Happy Thoughts and Book Reviews

Pretty blue walls

2011-06-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

So, I finally finished with my office transformation. Over a year ago I built the desk. Even before that I had picked out some paint samples. Earlier this year, I finally got test patches on the wall. This week - a friend helped paint it. My office is now a turquoise-robin's egg blue with brown (almost the same color as my desk) on the bottom and white trim. The walls are all bare right now and I am thinking about what I to pick to decorate them. Right now, I am just enjoying the thought of possibilities. I ordered some frames for kid's artwork from dynamicFRAMES. I hope to keep the kid's art clutter contained.

In the past I had lots of little pictures, but I think I want some big things this time around... oh what can I do... Of course, the first order would be to try to keep the actual desk clutter to a minimum!

But that's my happy thought for the day - pretty blue walls and the possibilities...

Down in the dumps

2011-06-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling guilty about everything lately - or at least all the things I think I should do that I JUST DON"T WANNA! I should do the budget to make sure we keep money working for us - yes, I have been taking the easy way out and just keeping an extra cushion in checking. I should be playing with the kids instead of letting them watch hours and hours of tv. I should be making dinner rather than resorting to going out for breakfast 5 - 6 days a week. I should plan dinner too - more than just - fish sticks? quesadilla? or getting ready to heat foods from the farmer's market (although, I guess that is better than fast food, right?). I should pull those pesky weeds. I should do the laundry before we run out of clothes. I should exercise - those 10+ lbs. I gained this year are not going to disappear if I wish hard enough. I should call my friends - because I know if I talk to them, I will feel better. Heck - I should go visit some of my friends too... so many live far far away. I should paint the half tested blue walls of my office - a sign of laziness to face every work day. But, I just don't wanna! I want to curl up on the couch and read books and watch bad tv. I want to sit by a river and watch it go by. I want a lap cat to pet (but ours is an attack cat...). I want all of these things to magically do themselves.

But for today, I am going to take my aching head out to the Day-lily Farm in Amador - maybe tomorrow I will wanna do something...

Frazzled - smile more

2010-10-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

So, I am overwhelmed - at home, at work, at life. I am tired, I am over-committing myself. In the face of overwhelming responsibilities (both externally and self generated), I tend to pile on more things I should do. But last night, I did stop and enjoy a quiet moment. I sat in the dark with a cold beverage and watched a small fire with Higgy. That makes me smile more.

Of course, today when I had to find a way to fit in all the things that I didn't do last night.... cranky! I need to find some balance.

Meet the monster tomato plant

2010-08-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

We've had the strangest summer - unusually mild. It has meant fewer tomatoes - but this plant has gone crazy! It broke two different tomato cages. Now we're trying a three panel screen that used to hide the air conditioner. Hopefully, it will work.

Preconceived notions

2010-08-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

We all have preconceived notions of who we are, what we do, and what we like. But sometimes it pays to think about them a minute. It all started for me when I was reading The Happiness Project - she has a resolution to Be Gretchen. Now, you might be thinking Be Me? how can I not be me?

Well it all starts when I go on auto-pilot. I default to my preconceived notions of myself. I am a shirt and jeans kind of girl - um wait, except in summer when I wear dresses 6 out of 7 days. I don't wear pink - um, well, 2 of those dresses are pink and so is my only cashmere sweater... I like to cook - um, then why don't I cook more, why do I eat out whenever I can? oh wait, I like to eat :) I like to read - yes, yes, I do - I'm almost back on pace with 3 - 5 books a week. I like to go to the movies - um, then why have I only seen 4 movies in the theater in the last 3 years? I like to travel - yes, except not for work - or at least not every single week for work.

For a long time, I lost who I was. I let someone else define it. I need to make an effort to think about what really makes me happy, what I enjoy. But when I am tired and overwhelmed, I fall back on those preconceived ideas based on who I was. I guess I need to work on Be Me a little more.

