Nose in a book

Free Shipping with Barefoot Books

2010-06-23T11:16:00.006-04:00

Just wanted to pass the word along that Barefoot Books is offering FREE shipping on all orders over $35, now through June 27th. I plan to stock up myself for all of those summer birthday parties my daughter has been invited to - the books, games, and toys offered by BB make great gifts!

Still Alice

2010-06-23T11:06:00.002-04:00

Has anyone else read Still Alice by Lisa Genova? The minute I started reading this book, I could not put it down. The main character, Alice, is a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard with the world at her fingertips when she is given a devastating diagnosis. Recent memory lapses thought to be a symptom of menopause turn out to be an indicator of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Completely riveting, the book follows Alice through the early stages of her disease and then its inevitable progression and the effect it has not only on her, but her family as well. Definitely a must read!

Another re-entry into the blogosphere

2010-06-23T10:53:00.003-04:00

The last time I posted I had every intention of getting back to regular blogging. As you can see from the date of my last post, that didn't happen. Here's hoping it will this time. I resigned from my full-time position about a year ago to stay home with my daughter, and since then have picked up a variety of part-time jobs, all of which I love (reference librarian, local yarn shop worker and knitting instructor, tutor, etc.). Those part-time jobs, combined with a toddler running around, leave me with little spare time. However, I've always loved to write and I am determined to carve out more time for doing just that - starting with more frequent updates of this blog.

I've been struggling with whether or not I want to combine the two blogs I have maintained in the past, this one and also My Fair Daisy where I discuss my other obsessions - yarn, knitting, and other fibery goodness. I think it would be easier for me to maintain just one blog, on the other hand, it's nice to have two separate areas devoted to particular audiences. Hmmm...

Barefoot Books

2009-08-06T20:06:00.002-04:00

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I am now a SAHM. Wanting some sort of outlet for myself outside of the home, I decided to become a Barefoot Books Ambassador, meaning I am now an independent bookseller of Barefoot Books. I had been a fan of Barefoot Books for quite some time, but just recently found out about their ambassador program. Barefoot Books is a publisher of children's and young adult literature (as well as games, puzzles, and CDs) and promotes diversity, tolerance, multiculturalism, and environmental awareness in all of their books. The artwork in each book is stunning and I am very happy to have now become a part of the Barefoot Books team of ambassadors.

From time to time, I will post about current sale offers on my blog, as well as reviews of some of my favorite Barefoot Books and notifications of upcoming releases. Please feel free to visit my site for some book browsing or shopping! You can also access the current sale offers by clicking "SALE" when you visit my site. I have also posted a link to Barefoot Books in the sidebar of my blog.

For a chance to win some of your own Barefoot Books, visit this blog and read all about one of Barefoot Books' amazing authors!

Up next, some reviews of recent adult books I have read...

I'm baaaack - is anybody still out there?

2009-08-03T20:20:00.003-04:00

After a year and a half hiatus, I am finally making my re-entry back into the blogosphere. Much has happened in the past year and a half...after a rough pregnancy, my husband and I are now the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl who will be referred to as baby "M" for the sake of this blog. I've also resigned from my full-time job in corporate research, something I never thought I would do, and now stay home with the baby and pick up a few hours here and there tutoring. So with that being said, I find I finally have time to do some blogging again.

Recently I had the opportunity to review The Help by Kathryn Stockett for my local paper. I loved this book and had a great time reviewing it. If you haven't read this book yet, go out and get it - you won't be disappointed. I also got the chance to meet Stockett (who is just as nice as can be and gorgeous too I might add) in person at last month's ALA conference in Chicago which was fabulous. I met my old college roommate out there for the conference and it was a total blast. We are already planning next year's trip to the conference in DC.

That's it for now - just wanted to say hello and that I am looking forward to catching up on all of your blogs!

Hanging up the blog for now

2008-04-23T12:45:00.002-04:00

I've been quiet for a few months and think it may be time for me to hang up the blog. At least for the short-term. My husband and I are expecting our first child later this year and my morning sickness has been HORRENDOUS. I haven't had much chance to do any reading or anything else for that matter as everything seems to make me nauseous. I hope in time I will start to feel better and will get back into the reading habit. But wanted to say farewell for now - I am very grateful to have become part of the book blogging community and hope to get back to it someday. You may still find comments from me here and there; when I do feel well enough to read more again your blogs will be the first I go to for book recommendations!

Eva's Book Meme

2008-02-06T16:00:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged by CoversGirl at Between the Covers for another meme. This one originated at Eva's A Striped Armchair. It's a fun one - here goes...

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. I confess I haven't actually read any reviews of it, but I have had several friends tell me I should read it and everytime someone brings it up I inwardly cringe and just sort of say "hmmm..." so as not to offend anyone but to also escape having to commit to reading the book to appease the person. It just sounds way too New Age-y for me and I know the minute I start reading it I will be berating myself for ever agreeing to read it in the first place.

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?
Probably because I just read Plum Lucky, Stephanie Plum and her sidekick Lulu, and of course Grandma Mazur. Dinner at the Plum family home in the 'Burg would be perfect. I need to know these women in real life - there would never be a dull moment!

(Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): You are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realise it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?
The only one coming to mind right now is Billy Budd by Herman Melville. I'm not even sure if this qualifies as a novel - it might be more of a novella although I can't remember now. I had to read this for my 11th grade English class and remember being so painfully bored by the book and the assignments that went with it that I wanted to throw a tantrum everytime I had to go to that class. Granted, this is going back about 16 years, but something tells me if I read it again now I would still find it unbearable.

Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?
Probably Pride and Prejudice, although not intentionally. I think I feel like I know the story so well from all of the movie adaptations I have seen that it sounds like I might have read it, but not yet :) I assure you though, this is the year I will read it!

As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realise when you read a review about it/go to ‘reread’ it that you haven’t? Which book?
I don't think this has happened to me...I can usually remember which books I have read and haven't read. At least the ones that matter to me anyway.

You’ve been appointed Book Advisor to a VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (if you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead of personalise the VIP)
I would have to agree with CoversGirl here - a book of short stories would be the way to go. Then the person doesn't have to commit to anything more than 30 or 40 pages and might be more likely to finish it. Either that or Harry Potter book #1. Book #1 was still pretty slim and very entertaining - and if the person liked it they would then have 6 more to read.

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?
French. After 5 years of high school and college French I seem to have lost most comprehension of the language. But that doesn't stop me from "reading" my favorite magazine Marie Claire Idees. I mostly love it for the pictures, but it sure would be nice to be able to actually read all of the captions, articles, and craft instructions. I love that magazine. I'd also love to visit Paris and the French countryside again, this time understanding the language. I am sure it would be a very different experience.

A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?
Little Women. Didn't even have to think about that one.

I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art - anything)?
I've gotten more intrigued by the fantasy genre. Until recently I only dabbled in fantasy lit, now I find I have a greater appreciation for it.

That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works?
Creaky floors, lots of built-in bookshelves, comfy leather chairs, the perfect window seat overlooking lush gardens, a kitty snoozing in the corner, a dog snoozing in the other corner, gourmet snacks and every book I've ever wanted to read and then some. I could go on and on, but this is a good starting point.

I won't tag anyone specifically for this, but if you're reading consider yourself tagged.

Challenges, movies, and Literacy and Longing in L.A.

2008-01-24T14:29:00.000-05:00

I finally seem to be getting to all of those books I have been wanting to read for sometime now, but for whatever reason have gotten distracted from somewhere along the way. For instance, Literacy and Longing in L.A. has been on my TBR list for months now, and at last I have immersed myself in it and am enjoying it immensely. I love the fact that the main character Dora goes on "book benders" whenever she is faced with emotional turmoil she doesn't want to deal with. There are tons of literary references in this book and each chapter's heading begins with a perfect literary quote. One paragraph in particular early on in the book really jumped out at me.

"I collect books the way my girlfriends buy designer handbags. Sometimes I just like to know I have them and actually reading them is beside the point. Not that I don't eventually read them. I do. But the mere act of buying them makes me happy - the world is more promising, more fulfilling. It's hard to explain, but I feel, somehow, more optimistic. The whole act just cheers me up."

This describes my book buying habits to a T. I am forever buying books, excited by the new novels that will line my bookshelves. No matter that I already have more books than I know what to do with and that a good chunk of them are those that haven't been read yet - just knowing that I can walk into any room of my house and pick up a book that suits my mood is somehow comforting. It can make a crappy day seem less crappy and provide a much needed escape.

I'm hoping to crack open some Jane Austen novels in the coming weeks. I've been watching the Masterpiece Theater film adaptations on PBS Sunday nights. I thought Persuasion was ok, but I really enjoyed Northanger Abbey. And I am ashamed to admit that I've never actually read any of Jane Austen's works. In an attempt to inject some classical literature reading into a standing bookclub I am a member of, I suggested we pick a Jane Austen novel, read it, and compare it with the movie and then discuss both for a future meeting. Sounds like a good idea, right? I had noticed that PBS posted a nifty book and film club discussion guide. However, my suggestion went over like a lead balloon so suffice it to say I will be reading Austen on my own. Ah well, I tried...and everyone's tastes are different. But I couldn't help feeling disappointed by those people who weren't willing to even try reading one of her books. Kind of like when people tell me they don't like to read or couldn't possibly find the time to read...it doesn't make me think any less of them as a person, but right away I get that deflated feeling from knowing that I will never be able to talk books with that person as books are such a huge part of my world. It makes me want to scream at these people too - "Do you have any idea what you are missing???" But at the same time I know I have to realize that not everyone loves to read. And there's nothing wrong with that (even if I happen to think it's bizarre :)

And speaking of PBS, while watching the Jane Austen adaptations I stumbled across the show the Vicar of Dibley and found myself roaring with laughter. Definitely a show to be DVR'd for me!

I've seen some challenges posted about in the blogosphere and I think I'm going to jump on the Chunkster Challenge bandwagon. I thought this one would be perfect for me since three of the books in my current TBR pile are indeed chunksters. Here is my pick list for now with the option to add others as I think of them.

1. The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
2. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (It's about time - this one has been waiting on the shelf for me for the past 2 years!)
3. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (I've been saving this one for a rainy day because I know it is going to be oh, so good! I think it qualifies as a chunkster, although I haven't checked the page count.)

And last but not least, have people seen that there is to be a movie adaptation of Meyer's Twilight series? If you go to her website, you can see who has been cast as Bella and Edward. I'm in agreement with the casting - both actors look similar to how I had envisioned the characters. Robert Pattinson, aka Cedric Diggory from HP, is a great choice I think - those cheekbones lend themselves well to the vampire look. What does everyone else think? Are they happy with the casting choices?

Latest reads

2008-01-15T13:06:00.000-05:00

After getting my stitches out Friday, I met some friends for dinner at John Harvard's. And enjoyed a very tasty post-stitches meal :) Finally being able to open my mouth wide enough to cram a hamburger in was wonderful. We started with a buffalo tender appetizer, enjoyed a couple of winter warmer beers - with the glass rims coated in cinnamon sugar, yum - before polishing off a good sized burger and fries. An excellent meal indeed. Afterwards we moseyed on over to the movie theater and saw P.S. I Love You. I had my doubts about this movie as I wasn't too crazy about the book, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I actually liked the movie better than the book, which almost never happens. I still say it's more of a renter though rather than a pay $10 to see it like my friends and I did.

