Hi guys,
After the response on my last book post and due to popular demand I am going to start writing about my monthly book recs at the end of each month. I think everyone should try and get through at least one book a week so I will give four recommendations each month.
Let me know in the comments what type of books you guys prefer and I can adjust my picks.
Here are my monthly book recommendations for February!
The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen
Have you ever heard of the banana king of America? This book is based on the life of Samuel Zemurray, a Russian immigrant who became one of the richest men in the world. He made his fortune on bananas! Along the way he hired on mercenaries, took on the CIA, started revolutions, overturned foreign governments and built one of the biggest fruit companies of his time. It was a really quick and interesting read and I highly recommend it.
The Cartel by Don Winslow
This is the sequel to The Power of the Dog which is the story of the rise of the Barrera brothers and the rise of a drug empire in Mexico. The Cartel follows up the prequel 10 years after the events in the PotD. This book is based around fact and loosely based around the life of Jouquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the notorious Mexican drug kingpin that has been in the news recently. It was really intense and was the most informative book I have read to date on the drug war going on in the U.S. and Mexico. It is a really fast read as well, with a lot of action.
The Story of the Human Body by Daniel Liberman
Recently I have been really intrigued with evolution and psychology. Being in a relationship with Lauryn I hear so many tips and tricks on a regular basis about my diet, what is good, what is bad, what to eat, what not to eat. I wanted to know more about why our bodies react to different food and environments in both positive and negative ways and why they do so. This book literally tells the story of how we evolved over millions of years, shifted to a non-fruit based diet and how cultural changes like farming and the industrial revolution impacted us physically. Using this information, the author hints and even tries to compel his readers to pursue better lifestyles with healthier and happier long term effects.
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
This book has been out for a long time now and has gained even more notoriety now that Leo has signed on to play Dr. H. H. Holmes in the upcoming Hollywood movie. I don’t know why I didn’t get on the hype train a while back but I am glad that I recently did. This book is based on true events surrounding the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. H. H. Holmes was one of America’s first documented serial killers. He claimed to have killed hundreds of women. The book tells the tale of how events at and during the Chicago World’s Fair helped to create a perfect atmosphere for one of America’s first serial killers.
I hope you guys enjoy these book posts & recommendations.
Reading really is the key to success in your life. If you want a sure formula for a miserable life, learn only by your own experiences and never by the experiences of others, both living and dead.
– Michael
{ read about my 3 book theory too! }
Lots of interesting books to read especially that one about the banana king. Thanks for the recommendations.
You’re Welcome!
I’ve heard great things about the Banana King book, and Devil in a White City has been on my kindle for a while now…can’t wait to add the others to my reading list.
They are all really good, DiaWC is creepy.
I can’t wait to dive into Devil in White!
It’s really good!
Interesting books 🙂
Thank you for sharing! Did not care for the Cartel. A couple recommendations the two of you may enjoy, Buried In the Sky (Zuckerman/Padoan), and Desperate Passage (Ethan Rarick). the second one is about the Donner Party but if you can get through American Psycho I am sure you can handle it! I also enjoyed The Embassy House about Benghazi, apparently the publisher “recalled” it due to the author’s dishonesty, but I thought it was a good read.
Thank you for the recs! I will check them out!
I’m pretty sure The Devil in the White City will freak me out but I’m going to try reading it anyway 🙂 Great recommendations!
It is definitely a creepy book but it’s worth it.
I read The Story of the Human Body for a college anthropology class and it completely changed how I view and treat my body. I’ve made changes to several aspects of my daily life according to the books recommendations, and all results of the shifts have been positive.
That’s really awesome to hear!
Absolutely LOVE Devil in the White City. It’s a great way to learn about American history with a little mix of fiction. 🙂
I agree! besides the obvious interest story, it is a really informative read into some of the unknown facts that helped developed modern America!
Excellent post! I’m curious- where do you look for your next read?
I’m an avid reader yet I dislike wasting time on a sub par book when there are so many amazing reads out there.
Shogun was an excellent book, I read it in a couple of days thanks for the recommendation!
Hi Iliana,
I used Amazon a lot. If i read a book and really like it I will search the book in Amazon and the site does a great job of populating similar books or books that have been bought in the past with the current book. This helps. I also go to Barnes and Nobles a lot and browse around. I love actually going in a book store and viewing all the different books.
Love these suggestions! Going to get the Cartel one and the World Fair one. Thanks for sharing!
COFFEESLAG Winter Coat OOTD
Yay! Enjoy : ) xo
Awesome! I hope you like/liked them. Sorry for the delayed response here! I try to get to all the comments but sometimes i miss the notification!
Thank you for this post! I wanted to get my husband some new books for his birthday and I think he’ll really enjoy The Story of the Human Body and The Fish That Ate the Whale.
You’re welcome Christina! I hope your husband likes the books! I really liked both.
Will make sure to check these out. Since you seem interested in finding out how food affects your body, I’d recommend It Starts with Food by Doug and Melissa Hartwig. It’s an interesting read. Also Feed Your Face by Jessica Wu.