Feeling like the Grinch

2009-12-23T16:49:00.000-08:00

Since I feel cranky and rather Grinch-like, here's some things that make me happy about the coming holidays

1. Lights on houses, trees, fences and all other stationary objects
2. Pecan tarts, Yummy Carmel Bars, Sugar Cookies, and Lemon Bars - the familiar holiday cookies.
3. The first Christmas song after Thanksgiving (all the early ones don't count)
4. Decorating the tree and the house
5. Vacation days - use it or lose it - I end up with a few extra days at the end of the year

Where has the time gone?

2009-11-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy few months - with many happy thoughts to keep me going...

Spain - good food, long walks, and beautiful gardens, cathedrals and palaces - and art, wonderful art - enough for art overload.
Birthdays - we've celebrated 7 in the last few weeks - lots of parties, cake and ice cream
Parties - friends, food and dancing
Friends - those near and far, old and new
Books - not reading as many as I would like, but enjoying the ones I do read

Great (wee) White Shark

2009-09-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, I took a day trip to Monterey and back to see a great white shark. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a young male one. Before I thought sharks looked like they were smiling. Not anymore..

I heart Portland

2009-07-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

A long weekend in Portland gave me a long list of things that make me happy...

Friends - ones wonderful enough to fly across the country to spend a long weekend, ones fabulous enough to provide a ride to and from an delicious home cooked meal that could feed an army, and ones who hang out after work - sipping wine and sharing Thai

Walking tours - those provided in books by Laura O. Foster and those provided by Portland Walking Tours, hill walks, a panoply of architectures, neighborhood walks, bridge walks, waterfront walks, fast walks, ambling walks

Cupcakes - delicious from Cupcake Jones and amusing because we kept finding ourselves on the corner where the are located

Waking up on my own schedule - sure it was too early, but after I woke up I could go back to sleep or doze, or get up - all based on what I wanted to do

"Croquet" with bowling balls and sledgehammer, complete with period safari clothing

Pouring beer for hours - it turns out I can enjoy a beer fest, I just have to pour the beer and be on the other side from the drunken hordes

I'd highly recommend walking tour books by Laura Foster,

15 books in 15 mins

2009-06-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

The object is to name 15 books that affected you - or the first 15 books that come to mind. So, starting now, at almost 9p on a Monday...

1. Tale of Two Cities - the first classic I read twice
2. The Jungle - I renewed my vegetarianism
3. The Octopus - evils of corporations
4. Little Women - so well read it fell apart
5. Go Dog Go - I cried so much about when I lost it, my parents had to buy another one
6. Nancy Drew - don't know which one, but started my love of the mystery
7. Whatever the first Mercedes Lackey I read was - the start of reading fantasy/sci-fi
8. L.E. Modesitt - first book in the series - I recommend it way too much
9. Magicians Assistant - no idea why this came to mind
10. Bel Canto - probably related to Magician's Assistant in my head
11. Great Expectations - don't try to read this when you have mono
12. Dean Koontz comes to mind - Watchers, Lightning
13. When Rabbit Howls - why I try to donate to foster kids
14. Sister of my Heart - I think that is the title...
15. Moby Dick - never have finished it and not planning to try again

This was really hard to do without looking at the walls of books that surround me

The Buffalo Soldier - Chris Bohjalian

2009-05-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

I liked the first Bohjalian book I read - Midwives very much. It took a difficult topic and presented it with a narrative and a variety of voices. The Buffalo Soldier is similar. As I was reading this book, I kept wondering why I hadn't read more of Bohjalian after I finished Midwives. The story moves along slowly, exploring the story from several viewpoints. Each chapter is written from a different point of view, and normally that is something that I hate. Normally, I have trouble remembering which character is in the lead at the moment. But in this book, Bohjalian brings out the character in more than what is in their head or the events they lead. The chapters have a different feel based on which character is in the lead. But the entire book feels like flowing down a stream - moving along toward the final moments - but not urgently, just drifting.