Currently, I am reading Atonement and am enjoying it, although based on what I am hearing and the tone the book is setting, I am getting the feeling that things do not end well. I can't say for sure though, I need to keep reading. I've just gotten to part three. I do think I will try some of McEwan's other books once I've finished this one and gotten through a few more in my stack. I've heard good things about Saturday as well.

Next, I am hoping to sink my teeth into Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (book 6) or Literacy and Longing in L.A. - I've had L&L in L.A. on request from the library for months now and a copy finally came in. I'm not really even sure what it is about but I've seen it blogged about quite a bit.

I bought my copy of Jennifer Donnelly's The Winter Rose and can't wait to start reading. I read The Tea Rose right before Christmas and couldn't put it down - I thought it was fantastic! I ended up buying a copy of it as part of a Christmas gift for my MIL as I think she will really like it too. I just loved the setting of The Tea Rose and the historical fiction-ess of it - set in England, then NYC, and then England again. I loved reading about Fiona and her success as she moved up the ranks and became a very prominent business owner in the tea trade as I silently rooted for her and her long-lost love Joe (I will say no more in case you plan on reading yourself). Just a fabulous book. Another one of my favorite reads of 2007.

Did anyone watch Persuasion on PBS Sunday night as part of the Jane Austen Masterpiece Theater special they plan on running through the winter? I did while I caught up on a little knitting and I'm still undecided as to whether or not I liked it. I liked some of the scenery shots, but am not sure how impressed I was with the acting or the presentation of the film - it seemed a bit choppy to me. Of course I did like the story though - another Jane Austen novel I will have to read in the very near future! I do plan on watching the other movies - there is a new one every Sunday night. I am especially looking forward to Pride and Prejudice which I think has 5 parts.

I need to get my act together - I've noticed several new (or newer) reading challenges in the blogosphere many of which I want to join. I need to pick and choose which books are going to make my lists and then post about them!

Holiday 2007 Wrap Up

2008-01-05T16:23:00.000-05:00

Hmmm...time seems to have gotten away from me once again as I realize it's been a few weeks since my last blog post. I'd like to say my New Year's resolution is to blog more, but as much as I would like that to happen I'm not sure how realistic it is. So for now, I will just be content to post as often as I can and continue to keep up with my Bloglines - I read so many great posts everyday (I find this to be the perfect activity while on my lunch break at work); I am very happy to have found such a wonderful and fascinating community of book bloggers!

This weekend is definitely a reading-filled weekend. I'm recovering from some minor oral surgery, which has caused my bottom lip to swell and bruise making me look like I went a couple of rounds in the boxing ring. I figured rather than venture out and risk scaring small children, I'd relax at home, put my feet up and catch up on some good reading. Although I did take a trip over to the library earlier because I received an email saying a copy of Atonement was waiting for me and I couldn't possibly wait until Monday for that! Anyone see the movie yet? I'm dying to see it.

Speaking of movies, I've seen some good ones recently. First there was The Golden Compass. I know this one got some mixed reviews, but I have to say I enjoyed it. I had read the book for a young adult literature class I took in grad school and had to do a whole semester-end project on the book. I will say though, that if I hadn't read the book ahead of time I am not so sure I would have understood everything. My husband hadn't read the book and said he was a little confused in some parts, but overall got the gist of it enough to enjoy it. And I thought Nicole Kidman was prefectly cast as the sinister Mrs. Coulter. I've always found her to seem cold and aloof when I watch her in interviews...I found her portrayal of Mrs. Coulter to be very believable! And as a knitter, I just have to mention all of the fabulous knitwear Lyra wore in the film. I loved her hat and I know there is a pattern for it floating around somewhere in Ravelry.

Most recently, we saw Sweeney Todd. The timing was perfect, because we had just seen a theater production of it in Boston right before the holidays. We both thought it was great, but then again I love all of Tim Burton's films and I think Johnny Depp always does such a great job of playing those eccentric characters. Who would have thought that when I was watching 21 Jump Street in junior high, that he would turn out to be such a well known and respected actor? And again with the knitweat in this movie - I think Sweeney Todd wore a pair of handknit warmers in every scene which was funny to us because I had just finished knitting a pair for my husband which he dutifully wore to the movies that night.

And a couple pairs for myself...look closely and you'll see a wedding photo in the background - this is probably the closest I will ever come to delurking :)

This week I am going to see P.S. I Love You with a friend. Total chick-flick I know...I don't have high expectations for it other than to be entertained for an hour and a half (or however long it is). I read the book last week and hated the ending, I am curious to see how true the movie will stay to the book. My friend and I are both in agreement that Gerard Butler is dreamy to look at, so if nothing else I am sure we will both enjoy watching him :)

I got some great books and DVDs for Christmas this year, and I am sure many of you did as well :) Most of the books I got were knitting/crafting books or cookbooks with oh so many pretty pictures and project ideas. Here are a few below...

DVDs include seasons 4 and 5 of Smallville, so I now own seasons 1-5 and only have season 6 left to get. I didn't start watching this show until season 3 and became hooked right away. Such a great show. And I also got seasons 1 - 4 of Felicity. I loved this show before it was cancelled...we are slowly working our way through season 1 right now and I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed watching it the first time around.

And my Christmas gift to myself...a brand new pair of Uggs! I have lusted after my sister's pair for some time now, I finally bought my own. They are the most comfortable boots ever and I only take them off to shower and sleep - he he.

I hope everyone had a good New Year's. We didn't do too much...we stayed in New Year's Eve, had a friend over and feasted on yummy appetizers most of the evening. Anybody ever have Amy's Organic Pizza from the freezer section of the grocery store? We love this stuff - it is delicious. We've tried several varieties and have liked every one, although the roasted vegetable and margherita pizzas are our favorites.
I also served this appetizer which couldn't be any easier to make. We have a Harry and David store near us, so getting our hands on jars of their pepper and onion relish is very easy. If you don't have one near you, I urge you to order some of this stuff online and try the recipe - it seems to wow everyone. It's the perfect blend of savory and sweet.
New Year's Day morning I tried to recreate some blueberry-lemon-sour cream pancakes I had had for brunch at a cozy little inn we had gone to earlier in the week. They came out quite good if I do say so myself (although pancakes are pretty hard to screw up).
Ok, all of this talk about food is making me hungry...I need to go rummage around in the kitchen and see what I can find to eat that will actually taste good and not rip the stitches out of my lip. Starting to get very sick of oatmeal and cheese ravioli...

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

One more meme

2007-12-12T11:42:00.000-05:00

I just realized I've been tagged by LK at The Literate Kitten for another meme. So here goes.

5 things I was doing 10 years ago
1. Finishing up my first semester of graduate school and seriously questioning what made me decide to pursue a graduate degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
2. Dating my husband who I had just met
3. Cursing the professor I was assigned to for my teaching assistantship. I should have known things were going to be bad when the more seasoned graduate students in the program referred to him as "the troll in the basement office." He wasn't a bad man, just very set in his ways and rather moody...and hard of hearing and VERY resistant to wearing his hearing aids. A normal conversation usually consisted of me screaming at him and him saying "What was that dear?" By the end of that semester I thought I would go out of my mind.
4. Holing up in my apartment and reading Cook & Campbell articles printed at a reduced size on the photocopier at the library because I didn't have enough money on my copy card to print all of the articles I had to read for class in a normal font size. To this day I am convinced that is what ruined my once perfect vision.
5. See number 1. I did indeed finish the program, got my MS degree, worked in the field for 2 years, then made a career change and went back to school for another graduate degree in a field that I love - library and information science!

5 things on my to-do list today
1. Check out the used bookstore I happened to notice when out on my lunch hour the other day
2. Return some library books
3. Check on my friend's cats on the way home from work since she is away for the week
4. Make oreo truffles when I get home for my husband and I to bring into each of our offices tomorrow
5. Get some work done on those homemade holiday gifts I committed to this year

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire
1. Sell my house and buy a different house - preferably a completely renovated antique farmhouse set on a nice big plot of land. Or a fabulous condo in Boston or New York.
2. Travel, travel, travel
3. Pay off my student loans and mortgage
4. Quit my job and open up a bookstore
5. Buy a whole new wardrobe and then of course invest any money left over :)

5 things I'll never wear again
1. Tapered jeans
2. Anything tie-dyed
3. Doc Martens
4. Oversized flannel button downs (when I think back to my college wardrobe, I cringe)
5. Anything acid-washed

5 favorite toys
1. Puzzles
2. Lincoln logs
3. My bike
4. Clue
5. Do Nancy Drew books count?

I'm hoping to take a vacation day Friday - I'll have lots more to post then on books I've read and movies I've seen recently. Until then...I tag the following people for this meme. And if they've already done this meme - I apologize, I am a little behind on my blog reading!

Susan at On An Even Keel
Nutmeg at Another Nutter
Heather at The Library Ladder
CoversGirl at Between the Covers
Camille at Dabbling Dilettante

Library Meme

2007-11-21T12:31:00.000-05:00

It's the day before Thanksgiving and while I should be busy baking pies to bring to the in-laws tomorrow, I am home from work sitting on my butt cursing my knack for getting sick right before or on major holidays. Last year it was Christmas, this year it's Thanksgiving. ARGH!!!

But being home sick from work does let me catch up on my blogging, reading, and watching DVR'd epsiodes of The Barefoot Contessa. So there is a silver lining :) All morning I have been reading Barefoot by Elin Hildebrand. I'm about a 100 pages in and it is exactly what I need today. A good story, one that doesn't require a lot of thought from my congested head. It takes place on Nantucket too - a place that I love. I think I would read more of Hildebrand's stuff - I bet they would make good beach reads.

I saw this meme at A Guy's Moleskine Notebook and thought I'd play. I don't do many meme's, but I really liked this one. I won't tag anyone, but leave me a comment if you decide to post one so I can go read!

1. Do you remember learning to read? How old were you?
I don't remember specifically when I learned to read, I just remember being really young. Both of my parents read to me as a child and I certainly had my favorite bedtime books. One of which was I Am a Bunny by Richard Scarry. I liked to read this EVERY night. It was about a bunny named Nicholas (and we also actually had a pet rabbit named Nicholas which seemed to make this book even more special to me - although now I can't remember if our rabbit was named after the bunny in the book, or if we bought the book because the bunny's name was Nicholas) and I still remember almost all of the words -"...I chase the butterflies, and the butterflies chase me..."

2. What do you find most challenging to read?
Science Fiction. I had to read a lot of it for a speculative literature class I took in grad school and I really struggled with it. It's always been a genre I've never been able to warm up to and I've tried numerous times. I just don't get it half the time I think.

