iPhones + Books = Glorious

My dear reading friends who have iPhones.  Isn't this the greatest idea ever?  A beautiful iPhone dock that charges your phone! 

If they weren't so expensive I would buy one for all of you!  I promise, I would.  Aren't I nice?

How to Be An American Housewife

I shared this on my main blog, but I think it deserves a spot over here too:

Hello friends.  

An exciting post for you today!  Books!  I recently read How to Be an American Housewife for the BlogHer book club (my favorite!) and upon reading the description was super excited to read it.  It did not disappoint and without further ado I will now declare this a great Fall read!  


For a quick sum up, it tells the story of a Japanese woman, Shoko, who during WWII, who becomes a Japanese war bride and moves to the US for a “better life”.  The story is told through her eyes for most of the book and near the end switches to her American-raised daughter, Sue’s, perspective, which I really liked.  They have a confusing relationship and it is only after Sue visits Japan that she has a better understanding of her mother and all that she went through.  Both of these woman had an incredible story to share and one of my favorite things about the book was the opening of each chapter that had a little paragraph taken from the imaginary book “How to Be An American Housewife”.  I read in the afterword that the author had created this book based on a similar book that her father had given her mother when she moved to the States and I like the way that it framed the book.  I certainly hadn’t thought or read much about the Japanese brides during WWII that came to America, but as far as I can tell this book seems to do a good job and showing the transition from Japan to America and what these women must have experienced.  

If you find yourself in a bookstore soon (or online!) check it out!  

If you read it, can we talk about it?  I'd love to share with someone else! I'll also mail my copy! 

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

About a month ago I got the great idea (some of you may remember a certain email) that we should hike a segment of the Appalachian Trail.  Actually, it's something I'd been thinking about for almost 20 years -- I briefly dated a guy who wanted to hike the AT and I was so inspired by his interest that I bought into it and thought I wanted to do it too (but not with him).  Naturally, as an avid hiker, hiking the AT or even a section of it seems like the pinnacle of cool hiking.

In addition to my email to the Selby girls, I also suggested to Marc that we should hike some of the AT as a family.  Sometimes he's a really good sport about things and he said, "okay".  I figured I needed to do some research after getting agreement from both the Mathewsies family (kids are all for it) and the Selby girls and I came across Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. 

I loved this book!  It was hilarious, like the snort-coffee-through-your-nose-from-laughing-while-reading and annoy-the-people-around-you-reading-sections-aloud-to-them kind of funny.  Especially the first half. It also has some thought-provoking insights into the AT, American culture, and the environment.  It also may have saved us all from a miserable experience.  My brief obsession with hiking the AT is now cured.  Thank you Bill Bryson.  Marc read it after me and he agreed: great book, not a place we need to hike.  The AT sounds like a pretty funny place with some interesting people along the way but I think we can skip it for some better options.

Now, anyone want to hike Rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon?  That I'm still doing for sure! 

And, read the book.  You'll love it. 

I am the Messenger - Markus Zusak

Dear readers/listeners,

while I'm currently getting through Skippy Dies (possibly good, but not the most uplifting thing in the world. I review it as "interesting, but I don't really like it." Jeff is funny, despite), I keep going back to the good feelings I had while listening to my previous book, I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak.

First of all, if any of you have read The Book Thief, and liked it (which I think is the general response), I heavily recommend this. It deals with an individual going through a life change in a series of event that has a detective-do-gooder and "growth as a person" feel to it. You really get to like the 1st person stance of Ed, self-deprecating as Ms. Bossypants, which I believe is only increased when you listen to the audiobook (it takes place in Australia, and the narrator is Australian. (Visitors... we are primarily Americans here and love a good accent.)


I don't want to write a complete review of The Book Thief here too, since I haven't read it that recently, but I also really like the audiobook version since it had a lot of German vocabulary in it, spoken with a (well attempted) German accent. The disadvantage to his audiobooks is that (correct me if I'm wrong!) the actual books tend to have little illustrations on the chapters. I probably would never have liked Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close quite as much if I hadn't had the visual references, but you can't read a book whilst biking and walking to work, however, and thus stay I attached to my ipod.

Some thoughts about a. The Help (the Movie) b. Skippy Dies

Last Friday night, Marc, MR, Christina (aka Bellatrix LeStrange) and I went to go see The Help at the Kentucky.  We gave it two thumbs up for doing the absolute best you could do with such a wonderful book with so many great storylines.  My favorite actor?  Absolutely, the woman play Miss Hilly.  While my mental picture of her from the book was of a much shorter, heavier woman, the actress who played her was outstanding!  She was The Help equivilent of Emily Blunt in Devil Wears Prada. Also, Minnie was terrific and I loved the woman who played Miss Celia.  She looked like a young Julia Roberts -- like Miss Hilly, not what I pictured from the book but she might have been even better than my imagined version of her.  And, I really liked Emma Stone as Skeeter.  I wasn't expecting to like her that much but I did. 

Skippy Dies.  I just finished it.  Has anyone else read or even heard of this book?  It's in the audible library (if you know what I mean).  I selected it based on many, many glowing reviews (much like my purchase of  The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore) including the NY Times.  While it was light years less disturbing than Bruno, still, I find myself somewhat troubled by this book and wondering how it can be classified as a "comic novel" which is how it is referred to by many of the reviews.   I'd love to know what y'all think, my dearest darlings...

Outlander Graphic Novel?

Oh yes... there is one. "The Exile"... and while this may be of little interest to anyone besides Gwennie and I, the need to post it still remains. I'm almost done with the third book, and wondering if I shouldn't hold back on the next one and get some actual work done instead of listening to the books really loudly in trains and whilst vacuuming, or somewhat more quietly as I goldschmied into the night and then realize it's hours past my bedtime.

Also of note, one cannot "hear" a graphic novel. Jesus H. Theodore Roosevelt Christ.

The Kid by Sapphire

I recently reviewed a book for the Blogher Book Club and I wanted to send a quick link out to those of you who might be interested in reading this book.

It's a tough read and I'm really not the best at describing how I felt about it, but the ladies over at Blogher really hit home with their reviews.

If you're interested, please check it out!

Blogher: Book Club, The Kid

I'll share my less eloquent review when they publish it (if they publish it).