Little Princes

I'm a member of YPG (Young to Publishing) group and as such am invited to a variety of young publishing people events/parties and the like, though I've never attended any of them. I suppose I'm a bad member. I did, however, recently sign up to receive advanced reader editions of books and write reviews and help spread the word. On Tuesday I received my first ARE! Little Princes by Conor Grennan which is published by Harper Collins and when I got my copy I was ecstatic. Not because I knew what the book was about (I had no idea) but it is a book from another publisher!! How exciting! I've been reading only Simon & Schuster books for a while now and though they are great it's nice to have some variety.

So - the book.

It's great. Better than I could have imagined by staring at the lovely cover (which really is lovely). It reads like a great piece of fiction, but it's true! Every little bit of it. The basic story is about an almost 30 year old guy who has worked in mainstream America and decides to use all of his life savings for a trip around the world. It's an idea that I think the age group I'm in (20s?) will definitely relate to and I've already thought of a ton of people that I think would love this, but I also think it's a book that MR (teenagers who care about the world) would enjoy along with my young mother and aunt. Back to the story... one of his first stops is in Nepal working at an orphanage. He's a bit hesitant at first and is doing it mainly to impress people and seem hardcore, but it turns out that he develops real relationships with these kids and thus begins a beautiful, yet sad story about the situation with human trafficking in Nepal.

Conor's voice is real, which is what I like best about this book. He seems really believable and on top of that all is a great writer. I wouldn't normally think that you could get all this in one. Incredible story, incredible writer = Impossible? I used to think it was one of the other, though I guess Jon Krakauer could compete (and they do mention him as a comparison).

Read it. You'll love it. Yes, you.

Happy T-Giving Y'all

To my fellow readers - I am thankful for you and your funny blog comments!

Cheno

House Rules

I just finished reading House Rules by Jodi Picoult.. in 2 days. Which I think lets you know immediately that it's one of those page-turner books that are especially good during the dog days of summer. I'll also preface this by saying that I've always steered clear of Jodi Picoult because her name is so big on the book cover. I mean look at that -->
Bigger than the title! Although I have read the Shopaholic books...

However, I also realize that her huge name means that a lot of people like her writing. I think I'm just a book snob. So, this was lying on the free shelf at work and since MR and Gwennie were listening to it I decided I would give it a go. 2 days later = Done. I have to admit that I really like Jodi Picoult's writing style! It's something that I never thought I would embrace and/or say. The plot moved at the right speed, the characters were well developed (each have their own chapters), and it was somewhat believable. Sure, there were a few issues that could have been resolved more quickly than they actually were, but I'm not going to give examples in case anybody else reads it.

Back to the case of each character having their own chapter/voice - Picoult knocked it out of the park. It really seemed believable and they were obviously well thought out. I also learned a lot more about Asperger's and I appreciated the "Discussion with the Author" at the end where she talks about her research with Asperger's, which included having all of Jacbob's chapters checked over by a girl with Asperger's.

I would recommend it to anyone for a long plane ride, summer beach read or holiday break. Lovely.

Next up for me: Sarah's Key!

Harry (starkid) Potter!

So dear readers... perhaps this is a challenge for someone to make an actual book post EVEN THOUGH I'm re-listening to all HPs in preparation for next weekend, when I plan to re-watch all HPs with some friends as well so that we can go to see HP7: Deathly Hallows, part 1 on Sunday! Who else is excited?!?!

I just wanted to put in an actual plug for all you Team Starkid and Darren Criss fans out there, or wannabes... which is kind of a repeat of my comments to "Gleek out." In any case, I have big respect for a college theatre group that put together a truly funny musical of HP with what seems to be a ton of talented kids who did it for the fun (just check out the outtake youtubes)!

Gleek Out

Hi.

Can we take a quick recess and talk about this week's Glee for a moment?

Was anybody else as impressed by Darren Criss on Glee? And Teenage Dream - loved it! I actually watched it 3 times on hulu. Obsessed much?

Another favorite moment, when Rachel (who is surprisingly not a major character for the past few episodes) yells "SPIES"! I laughed out loud.

I would also like to see less of Santana. I don't know why they focus on her expressions so much. They're always the same... ??

Did anybody else watch it? Did you all like this episode as much as I did?

E. M. Forster Inquiry

This is a different post. Kind of like Peddie's random one below.

Instead of reviewing a book I'm reading/have read - I would like to ask if any of you have ever read E.M. Forster and more specifically Where Angels Fear to Tread. I just picked it up off the shelf and am wondering if I should even start it. Has anybody read it or do any of you like E.M. Forster's writing? I'm pretty sure that Claire read A Room With a View, but maybe I'm mistaken. Help!