3. What are your library habits?
I am there all of the time. I live in a pretty decent sized town and the librarians know me. I am always taking out way too many books and have always found the library to be a very comforting place. I was very shy as a kid and the library was an escape for me - I could spend hours there surrounded by all of those books! There was always something there that caught my interest. You know it's funny, when I first moved to this town, I somehow got invited to one of those home shopping parties that I decided to go to in the hopes of meeting some people. And the whole time I was there, not a single person talked to me unless I asked them a question first and then it was only to talk completely about themselves before turning back to the friend they had come with. I remember slipping out of the party, completely unnoticed I am sure, feeling like crap and thinking there was something wrong with me to have been treated as a total outcast (looking back now I realize I had walked into a party of very cliquey women who probably wouldn't have taken the time to welcome ANYONE new). I stopped at the library on the way home from the party and instantly felt better. The quietness and solitude of the stacks was exactly what I needed after standing in a room full of people talking with one another and feeling very lonely. So even as an adult, the library still appears to be my refuge!

4. Have your library habits changed since you were younger?
They really haven't changed much although everything is electronic now so there is no more flipping through the card catalogue. And after completing a graduate program in library and information science I feel like there is nothing I can't find when I am there! I am also more aware of the value and services a good library provides it's community.

5. How has blogging changed your reading life?
I've tried more books I wouldn't normally have picked up and I've found an outlet I had been searching for for quite some time. I've finally found a community that enjoys reading as much as I do and I have gotten more involved in book discussions and connecting with other readers. I also started reviewing books which has given me a chance to get some of my own writing out there.

6. How often do you read a book and not review it on your blog? What are your reasons for not blogging about a book?
I read much faster than I blog, so a lot of times by the time I am ready to blog again I have already read a handful of books since the last time I posted. So I try to review the ones that really spoke to me and maybe give a blurb about others here and there.

7. What percentage of your books do you get from new book stores, second hand books stores, the library, online exchange sites, online retailers, other?
I would say there is a 45% - 35% - 20% split between books bought from retail stores (whether they be independent booksellers, used bookstores, or the major chains), library books, and books bought online. I really like to browse so I visit bookstores and libraries a lot. If I feel like I've been spending too much money, I'll try to stick to the library, but I have a hard time walking, or even driving past a bookstore without stopping and going in!

8. What are your pet peeves about the way people treat books?
It drives me nuts when I lend someone a book and it gets returned to me completely mangled. It makes me wonder what their own books look like. It also drives me nuts when I lend a book and it doesn't get returned. Unless I specifically say "Keep the book" you can safely bet I want it back when you are done. I also don't understand people who claim they are too busy to read. I'm a pretty busy person also, and I make time to read every night before I go to bed regardless of what time it is or how busy I was that day. But I know I also have to accept that reading is not a hobby for some people and that's ok (even if I don't understand it :)

9. Do you ever read for pleasure or for work?
Almost always for pleasure. I don't like wasting my reading time on things I "have to read" if I can help it.

10. When you give people books as gifts, how do you decide what to give them?
I like to think I have a pretty good sense of knowing what friends and family members might like to read based on their lives and interests. And of course there are those books I have read myself and loved that I just know another particular person will love. I almost always give books as gifts and I usually try hard to match the book to the person.

And to all of my American readers - Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

32

2007-10-28T19:14:00.000-04:00

32 years old today...how did that happen? I remember waking up on my birthday last year and thinking the same thing - 31 years old...how did that happen? So far though, I've been enjoying my 30's more than my 20's, I feel more settled in my career, I feel more certain of what I want and how I want to lead my life, etc. Here's to hoping that things continue to get better with age :)

Just got back from seeing the movie Gone, Baby, Gone. Not a very uplifting movie, but then again none of Dennis Lehane's books are warm and fuzzy. All in all though, I thought it was a good movie and the theater was empty as everyone was home having their World Series parties and getting ready to watch the game. I did see Elizabeth last week and I really enjoyed that. I am a huge fan of the Philippa Gregory books and I really wanted to see that part of history on screen. My ony complaint was the overuse of imagery and dramatic music, but the costumes were incredible and Cate Blanchett did a fantastic job of protratying the queen.

While catching up on season 2 episodes of House tonight (and keeping an eye on the score of game 4), I'll be knitting away and enjoying those tasty cupcakes pictured above. Then it's off to bed with Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian (finally - this book has been in my TBR pile for 2 whole years!!). I was trying to get through Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult, but eventually gave up. I know I've mentioned this before and have said I've sworn off all of her books after reading The Tenth Circle, but a co-worker convinced me to try Salem Falls saying it would be different. And once again I was sucked in by the book jacket description (I hope who ever writes these book jacket descriptions for Picoult gets paid well) and once again I was disappointed. Ah well, can't love everything I read.

Unintentional blogging break

2007-09-17T13:22:00.000-04:00

Well I managed to fall off the face of the blogging earth in recent months. What I intended to be a short hiatus (in an attempt to avoid stumbling across any Harry Potter and Eclipse spoilers) turned into a much longer absence. Still not having read Harry Potter 7 or Eclipse yet, I realized if I waited until I had them both finished it could be a very long time before my re-entry into the blogosphere. In my defense I did complete HP #5 and have #6 at the top of my TBR pile. And Eclipse, well, I enjoyed the first 2 books so much that I keep putting Eclipse aside for when I really want to treat myself. Almost like I don't want to read it too quickly because I don't want it to end too soon. Anyone else do that? Have a book they are dying to read, but for some reason put others before it to prolong the excitement of that book they are so looking forward to? It seems to be a pretty consistent habit of mine.

I am reading Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir now. I have enjoyed the Philippa Gergory books so much that I find myself becoming more and more interested in the history of that time period. Innocent Traitor is equally as excellent as Gregory's books and I look forward to reading more of Weir.

Next on the list is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I'm reading this for a book club I belong to and seeing as I am hosting the next meeting, I need to put time aside this weekend to get some reading done! I haven't read The Kite Runner yet, but have heard very good things about both of these novels.

And of course I have to report on our recent trip out west to Boise, ID and Portland, OR - two great cities. To avoid repeating myself I'll link to my other blog's ramblings about the trip. I will mention here though that I finally made it to Powell's and it was everything I fantasized it would be. Heavenly. Sigh...

Other than that, lots of reading, knitting, and running going on here. We've finally broken past the psychological 5 mile barrier and have worked our way up to 6.5 miles. I never thought I would say this but I am starting to love running. Sometimes I feel like I could run forever (on a good day of course - on those bad days, half a mile feels like a chore). Just the idea that we can run for over an hour at a time feels like a huge accomplishment and the longer distances give us more of an opportunity to explore country roads. Next weekend we are aiming for 7 miles. Who knows - maybe that half-marathon is not as unattainable as I thought ;)

I leave you with a picture of some yummy sno-cones we enjoyed while visiting Portland's fabulous Rose Test Garden. Perfect way to end the summer.

Beautiful Maine

2007-07-18T15:31:00.000-04:00

For those of you that read my other blog, skip ahead...you've already heard enough about my recent trip to Maine :)

We've returned home from a recent trip to Maine and I thought I'd share some pictures of the state we love so much. We stayed in Boothbay Harbor again at our all time favorite inn - The Topside Inn where we had fabulous breakfasts consisting of homemade gingerbread waffles, vegetable frittatas, homemade granola and yogurt, various baked goods, fruit salads, etc. - absolute heaven. In the evenings we dined at the tasty Lobster Dock and enjoyed steamers, corn on the cob, buttermilk biscuits, and Coronas while sitting on the deck overlooking the harbor.

Side trips included a jaunt to Wiscasset where we had an amazing lobster roll (on a toasted buttery croissant, yum) and a big, fat slice of blueberry pie at Sarah's Cafe. We also indulged in a Maine whoopie pie (double yum) before browsing some antique shops and picking up some cute souvenirs and books of course.

Next, drove up the coast to Camden, which I think might be my favorite town in America. The library and grounds are amazing and I make a point to stop in everytime I am there. Check out the benches outside of the library and the beautiful flower gardens surrounding the building.

We stopped for lunch at a very authentic Thai restaurant (can't remember the name if it now) - we were so happy to see it was still in business since it had just opened there the previous year. The food was excellent again - I got some wonderful pad thai while my very daring husband tried the "Camden Special"; I don't think he had a stomach lining left after he ate it.

All in all, a great trip despite some dismal weather. We can't wait to go back again next summer or maybe even in the fall.

Reading The Girls by Lori Lansens now and am mesmerized. Sometimes as I am reading this novel it's easy to forget the girls are conjoined twins since it alternates between being narrated by each sister. The sisters are very different from one another and their life experiences have served to shape them into very unique individuals despite experiencing the same things together from birth throughout their entire lives. Definitely one of my favorite summer reads so far.

She's Come Undone

2007-07-02T14:05:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone for their kind comments in response to my last post. I have since been wearing much more fitted clothing in an attempt to avoid anymore confusion and assumptions. But I must say, those looser, flowy tops are way more comfortable so I don't think I'll ever be able to ban them from my closet completely :)

Thought I'd start this post off with a picture of my newly painted family room and bookshelves. What was once faux wood paneling is now an airy linen white. It brightens up the room tremendously and I love how all of the book bindings look against the white shelves. The books get to be the focal point of the room!

The book I finished most recently was She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I read this when it first came out and loved it and reread it again last week for my book club. Although there were some mixed reactions to it from the other bookclub members, a lot of conversation was generated which was nice - the group tends to have a hard time staying on topic. The main character Dolores Price suffers from numerous self-esteem issues which are the product of various events that take place over the course of her childhood and early adulthood. While other characters misinterpret her abrupt, harsh nature as an abrasive personality, the reader gets to see a side of Dolores that others don't and recognize her lashing out as insecurity, uncertainty, and self-loathing. Truly unputdownable in my opinion - a great summertime read if you haven't already experienced it.

I know this has been mentioned in the blogosphere several times already, but if you're not in the know yet you might want to check out LibriVox. LibriVox provides free access to audio versions of those books in the public domain. A great way to catch up on some of the classics. For instance, I enjoy knitting, but find that it takes away from my much valued reading time. This weekend while lounging on the porch and knitting up a baby sweater for a friend's baby I listened to the first few chapters of Little Men by Louisa May Alcott on my laptop. It was rather enjoyable - the only thing I'd warn you about is sometimes the narrators voices are hit or miss. Some narrators tend to be monotone which usually kills the story for me, but there are some good ones so it's worth the listen.

And to all those Americans reading - have a happy 4th!

Awkward

2007-06-21T12:55:00.000-04:00

I experienced a very awkward moment yesterday. On my way home from work, I stopped at my local fabric/yarn shop to pick up a few balls of yarn for a friend so that I could knit her new baby a little sweater. To set the stage, yesterday I was wearing a tunic top (which I have loved until recent events described here) similar to the one pictured below. Not this shirt exactly, but close enough - slightly high waisted, flowy material, and oh so comfortable!

I get up to the register, the woman working rings me out and as she hands me my package, points to my stomach area and asks "So when is the happy day?" My first thought was "What the hell is she talking about?" AND then after I realized what she was referring to, I started stuttering and eventually managed to choke out the words "Oh, I'm not pregnant!" as I frantically tried to smooth the front of my shirt so she could see that the air bubble there was indeed NOT my stomach. We both stood there uncomfortably for a few seconds while she then began stuttering in response "Oh, I'm so sorry - it must have been the shirt..." and both of our faces started turning several shades of red.

