OK, so here are my embarrassing books. Some are self-explanatory, others are a bit stranger.
To begin, you must know that my tastes generally lean towards silly science fiction, classic young adult literature in English and in French, Historical non-fiction (usually relating to Canada or Soviet Russia), and heavy epic novels, so you can see why a collection of self-help and diet books would cause some embarrassment.
Now the list:
Family Ties that Bind: A self-help guide to change through Family of Origin Therapy (Worldcat link)
Yes, my life is that messed-up that I have worked through this book. I actually found it interesting and somewhat helpful, although for my large and convolutedly blended family I had to do some acrobatics to work it out.
It is not my usual fare, and I generally don’t like trite “personality tests” masquerading as self-help. Whatever. You don’t know me!
The G.I. Diet (and all that goes with it).
I tried it. It worked for like, a month, but I got really sick of fat-free yogurt and not being able to eat eggs. It’s embarrassing because I think that people judge me when they see it (I am definitely not skinny).
365 Quick, Easy and Inexpensive Dinner Menus.
This book was designed for harried housewives. It contains recipes that call for ingredients like Cool-Whip, Jello and Mayonnaise-type spread. Some of my favorite foods come from this book.
Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird and Plan B; Further thoughts on faith
Anne Lamott is the ultimate hippie Christian. She reminds me of my mom, her books are full of little anecdotes and stories and I cry when I read them. That is all.
This book is about healthy teen sexuality. It is embarrassing because the main character names her boyfriend’s penis Ralph.
This is a book that guides you through monthly meditations. I bought it because I needed to relax. It’s really not all that embarrassing, except that I’m not really the guided meditation type.
This book was given to me as a gift. It is embarrassing because I actually enjoyed it.
Le Bon Usage (also known as “le Grevisse”)
It is embarrassing how excited I was to get this book. I did a minor in French. It is the Bible of French grammar, spelling, and word usage. It is also embarrassing because I have a hard time understanding it.
Serenity Role Playing Game and The Maps of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth
I have permanent membership in the Geek club, along with This guy