Apparently it's a movie, too! With Helena Bonham Carter, and oh, I do like her.

Because knitting and audiobooks go hand in hand in winter...

Look what I found!

PS: Anybody else love with Tracy corrects grammar on 30 Rock? I do.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I soooo don't have time to write this blog post but we haven't had any lately so it seems important.  I really should be working on a bunch of church volunteer stuff and some listing paperwork for an appoitnment tomorrow.  But here goes...

The Hunger Games (it's on Audible!). Just finished it this morning.  Got it for Will and Mary Rollins as it was on the summer recommended reading for a couple of the high schools in town.  Of course always wanting to be in on the latest that smart kids are reading today, I wanted it too.  I wholeheartedly recommend it.  Great story...what is it about books with a great story being labelled as "juvenile fiction"?  Sorry, have I ranted on that before?  But seriously, really a great stretch of imagination and character development in the post-apocolyptic US.  Normally, I'm not much of a fan of after-the-war/natural disaster genre of fiction but this book was almost timeless in its exploration of human nature and a fast-paced story.  Like the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books transcending the crime genre, this book transcends science fiction. 

Confession...I had to break down and listen to it while not running because I wanted to know what happened next and I just couldn't run that much! I think that's my new adult equivalent of  reading under the covers with a flashlight.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with Twilight being a 1 and Harry Potter being a 10, I give it a 7.75.

Back to work.  Love you all!!!

Obsessed

I found another picture! And his blog... hehehehehe.

Broadway Nights: A Romp of Life, Love and Musical Theater by Seth Rudetsky

Sooo...I was waiting for Mary Rollins to make this post because she finished the book first and patiently waited while I SLOWLY finished listening because I only permit myself to listen to new audiobooks while running (or pulling weeds).

Where to begin...quite possibly this is the most fun book I've listened to in ages, quite possibly EVER!  And, as Claire said previously, I think it has to be listened to as I just can't imagine that reading it could be nearly as much fun as listening to this fantastically read book.  There's lots of great little bits of dialogue with REAL Broadway actors, like Kristen, Jonathan Groff (Jesse St. James from Glee), Andy Karl (he was our Fyero in Wicked on Broadway --MR caught that one as she loved him when we saw him in April!) but the real star is author Seth Rudetsky who narrates the story (actually log...diaries are for girls) of Stephen Sheerin , Broadway pianist (please don't pronounce that pee-ann-ist) wthose therapist Monikah (who may or may not have a dog named Skippy and be on the Atkins diet) thinks he should keep track of his life to better understand why after all these years he's still just a sub and not the Broadway conductor he aspires to be.  I think, really, that's all you need to know for now.  But suffice it to say, you will laugh...unless you're really really judgemental.  It's sassy.

This book was like fuel to the fire for our love of all things Broadway and hero worship of Kristen Chenoweth (Kristen, if you're reading this Mary Rollins is the cute teen-age girl who handed you the scribbled note on the piece of the playbill at the stage door after the Saturday matinee of Promises, Promises on the day you also got Reese Pieces.  Remember??  We're not stalking you, really.  That Twitter...Oy vey).

Okay, so how'd I do Peddie?

Stevie and Jesse St. James

Love love love! I give Gwennie the rights to make a real post a real Broadway Nights

"What's with you? You're more low energy than when you had Mono in 10th grade!""...I memorized...Evita." - actual line that pertains to me!

Becky's back!!!! Mini Shopaholic

It's true, my darlings!  Becky is back!  Becky is back!  And all the Whos down in Whoville are joyously celebrating.  Tuesday, September 21 is the magic day when Mini Shopaholic is released.  The summary says that our dear Becks and Mr. Darcy (oops, I'm mean Luke) are still living with Mum and Dad in Oxshot. Hooray! xoxoxo  g

New Bffs of mine...

This is me and Kristin Chenoweth in the subway. I decided to act like her body guard and keep away the throngs of admirers as she went incognito. (PS nobody was interested) -Seth Rudetsky

This is a forward (sorta... maybe I should read more books to understand what a forward is though) to my post coming up about "Broadway Nights"... stay tuned!

Library Science

Hi All,

This is not so much a book review as a forum starting question. I am thinking about pursuing a Master in Library Science (MLS) at Queens College. Because I trust all of your opinions so much... can I get some feedback?

This is kind of book related.. you know. I would hopefully specialize in some form of children's literature.

Ok- have at it!