In all honesty I think she felt worse than I did because it was so obvious how embarassed she was, so I awkwardly snatched up my package and made my way out the door. I immediately called my husband for reassurance that no I do not look pregnant and no I do not have a huge gut. Then we went out to dinner and I got carded when I ordered my raspberry mojito which slightly offset the earlier trauma of the day. And to be fair to the woman at the store I was buying baby yarn and I do know those tunic type tops have the tendency to billow out sometimes giving the aura of pregnancy, but STILL - WHO THE HELL ASKS THAT unless they are absolutely certain??

Another friend had a similar thing happen to her - only the woman that did it to her actually reached out and felt my friend's stomach when she asked. Another very awkward moment as my friend was not pregnant either. And I also have to say I usually have a pretty accurate body perception of myself and although I am not super skinny, I'm not what you would call overweight either - I try to eat right, I jog a few times a week, all in all I'm pretty healthy. However when I woke up at 6:00 am to go jogging this morning, all I heard in my head over and over again was "So, when is the happy day?" WHY DON'T PEOPLE THINK BEFORE THEY SPEAK? Note to self: Never. wearing. that. shirt. again.

On to book talk...I just finished The Abortionist's Daughter by Elisabeth Hyde and thought it was a pretty good read. A quick read told from different points of view of each family member - the abortionist doctor herself, her husband, her daughter, and the detective investigating the case before the killer is finally revealed. Kind of predictable, but still enjoyable.

Now I'm reading A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read. This is a good summer read. It takes place in Syracuse, NY among the working class while a former debutante of NY's wealthy Long Island set investigates a 20 year old double murder that her favorite cousin may have been involved in. I really like Read's characters - there's some grit to them which keeps it interesting.

And of course after going to the library last night with the intention of only returning books and renewing existing ones I had checked out, I came home with 7 new ones. I just can't seem to help myself :)

Next up - The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery, The Dead Father's Club by Matt Haig, and The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer and Susan Dworkin.

And this lovely picture that makes me smile. Wild roses growing in our yard. We have rose bushes we planted ourselves, but I think I like these wild ones even better with their deep color and heavenly fragrance!

Rise and Shine

2007-06-06T12:13:00.000-04:00

I'm currently sitting at work alternating between drinking mass quantities of hot tea, ginger ale, and water, and putting my head down on my desk every 20 minutes. I woke up this morning with the dreaded summertime cold. I hate having colds or being sick in any way, shape or form, just like everyone else does, but to have a nasty cold during the hot weather of summer seems so unnatural. My throat is on fire and my ears keep popping leaving me fearful of tomorrow morning (when the cold will have spread into my chest and head as they always do) while I chant to myself "I will not be sick, I will not be sick." It's always a tug of war with my conscience as I debate whether or not to throw in the towel, go home early, and take half a sick day, or try to tough it out for the rest of the afternoon. Unfortunately, toughing it out seems to be the plan of action today as I have an afternoon meeting I can't really miss. Not that I will actually be of any use to anyone in that meeting as I sit there in a cold-medicated haze.

Enough complaining. Done.

I'm reading Anna Quindlen's Rise and Shine at the moment and am thoroughly enjoying it. I've taken this one out of the library on three separate occasions only having to return it before I actually got a chance to read it. I'm glad I've finally managed to crack it open. So far, it's the story of 2 sisters living very different lives in NYC while keeping a very close sisterly bond intact. The unexpected happens when the older sister (Meghan) essentially snaps while on air hosting the nation's most popular morning news show. Compounded with Meghan's husband of 22 years leaving her, it's Bridget's (the younger sister) turn to take on the big sisterly role as she tries to keep the family together. I've never read anything else by Anna Quindlen, but am finding that I really like her writing style. Anyone recommend any of her other novels in particular that I should read next?

Need to go pop another zinc lozenge and drink the third gallon (exaggerating here) of water for the day before my meeting. So miserable now...so, so miserable. I needed to get that last complaint in before I signed off ;)

My first meme

2007-05-27T23:19:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged by I Buy Books for the 8 random things meme. I've never participated in a meme before and after catching up on my blog reading I think I may be among the last few in the blogosphere to list my 8 random facts/habits. So I won't tag anyone else since most have been tagged already. But here goes:

1. I am 31 years old and have never had a cavity (something I am very proud of :)

2. I think I am one of the few people on the planet that cannot stand watching any of the Star Wars movies. Much to my husband's dismay, I despise them. Not a big fan of Lord of the Rings either.

3. I am literally allergic to exercise. Seriously. Everytime I work out I break out in itchy hives. This has been a rather recent development. To get around this annoying issue I take Claritin or Zyrtec before I go jogging. Which doesn't always work, but I guess it's better than nothing. I'm hoping the hives will one day disappear as mysteriously as they came.

4. I am three inches taller than my husband, therefore it's pretty rare for me to ever wear heels. Flip flops are my footwear of choice. I should probably just get over it, own up to my height of 5'9", and wear heels with pride. There are some benefits to being tall I suppose...one in particular is it takes more time for unwanted pounds to show up on a taller frame because there is more area to spread it over! Regardless, I feel like I am always trying to lose 10 pounds. Sigh...

5. I've never read Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice (both are on my TBR list for this summer).

6. I am a packrat and surround myself with clutter. Not matter how hard I try, I just do not have the knack for organization and simplification.

7. My favorite place in the world is Hawaii. Someday I will get back there.

8. I am one of those people that must get at least 8 hours of sleep a night in order to be productive and not cranky...I'm 10 minutes late for work every morning because I've hit the snooze button one too many times.

Speaking of sleep, I am headed upstairs to bed. We spent the entire weekend painting our family room. We painted over hideous faux wood paneling which required 2 coats of primer and then 2 coats of paint. Not to mention the built in bookcases we had to paint around. I am wiped. But the room no longer feels like a dungeon!

Before I sign off - has anyone read Black Girl, White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates? I just finished it - great book.

I'm back

2007-05-09T12:51:00.000-04:00

I know I have been MIA for the past month, recent weeks have been crazy busy, although most weeks seem crazy busy. I definitely think I need to scale back my activities before I run myself ragged. I feel like I haven't had much time to do any significant reading lately and that's never a good thing. I look forward to lazy summer evenings lounging on my porch with a good book and the crickets chirping (or whatever it is that they do) in the background. Those days cannot get here fast enough. In any case, I recently discovered Bloglines and have been reading what everyone's been up to - you've all been very busy!

Lately, I've had a minor obsession with buying knitting books. Just today I found three more I want. I need to slow down with the purchasing because I can't knit as fast as I am buying the books! It's all the beautiful pictures that entice me into thinking "Yeah, I can do that..." and while maybe I can, most of the patterns I am drawn to would take me forever. But does that stop me from buying the books? Nooo, of course not. This time though I am going to be smart and take these three out of the library and determine realistically just how many of the patterns I would knit before I invest the money. In no particular order, here they are.

Sigh...I want. But I don't need.

I did manage to score some great finds at a library book sale the other weekend. I picked up several hardcover craft books for $2 a piece.

But the best find of the day was Michael Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White. This is one that's been talked about a lot in the blogosphere; I was so happy to see it laying on the table I let out a little shriek when I spotted it. I'm glad to own this one as it is a rather hefty book; I know I can take my time with it and not have to worry about getting it back to the library.
Which is exactly what happened to me with Michael Gruber's The Book of Air and Shadows. I got about 225 pages in and was way overdue my 2 allowed renewals so I had to give in and bring it back. I marked down my page number though and have already requested it again.

Other books I have out of the library include The Post-Birthday World, The Teahouse Fire, and Rise and Shine. I've got my reading cut out for me!

And from this point forward I vow to be less sporadic with my posts. With summer coming and the promise of extra reading time, I am sure I will have lots to post about. One more thing...Picnik is my new favorite tool - it's a very fun photo editor and is completely free.

Getting my head above water again

2007-04-03T16:52:00.000-04:00

After a very busy two and a half weeks, I feel like I am finally getting my head above water again. Work has been positively insane and since so much of my job involves programming the last thing I want to do when I get home is sit in front of a computer again. Which has caused me to feel very out of the loop; I'm glad I'm getting the chance now to catch up on all of my blog reading!

I finished Moloka'i about 2 weeks ago and can say it was probably one of the best books I have ever read. The novel follows a young girl diagnosed with leprosy at the age of seven. After she is shipped off to Moloka'i with other people also afflicted with the disease, the reader witnesses Rachel and other members of the leper colony create a sense of community in a place where they have been sent as a means to isolate them from the general population. Some of the residents at Moloka'i have more visible signs of the disease than others, but none of that matters. The community members create beautiful lives for themselves in the midst of severe hardship and incredibly bad luck. Really, just an amazing book.

Right now, I am almost done with Mark Haddon's A Spot of Bother and am loving this one too. I enjoyed his previous novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, but I think I am enjoying A Spot of Bother more. The novel centers around George, the patriarch of a modern day dysfunctional family. In the midst of his daughter planning her wedding to a man they all think is wrong for her, his gay son is experiencing yet another failed relationship, his wife is having an affair with his old co-worker, and George finds a raised bump on his hip that he begins obsessing about, fearful that it may be cancer. I feel like I know these people; regardless of the issues they have with one another, all are quite likeable characters and I find myself rooting for each of them.

All of my fiction reading has been from the library lately so I've been pretty good about not spending money on that, although I can't say the same for craft books. But I figure craft books are books that are better to own since they contain such good reference material. Here's a snapshot of my recent acquisitions from the past few weeks.

And for those of you that like to bake, be sure to try out this recipe from The Canadian Baker. I made these almond-ricotta Napolean pastries for breakfast one weekend and they were super easy and delicious. Enjoy!

Adorable bookplates

2007-03-13T16:38:00.000-04:00

I came across the Pink Loves Brown site today and had to pass it on. I love the idea of bookplates, but have never puchased them for myself. I've given them as gifts before, although sometimes my less bookish friends look at them not really understanding what they are until I explain it to them. And then there is always a look of understanding and a "Hey, that's a great idea!" that follows the explanation. I think most people just write their names on the inside of the book cover and then don't think about it again. But these deserve a second look. I can't wait to buy my own set. Ex Libris - if you're reading, these are especially for you!
Right now I'm reading Vienna Prelude by Bodie Thoene mentioned in an earlier post. It's the first in a series that I have read twice before and I am loving every minute of it. Alternating between Berlin, Vienna, and Prague during WWII, it's a mesmerizing read. I was happy to stumble across the books again at my local library.

I've also started Alan Brennert's Moloka'i and found myself sucked in after the first chapter. I can't wait to get some more of it read tonight. I really do need to update the "What's On My Nightstand" links to the right of my blog posts. Most of those have already come and gone!