I'll be picking up more of Bohjalian either at the library or the bookstore.

Poem in your pocket day

2009-04-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Today is Poem in Your Pocket day - a NYC event. There have been many poems I've admired and thought about over the years. In fact, I still have a notebook a high school friend created with poems and lyrics she thought I would like. But there is one poem by e.e. cummings that has always stayed with me.

****
From 95 Poems (1958)

l(a

le
af
fa

ll

s)
one
l

iness

*****

I am not sure if it is the sentiment - loneliness - or the very visual way it shows the leaf falling, but this is the one poem I would carry in my pocket.

Tulips

2009-03-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

I love Spring. One of my favorite things about Spring is the presence of tulips at the florist - which means I'll be bringing them home. Tulips are one of my favorite flowers - a flower you only see in Spring. Maybe it is the fleeting presence - miss those few weeks and they're gone until next year. Or maybe it's the bright colors in contrast to the gray cloudy days. When you first get them, the flowers open and close each day.

The other thing I love about tulips is the way they die like little sculptures. The flowers lean toward the light. The petals shrivel instead of just dropping. They stay interesting and on my mantle until the petals drop.

When you see those bright bulbs, you know that winter is almost over. So for as long as they are available, I'll be a filling my vases with them. And I'll smile when I see their bright colors.

(And maybe this year is the one I plant some. My old tulips ended up in the lawn when we reconfigured the yard. They are casualties of the lawn mower...)

2009-02-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

Traveling around Facebook is a list of books that supposedly the BBC thinks you will have only read 6 of. I kept my count at the end of the line. I was doing good with 6 out of 7 to start.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (1)
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien (2)
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (3)
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling (4)
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (5)
6 The Bible - the whole thing and not just parts. (I tried and gave up, several times)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (6)
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell (7)
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman (8)
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens (9)
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott (10)
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller (11)
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien (12)
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger (13)
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger (14)
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell (15)
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald (16)
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (17)
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck (18)
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll (19)
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame (20)
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens (21)
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis (22)
34 Emma - Jane Austen (23)
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen (24)
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (25)
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini (26)
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden (27)
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne (28)
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell (29)
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown (30)
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (I tried several times - 2)
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving (31)
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery (32)
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood (33)
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding (34)
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan (35)
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel (36)
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons (37)
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen (38)
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (39)
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (40)
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (41)
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon (42)
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (I tried - 3)
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck (43)
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt (44)
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (45)
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (46)
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding (47)
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville (I tried multiple times - 4)
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens (48)
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker (49)
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett (50)
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson (51)
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno - Dante (52)
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray (53)
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (54)
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker (55)
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro (56)
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White (57)
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom (58)
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (59)
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams (60)
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare (61)
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl (62)
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (63)

So out of the 100, I read 63 and 4 of them I tried to read and decided they weren't worth it.

25 things that make me happy

2009-02-08T12:44:00.000-08:00

This is for the 3 people in the last week who "tagged" me with the 25 things post on facebook.
1. Higgy
2. Big boy O - he won't let me call him baby anymore
3. Baby L - she'll always be the baby
4. Reading a really good book
5. Recommending a book to some one and finding out they really enjoyed it
6. My comfy bed - feather bed, soft sheets and down comforter
7. thick fuzzy socks - my favorites are pink and purple stripes and they have a face with ears that stick out on the ankles
8. Getting letters in the mail, e-mail - whatever, I like to hear from people
9. the smell of fresh baked bread
10. Hot chocolate with whipped cream, although marshmallows work too
11. Hot fudge sundae with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry
12. sleeping children - bonus for 2 kids taking naps at the same time
13. laughing children
14. Quiet - with rain on the roof
15. Watching silly teen romance movies in the dark in my comfy bed
16. Skipping
17. Eating dinner in a restaurant by myself - especially eating just dessert and appetizers
18. Being able to touch my toes the first time I try
19. Having bicep muscles that I can actually see
20. Friends who travel to a different city for a girl's weekend and the friends who just wish they could make it
21. Making a fancy recipe and having it actually come out the first time
22. Photos or paintings of a single tree and either the sun or the moon
23. A warm bath with smelly bath salts (Hurray for the arrival of Lush in Sacramento)
24. A cat curled on my lap who doesn't bite when I move (unfortunately, the one in my house bites..., I miss my Waldo cat)
25. Christmas cookies - Yummy Carmel Bars, Pecan tarts, lemon bars, crisp decorated sugar cookies - why are the only for Christmas?