Best wishes,
Isabug

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hello my dearest darlings! I have just finished the lovely book Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (audio of course). Mostly how I feel about this book is just plain sweet. Not too sweet like Nutella on a s'more where you can only eat so much, but just the right sweet, like Nutella on a graham cracker (we are almost out of Nutella and going to Costco Monday for emergency restocking).

It was a beautiful read-listen story of first loves, last loves and all the love that's in between, plus jazz, World War 2 and the Japanese internment. What a wonderful tale about the resiliency of the human heart. Methinks, you too, will love it.

Life of Pi

Did anyone else see that President Obama wrote a letter to Yann Martel? Apparently, he read it with his daughter. I think that's sweet.

The Help, revisited

I haven't done a post on an actual book in a while, so I think it's about time. My most recent endeavor has been THE HELP, which was previously posted about by Gwennie in April. She also posted that the reader did an excellent job at the accents so I have been trying to make up some great accents in my head while I read (Weird?). It does add to the story! So far, I'm loving it and can't wait to get home to read some more. There are a lot of characters narrating, but I think that the author does an excellent job at the transition.. unlike my awful memories of reading Faulkner's As I Lay Dying in high school. I had to make a map to keep all the characters straight. In fact, maybe I should read that book again. I didn't give Faulkner a fair chance.

My goal is to read more at night since I've recently become addicted to more TV shows. That's no good. My list of books to read currently are:

1. The Help (currently)
2. Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (I've been holding off)
3. Madonnas of Leningrad (mom's fav)

Hopefully I will stick to my reading list and get these finished before October. So many books to read!

Neverwhere and Broadway Nights

I just finished Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman read by the author, in his preferred text.  It was really good.  I also discovered 7/8 of the way through that there's an icon on the iPod app of the iPhone that if you accidentally touch speeds up and/or slows down the audio speed.  Soooo...let's just say it took me a lot longer to listen to Neverwhere than it should have and the audio quality had a reverberation to it that made it sound like it was echoing in a subway station which I thought was intentional (albeit annoying) since so much of the narrative is set underground.  Silly me...

Has anybody read or heard Broadway Nights: A Romp of Life, Love and Musical Theater by Seth Rudetsky?  Our new BFF Kristen Chenoweth is one of the narrators on the audio book?  Should I get it?  It's on sale 1/2 price on audible until 11 a.m. this morning.  Tell me quick!!!!

The Art of Racing in the Rain

I lied in my last comment on Angela's Ashes. I forgot that I also read The Art of Racing in the Rain. And, I forgot to mention that I really really liked it. Oh. I lied again, I actually listened to it on my iPod and so did Mary Rollins. Audiobook or not, this was a book I would have liked in either format -- read-to-me or read-it-to-myself.

I think you all would like this book for the primary reason that it's a story told by a dog and I know how we all feel about dogs! The narrator-dog, Enzo, is a deeper and more philosophical dog than your average Gus/Howie/Cleo. He's spent a good bit of time watching television and thinking about things in addition to his next meal, the beach and walks, he practices unconditional love and believes that he has some terrier in him. His insights into both dog and human nature are brilliant and the telling of his family story is bittersweet and lovely. I won't ruin that for you by summarizing in case you decide to read it. However, I'm looking at Howie and Cleo at this very minute asleep on the blue couch in the computer room and wondering how they would tell the story of the Mathews' family.

Angela's Ashes

READ BY the author... that is key!

I know some feelings on this book already, which is why I want to make this seem open (so the comments will come!) because I am really enjoying listening to it. Don't get me wrong... it is SAD and almost everything goes wrong that could, with some happyish, funny bits. I am not done, but if my lovely little iListener will load up again, I probably will be by tomorrow. (Incidentally, I agree that audiobooks and gardening are like PB&J... or if you're in Deutschland... um, mustard and wurst. In Ireland, bread and butter... OK!) My favorite thing is listening to the inflections of how Frank McCourt tells this, HIS story, including the opening "Angela's Ashes. I'm Frank McCourt." and then he begins (ie, not "written and read by"). I think it lends to the reality of it all, and certain passages stick out in my head and come back to me from time to time. "Jesus and the Weather"... perhaps I find it particularly good to hear while being in the town of PASSION right now. I also like his light Irish accent, and the way he speaks for all the kids and mothers in the book.

(anybody still miss letters dancing over pages, btw?)

Cooking Blogs

As you all may know.. I tend to read more blogs than books since I stare at a computer screen all day. This being said, I have seen a fair number of cooking/fashion/mormon (that's for claire) blogs and I thought I'd throw out some recommendations for when you just can't decide what to make for dinner.