Unsatisfying reading

2007-03-02T09:54:00.000-05:00

I seem to have hit a bit of a reading slump lately. I tried to read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert for my book club and haven't been able to finish it. I read the first section titled "Italy" and enjoyed it, but did not enjoy the second section titled "India" as much. I found myself starting to lose interest and I can't decide if I want to read the final section titled "Indonesia" or just give up entirely. I've also had to abandon A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian by Marina Lewycka; not because I didn't like it, but because it's way overdue at the library. I always get an uncomfortable, unsettled feeling when I have to abandon a book about halfway through even if the book is horrible - there's no sense of closure.

After my last two unsuccessful reads, I decided to try Marian Keyes' Cracks in my Foundation; a collection of essays and stories. This is exactly what I needed; quick, easy read, entertaining, etc.; feel like I am back on the path to good reading.

Up for this weekend are some party preparations for a baby shower I am hosting next weekend and of course more reading. Thinking I may try Stephen King's Lisey's Story next.

I also want to try a couple of recipes. Domino magazine had some tasty ideas in their February 2007 issue (although this is the March 2007 issue pictured) for a zesty lemon tagliarini and candied orange peels dipped in Belgian chocolate. Sounds yummy!

Snowed In

2007-02-14T15:19:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting on my couch right now listening to the sleet hit against the side of the house. After waking up to a very messy storm, I decided to work from home today. I always like the idea of being able to work from home - getting to wear sweats, fewer office distractions, no meetings, etc. - but when I actually do work from home I find myself easily distracted, very bored from lack of interaction with co-workers, and a tad unprofessional as I return emails in my slippers and undone hair shoved into a sloppy ponytail. I guess there is just something about the office environment that makes me feel more productive. I worked through the morning, but then felt my motivation start to wane after lunch. Seemed like a good time to create a new blog post and catch up on some blog reading.

Since I last posted, I have been back to the New England Mobile Book Fair again. I just can't get enough. Although this time I did go with a purpose in mind. Lately, I have been inspired by various craft blogs I read occasionally, and decided it was time to break out my mother's old sewing machine and put it to good use. I figured what better place to search for sewing books than at the New England Mobile Book Fair, since it's so huge and seems to have everything under the sun.

I picked up a copy of Amy Butler's In Stitches. Her book has a ton of great ideas and several patterns are included, making it easy for those of us just getting back into sewing after a fifteen year hiatus. Her fabrics are gorgeous too; the pretty pictures alone convinced me to buy the book. I managed to complete her bedside organizer project shown here. Made a few mistakes along the way, but all in all not a bad first attempt. The organizer has magazine pockets, an i-pod pocket, cd pocket, pen and pencil pockets, and a pocket for eyeglasses. It attaches to the bed with a long canvas flap placed between the mattress and box spring. Pretty nifty. I'm already envisioing homemade Christmas gifts this year.

Speaking of crafts (hmmm...maybe I should start my own craft blog - for now I guess I'll just have to include my craft posts with my book posts!), I visited Paper Source recently and picked up a paper flower making kit and a Valentine's Day paper fortune cookie kit. The paper flowers were a little more involved than I had anticipated, but still a fun project. The fortune cookies were easier, although I didn't have the required hole puncher, so I had to improvise with some tape.

More random information includes the eggless chocolate chip walnut banana bread I made. The only reason I went for eggless is that we had no eggs in the fridge and I was not about to make any attempts to actually drive to a store in this weather. Apple sauce was the substitute and the bread came out very yummy. I would definitely use this recipe again.

Enough craft and baking talk, now back to books. Right now I'm reading Cornelia Funke's Inkheart, which is absolutely perfect for this kind of weather. I became immersed as soon as I started reading it. Meggie and her father Mo are both bibliophile's and Mo has a unique ability to bring stories to life as he reads them aloud. Meggie and her father soon find themselves held hostage by a group of characters Mo inadvertently brought out of a story. Truly a charming read, I'm looking forward to picking up the sequel once I am done.

This month we're reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert for my book club. I've heard good things about this one, but haven't started it yet. Has anyone else read it and care to comment on it?

Ok, must put in another two or three hours of work now before I can officially call it a day. Ugh.

Have I got a bookstore for you

2007-02-02T16:42:00.000-05:00

I discovered the best bookstore last weekend. After an uncomfortable three hours of allergy skin testing (hives can be such a drag, can't they?), I decided book buying would be a more soothing experience. I came across the New England Mobile Book Fair on my way home. As soon as I walked in the door, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It reminded me a little bit of the Strand in NYC, but I honestly think this store was better. It was essentially one huge warehouse of books - new and used. And everything was discounted! And they had everything imaginable!!!!

I will say though that you do have to go with the intention of spending a lot of time there. The amount they have is overwhelming and they have their collection (their fiction section at least) organized by publisher rather than author. So if you're looking for something in particular you really have to know where to look or ask one of the shopkeepers (who are super knowledgeable and helpful). The children's and young adult sections were very impressive as well - multiple copies of anything you could be looking for.

Obviously, I was not about to leave this store empty handed. Here is a list of my lovely purchases.

There is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children by Melissa Fay Greene - (Booklist)...The horrific numbers behind the AIDS pandemic in Africa, "the most terrible epidemic in human history," have little resonance for most people in the West: "the ridiculous numbers wash over most of us." But this searing account humanizes the statistics through heartbreaking, intimate stories of what it is like for young orphans left alone in Ethiopia. Greene's story focuses on one rescuer, Haregewoin Teferra, who has opened her home and compound in a rickety hillside neighborhood of Addis Ababa and taken in hundreds of the untouchables thrown in the streets and left at her door...

Grayson by Lynne Cox - (Publisher's Weekly)...On a clear California morning when Cox (Swimming to Antarctica) was 17 years old, she had an unusual experience that stayed with her for 30 years, creating a spiritual foundation for her personal and professional success. In this slim and crisp memoir, Cox details a morning swim off the coast of California that took an unexpected turn: returning to shore, she discovered that she was being followed by a baby gray whale that had been separated from its mother. As Cox developed a rapport with the whale, she took on the responsibility of keeping it at sea until it was reunited with its mother...

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly - (Publishers Weekly)...Thriller writer Connolly (Every Dead Thing) turns from criminal fears to primal fears in this enchanting novel about a 12-year-old English boy, David, who is thrust into a realm where eternal stories and fairy tales assume an often gruesome reality...

1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die by Peter Ackroyd and Peter Boxall

Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten - this one I got for 40% off!

On a completely unrelated note - anyone see Smallville last night? Am I the only one obsessed with that show? Great episode!

Thursday thoughts

2007-01-25T15:48:00.000-05:00

Why is it that every time I request multiple books through my library's ILL system, they all come in at once? I can't possibly read everything before they are due back. Oh well - I will try my hardest. Feel like I am in a fog today, so this will be a short post, but wanted to share some of my recent acquisitions and "borrows."

During a trip to Barnes and Noble on my lunch yesterday I picked up Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls by Rachel Simmons (see description from Amazon.com below).

There is little sugar but lots of spice in journalist Rachel Simmons's brave and brilliant book that skewers the stereotype of girls as the kinder, gentler gender. Odd Girl Out begins with the premise that girls are socialized to be sweet with a double bind: they must value friendships; but they must not express the anger that might destroy them. Lacking cultural permission to acknowledge conflict, girls develop what Simmons calls "a hidden culture of silent and indirect aggression."

The author, who visited 30 schools and talked to 300 girls, catalogues chilling and heartbreaking acts of aggression, including the silent treatment, note-passing, glaring, gossiping, ganging up, fashion police, and being nice in private/mean in public. She decodes the vocabulary of these sneak attacks, explaining, for example, three ways to parse the meaning of "I'm fat."

Simmons is a gifted writer who is skilled at describing destructive patterns and prescribing clear-cut strategies for parents, teachers, and girls to resist them. "The heart of resistance is truth telling," advises Simmons. She guides readers to nurture emotional honesty in girls and to discover a language for public discussions of bullying. She offers innovative ideas for changing the dynamics of the classroom, sample dialogues for talking to daughters, and exercises for girls and their friends to explore and resolve messy feelings and conflicts head-on.

One intriguing chapter contrasts truth telling in white middle class, African-American, Latino, and working-class communities. Odd Girl Out is that rare book with the power to touch individual lives and transform the culture that constrains girls--and boys--from speaking the truth.

I also picked up The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak (really looking forward to this one). From Booklist:

The new Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk has faced charges for making anti-Turkish remarks regarding the long denied mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Acclaimed Turkish writer Shafak has also been hauled into court for "insulting Turkishness." The case was dropped, and her bold and penetrating tale of the tragic repercussions of the Armenian genocide will live on. In her second novel in English following The Saint of Incipient Insanities (2004), Shafak tells a many-faceted, mischievously witty, and daringly dramatic story that is at once a study in compassion, a shrewd novel of ideas, a love song to Istanbul, and a sensuous and whirling satire. The novel's ruling force is gorgeous Zeliha, the unapologetically sexy proprietor of an Istanbul tattoo parlor. An unwed mother at 19, she has raised her daughter, Asya (now 19 herself and obsessed with Johnny Cash), in a chaotic, food-centric household that includes her mother, grandmother, and three sisters: Banu, the pious clairvoyant; Cevriye, the high-strung history teacher; and Feride, the neurotic. The sisters haven't seen their Americanized brother, Mustafa, for almost 20 years, and are stunned when his 19-year-old stepdaughter, Armanoush, whose mother is from Kentucky and whose father is Armenian, arrives in Istanbul to search for her Armenian roots. As Asya and Armanoush forge a tentative friendship unaware of all that they actually share, others panic over the looming revelation of shocking secrets. Shafak weaves an intricate and vibrant saga of repression and freedom, cultural clashes and convergences, pragmatism and mysticism, and crimes and retribution, subtly revealing just how inextricably entwined we all are, whatever our heritage or beliefs.

My library stack includes Alan Brennert's Moloka'i, A Venetian Affair by Andrea Di Robilant, The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro, and Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes, among others.

And last but not least Vienna Prelude by Bodie Thoene. This was one of those books I read when I was maybe 13 or 14 and loved the story and cover art. Of course as an adult, I couldn't remember the title or the author and have always sort of been searching for it wherever I go. Well, after reading another blogger's post where Vienna Prelude was recommended, I reserved it at the library not realizing this was the book I had been searching for all of these years! Imagine my surprise when it was waiting for me!

I've decided to resign from the From the Stacks Challenge. With time running out and my library pile growing, it's just not going to happen. I don't know why I insist on signing up for these challenges (ok, maybe I do - they always sound like fun) - I never finish them. I admire all those of you that do!

Maybe this wasn't such a short post after all :) I leave you with this:

Tom Cruise hailed as 'Christ' of Scientology

What the ???? All I can do is laugh. He he he HA HA HA HA!

Gift certificates galore

2007-01-15T14:03:00.000-05:00

Aren't gift certificates wonderful? I spent Friday evening raiding the clearance racks at Ann Taylor Loft and what finds I found! Dresses, skirts, and sweaters, oh my! Found the perfect dress for a wedding in Vegas I am attending this weekend, a fabulous tweed coat, 2 cozy sweaters, and a very stylish tweed skirt (one can never have enough tweed is what I say - as long as you don't wear it all at once!).

