loved this book!)

2. My Friends by Fredrik Backman: free Libby audio app. I actually didn’t love the story but I really marvel over Backman’s writing and the way he can always insert big life truths into fiction; he is a master of writing character, ie people!)

3. A Good Marriage by Stephen King: free Hoopla audio app. A random pick and horror is usually not my thing but this was more mystery/psychological thriller with a horrifying discovery and I could not stop listening. It drew me in IMMEDIATELY. Stephen King is such a terrific and gifted storyteller.

4. Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green: library book. Could only John Green make tuberculosis fascinating? THIS BOOK IS! Once a romanticized malady of poets and beautiful wan women, it’s now a curable disease of the impoverished - yet it persists around the world. Read it. It’s terrific and I feel called to action…

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Writers Need to Eat

I eat this almost every day for lunch:

Fruit - Yogurt - Granola

It’s nothing revolutionary, but I’m going to preach. Start with a pretty bowl and low-fat Greek yogurt to pack the protein. I’ve switched to lower fat because I’m hitting the fat content in my other foods (otherwise, full fat is a great idea). Then rotate whatever produce is in season, with preferably two fruits, so you don’t get bored.

Apples in the fall (so many varieties!)

Cantaloupe and blood oranges in the winter (I don’t combine these two; they’re great alone)

Grapes and more apples in the spring

Blueberries, strawberries, peaches (skinned!), nectarines, and pluots all summer

We’re so spoiled that we can get most of these fruits year round, but in season and local always tastes best. Berries have low glycemic index and @Mary

Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD

told me to eat them so I do.

Top with homemade granola (flavored with honey or maple syrup, no white sugar) that’s packed with nuts, seeds, and unsweetened coconut. That’s it! My children make fun of me for eating this so often but I just really like it. It’s a super simple, high-protein and nutrient healthy, so tasty, and gives big energy. No mid-afternoon slump - and we writers need the non-slump brain food, right?

Your turn. What are you reading - and eating?

Amy 💖

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The Last Part:

Listening: Three different interviews with Elizabeth Gilbert (Rich Roll, Oprah, Fresh Air) about her new memoir. I’m a big Gilbert fan but I find myself both irritated and drawn in by this latest book. Thoughts?

Coaching: I’m back on the soccer field with my high school girl’s squad and I LOVE IT. Me and my coaching buddy got matching OG Samba shoes and we feel so cool.

is it the coolest or what?!?! SWAGGY!

Painting: Nothing. But I’m writing with my Lamy Safari pen that

Nishant Jain

recommended - and HEY HE HAS HIS FIRST BOOK COMING OUT! GET IT!

Writing: Still working through my gothic romance…last week a python appeared whut?!? (and I really don’t like snakes; but it has a good name).

xoxo

The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair is part-mystery, part understanding of the human heart 💖

Ten Thousand Tries is Golden’s quest to save his dad and the soccer team ⚽

The McNifficents is one summer with six rambunctious kids and their miniature-schnauzer nanny 🐕 New Hampshire’s 2024 Great Reads for Kids selection!