Tournament of Books

2009-02-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

Every year The Morning News conducts a Tournament of Books ala March Madness.

According to a friend, they have some great authors as judges and the commentary on the books is often both insightful and funny. She looks forward to it every year and often adds several titles to her "want to read" list of books.

I'm going to try and follow along this year, maybe you want to as well????

Iodine - Haven Kimmel

2009-02-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

This was just a strange book, a puzzling book. I still enjoyed the style, but I had to really pay attention to follow along. It follows a girl who is coming close to graduating from college when she becomes involved with a professor - that is the easy part. But the rest of the story is the flashback to how she got there; her relationship with her family and her past. It is these flashbacks and remembrances that are the bulk of the book - and where the confusion comes in. Trace/Ianthe, the main character, is trying to reinvent herself but her past keeps coming back in. It makes it painful to read, painful to think about living like she does.

It is the kind of book that I am still thinking about a few weeks later. But it is not a book I am likely to read again.

25 things minus 16 things = 9 things

2009-01-18T21:46:00.000-08:00

Tagged again for 25 random things, but since I just did 16 things, you are only going to get 9 more. "random things, facts, habits, or goals"
1. I am trying to get back to the same weight I was when I was married by the time of our 5 year wedding anniversary in October.

2. There is only one thing I miss about working in the office - the clean desk policy. Since I didn't have an "assigned" desk, just logged into a desk every day, my desk at the office was always cleared at the beginning and end of every day. Now, I work in a pile of household files, children's drawings and random boxes and books. And the ever increasing pile of cooking magazines.

3. I think I still know all the words to the movie "Grease" and I haven't seen it in at least 4 years.

4. I spend almost as much on food each month as I do on my mortgage, it is out of control.

5. I cry when I think about Greg's death , even though I didn't know him well at all. I wish I could do more for Greg's wife.

6. I am avoiding going to bed because if I stay up late enough, I'll be awake when Higgy gets home around midnight.

7. I missing traveling for work - not the every work day of every week that I had for most of 1996 - 2000, but the once a month travel schedule I had in 2001.

8. I hate setting up a new laptop, I don't like it when I go to use something and realize I need to install it first. And, it won't stay on the network - I keep dropping the connection. I hope the router isn't failing.

9. Tomorrow we're going to have a full house - 2 working at home parents, 2 kids under 3 and a baby sitter for the kids. It should be interesting.

by Haven Kimmel

2009-01-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

The Solace of Leaving Early by Haven Kimmel
She Got Up Off the Couch: And Other Heroic Acts from Mooreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel
Something Rising (Light and Swift): A Novel by Haven Kimmel

These are the books by Haven Kimmel I have read in the last month. She is one of the few authors I read all the way to then end and then read the acknowledgements. Love her! If you haven't read her you should. A Girl Named Zippy and She Got Up Off the Couch are memiors, but she also have 4 novels (I've only read two so far). She has a wonderful sense of humor - wry, dry, with sarcasm (of course).

16 things

2008-12-21T06:20:00.000-08:00

Once you’ve been tagged, you have to write a note with 16 random things, shortcomings, facts, habits or goals about you.