My new favorite food blog is by non other than my dear sister in law, Amanda. You must check it out: A Thousand Bites. She has been doing a CSA this summer and has been preparing dinner with all of her veggies. It makes my mouth water as I sit staring at the screen. In fact, I'm pretty hungry now from just posting her link...

Secondly, and with much less fanfare, I love the Smitten Kitchen and Orangette blogs. They both have links to their recipes so you can just do a quick search-a-roo and find what you're looking for. Lastly, I like Seven Spoons because I like looking at the pictures. Must admit... I haven't tried anything from her yet.

Get cooking, get eating, get blogging! (and comment all over Amanda's blog, hehehe)

Der Alchemist

Ok, I know it's probably "The Alchemist" for you guys, but I'm reading it this way and thus posting so. I will start out by saying that mom and I heard this on tape a while back, and I think I fell asleep at the end and she wasn't that into it, but this time around, Paulo Coehlo has got me a lot better. It's a lovely story with a very sympathetic character. I especially love the wide scope of God through all the countries, and the way the protagonist adapts them to his beliefs.

It's also a book about wanderlust and something of gold, so perhaps that was also motivation for me to get it...

Going to go hike up a mountain now! Follow your treasure!

Happy Birthday Peddie!

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Clairebear...Happy Birthday to you!! xoxoxoxoxoxo I miss everybody...

Hope alles ist gut auf Deutschland!!

First of all...

I love the new blog design! Hooray for Isabug and her impressive graphic talents!

Second of all, when are you all coming to Lexington. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is playing at the Kentucky Theater and I have no one to go see it with...please please please??? Mere??? What are you doing besides playing Penguin Wars? Plus you can bring some artwork up to the galleries. It's only like three months until the World Equestrian Games.

Second of all (hee hee, that was in honor of Grandma Pop), has Peddie read Neil Gaimon's Nevermore? I'm trying to decide if it's credit-worthy on Audible and we love the movie Stardust so much. I'm also open to any other suggestions since we seem to all be sharing the same account now. My only caveat is that it would be nice if it were Dancealot appropriate (i.e. no Diana Gabaldon or that Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife that Mere had me listen to last year!!). MR needs a good summer listen. She just finished The Book Thief for the fourth time. You all need to listen to that.

Oh, and the picture is just your little cuzzies saying "hi". Can you believe we've lived in Lakeside for almost 8 years and no one in our family had ever climbed up on that wall before? We were walking past it on the way to the grocery the other night and were suddenly overcome with the urge to climb to the top. I stayed below to take the picture.

Still the Same

Don't worry! You are in the right place!

I just went overboard changing the design. I hope that nobody minds too much. Though I already know that Claire is making a fuss about the new logo. Don't worry... I will change it back...later. Keep reading, keep posting and I'll stop changing the layout and confusing everyone!

Outlander

... or "How ______ always shows up in the nick of time!" (more or less...)

So - to try and be objective, this is an interesting mix of beautiful Scotland, time-travel, history, violence, lust (this is NOT for MR), and love. I also think there were some interesting introspection on faith (though there was more at the end of the book, which is of course the last thing I heard... ahh... I'm afraid to say anything to give anything away, but...)... but "objective" charades aside...

This book is so long! OMG. And there are MORE OF THEM. While I did enjoy listening to it, it is probably the longest audiobook I've EVER heard and it could have ended a million times and when it finally did, I was like... what? Now? Ok... Now I have, of course, seen that there are sequels (Auntie G? Have you read them?)... when did Madam Gabaldon ever have time to look anything up (or date, for that matter)? Truth be told, I was relieved when it was over. I would recommend this if you have a LOT of time on your hand and are feel like something that might look like this:



but better, with history ;) And possibly the Loch Ness Monster.

Administrative Peddie...

Peddie has been administrated. I was the all-powerful blogmaster but have shared leadership with the Peddie and the Bug. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.

The Cheese Monkeys, by Chip Kidd

Isabelle proudly gave me this book I think two Christmases ago ("I actually spent money on it!") and told me about how this guy is such a good graphic designer and now he wrote a book. I spent a lot of time perusing just the cover with all it's tiny words written on the edges, and deciphering what was written on the edges of the book when it's closed. I finally read it within the past 7 days (and I think I'm being generous... I read it fast) and can recommend it as a crazy college thinking humerous in-between book. Don't get me wrong, it requires READING, but it's kinda broken up. I'd love to hear Auntie G's take on it.

