by guest blogger Maya Rodale. Welcome to the inevitable blog post in which a dedicated reader, author, and list maker recounts her favorite books of the year. It’s happening.
Books & Movies
The Great Staycation Writing Retreat
I do my best writing when I’m alone in hotels. In other words, when I am free from the needs, interests, and schedules of other creatures (husband, dog). When I can get into the groove and stay there, I am capable of writing insane quantities in a short period of time. But it’s expensive. So when my husband went out of town on business for a week, I took the opportunity to recreate those productivity-inducing conditions at home, on the cheap. Here’s what I did:
Royal Watching and Royal Reading
Fun fact: I was almost Mrs. Prince William and thus the future Queen of England. I had been accepted to St. Andrews University and would have been in the same year as both the prince and Kate Middleton, and was planning to attend except for the outrageous interference of my mother and The Incident Which Shall Not Be Discussed. Had I gone, I do presume I would have snared the prince.
How to Write a Novel in a Month (The Easy Way!)
by guest blogger Maya Rodale. November is National Novel Writing Month and in honor of that, I thought I’d share my system (developed over the course of writing 10-plus books) for quickly producing a good novel without a ton of angst and anguish. If cutting yourself off from the world (and Internet) at a five-star hotel with excellent room service is not an option, try the following:
6 Ways to Beat a Food Addiction
by guest blogger Pam Peeke, MD. Food addiction is real; it affects more people than you know, and manufacturers actually design food products so that they are as addicting as possible. Yes, that perfect combination of salty, sweet, and savory was created to make sure you keep reaching for more. That’s why I wrote The Hunger Fix, because I want to change the game that is rigged against you. Here are 6 ways to beat food addiction:
Imagine a World without Cancer
I just finished a new book (published by Rodale!) by Margaret I. Cuomo, MD, called A World without Cancer, and I highly recommend it. As a doctor, Cuomo is able to explain cancer—its origins in the body, its treatments, its potential cures, and the challenges of finding solutions—with a clarity that is refreshing and highly informative. While we’ve spent billions in research, and people have donated time and money, run races, and sold lemonade, it’s actually shocking and disturbing how little progress we’ve made.
This “Guilty Pleasure” Is Soooo
Good for You
by guest blogger Maya Rodale. The other night I was trying to explain historical romance novels to someone who had never read one. Like Jane Austen—with sex! Like Downton Abbey—with sex! Like 50 Shades of Grey—with corsets and petticoats! I’ve found that many people are really curious about romance novels. There isn’t a sense of shame, but there are a lot of questions. Their knowledge is generally based on the following:
Scratch
Raised on America’s first organic farm, Scratch author Maria Rodale learned how to make everyday favorites from, yes, scratch — the way you remember them; the way they turn out best.
Order NowOrganic Manifesto
Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment.
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