I read a book last night - from start to finish. Just because I could.
I like to think I like hard, thought provoking fiction or non-fiction, but I just like the escape.
I don't miss going to movies.
I hate it when my house is cluttered, I just want to pick it up. But I get discouraged and let it happen because it seems like too much work to clean.
I am sick of coughing and feeling tired. I've been sick for over two weeks and it is depressing.
I love to get away and travel. I like to see something besides the same stuff I can see every day. I get stir crazy when I haven't left town in 4 weeks.
I love working at home - although I miss the commute. The down time and the time to listen to NPR.
I hate when my computer makes noise - I wish there was a way to just shut off all the beeps without having to set it in EVERY single application.
I love the sunrise more than the sunset - I like the beginning more than the end. (And it's usually quieter and more private).
I wish I lived near the ocean - the smell, the sound, sigh.
I love living near my family.
I wish I had more local friends. Maybe I need to get out more?
I am still mad about being lactose intolerant - it's been 6 months but I feel like my body betrayed me.
I am thinking about getting rid of my books. I have this desire to just get rid of things. Clean it all out.
I can't remember the last time I listened to one of the CDs or watched a DVD.
I love my kids' bedtime routine and the fact that both of them learned the baby sign language for book before they learned the one for food.

Citizen Higgy

2008-12-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the newest citizen in my family - Higgy. The family turned out in sickness (mine) and in health (everyone else) to celebrate Higgy taking the citizenship oath. Favorite parts - seeing him wave from the 780+ crowd, hearing how many citizens from each country, watching O drink from his flag straw, watching L wave her flag and clap, and the grins on all those faces.

It would have been better if I hadn't needed a 3 hour nap to recover.

Playing on the bed

2008-12-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

Recipe for Playing on the bed:
1 king bed
1 feather bed
4 feather pillows
1 down comforter
2 hyper children
2 tired adults

Place feather bed and down comforter on bed. Give 2 pillows to each adult. Lovingly throw one child on the bed. Laugh. Carefully place 2nd child on bed - push over (flop). Laugh. Repeat. Use pillows to push children over. Laugh. Repeat. Tickle. Laugh. Repeat.

Books in bed

2008-12-12T12:12:00.000-08:00

I've been sick for about a week. It's left me tired and resting during O's bedtime routine. I've been unable to read bedtime stories without coughing so much that O asks "are you ok?" followed by "here's bob, he'll make you feel better" or "we could watch Sesame Street to make you feel better."

So when it was time for another book before bed, he decided to read it to himself sitting next to me while I read mine. He pointed to the pictures and talked to himself. He gave the little boy in the story advice - "you should wipe your feet", "you're making a mess" and then asked questions - "what is this for?". It was the nice end to a tiring day.

It's not football season

2008-12-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

it's Sesame Street season.

at least, it is according to O.

Hope that made you grin - it made me grin.

Playing on the floor

2008-12-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

For about 15 minutes today I just sat with L and watched her play. She had opened the pull out shelf with tea and coffee. She would take it out, stack it and put it back. Occasionally, I would take some tea bags or a coffee bag and put it back on the shelf. She was so intent on her task she seemed confused by where it came from.

Bat man

2008-11-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Bat man - noun - the man who hits the big ball with the bat
synonym: Baseball batter
Usage: What are you going to be for Halloween? A bat man. Mom then gives the definition as the person asking starts referencing that caped crusader and O looks on in confusion.

Political skits

2008-09-22T09:59:00.001-07:00

I was amused by two recent skits one from Saturday Night Live and another from The Daily Show.

SNL: Palin & Clinton address sexism

Daily Show: Small Town Values

Friends

2008-09-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like seeing a friend you haven't seen in years - I think it was almost 5 years for Jen - and feeling like you just saw them yesterday. Those are the friends you try to keep for life. In fact, I think that is the only kind of friend I have... I love you all.

Not sick

2008-09-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

Ok - I'm not happy that there are those in my family who are keeping a tissue or handkerchief nearby. I'm not happy to be wiping runny noses and trying to convince people to drink more fluids and take a vitamin. But, I am happy that this is the second illness that only hit me with the mildest attack. I've been tired - but no antibiotics, no days off work and I wasn't miserable. Yippee!