I will also add that at the same time (during the past 7 days, not literal same time... that would be hard) I have been listening to "A Thousand Splendid Suns"... most of which was last night whilst making necklace models out of silver spray-painted paper, thread, glue, and corks! But I digress... the book: wow. I feel like you've all probably read it already, but what a story. I'm going to have to agree that the female Afghan perspective hits a little harder.

And I finished "Rumo" but that was right before Katie got here (who is MY favorite cousin right now)!

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I wish I could tell you what page I'm on in Water for Elephants but I can only say that I'm about 10 miles in and a lot of flowers planted and weeds pulled. I guess that puts me somewhere in Chapter 4 or 5. But this book had me at Chapter 2.

I've been meaning to read Water for Elephants for at least a year, maybe even two. It came highly recommended by several friends and I've even had it on my iPod for ages to listen to and just didn't get around to it.

Actually, I started it once but the book has two narrators (which I discovered once I finally got past the first chapter) and the first narrator -- an old man of 90 or 93-- was so difficult to listen to that I stopped reading. And, when I say difficult, I mean that it was hard to hear his voice over the treadmill I lost interest after about three minutes and switched to something else.

Anyway, now I'm captivated and can hardly wait to go for a run, pull some weeds or fold some laundry so I can go back to the Depression and join the Circus with Jacob Jankowski. While there's a bit more sex in this book, okay a lot more since Life of Pi has no sex, it has a quality to it that reminds me of that book.

Choices

Here are your choices for the Poll over yonder -->

Girl Who Played with Fire

Reading this now.

Halfway through.

Really like it.

One word of advice for those of you who have not read it - DO NOT read the flap on the hardcover! I just so happened to look at it while reading yesterday and the part that I had just read (yes, I am HALFWAY through the book) was on the flap. Quelle bizarre! Anyway, that kind of made me feel like I wasn't as far along in the book as I thought I was. On the bright side that just means more to read!

Peddie have you started #2? I know Gwennie is done with it. Also, I'm planning on seeing the movie for Girl with the Dragon Tattoo this weekend! Yippee!

FLATLAND

Flatland is, indeed, a Romance of Dimensions... I'm not actually sure if it's in print anymore because I know Dad had to search around for it while I was in high school (for myself my classmate/neighbor). Btw, backstory is I'm working on a design project for a necklace right now involving a picture of Isabelle in her wedding dress, letting Lucy in, and I've now reduced it a bit to shapes, which is what brought me to Flatland (and maybe Big Bang Theory reminded me of it).

A long book is it not, but it does take some time to grasp certain elements. I really like it... it's good to help out your inner geek into some good ol nerdiness and fine old style writing. Here's a better blogger sum-up.

My to-do list for after April 30...

1. Go to a whole lot of closings in May and June
2. Catch up on some blogging...

The Help

So do I win a prize, Isabug?

Among the many things I really like about audio books is the sense of mystery you have while you listen to them.  There's no back cover to read and no accidentally skipping to the end.  The story just unfolds at its own pace and then it's done.  All you really have is the little cover picture and maybe a short description.

The Help is what I've been reading (a.k.a. listening to) for the last month.  I had no idea what it was about just that everyone who had read it said it was really good. It was superb and made for the very best kind of audiobooks with three different narrators whose voices conveyed their characters so well. Put this on your must-read list, if not your must-listen to list.

A Giveaway

Since I know my some of you have a fondness for books on tape..or is it CD now?... I am going to do a little giveaway. I have 3 books on CD that are up for grabs. All you have to do to win one is make a post on a book that you are reading. The next 3 posts (can be by the same person) will get one of the following:

The Castle in the Forest by Norman Mailer
No career in modern American letters is at once so brilliant, varied, and controversial as that of Norman Mailer. In a span of more than six decades, Mailer has searched into subjects ranging from World War II to Ancient Egypt, from the march on the Pentagon to Marilyn Monroe, from Henry Miller and Muhammad Ali to Jesus Christ. Now, in his first major work of fiction in more than a decade, The Castle in the Forest offers what may be Mailer's consummate literary endeavor: he has set out to explore the evil of Adolf Hitler.

The narrator, a mysterious SS man in possession of some extraordinary secrets, takes the young Adolf from birth through his adolescence. En route, revealing portraits are offered of Hitler's father and mother, and his sisters and brothers.

A tapestry of unforgettable characters, The Castle in the Forest delivers its myriad twists and surprises with astonishing insight into the nature of the struggle between good and evil that exists in us all. At its core is a hypothesis that is employed with stunning originality. Now, on the eve of his eighty-fourth birthday, Norman Mailer may well be saying more than he ever has before.