Yesterday, I was at Barnes and Noble with another gift certificate browsing the shelves and came across Karleen Koen's Through a Glass Darkly. After reading the first 2 pages, I was already sucked in and therefore decided it was purchase worthy.

I was tempted to pick up a copy of The Best American Essays 2006, but I was good at remembering my New Year's resolution not to buy too much so this title was added to my "library list." I also came across Rachel Cusk's Arlington Park, but have heard mixed reviews and decided this one belonged on the "library list" also.

Currently, I have been reading Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers and have been loving it. No matter that my 20s are (gasp!) behind me - these essays are fabulous. Some are entertaining, some sad, some bizarre, but all are good reads. A group of editorial assistants at Random House came up with the concept and a contest was formed - the essays that made the book were best picks. I'm wondering if they'll expand the contest and include a Thirtysomething Essays by Thirtysomething Writers next time. Hmmm...maybe I should write in and suggest that.

And for those of you that like Stephanie Plum, you might also like Josie Marcus, Elaine Viets amateur sleuth in her latest mystery High Heels are Murder. Not major brain food, but definitely good for a laugh - change Stephanie's hometown of Trenton, NJ to St. Louis, MO, give her a kid, a nosy next-door neighbor and swap her sidekick Lulu for Alyce, a suburban mom looking for excitement, and there you'll have Josie Marcus.

Others in the TBR pile this week are Paint it Black by Janet Fitch, St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman, A Tale of Two Sisters by Anna Maxted, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, and realizing that I am running out of time to read my From the Stacks challenge books, March by Geraldine Brooks. I know that sounds like a lot of reading for one week, but it is a long flight to Vegas which translates to hours of reading pleasure!

Happy 2007

2007-01-03T13:49:00.000-05:00

Happy 2007 to everyone - hope you all enjoyed the holidays :) I was sick for Christmas and didn't really move from the couch. My husband and I were forced to forage our cabinets for food since all of the stores were closed (we of course didn't think to food shop ahead of time because we thought we'd be traveling). Some interesting meals were had. Thankfully my husband is an excellent cook and can pretty much make a gourmet meal out of water so we survived. I was able to take advantage of the downtime too and get through the stack of library books I had waiting for me.

First on the list was From Baghdad, with Love by Jay Kopelman and Melinda Roth. For those of you that are animal lovers, you'll want to read this book. It's a personal account of what one Marine went through to rescue and transport a puppy found among wreckage in Fallujah back to the United States. Photos included.

Next I needed something a little lighter so I turned to Carole Matthews' Welcome to the Real World. For chick lit, Matthews is probably my favorite. Bartender and aspiring singer Fern Kendal finds herself subbing for handsome opera singer Evan David's personal assistant. Romance ensues and the story is complete with comical parents and a trusty sidekick who always seems to come to Fern's rescue.

After that it was John Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. This is definitely on my top 10 list of books for 2006. Cleverly done, it's a must read. Nine year old Bruno and his family move from Berlin to a place Bruno thinks is called "Out-With" (aka Auschwitz) where the "Fury" (aka Furer) has big plans for his father's career. While at "Out-With" Bruno befriends a young boy who lives in the nearby concentration camp and their friendship develops as they talk to each other from opposite sides of the fence. I read this book in one sitting - it's that good.

Then it was onto Jed Rubenfeld's The Interpretation of Murder. This one seemed to have gotten a lot of hype, but it lived up to the hype. A psychological thriller set in early 1900's NYC complete with prominent roles played by Freud, Jung, and other historical figures. A great read especially if you have an interest in the field of psychology.

After reading all of these, I started to feel better, but then my husband got sick with what I had so it was a quiet New Year's too. More reading :)

And since this is my first post of the New Year, thought I'd list some New Year's resolutions. At least some that I actually have a chance of keeping.

1. Refrain from buying so many books everytime I walk into a bookstore. The ILL at my library works pretty quickly - I just need to learn to be more patient when it comes to new releases.

2. Read more of the books I already own instead of always buying more, checking more out of the library, etc. Hopefully the From the Stacks Challenge will help me with this.

3. Make more time for my writing. I have so many things started, but none finished. This year I am determined to finish a couple of those pieces and submit them to literary magazines.

That's it for me. I could of course make the resolution to eat less junk food but given my history, that will never happen so why bother? :)

Reminder to everyone to go out and get their copy of Colleen Gleason's The Rest Falls Away - I ordered my copy today!

Happy Reading in the New Year!

Challenge Picks

2006-12-18T12:53:00.000-05:00

I've made my challenge picks...

For the Chunkster Challege, I've settled on a few books I've been meaning to read and just never have and one book I've already read but have needed an excuse to reread because it is just that good :)

1. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - This has been in the TBR pile for ages, I don't know why I always pass over it.

2. I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe - Got this one as a Christmas gift 2 years ago, about time I read it.

3. The Way the Crow Flies by Ann-Marie MacDonald - Simply because I've heard such good things about it.

4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling - I only got through book 4, so this is a must.

5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - Have already read this one, more than once I might add, but am looking forward to rereading again.

For the Winter Classics Challenge, this is what I've chosen.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - I'm shocked myself that I have still never read this!

2. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - This has been in my TBR pile for quite some time.

3. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James - I might be cheating a little with this one. I'm already reading it in daily installments from Daily Lit.

4. The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf - Never read anything by her but always meant to.

5. Bram Stoker's Dracula - This one was on my list of R.I.P. Challenge books that I never got to, so I am giving it another try.

Now I just need to figure out what I'll post about for the G.I.F.T. Challenge. Think there may be a few more challenges floating around out there, but maybe I should just start with these and see how far I get :)

Holiday Madness

2006-12-15T17:06:00.000-05:00

Long time, no post. Seems I've been missing out on a few challenges.
The Chunkster Challenge,

the G.I.F.T. Challenge,

and the Winter Classics Challenge.

Since I have yet to finish any of the challenges I've signed up for, I am determined that I will finish at least one of these! Still need to sit down and figure out what I'm going to read/write for each.

Despite the holiday madness, I did manage to squeeze in a couple of good books recently, each of which deserve mention here. One Mississippi by Mark Childress was wonderful. I was captivated by the first page and remained captivated until the last page.

From Publisher's Weekly: "When his father is relocated from Indiana to Minor, Miss., in 1973, 16-year-old Daniel Musgrove finds himself a classic fish out of water. At Minor High, the Midwestern teenager finds a kindred spirit in wiseacre Tim Cousins, whose motto is "Everything is funny all the time." The two indulge their love of Sonny and Cher, get recruited by a local Baptist church to perform in an amateur musical called Christ! and endure the bullying of football star Red Martin. When, on prom night, the boys accidentally run over Arnita Beecham, a beautiful, popular black girl, the boys flee, letting Red take the fall. Arnita wakes from her coma believing she's white and promptly falls for Daniel—which makes Tim extremely jealous and puts their coverup at risk. Childress's comic tone and well-written adolescent confusion make his late shift into darker territory jarring, and readers might not follow him all the way to his violent destination."

Next up was Francine Prose's A Changed Man. I'd actually never read any of her books before, even though I seem to own several of them.

From Publisher's Weekly: Prose (Blue Angel; The Lives of the Muses) tests assumptions about class, hatred and the possibility of change in her latest novel, a good-natured satire of liberal pieties, the radical right and the fund-raising world. The "changed man" of the title is Vincent Nolan, a 32-year-old tattooed ex-skinhead who appears one morning in the New York offices of World Brotherhood Watch, a foundation headed by Meyer Maslow, a Holocaust survivor. Vincent declares that he has had a personal conversion (never mind that it was triggered by a heavy dose of Ecstasy) and wants to work with the foundation to "save guys like me from becoming guys like me." Meyer takes Vincent on faith—and convinces Bonnie Kalen, the foundation's fund-raiser, to put Vincent up in the suburban home she shares with her two sons, Max, 12, and Danny, 16. Prose tears into this unusual premise with the piercing wit that has become her trademark. Vincent becomes a media darling of sorts, and everyone wants a piece of him: the liberal donors and the television talk shows; Meyer, a figurehead so celebrated that even his close friends kiss up to him; and maybe even divorced Bonnie, who finds herself drawn to Vincent's charms. In more hostile pursuit of Vincent is his cousin Raymond, a member of the Aryan Resistance Movement, from which Vincent stole a truck, drugs and cash. In these circumstances, can a man truly change? And what is change—not only for Vincent but for the other principals as well? Prose doesn't shy away from exposing the vanities and banalities behind the drive to do good. Fortunately, her characters are sturdy enough to bear the weight of the baggage she piles on them. Her lively skewering of a whole cross-section of society ensures that this tale hits comic high notes even as it probes serious issues."

Back with more later after I've made my picks for each of the ongoing challenges!

Goodbye warm weather

2006-11-16T15:22:00.000-05:00

Now that all of the leaves have dropped, autumn is officially over in my mind. Which means the start of another long New England winter. The kind that starts the first week of December and seems to go on until May. You'd think that after living all 31 of my years in the northeast, I'd be immune to the cold by now, but that is not the case. Although I do think I'd take a New England winter over the hot, humid, oppressive heat of say, southern Florida. Humid weather does not bode well for good hair days. Not that hat hair is much better.

I started thinking about the long winter ahead after seeing some lovely summer time pictures we forgot to download from our digital camera. So I decided to dedicate this post to all things warm weather like. First is a vacation picture of the beautiful harbor in Camden, Maine (this is the town with the beautiful library, natural ampitheather, and 4 bookstores - one of which is, or was, selling the entire Trixie Belden collection in near perfect condition; should have snatched them up when I had the chance). Actually, this picture could be Rockland, Maine, not Camden. Doesn't matter. Both are adorable.

Next are pictures from Edith Wharton's estate The Mount. One of the house itself and one of the amazing gardens behind the house. Must get back there again soon. Seeing her personal library and the ongoing restoration project of her estate was incredible.

And then we have a picture of our beautiful rose bushes that, much to my astonishment, bloomed for the second year in a row. Gardening is not my forte. I like the idea of it, but don't have the patience for it. I did manage to keep a potted tomato plant and some lavendar alive this year though, so maybe I'll rethink the whole gardening thing next year. I planted some bulbs this past weekend - if they come up in the spring then I'll definitely give gardening another chance.

My two buddies lounging on our porch is the next shot. They like to keep me company when I read. And when I sleep. And when I am trying to brush my teeth, or make dinner, or do work on the computer. You get the picture. Whoever said cats are solitary creatures have never met my cats. While they can't stand each other, they love people and like to be the center of attention at all times. Especially Jack (the black one), who essentially rules the household. This picture makes me laugh, because for two cats that despise each other, they always seem to lounge or sleep next to one another. Go figure. I think about 5 minutes after this picture was taken, there was a flurry of activity in which punches were thrown, necks were bitten, and faces scratched, all resulting in what looked like an explosion of cat fur, followed by each of them retreating into separate corners to lick their wounds and strategize their next attack.

So with this post, I bid warm weather adieu. Time to settle in for a long winter in which I will be sure to keep myself surrounded by piles of books at all times!