Helpful

2008-08-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

I like being helpful - it makes me happy to solve someone else's problem or make someone else's life easier.

Olympics

2008-08-15T08:07:00.001-07:00

Six gold medals and six world records - amazing! Here's hoping for eight and eight.

Friends

2008-08-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

It's always good to see a friend after a few years. And even more fun when they bring a lovely wife. While it was a short visit, it was great to catch up.

Vacation

2008-08-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

I'm on Day 2 of 11 days of no required work - except that since I'll be home, I'm sure I'll check e-mail. In fact, I even said I would on my out of the office message... And of course, I have a 3 - 5 page document due - and I haven't even started it yet. Maybe it just feels good to have 11 days with a conference call?

Simple syrup

2008-07-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's the simple things - sugar and water melted together. Yum - add it to limeade, lemonade - or some mixed drink. Mmmmmm.

Kat's Cradle - Karen Kijewski

2008-07-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

My fun, silly, book club book. This is one of those books that are part of a series with the attendant silly caste of characters. We needed something fun for book club after the stuff we had been reading, so I suggested this one. It has an interesting twist that is something to discuss at the end. Did the mother know - and did that change how she reacted? I look forward to discussing that on Thursday.

I might even go back and reread the entire series.

eat, pray, love - Elizabeth Gilbert

2008-07-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Someone gave me this book to read, I don't know who anymore. It sat on my shelf for months and I finally picked it up. I knew nothing about it other than that it seem popular these days. I think I saw it for sale at Sam's Club - a good indication a book is a bestseller.

Reading this book was so easy - the style of prose, the short "beads" for each of the 108 articles. Easy to pick up and put down. Reading about her divorce reminded me so much of mine - the despair, fighting, and sense of guilt for being the one to leave. Reading about her experiences, I thought I had forgiven my ex, but can you forgive someone if you still hate them? I know I have not fully forgiven myself - I don't feel guilt/shame for leaving, I feel the shame of having been there in the first place and been there so long. It's not something I think about much, but when I do, it's in the middle of the night. This book was so easy to read, but it's leaving me wondering where do I go next.

This book may be about one year of living abroad and finding yourself. It's also about finding out what is important to you. What is it that makes you want to get up and face the day? What are the things you do to yourself that keep you from doing those things?

Those are things I need to think about.

Where does TCMH come from?

2008-06-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

A long time ago, when Higgy posted comments on the Dave Barry blog, he didn't want to use names. So once upon a time before I was TCMH, I was TFMH - The Future Mrs. Higgy. Then I became The Current Mrs. Higgy. But I also consider other c adjectives - crazy, cunning, clever, careful, competitive, cheerful (HA!), competent... I even said to him, shouldn't it just be TMH or TC&FMH. But I hate thinking of names for sites and I didn't want to use my name, so I used it. So that, dear reader is where TCMH comes from.

Another day down...

2008-06-24T19:47:00.001-07:00

Happy thoughts - the simple things,

a pair of dump trucks and a bobcat to start O's day with a laugh and shout.
finding the missing "O" to his name stool - under the stove - it's been gone so long a friend of my parents had already made us a new one
routines - they help with the stress of a missing parent - even if Higgy isn't here, the routine is helping O cope
80 mile drive to San Ramon, took 80 mins - both there and back! I hope tomorrow is the same.

Things aren't all perfect though. With the smoky air, school has been limiting the amount of outside play. O is going to bed at least an hour later than usual because he has so much extra energy. At least I realized that was the problem and adjusted tonight. No reason to have the endless get back in bed conversation for two hours.

2 days down, 4 more to go. and in 2 days, I have reinforcements.

I made it through the morning

2008-06-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

3:30a alarm clock and Higgy is out of bed, getting ready for an early morning flight to Europe. Back to sleep, only to wake up as he walks in and out of the door waiting for the very late shuttle to take him to the airport. I found notes all over the house, making me smile, making me miss him even though he was just at the airport.

