The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

I did love The Secret Life of Bees, and recall somewhat poorly that the book was about a girl learning more about her mother who had long gone in some fashion.  When I read what this book was about, I found out that it sounded like it would be along the same lines, but instead of the house and beekeepers, it would be about some chair of some kind.  Instead the book read more interestingly, allowing for different perspectives, more angles, more drama, and yet still was provoking in a sense.  Basically a grown woman finds out that her mother has finally gone over the top (cutting off a finger with a cleaver) and rushes out to the island on which she lives to check and figure the mother out.  Of course she falls in love with someone who is not her husband… and on and on in the way you could imagine.  But it’s good, well written, and I just had to finish it this morning.  That good, huh?  Indeed.

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

I had to Link+ to get this book meaning that it was borrowed from another school in California, limiting my reading time. It had to be returned before I left for Chicago, and thus was only half way finished. Since I do have the audiobook on the computer I'm hoping to finish it up that way, becuase it really was enrapturing and deserves a fighting and finishing chance.

I remember Anna reading the book and saying how gross it was, making her hate fast food more than she even did before. I only read half, however, and noted not too many gross things. Unjust and strange things perhaps, but nothing to upset my stomach thus far. I've read about the origins of the majority of the fast food restaurants, the workers, how the companies are in cohoots with the government as far as law making concerning them goes, about potatoes, about the flavouring for all of the processed foods (which lose their flavour, and thus need the extra drop or so made in a factory), and just about made it up to cows and the beef.

I found the book to be wholly fascinating, and am glad to have taken it up and in. A side note that I found to be ironic: one of the associations doing things for the fast food corporations is called the National Restaurant Association, nothing too strange -- except the letters spell NRA, reminding me of the other organization with the same name... I mean all people have their own thoughts on the organization dealing with guns, but it just clicked to me. hmm....