New Reading Challenge

2006-11-06T16:54:00.000-05:00

Since I was delinquent with the last reading challenge (meaning I did not read a single book on my RIP list), I decided to partake in the Winter Reading Challenge to try and redeem myself. I am even going to make one of my RIP reads one of my winter reads so I can say I read at least one of my RIP books this year. This winter reading challenge will be good for me. I am forever buying books that line my shelves which end up taking a backseat to whatever I have checked out of the library. Now is my opportunity to read some of those that have been waiting so patiently!

Need to make this a short post, but for those of you that like young adult fiction, I just finished Leaving Jetty Road by Rebecca Burton and thought it was excellent.

More to come soon...

Time to post at last

2006-10-29T14:34:00.000-05:00

I'm back. After a very busy 2 weeks, I am finally finding time to post again. I spent most of last week in NYC for work. Software training to be exact. Wish I could say it was exciting, but it was rather dull actually. However, I did have my evenings free and I made the most of them.

First stop for me was the Strand bookstore. Where in the basement, they have shelves and shelves of hardcover review copies, marked 50% off. That's right, 50% off. And they seemed to have everything. EVERYTHING. I had to limit myself to only three though as my suitcase was already heavy enough. The three I picked were Jennifer Weiner's The Guy Not Taken, Steven Carter's Famous Writers School, and Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris.

The next night, I was in a fairly rotten mood after another long day of useless training and had about another 4 hours of work to look forward to that evening when back in my hotel room. So I decided to take myself out for a nice dinner, paid for by my company I might add. As I was wandering around, I stumbled across The Library Hotel (I mentioned this in a previous post), and noticed their restaurant Branzini, had a rather appealing menu. So I sat my tired butt down for a tasty meal of roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and winter vegetables, and two cranberry-apple martinis to wash it all down. Feeling slightly less moody after that, I was better prepared to face the mountain of work waiting for me back at the hotel.

And finally after a third full day of training I caught a flight home and fell into bed. Have been unwinding this weekend, trying to catch up on some reading among other things. My husband took me to dinner and a movie yesterday to celebrate my b'day and presented me with the most exquisite, delicate, and antique Edwardian pendant necklace which I have not taken off since I first put it on. Slept with it on and showered with it too - in fact I don't think it will ever leave my neck :) We saw The Departed by the way, and if you haven't already seen it, I strongly urge you to go do so. I'd never been a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio before this movie, but I am now. He was great, along with Alec Baldwin (one of my favorites), Matt Damon (another one of my favorites), Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, and Mark Wahlberg.

Speaking of movies, I am anxiously awaiting
Little Children to come to a movie theater near me. I've liked a lot of Tom Perotta's work, but this was by far my favorite.

And to wrap things up, still reading
The Devil in the White City (and thoroughly enjoying it), could not get through Sarah Dunant's Transgressions (disturbing to the point where it was just creepy), and still have yet to pick up one of my RIP reads. I obviously will not have any RIP reads finished by Tuesday, but I still plan on getting to them, preferably sometime during the remainder of 2006!

Airport Reading

2006-10-13T13:56:00.000-04:00

Homecoming weekend has arrived at the University of Delaware, home of the Fightin' Blue Hens. I'll be making the trek to visit old friends and college roommates. Check out YoUDee to the left - is that not a cool mascot or what?

Being a typical bookworm I am actually looking forward to sitting in the airport later tonight - perfect place to catch up on my reading! I've already got my stash lined up. I decided to travel with 4 books (even though I know there's no way I am going to get 4 books read this weekend - I like to have options though, you know?) The lucky winners are Transgressions by Sarah Dunant (must have this one read for a book club meeting next week), The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (finally I am getting around to my RIP books), The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (heard him speak at the 2005 ALA conference, very funny guy), and of course my guilty pleasure 12 Sharp by Janet Evanovich (her books actually make me laugh out loud when reading them).

Next week, it's another airport as I make my way to NYC for business. What to bring then? Hmmm...I am not one of those people that will take advantage of the downtime to plug away at more work on my laptop. Nope, I take advantage of every precious minute to read my books. The work will still be there when the plane lands. Although I would probably never say that to my boss :)

Need a vacation

2006-10-04T17:43:00.000-04:00

Ugh. This week at work has been brutal...no time to attend to my blog this past week. Not only am I behind on posting, but behind on my reading also. After three days of furiously programming for work, my fingers are now numb from all of the typing, I can only turn my neck in one direction (from stress and sitting in the same uncomfortable position while programming for hours on end), my head is pounding, and my eyes are a lovely shade of bloodshot.

It is also becoming more and more clear to me that I will not finish my Autumn Challenge books in time...I haven't started a single one of them. My goal is to finish one, maybe two. My pile of books to be reviewed is growing exponentially so that leaves me with little time for other reading (although I have enjoyed everything I've reviewed so far so that's a plus). In fact my first two reviews are finally posted. You can check them out here and here.

I also recently discovered The Library Hotel in NYC. I must get there some day and the rest of you will want to also once you check out their website. Looks divine.

Banned Books Week

2006-09-25T15:14:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again - Banned Books Week! Here is the list of the 100 most frequently challenged books from 1990 - 2000. The most frequently challenged books of the 21st century are:

1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
2. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
3. Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
4. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
5. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
6. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
7. It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
8. Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz
9. Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
10. Forever by Judy Blume

Take a look at some other statistics on the American Library Association website. I've read many of the books on the most frequently challenged lists and it's depressing to think that some kids may not have the opportunity to read these books - at least not until adulthood when they can make their own reading material choices.

On another note, I recently made a few purchases at Amazon.com and am eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose

The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud (I've heard great things about this one)

Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books by Maureen Corrigan (After reading Danielle's recent post about this one I had to check it out for myself. I think the title says it all :)

The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: A Memoir, A History by Lewis Buzbee (Ok, this one I just had to have - no ifs, ands, or buts about it)

And finally, if you haven't already seen The Illusionist, go see it. My husband and I saw it last night and it is by far one of the best movies I have seen in a while. I loved everything about it - the time period, cinematography, music score, etc. Plus Edward Norton is pretty easy on the eyes :) It is based on a short story that I need to track down. Overall, I thought the movie was very well done.

Rocky Balboa (not the one you're thinking of) and other entertainment

2006-09-20T14:04:00.000-04:00

You'll have to excuse my post today. I've included a picture of my cat Rocky (as in Rocky Balboa) for no other reason than I thought it was cute. If life were only that simple for all of us. When having a bad day (usually the result of our other cat Jack beating the crap out of him), Rocky just curls up in an old kitchen bowl he's recently claimed ownership of (he's made it clear that there is no chance in hell I am getting this bowl back) and burrows. Or he pees on the wall. I think the burrowing is cuter for obvious reasons. So there you have it. I apologize in advance for future pictures of Rocky and Jack you may see on this blog. This is what we childless people do - obsess over our pets. I usually try and keep this blog to book talk, but today I just couldn't help myself.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, back to books. I've finished my first official review (although not posted yet) of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight and gave it a 5 out of 5. I loved it. Loved it. So for all of those bloggers that recommended it on your sites - thank you! I don't know that I would have come across it otherwise. I just got her newest one New Moon out of the library and am very much looking forward to it.

What I really wanted to post more than anything today was a negative review and the reception it received by the publisher who requested the review. The reviewer gave an honest critique after which she was bombarded with scathing emails from the publisher. You really have to read this - it is so appalling it is entertaining. Enjoy :)

Book reviews coming to a blog near you

2006-09-13T16:44:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy week, hence no posts until now. Trying to take advantage of those last few days of summer weather. Kailana - here is that picture I have been promising you :) Just a small sample of what I bought at Barnes and Noble during their classics sale. I was there again yesterday, this time buying a copy of The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I've been drooling over this one for weeks, so when I got my 46% membership discount as a promotion for the new Barnes and Noble Recommends, I finally broke down and bought my copy.

I haven't gotten very far with my Autumn Reading Challenge books, but I hope to remedy that soon. I did read a few stories from Gaskell's Gothic Tales, but that's about it. I need to get a move on though...I am now a proud reviewer for Curled Up with a Good Book and Front Street Reviews. Still waiting for my first shipment of books to arrive, but I'll be sure to add links to my reviews here once they are posted. Payment is in free books by the way, so if you are someone that doesn't mind writing up a few paragraphs on something you've just read, might want to send your samples their way. Both were quick to respond.

Ask the librarians at the New Yorker

2006-09-06T13:28:00.001-04:00

For those of you that read The New Yorker, you'll find Emdashes to be of interest. The head librarians at The New Yorker now have a monthly column where they answer all things New Yorker related. Anyone can submit questions - it's pretty nifty and a blog worth checking out.

I also read about LibriVox in the New York Times recently...I had mentioned public domain books in an earlier post. LibriVox is making audiobooks public domain and available for download with the help of volunteers. Volunteers can record a solo reading or read collaboratively with other volunteers, each person taking certain chapters. I haven't downloaded any yet but admit I am curious. I would imagine that it's hit or miss depending on how you like a person's reading style, but there are bound to be several readers involved with the project that you can enjoy listening to. Might make that morning commute a little more bearable!

Downloading the Classics

2006-08-31T13:16:00.000-04:00

I'll keep this one short, but wanted to draw your attention to an article my husband forwarded to me recently. Similar to Project Gutenberg, Google is now making thousands of classics available for downloading for free. Books whose copyrights have expired are considered public domain. Dickens, Shakespeare, and Dante are among those mentioned.

Could be worth a look...although there is something very appealing about an old-fashioned hardcover or paperback book that e-books just can't compete with. At least in my mind anyway :)

Autumn Reading Challenge

2006-08-31T10:26:00.000-04:00

I just signed up for Carl V.'s 2006 RIP Autumn Reading Challenge and can't wait to get started. With Halloween only two months away, I've got some great spooky reading material lined up. The idea is to read five gothic, scary, or thriller type books during the months of September and October. There's a cool prize involved too. Here are my picks:

1. Gothic Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell
2. Dracula by Bram Stoker
3. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
4. The Haunted Looking Glass edited by Edward Gorey
5. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

And I am also throwing in Sarah Dunant's Trangressions for good measure. I'll be reading that for a book club I belong to and I think it qualifies as a thriller.

This got me thinking more about mysteries I loved as a kid. I was a huge Nancy Drew fan (and still am) and loved Trixie Belden. I've recently begun collecting the old Nancy Drew books again and will move on to the Trixie Belden collection when I am done. If you were or still are a Nancy Drew fan, you'll want to check out The Nancy Drew Sleuth Unofficial Website. You'll find everything you ever wanted to know about the character, her creators, and the fictional town of River Heights. Check out the president's collection (extremely impressive) and past conference highlights (yes, there are annual conferences, though I have yet to attend one).

For more Nancy Drew tidbits and laughs, you'll also want to check out Chelsea Cain's parody Confessions of a Teenage Sleuth and Melanie Rehak's Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her.

