Hey everyone! Today was such a busy day for me, but I did manage to kick the crap out of my work to do list! Yippppppppppeeeee! Since I used to blog about running and Crossfit and aren’t able to do both I thought it would be hard for me to think about things to write about and I was afraid that my blog would just drop by the wayside. But, alas I am a busy body and the time that I am not spending running or Crossfitting I am spending doing other things- like reading. So I thought since the workouts have decreased, I can write about what I am reading. I am also thinking about starting an FFF bookclub…would anyone be interested in that?
Anyhow, since bestie May is awesome and bought me a kindle I have had my nose in that thing not stop since I opened the box. I just finished At Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard.
It is no secret that true crime of all kinds fascinates me: hello, obsessions with The Craig’s List Killer, Joran Van Der Sloot, Casey Anthony, the Elizabeth Smart abduction, Columbine and of course Jaycee Dugard. Once she was found, I was shocked that she has survived and wanted to know how she managed that, what she experienced and how she is now. I think a lot of it is the psychologist in me, I want to know what it like for her, what her captures were thinking – the whole situation fascinated me. So when this book came out I was dying to find the time to read it and it was the very first book that I purchased on my kindle.
If you are at all interested in this case, I suggest you read it. It was written by Jaycee herself without a ghostwriter. It is a super simple and matter of fact read (she does only have a 4th grade education after all). What this book lacks in writing talent or style it makes up for in raw emotion. Jaycee described in detail the abduction, and the neglect and abuse she endured. It is, at times, hard to read and I did question if I could actually handle reading the whole book. I did have to take breaks at times. She also articulates the fear she experienced when learning she was pregnant with both of her daughters and delivering them in a tiny room without any doctor or medication.
I think the most interesting part of me was learning about the power of manipulation and about her capture and his wife. After 18 years of captivity Jaycee became so reliant on them and thought she had no skills to survive and raise her children on her own. What she didn’t realize is that her skills to survive and be a mother were far more advanced than most. I found her resilience to be astounding as well as inspiring. I also found her commitment to a very non-conventional form of therapy incredible and I loved learning about her experience with animal therapy.
I think what tugged on my heart strings the most was reading about her relationship with her mom. She thought about her mom everyday, even when years had stolen Jaycee’s ability to remember the sound of her mom’s voice and even what she looked like. The part of the book where they were reunited I think I cried for about an hour after I read it. It was just so loving and so accepting. It made me want to hug my parents.
Though the book is simply written and does jump around a little bit, I highly recommend it!
Ok….now to my eats:
Dinner Last Night-
Turkey tenderloin, roasted asparagus and 1/2 of a baked sweet potato.
I of course topped it with a little bit of Earth Balance “Butter” and cinnamon.
This morning I packed my food for the day to go:
Breakfast: Green Monster- banana, spinach, unsweetened almond milk, frozen strawberries, vanilla protein and flax seeds.
Snacks: Gala apple and a low-fat string cheese
Lunch: Leftover Quinoa Salad and the other half of my baked sweet potato from the night before.
My lunch was super orange, huh?
Has anyone else read the Jaycee Dugard book? If so, did you like it? Would anyone be interested in a FFF Book Club?
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this book sounds really interesting, and I would love to read it! Thanks for sharing a bit about it!
Hey Ali,
one other thing I am intrested in is how you organize your cloths. From your outfit posts it looks like you have tons. Maybe you give us a little fashion related house tour?
Thanks.
I will do that this weekend…but it will be the slowest moving tour ever since I have the walking boot
Nice. I am looking forward to it.
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About your injury: Yes, this totally sucks but the good thing about situatioins like this is that they make you aware how many supportive people you have in your life that are willing to drive you around etc.
Never forget how awesome your life already is and how hard you worked to get there. You are married to the love of your life, have a beautiful house and a job you like. How many people have all these things at the same time? And these few weeks you cannot run will pass very quickly
Hi Ali, I have been reading your blog for a while now, and what you write about always interests me! Your blog is also one of my inspirations in starting my own blog. Anyway, I LOVE the idea of a bookclub, in fact it is one of the main themes of my blog! I love to read and also have a Kindle, so I would love to know what book you are reading next!
I am so excited that you started your own blog! I’ll check it out!! I am actually reading “Normal will get you know where” by Kelly Cutrone. I think the book club is a must!!! Stay tuned for details!
ok i will definately stay tuned! and i will also check out that book too
Look for “Room” by Emma Donoghue. It’s an intense read!
SO I have heard…it’s on my list!
I love reading, bookclubs and FFF so I think an FFF Bookclub is a great idea. I am also putting this book on my to read list.
YAY!!! Stay tuned for details!
I think that the bookclub is a great idea!
I read “room” as well and loved it!!! It reminded me a lot of the book that you were writing about.
I’m absolutely fascinated by the Elizabeth Smart case – likely because she plays the harp like me! – but I’d probably love this book too. I wonder if it would be too tough for me and give me nightmares though!
YOU NEEEEED to read it then, Claire! I had one nightmare, I won’t lie.
I read it. There were parts that were hard to get through but I had followed the case after she was found and it was interesting to hear the story from her perspective. I read “Room” as well and am always looking for a good read so would be interested in a book club. Love your blog!
Stay tuned for the book club info. I am trying to figure out a way we can read it and then chat electronically. I am certainly adding “Room” to my list!
I’m also fascinated by true-life crime stories (as well as what I refer to as “trashy memoirs”) so I’ll have to check out Jaycee’s book.
Have you ever read any Jodi Picoult? I got sucked in after reading Nineteen Minutes. All fiction, but something about her stories remind me of those really hard to believe but true life stories (and well Nineteen Minutes is a story about a kid who goes on a shooting rampage in his school, so there is certainly a lot of real life inspiration there).
Maybe you can use Google rooms in G+ as a way to conduct a book club chat?
I LOOOOOOVED 19 Minutes. I read it last April because I was doing a project for Grad School about school shootings. She is a great writer!
WOULD LOVE A FFF book club!!
I have been wanting to read that book too! Will definitely get it now ! And the book club idea is great ! I would love to be part of that
I love the book club idea! Count me in!
My favourite book last year was “The Help” – so awesome! And “The Hunger Games” were great, too!
I would love a FFF bookclub! I enjoy hearing what other people are reading.:)
Ooohh!! I don’t know if I’ve commented before, but I’m a fellow reader from Boston and the book club idea is a must!! Pretty please?
I gotta read that book!
One thing about your dinner, I’m curious about why you use “butter”? Or why anyone uses it(or any other fake, processed food). To me, the ingredient list on fake butters, including earth balance, aren’t very appealing. And the fat and calories aren’t that far off from each other. I just don’t think you really cant beat plain old fashioned butter. Especially if you get organic. With the only ingredients being organic cream and salt. For non dairy consumers, obviously real butter wont fly but id say you’re better off with olive oil, or nothing, than processed fakes.
What are your thoughts on fake and processed foods? I feel like a lot of people are getting fooled, and spending a lot of money on “organic” foods or “vegan” foods, that really aren’t healthy. Its just the big food corporations, yet again, trying to maintain a hold on foolish consumers, completely slashing the integrity of true healthy living.
And um, yeah, fff bookclub!! im in!
Hey Ash:
I was sent that “butter” and thought I would give it a try. You are correct in that the calorie and fat content are about the same as butter so it is by no means a “diet” butter. It does however, contain less saturated fat and less cholesterol than traditional butter.