Book Review: Improving Your Body Image Through Catholic Teaching. How Theology of the Body and Other Church Writings Can Transform Your Life

So, I was pretty much thrilled beyond belief when Dr. Acquaviva emailed me a few weeks back and offered to send me a PDF of his new book in exchange for a blog mention.  Me? Little ole' blogger me?  

When I saw the title, of his book I was all..oh, yes definitely. This is a book I NEED to read. 

I've written a little bit about body image before.   This is a topic that a lot of women (and men) struggle with.

When I started this book, I wasn't sure what to expect, but when I read it, I almost wept with relief.  It felt like one of the first times that someone was actually saying "you don't have to be perfect."  It felt like one of the first times that someone actually acknowledged the problems with the diet and fitness industry.  The first time that someone actually called a spade a spade and said that excessive concern with one's physical appearance and too much obsession about diet and exercise is not exactly a Catholic/Christian attitude and can even be sinful. The author also acknowledged that going to the opposite extreme and that a sedentary lifestyle and excessively unhealthy eating can also be sinful.  The key is moderation.

But, how to achieve that ever illusive moderation? That is the hard part.  That is where this book comes in.   It offers wonderful spiritual help for healing from body image issues and finding moderation in the areas of diet and exercise.  For some odd reason, it never actually occurred to me to pray for help or to seek out the Sacraments in this regard.  

In addition to spiritual advice, the book offers practical advice for healing....from watching what you watch/read (ie. staying away from certain magazines) to watching who you hang out with or spend your time with.  I think social media can play a huge role in body image issues.  I know for myself, I've had to drop a few friends on Facebook, because they did nothing but post obsessively about their diet/fitness routine and it was not healthy for me to be seeing that all the time. 

The last line in each chapter of this book is:

And remember, if God says it’s good, it is good. 

What an awesome reminder....that God created the body and that the body is GOOD.   So much of our society is geared towards fighting against the body...fighting against it's natural tendency towards aging or soft bellies.  This book can provide one vital step for Catholics in the process towards learning to love your body and see it as good...just the way God says it is. 

This book is available on Amazon...either in paperback or Kindle format.  Go get yourself a copy.  

A Few Books I've Been Reading Lately

1.

The Memory Child by Steena Holmes

This story is.....interesting....and very gripping.  Brian and Diane are an upper-class, highly successful professional couple. When after 12 years of marriage, Diane finds herself pregnant, she struggles with feelings of ambivalence related to her own mother's dark past, while Brian is nothing less than thrilled.  After baby Grace is born, things are different for Diane...very, very different. She loves baby Grace and refuses to leave her, yet something is not quite right.  This book delves into the issue of postpartum psychosis, and tells this mother's story in a rather intriguing and interesting way.  

This book is a real page-turner. Throughout the story, the reader knows something is wrong, but it isn't until the end, that all is revealed. This is an easy read, but not a light one.  Some may find it emotionally disturbing, but I did not find it to be so.  Nonetheless, while it is not a comfortable book to read, it is certainly a good one. 

2.

Too Close to Home, Women of Justice Series (Book 1) 

By Lynette Eason

Ben is always finding me free mystery book on Kindle.  This is one of those books that as soon as I finished, I immediately asked him to keep his eye out for any more free books by Lynette Eason and to snatch them right up.  I would even consider PAYING for the next book in this series...and for me, that's big. If I'm going to pay for a fiction book, you KNOW I LOVE it.  Although...happy day!  I don't have to....I was able to borrow it for Kindle from the library! 

Anyway, this is pretty much one of the best mystery books I have ever read.   And, I've read a lot, so you know that's high praise.

It falls into the genre of Christian Mystery , but unlike a lot of other Christian fiction, it's actually really, really good. 

This is the story of a special FBI agent, a local detective, his rebellious daughter and an extremely clever killer.  There is romance, there is suspense, there is anger, there is faith and there is forgiveness....all the elements you need to make a good story, wrapped up into one clean, page-turning package. One of the point-of-view characters is the killer...which is pretty chilling at times.  If that sorta thing bothers you, you might not want to read this book late at night, if you are alone.

3.

Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man

First off, this is a LONG picture books for a read-aloud.  We had to break it up into two days.  But, it's a really fun story and the words have a nice lilting cadence to them.  The pictures are charming and even Elsa loved to sit and look at them.  Plus, the name of the boat is the Tidely Idley, and it involves a whale swallowing a boat and a captain and a sea gull and then being forced to puke everyone up again.  So, what's not to love?

3.

Clara Barton. Founder of the American Red Cross

Review by Greta (age 9)

Clara Barton was like the old lady who had so many children and lived in a shoe, but Clara had too many parents. Her Mom and Dad and her brothers, Stephen and David and her sisters, Dorothy and Sally. Each taught her something new. David taught her how to ride a horse. Dorothy and Sally taught her how to clean up and do housework. Clara's dad told her war stories an how soldiers moved. When Clara was ten years old she went to an Academy and was shy and skinny and bashful there. She helped the sick people and sick animals. When Clara was older she became a teacher and surprised the big boys.

I really liked this book because it was long and interesting.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Review by Heidi (age 12)

Agatha Christie is one of those authors that everyone is bound to love.  She always shocks you in a way that you wouldn't expect.

What Dad said I could read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,  I was excited.  I had already ready some of her Miss Marple series, so I was more than ready to test Hercule Poroit. I wanted to see if he was anything like Sherlock Holmes. 

I loved this book. There were so many people who could have been the killer (and seemed likely) that I didn't know who to suspect and who to declare innocent. 

And, as for Poroit, I found him to be a twin to Sherlock. He may not be as demanding as Sherlock Holmes, but he is (in my opinion) vain as a peacok.  He sure did show me my favorite way to use my little gray cells, by reading a Poroit book.

Just a warning, if you read this book, prepare to be shocked by the ending for at least the rest of the month...or maybe just the rest of the week. 

Linking up for Five Favorites and What We're Reading Wednesday.