Barre with Justine

Many of the books I’ve read over the last few weeks have been very detailed works on aromatherapy. I am nearly through the course work in my Clinical Aromatherapy certificate and excited to be diving deeper into case studies and working on my face oil for my final project/paper. Jennifer Peace Rhind’s comprehensive book has been amazing to read – it contains so much information about the oils and the various research studies that have been done. Patricia Davis’ book is a mini encyclopedia with interesting entries on individual oils and conditions, with recipes and advice.

From a health and beauty perspective, I loved the tiny handbook and Cortisol Control and the Beauty Connection by Shawn Talbott. I’m amazed that it was written in 2007 because the topic of stress and beauty was really just starting to be discussed then. Talbott, an exercise physiologist, gives advice on how sleep, nutrition, exercise and supplements can help calm the effects of high cortisol levels for better skin and mood.

Although I’ve read many books about skin health, this book gave me a better understanding of how different foods, lifestyle changes (sleep, of course!) and supplements can support beauty during stressful periods. I’m adding spirulina to my smoothies again and being more consistent about fish oil and zinc supplements.

We all carry little pockets of tension in our bodies; it may be the neck & shoulders (my personal tight spots) or it may be hips or low back. Wherever you hold tension, Trigger Points by Amanda Oswald is a cute, illustrated guide to using foam rollers, balls and fingers to release tension in the muscles and adhesions in the fascia. A few of the self-massage techniques for the neck and shoulders are amazing and I was able to let go of a lot of tension in these spots.

Look Again by Tali Sharot, aims to make us better observers of what is around us because we get used to what is so wonderful and also what is absolutely awful. I’m just beginning this book so will post an update next time!

Finally, The Favorites by Rosemary Hennigan. I SO wanted to love this book. It had all the elements of a good read:

• described as “dark academia at its best”
• a captivating professor with dark(?) secrets
• a student with an axe to grind
• written in a confessional style, as though something dreadful was to be revealed with a flourish at the end.

*spoiler alert*

I was so disappointed. There were so many opportunities for this novel to get juicy and interesting, but it was perhaps the most emotion-less and bland thriller I’ve ever read. I would have loved to know more about Crane’s relationship with his wife, Leyna or dive deeper into what might have been a competitive element to Jessie’s relationship with her older sister, Audrey. Was it all about justice for Audrey or was it something Jessie needed to prove? The relationship of the sisters wasn’t built in a convincing way to suggest their closeness or the notion that Audrey felt comfortable sharing anything with her sister.

I was waiting the entire time for a big reveal but it never came. Jay Crane never seemed to be as big a villain as we were promised…a selfish jerk who took advantage of his position, yes, but it’s left unclear as to what the nature of his and Audrey’s relationship was. The reader is left relying only on Jessie’s interpretations of her sister’s vague diary entries and what Crane has to offer.

Such high hopes for this book, but I would recommend another book along the same lines which is a deeply upsetting but powerful novel about a teacher who abuses his position with a young student: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Russell. It’s an extremely emotional read (I cried so many times) but one that I think opens up so many tough topics.

What have you read and loved recently? I would love to hear!