The Ruins by Scott Smith
Eerie, terrifying, and unputdownable, The Ruins is Scott Smith's first novel since his acclaimed debut A Simple Plan earned rave reviews and stormed bestseller lists.

The Ruins follows two American couples enjoying a pleasant, lazy beach holiday together in Mexico. On an impulse, they go off with newfound friends in search of one of their group -- the young German, who, in pursuit of a girl, has headed for the remote Mayan ruins, site of a fabled archeological dig.

This is what happens from the moment the searchers -- moving into the wild interior -- begin to suspect that there is an insidious, horrific "other" among them....

Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs
The discovery of a skeleton in Acadia, Canada, reawakens a traumatic episode for forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan: Could the young girl's remains be those of Évangéline Landry, Tempe's friend who disappeared when Tempe was twelve? Exotic, free-spirited, and slightly older, Évangéline enlivened Tempe's summer beach visits...then vanished amid whispers that she was "dangerous." Now, faced with bones scarred with inexplicable lesions, Tempe is consumed with solving a decades-old mystery -- while her lover, detective Andrew Ryan, urgently needs her attention on a wave of teenage abductions and murders. With both Ryan and her ex-husband making surprising future plans, Tempe may soon find that her world has painfully and irrevocably changed once again.

These all look a little depressing/scary/thriller/etc to me, but maybe for a long car ride they will keep you awake! So.. just put at the end of your next post which CD you want. If nobody wants them I'll just put them back on the shelf :)

Case of the Missing Servant

In all honesty I was hoping to read "Girl Who Played With Fire" next, but the $15.95 price tag for the paperback at BN left me gasping for air. I'm too used to free books and I really need to get over it. However, I found a great alternative (free!) from Simon & Schuster. I've been eyeing this lovely cover for a while now (I probably have a few more copies at my desk) and since my original plan didn't work out I've embarked on "The Case of the Missing Servant: A Vish Puri Mystery" by Tarquin Hall. It's a mystery novel based in India and so far I'm liking it. All of the characters have nicknames, unfortunately no cool Swede names, and our hero is called "Chubby", though his real name is Vish Puri. I think it will be an interesting mystery and at the very least a little peek into India.

Also, there's a second one that just came out! Oh, how I love a good series. The next is: Case of the Man Who Died Laughing. And on second thought, this might be a good book for high schoolers?

Lynda's Work

I just found this fascinating new blog about this lady painter from SC! I think you all will love it... click me, please?

The Elegance of the Hedgehog...

It's true that on the surface a hedgehog does not appear to be elegant (thank you Mere for the visual of Tiggy and Winkle consuming their young) but The Elegance of the Hedgehog is indeed an elegant book. I am over halfway through this very intelligent novel about life in a posh Parisian apartment building. While there are no dead bodies in the cupboards of this French apartment building, there is a concierge, a bright twelve year old girl and a new Japanese neighbor. It's a work destined to make you appreciate your liberal arts education and a well-turned phrase!

Voila, a book that makes existentialism fun!

Dragon Tattoo

I'm going to review a book that has already been reviewed twice. Both times by Auntie G. You can refer back to her posts here:

January 5, 2009
September 7, 2009

Anyway, I finally got around to reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and I share the same sentiments as Auntie G. To quote her post on January 5th "Great plots, engaging characters and lots of Swedish names and locals." In fact, one of my favorite things about the book is that it takes place in Sweden. Seems so exotic... you can also tell that the writer, Stieg Larsson, has a lot to say about politics there. In fact, I am not afraid to admit that I have skimmed over a few parts.

I'm not much of a crime-reader but I do like this one and can't wait to read the next!

Hm, I don't know why my book has the cover shown above, but it does. I was really hoping for the neat green/yellow one. In fact, if you would like to see more of this designer's excellent work click here.

The Madonnas of Leningrad

While several of the books we have been reading for book club have been, well, a bit sorry, and SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME was "controversial" (not to me), we seem off to a good start on our April selection here. I am happily absorbed in The Madonnas because for one, it is well written with good character development and without an excess of words. Secondly it is about 3 of my interests: art history, WWII and the Pacific Northwest. The narrative flows back and forth between the present day and the 900 day siege of Leningrad which mirrors the mind of the main character Marina who is experiencing the beginnings of Alzheimer's. The priceless masterpieces in the Hermitage are packed and stored for the siege by Marina and in the present day they are a refuge in her mind. I have read 55 pages of 228 and while I find it hard to put it down, I think it is the kind of book I want to read slowly, relish and look up the works of art that Marina is describing. The author Debra Dean, grew up reading Louisa May Alcott, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jane Austen and the Brontes. Sounds like a Selby/Mathews kind of author (but does she like Harry Potter, Twilight and The Shopaholic??