Trixie Belden paraphernalia seems to be a little more elusive, although I did find a cute little mystery bookshop in Camden, Maine on a recent vacation that is selling the whole Trixie Belden paperback collection. May have to buy the owner out of those books :) Speaking of Camden, Maine, if you ever get a chance to visit, make sure to check out their gorgeous library and natural ampitheater (check out the photo gallery), overlooking the picturesque town and harbor. Pure heaven. Oh and did I mention that in addition to the amazing library and mystery bookshop, there are three other bookshops in town as well?

Classics buying frenzy and NYC bookstores

2006-08-28T15:15:00.000-04:00

After reading about the Barnes and Noble classics sale on several blogs, I lost all reasoning capabilities and made a ridiculous amount of purchases. I've been reading here and there about those of you that may have bought say 8 or 9 books during this sale, or perhaps even 16 or 17, but I have bought a whopping 34 books. Usually I am pretty good about taking my little notepad into the bookstores I frequent and jotting down titles that look interesting. My library card gets a good workout every week, but this past week, my credit card put the library card to shame.

I will say though that those 34 books only cost me approximately $100 with shipping costs waived and my 10% membership discount. I could barely even buy two pairs of shoes for $100, so my feeling is that 34 books at that price is quite a deal! At least that is how I have rationalized it to my husband, who just shakes his head and laughs. Can't wait for the shipment to come in, the titles will make wonderful additions to my collection. Dracula, Emma, War and Peace (not sure if I will ever actually get through this, but figured I'd try), David Copperfield, The Count of Monte Cristo, Moonstone, Madame Bovary, just to name a few.

Also found out recently that I am being sent to NYC in October for work-related software training. And the training facility is only a mere 6 blocks from the main branch of the New York Public Library. And only 12 blocks from The Gotham City Book Mart! Think I know what I will be doing in my spare time. If you've got recommendations of bookstores I should hit while in town, send them my way. Although I haven't lived in NY for several years, NYC is the city of my birth, and I'm ok with the subway system (so no need to restrict me to mid-town). Many memories of visiting The Strand with my parents :)

Hollywood Librarian

2006-08-24T08:47:00.000-04:00

For all of you librarian types out there, check out The Hollywood Librarian.

"The first of its kind, this film will show the realities of 21st century librarianship in the entertaining and appealing context of American movies."

No release date is set yet, but you can view a 5 minute trailer on the website. A sneak preview was also offered at the recent ALA conference in New Orleans. I wasn't able to make it to the conference this year, otherwise I would have been in that audience.

I've never had the pleasure of visiting this bookstore, but thought it's "A Continuous Reading of Don Quixote" a neat idea. Proceeds go to Behind the Book. The reading wraps up sometime today, but if you live in the NYC area, might be worth taking a walk or subway ride over.

T.C. Boyle, John Cheever, and other tidbits

2006-08-19T14:31:00.000-04:00

I recently picked up a copy of The Stories of John Cheever at my local used bookstore and placed it in my very large TBR pile. Since then I have picked it up multiple times with every intention of getting started, only to be distracted by another book, work, mischievous pets, bill paying, etc. During my car ride home from work on Thursday, I heard the following on NPR: On Learning to Appreciate John Cheever's Stories by T.C. Boyle. The Tortilla Curtain being one of my favorite books, I was immediately intrigued by what Boyle had to say. I particularly enjoyed the following quote:

"Few prose writers can touch Cheever for the painterly precision of his descriptions, and the reward of them too -- his characters, locked in the struggles of suburban and familial angst, regularly experience moments of transcendence and rebirth in nature."

Boyle's quote, combined with my retired-English teacher father's advice, after teaching for many years in those Westchester suburbs Cheever writes about in several of his stories, has convinced me to move Cheever's collection of short stories to the top of my TBR pile once again.

After reading Danielle's blog this week, I've been motivated by her to crack open some of those classics that I too have been acquiring, but have never made the time to read. Trips to the library this week have added The Count of Monte Cristo to my pile as well. I also picked up a copy of The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I have The Moonstone on reserve. Next, I will be trying to get my hands on a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula.

While at the library, I also managed to find a copy of The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World, after reading about it on another blogger's site. I was very happy to see that The Boston Athenaeum made the list. I have been meaning to get there for months as it is within driving distance of my home. As soon as their weekend hours start up again this fall, I will be making that visit and hopefully purchasing a membership. The pictures in the book are amazing- I will probably buy my own copy just to have on display in my living room :)

Another book I came across this week was Read it and Eat: A Month-by-Month Guide to Scintillating Book Club Selections and Mouthwatering Menus. Considering I am in two book clubs, and actually just hosted one last night, I grabbed this off the shelf for future menu ideas. A fun book, with a good selection of genres and recipes to accompany each month's selections. Perhaps another book I may want to own. Last night's book club read The Memory Keeper's Daughter, which begins in Lexington, Kentucky. If I had known about Read It and Eat sooner, maybe I would have served some Kentucky bourbon pecan pie, instead of my usual cheese and fruit platter and chocolate brownies. There's always next time I guess.

Latest reads and Edith Wharton

2006-08-08T12:41:00.000-04:00

Diana Gabaldon's Outlander started out as a book I thought I could easily sink my teeth into, but about halfway through I started to lose interest. I so wanted to like the book too knowing that there are several more in the series. There is nothing better than finding an author or character you love and knowing that once you finish one book there is another to follow. Maybe I'll try Outlander again some day when there are fewer books in my TBR pile that I am eager to get to. But will that ever happen?

Running with Scissors was another one I read recently. I had seen the movie trailer and thought hmmm...with all of the hype the book has gotten I should read it before seeing the movie. It certainly was a book I could not put down- it was like watching a train wreck. You know you should look away, yet you can't. Now that I've read the book though, I'm not so sure I will go see the movie. The squalor Augusten Burroughs described living in while staying at the Finches house was nauseating. People not bathing, roaches everywhere, bizarre habits of Dr. Finch himself- such as his toilet readings (what the hell was that?), and most appalling of all- the good doctor's assistance in helping a 14 year old Augusten fake a suicide attempt so that he could avoid school and spend more time with his 33 year old boyfriend. And adults are supposed to be the responsible ones??

After Running with Scissors, I decided I needed something lighthearted and turned to Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes. Being entertained by many of her previous books and hearing her speak (incredible woman btw), I thought her latest would be just what I needed to help me forget Running with Scissors. While not the upbeat novel that I thought it would be, Anybody Out There is still a charming story of the second youngest Walsh sister. ***Spoiler warning! Anna's attempts to connect with her dead husband Aidan through spiritual mediums is heartbreaking as she picks up the pieces of her life. Her outspoken sisters and slightly zany parents inject some humor into the novel and help make for a great read. With 200 pages left to go, I am already sure that this one will be circulated rapidly among my social circle.

Next up is a collection of short stories by John Cheever and The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. After a recent visit to The Mount, I find myself on an Edith Wharton kick and have been rummaging used book stores for all of her works. If you've never been, her Lenox, Mass estate is worth the trip. Wharton's personal library collection was recently purchased by The Mount and brought back to her estate as part of the restoration. The gardens are beautiful and the estate's setting is idyllic.

Need to figure out what to take away with me this weekend. What would be a great read for a weekend of camping/white water rafting in the Maine wilderness? Any suggestions? I'm all ears.

More historical fiction

2006-07-28T21:18:00.000-04:00

Well I finished The Other Boleyn Girl, and WOW is the word that comes to mind. It only took me three days to get through it- it was just that good. Even for those that don't have a strong interest in European history, this book is well worth your time. Excellent representation of facts, packaged into the juiciest of novels- complete with passion, intrigue, treason, and power obsessed courtiers during King Henry VIII's reign. After reading this one, I am eagerly awaiting its prequel, The Constant Princess, to arrive at my local library. In contrast to Philippa Gregory's depiction of Anne Boleyn, Katherine of Aragon was a lady of grace, sophistication, and loyalty. What was Henry thinking when he got rid of her for Anne??

After a very looong week of work, I'll be cracking open Diana Gabaldon's Outlander tonight at the suggestion of a friend. Seems to follow in the same vein as The Other Boleyn Girl in that it is another work of historical fiction. Hmmm...that seems to be my genre of interest lately.

Although I haven't come across any yet that have surpassed The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. Now that is a must read if there ever was one! Who knew cathedral building could be so interesting?

The Other Boleyn Girl

2006-07-24T17:01:00.000-04:00

Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl has me captivated. I was hesitant to pick it up at first as I can go either way with period pieces, but I am finding the dialogue modern enough that following along is a breeze. I read the first 150 pages in a day and am looking forward to finishing up the work day so I can read some more.

The sacrifices Mary Boleyn makes for her power-hungry family are numerous. She is instructed to win the affections of King Henry VIII which she does at the age of 14. She soon becomes his mistress all the while remaining a lady in waiting to Henry's wife Queen Katherine. She bears him two children, one of which is a boy. Her family continues their scheming in an attempt to secure Mary's son as heir to the throne.

As Mary grows tired of court and longs to be with her children (who are kept at the family's countryside estate), Mary's sister Anne sets her sights on King Henry herself. After a failed attempt at a marriage that would have made her a duchess, Anne has become increasingly bitter and begins a ruthless competition for the King's hand in marriage.

For those who haven't read this one yet and have an interest in historical fiction, I recommend it. You won't be disappointed.

Another hot, humid day

2006-07-22T20:44:00.000-04:00

Another hot, humid day here in the northeast. Some complain about such uncomfortable weather and I usually chime in with my displeasure, but secretly sometimes I don't mind these days at all. What better excuse to hole up in the house with the a/c running and a good book? No guilt whatsoever about not running those errands, doing the dreaded yardwork, or forcing oneself to go for that jog (to me aka "a necessary evil").

Today, I finished up Magic Hour- the latest by Kristin Hannah. This is definitely the kind of book best saved for a lazy, humid day in that little thought is required to follow along. The plot was pretty farfetched, the characters bordered on annoying with their self-absorption, and the dialogue was nothing short of being trite, but nonetheless it kept my attention and fulfilled its purpose as something entertaining. I typically have the same reaction to Jodi Picoult books. Usually a hint of melodrama and a gross overuse of similes (many of which make very little sense), but I think her plots are pretty good and I know her books will keep me entertained for a short while before I am ready to move on to something a little more meaty.

Tonight I'll start The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. With my upcoming book club meeting, I have precisely 3 days to read the book from cover to cover. No easy feat, given its length, but I have faith. Given the reviews I have been hearing, most likely it will be difficult to put down once I start reading.

Ahhh, here's to another evening reading in bed with one cat draped across my feet, the other sleeping on my shoulder, and my husband inches away, snoring while I try to get through as many pages as possible before the hum of the air conditioner lulls me to sleep. My kind of night, indeed.

New to blogging

2006-07-20T12:19:00.000-04:00

After joining LibraryThing.com and tapping into the blog world of book afficiandos, I feel like I have found my people. One would think that after recently completing a degree in library and information science, I would not be so new to blogging. But alas, that is not the case. After months of good intentions, I am finally sitting down to create my personal blog.

Hope what you will see here at Nose In A Book is of interest to some. Feel free to comment on any future posts. Looking forward to hearing from you.

More to come soon...