Am I Misled for Loving Chick Lit?

My gosh, I wish I had written this post that I found on Galley Cat. I had sometime ago read Maureen Dowd's dismissal of chicklit. However, as much as I like her articles, this one went into my mental junk pile. Trash in/Trash out.

And now I find this post on Galley that refutes the dismissal of commercialized women's literature. Just yesterday, I was very self-satisfied with my choices in books - if I may say so myself.

As I stepped into my Dr's office elevator, I noticed a woman reading a hard cover book with the paper cover missing. I tried really hard to see what she is reading but alas could not see the title. I let her get out of the elevator before me and I trailed behind her trying to read the name of the book from over her shoulder to no avail.

Then I thought what if she is reading a romance and doesn't want anyone to know that's what she is reading. After all there is a stigma attached to that kind of a genre. Some still call it bodice ripper... yes, they do. Don't deny it! Any many women, thanks to the kind of thought perpetuated by Ms. Dowd deny reading women's Lit.

So what was I saying... oh yes... being personally self-satisfied. A pleasure rippled through me (yes, the pleasure actually rippled through me) as I thought hey just as I don't hide my copy of "The Inheritance of Loss" - a book I'm currently reading which won the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award in 2007 - If I were reading one my romances I wouldn't be hiding that book either. Hence the self satisfaction and the happiness I have in my life by being free to chose the books I want to read without fear of censure. By not paying heed to what the critics say.

If people knew what they were missing there wouldn't be any criticism. I've read enough to know that many of the romances I have read are by far better than some of the "acceptable" fiction out there. The prose and plot of many of the romances I've read are so satisfactory that it really makes me sad/upset/angry that people can so easily dismiss these books as simply fluffy. Some of them may be but many are really really good books.

Anyhow, I'm rambling on for the full post dismissing Ms. Dowd's assertions go to: Why Does Maureen Dowd Hate Popular Women? on the Galley Cat.

Rozina: A 17 Year Old Living in Athens

Gazment Kapllani documents the experience of immigrants living in Athens. The following is ths story of Rozina. A 17 year old young woman who is now living in Athens. One of the most diverse cities in southern Europe. Kapplani has also written about other experiences such as those from Afganistan and Vietnam.

An Athenian Story…from Iran

I found the article on "Words Without Borders." The online magazine for international literature.

October - the month of many books!

This has been a great month for me reading-wise. I've read:

- The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (Extremely sad book - I felt as if I know him and share his pain. RIP)
- The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson (SOOO awesome!)
- A Lady of Persuasion by Tessa Dare (New Romance writer. I think I'm going to like her!)
- The Elegance of the Hedgehog (surprisingly good and very french with a surpising ending!)

Currently Reading:
- Her Fearful Symmetry: A Novel by Audrey Niffenegger - Preparing myself for a creepy book!
- The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
- Mattimeo by Brian Jacques (very cute but a little harsh for little ones - still my son likes it)

Healthy Foods

Back in May of this year, I started taking Dr. Oz's advice on only eating food that the first 5 ingredients did not contain sugar. I didn't have time to read Dr. Oz's huge book called "You on a Diet." But by watching him in interviews, I knew this is a point he stresses in his book. So I decided to act on it.

I even went a step further and tried to eliminate all High Fructose Corn Syrup from my diet. I began to increasingly see articles on how terrible this ingredient is and even read theories of how obesity in the US grew exponentially in the 80's when this ingredient became mainstream. HFCS is responsible for making you more hungry. I sure didn't need to feel that way. I believe the only thing I eat right now that has a small amount of HFCS is my favorite yogurt.

As a result I have lost over 10 very stubborn pounds that I had been struggling with for years. After the first five pounds, I was able to reduce my caloric intake and the loss itself motivated me to exercise by doing Pilates and Latin Fusion Dance (yea! Andale! Baile muy rico!) As a result I am feeling a lot better about myself and I have a ton of energy.

So, whenever Dr. Oz speaks, the Sepster listens. One of my favorite things that Dr. Oz says is to live your life with vitality. I think that is such a great advice. Just thinking about it makes me happy.

This week Health.com has an article on Dr. Oz's favorite foods and here they are:

Almonds: According to Dr. Oz they are “The best snack of all, because nuts are high in fiber and protein, they’ll satiate you so you’ll never be hungry." My problem with that is I can't eat just a few but I do love Almonds.

Broccoli: At my house we LOVE this vegetable. For me started when my very young cousin was fighting cancer and he'd have broccoli by the bowl. It was one of the things that helped him fight his disease and since then I make sure I have lots and lots of broccoli. We steamed them so they are still crunchy and have lots of flavor. I'm thrilled that one of my 10 year old's favorite veggies is Broccoli.

Coffee and Green Tea: According to Dr. Oz “Coffee is the number-one source of disease-fighting antioxidants in our society." However, drinking Green Tea gives you the same benefits but for a lot less caffeine.

Eggs: I stick with Egg whites and they are so delicious...

Oatmeal: No comment... I usually don't bother with this food.

Low Fat Greek Yogurt: Need to check into this one

Fresh fruit: “The sugar in fruit is naturally occurring, meaning it’s not man-made or artificially added, which makes it the healthiest sugar out there,” Dr. Oz says. And unlike processed fruit products, like juice or fruit chews, a hunk of apple or slice of orange contains filling fiber.

Dark chocolate: Look for dark chocolate that contains 70 percent cocoa.

Curly Hair: Tougher than you think...

Good tips on how to take care of your curly hair and making it frizz-free.

Surprising tools you'll need:

• Paper Towel
• Refrigerater
• Flat clips

http://gblsharing.app.aol.com/pop-up/

Remember the time...?

Ok, ok, I'm with many of you tired of the Michael Jackson news overload. But I couldn't help enjoy the legacy he left behind with his fashion. It's interesting that in all the pictures in Harper's Bazaar it is a white british blond female that is portraying Jackson's various looks.

Slide Show: Top Healthiest Brands

From Businessweek: August 3, 2009

Who Do Consumers Trust?
By Tara Kalwarski

A company's worth is rarely equal to the sum of its assets. In fact, most corporations hold intangible value. An important case in point: brand image. Research shows that brand power can account for as much as 10% of the change in a company's stock price—up or down. The past year has made all too clear that a company's image is no guarantee of future performance. The following publicly traded brands are the "healthiest" right now, as measured by ("YouGov's BrandIndex"), which tracks consumers' perceptions across six categories by polling 5,000 people each weekday. YouGov, a polling firm, scores each category from -100 to +100, then averages the grades for each company to come up with its BrandIndex score.

Slide show