My new Signature

This is my new signature at work. (It's a lie)







Learn More Here:
http://promo.simonandschuster.com/littlebee/

Mr. Popper's Penguins

I'm feeling sentimental today. I'm also feeling cold, as in it's been snowing non stop for the best 24+ hours. These two things combined equals Mr. Popper's Penguins.

Have any of you out there in blogland read it? I think the I first read this book in 2nd or 3rd grade and people... I loved it. I still love penguins and the thought of them living with Mr. Popper is just too good for a child to pass up on. If you know any little kids who are looking for books - this is the one! Possibly my most highly rated children's book! I also like Chica Chica Boom Boom! but let's not get into that right now. This is a grown up reading group afterall.

Since my mind is a bit fuzzy other than remembering that I loved this book, here is a review from a real source:

Poor Mr. Popper isn't exactly unhappy; he just wishes he had seen something of the world before meeting Mrs. Popper and settling down. Most of all, he wishes he had seen the Poles, and spends his spare time between house-painting jobs reading all about polar explorations. Admiral Drake, in response to Mr. Popper's fan letter, sends him a penguin; life at 432 Proudfoot Avenue is never the same again. From one penguin living in the icebox, the Popper family grows to include 12 penguins, all of whom must be fed. Thus is born "Popper's Performing Penguins, First Time on Any Stage, Direct from the South Pole." Their adventures while on tour are hilarious, with numerous slapstick moments as the penguins disrupt other acts and invade hotels. Classic chapter-a-night fun. --Richard Farr

You really want to read it now, don't you..

Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief

That's what I read over the weekend.  Now I'm about to read Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters.  You're jealous.  I know you are.  Admit it.  You're sorry that you have not read the latest 11-year old boy hit book and you can't converse expertly with said boys about whether the movie or the book was better. 

I can.

I think the book was better by the way but Uma Thurman is a fabulous Medusa and Pierce Brosnan--- well, you never would have guessed what he really was all that time you thought he was James Bond.   It's a good story -- no Harry Potter -- and there's quite a bit of variation from book to movie although I was told by Will that it didn't matter and we had a serious discussion about why they left a fairly significant character out of the movie and whether you cold film a movie scene in the St. Louis Arch and if the whole idea of Hades was as depressing as I thought it was.  I had the last part of that discussion by myself...guess it was more like a monologue.  "Mom, you may not realize this, but I've stopped listening.."

I've been told I have to read the rest of the series by the end of next week. I'll let you know how that goes because the Elegance of the Hedgehog I had on reserve just came in at the library plus I finally started reading a Tree Grows in Brooklyn. 

I want somebody else to read this book so that we can talk about Hades. I promise it won't take very long.  Maybe you could read it in German to spice things up. 

ZooBorns

Ok, slightly off-topic but......
Look at this incredibly cute blog, please!
ZooBorns
We're publishing a book on these little ZooBorns and we're all in cute overload.

Book vs. Book-to-Movie

I think Auntie G's comment deserves a post of it's own:

Can you think of any book-to-movies that you prefer over the original book?

I've thought long and hard and so far all I have is Twilight and Bridget Jones's Diary. It seems to me that if a book is a real classic and well written it's hard to make a movie that will compare.

On the other side of the spectrum I can think of almost a billion books that I prefer over their movie counterparts. Let's not even get that list started...

Rumo & das Wunder im Dunkeln...

Well... now that I've gorged a couple "mother language" novels, I'm returning to the world of Zamonien! I love reading Rumo as I loved reading Blaubaer, though I will say that Rumo is a little more brutal. It's possibly more of a 'boy's book,' though I can't gauge at all what age is appropriate. The amazon.com (in english) review had this to say: Illustrated with the author's appealing line drawings and full of sly humor, this rambunctious novel will appeal to fans tired of the usual epic fantasy, though they should be prepared for some violence in the tradition of the Brothers Grimm.

Btw, I live in the city of the Brothers Grimm! Their picture is all over everything Hanau-ish and we have weird sculptures of or referencing them throughout. There's your use(less/ful) factoid for today!

The Time Traveler's Wife

You know how sometimes you read a really good book and when you finish it you think, "boy, that was a really good story.  I liked it:" and then you put the book on a shelf or pass it along to a friend not worried if they'll ever return it?  You don't worry because you know chances are, you aren't going to reread that book.  Chances are you probably won't even think about it again unless someone mentions it.
That is not the Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

I finished TTW almost three weeks ago and I'm still thinking about it.  Daily, I think about Claire and Henry.  There's some message in this story that won't let me go. Is it the science fiction time travel?  Is it the beautifully-crafted "fictional" love story that makes you believe in soul mates?  Or is it the recurring chicken and egg  quality to questions of destiny and fate? 

Like Life of Pi (one of my all-time favorite books), I found the Time Traveler's Wife to both beautifully written and well-told.  A truly novel novel.  I could easily have devoured this book in one sitting if my life allowed me to sit that long.  More delectable than a Magnolia Bakery Cupcake, a glass of Sticky Fingers BBQ sauce or a Columbia's special.

Read it and let me know what you think.  Borrow my copy if you want but be warned...I might want it back!


(p.s.  the movie of it comes out on DVD this weekend which I would rent from my video store but I can't because my video store closed and I STILL don't have Netflicks...soon...very soon Isabelle...)

What to eat next...

Yummy...The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook...

Thanks to sweet Isabug, I have snacked on this wonderful Simon & Schuster recipe book from the bakery that didn't invent the cupcake but did put the cupcake on the celebrity A-list! 

At this very moment, my second batch of Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes is in the oven. All that remains of the first batch is the sad, lonely cupcake you see pictured here.  Its batch mates have gone to feed the homeless at Church Under the Bridge. Plus, the recipe for Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, which has been declared "the most delicious frosting ever" made twice as much frosting as expected so I needed to do something with it. 

I've made several items of deliciousness from the the Magnolia Bakery cookbook but as yet, the Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes and the Buttercream Icing have stolen the show!  If you don't work across the street from Magnolia Bakery, I highly recommend the immediate baking of your own batch of Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes and sitting down with a cup of tea to enjoy them and a tasty bit of dessert recipe reading.

J.D. Salinger, R.I.P.

Who knew he was still alive???   Seriously...

I was shocked to learn that he passed away yesterday. I never actually read Catcher in the Rye until after I graduated from college. I even called myself an English major...

"What I'm Reading Now"

This is our Book Club's February selection and I must say that it is a compelling book of an amazing friendship between a homeless, uneducated black man and a white upscale art dealer. It is a true story...no one could make this up. Each chapter is written in first person by either Denver Moore or Ron Hall, the authors and above described individuals. I have only read a third of the book thus far, but Mark Clayman, executive producer for "The Pursuit of Happyness" describes it as "a powerful example of the healing, restorative power of forgiveness and the transformational, life changing power of unconditional love."

Just finished this book for Book Club. Since this is my first posting on this site, and it is spur of the moment, I don't have anything intelligent to say except that it is a good read for historical/modern fiction. I am sending Isabelle back to NY with my copy. (they are making a movie of this book so read it before it comes out as the book is always better)

Incendiary

I finished Chris Cleave's Incendiary yesterday and I must say.. it took me through a roller-coaster of emotions. How's that for a blog-worthy vague description? But.. it really did.

It's really beautifully written and I would highly recommend it to all of you out there. By the end I was a little freaked out and there are a lot of scenes that really pull at your heartstrings, but I enjoyed reading it. A little detail: It's written in the style of a letter to Osama bin Laden from a woman who lost her son and husband in a terrorist attack. She's asking him why he did this to her and explaining the events that happened before and after. An interesting idea. I think it's a movie too- AGH!

Incendiary is by the same author that wrote Little Bee (Auntie G recommends) so I'm interested in checking that one out now.

I've gotten into the habit lately of reading books in one day and yesterday was no different. I think the experience of reading a book in one day and reading it over a long stretch of time is completely different. Would you agree? I can't decide which I like better...

This is the UK cover.. but you get the idea.

Resolution Books

I always think January is a great time to start a devotional reading for the year. Here are three books I've used in the past and would highly recommend from three of my favorite writers. Bread for the Journey by Henri J. M. Nouwen. Glimpses of Grace by Madeleine L'Engle, and May I Have This Dance by Joyce Rupp.

The first two by Nouwen and L'Engle have a daily passage pulled from one of their many wonderful writings. Chances are you've probably read something from both of them. The third book by Joyce Rupp is done on a calendar cycle of themes for each month. Each month begins with a poem, a reading and suggestions for meditation, prayer or journaling, creative art for the month as well as a daily scripture passage. I love Joyce Rupp. You will love her too.

And Happy New Year!

Make a resolution to read more books and post them here! xoxoxoxoxoxoxo