O was up just after I showered, enough to just settle him into our bed while I got ready for the day. We were able to share a little quiet time before L was up - which makes the start of the day so much easier. Somehow, we were all dressed, sunblocked, and fed before the 7a work day began. O even had his lunch packed - with a cookie.

I hope tomorrow works this well.

So many books so little time (6)

2008-05-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

After reading In a Dark House, I wanted to read more - more brain candy, so I went to my local independent bookstore and picked up what he had for Deborah Crombie (including 2 of one by accident). And then I went on a binge of junk reading the first 5 books in the series. I don't think I read any of these over more than 1 day:

All Shall be Well
A Share in Death
Leave the Grave Green
Mourn Not Your Dead
Dreaming of the Bones

These are not as good as In a Dark House, but I feel I know the characters more.

And for book club, I read Kim Stanley Robinson's The Years of Rice and Salt. That one took a week of dedicated reading every night. It was interesting, but if the author hadn't been coming to book club, I would have stopped after 100 pages. I don't feel like it was a waste of time and after talking to Stan, I would have to say I think more favorably on it now than I did before.

But I've just been too busy to think about what I read and then write - sorry.

In fact, I keep think I read something else since I last wrote. For the life of me, I can't think of what it would be? I know I started Your Money or Your Life - maybe that's what's nagging at me?

Trampoline

2008-04-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

Nothing like the shiny happy face of your neighbor and her friends, cousins, ??? as they pop in and out of view. Or maybe it was the many months without the trampoline due to the tree collapse - I'm sure it was one of them that made me happy.

A clean car

2008-04-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is the little things - a shiny, clean (or better than it was, at least) car.

In a Dark House - Deborah Crombie

2008-04-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

Set in London, this detective story must be part of a series. Rarely do I pick up a book in the middle of a series, but this time I did without even knowing it. I don't even know how this book ended up on my "To Read" pile - probably the friend I currently work for... I enjoyed the obviously recurring characters along with the mystery itself. While many mystery books rely on coincidences to make things happen, this one turned them around a little bit.

I find myself wanting to read the books that precede this one and the ones that come after; a good sign. I may keep it and re-read it when I get to it's spot on the chronological order of the series. But I'll definitely pass it around to other readers.

7th Heaven - James Patterson

2008-04-09T15:23:00.001-07:00

After slogging through the last book, I needed brain candy. Patterson's Women's Murder Club series seemed like a good fit. I read it in a few short hours and generally enjoyed it. However, the last two paragraphs left me with a bad taste in my mouth. As usual there is more than one investigation going and a large part of the book focuses around one investigation. The missing party has a particular image and the end of the book didn't meet with that image. It left me with a feeling that someone would have had some insight to this, the end just didn't seem consistent with the personality of the character.

Fun book, but not one of the best in the series.

The Accidental Masterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa

2008-04-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

The idea sounded good - an art critic talking about art and making it relevant to every day life. In practice, it was hit or miss. If I had reviewed the book 50 pages or even 111 pages in, I would have said it made great bedtime reading. I could barely focus on the pages and several times I found myself re-reading a section because I had not remembered a thing. At least 3 times I started reading and 2 pages later realized I had read that before. I was then able to skip ahead 10 or 20 pages.

Then somewhere around half way, I found myself actually enjoying the reading. It never made me want to keep reading when I was tired or make me think, I wish I could go start reading it. But I was no longer forcing myself to read it. At this point, it turned almost travelogue or adventure story. I believe the first chapter was about taking pictures in Antarctica on ill-fated journeys and one of the last was about traveling to artists making art in remote places.

While I don't recommend it for everyone, I think it gives insight into an artist's mind - which apparently sometimes bores me to tears.

The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri

2008-03-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

I don't know where to start in reviewing this book. As I was reading it, there were several paragraphs that described perfectly how I have felt at different stages in my life. Other parts were wholly unfamiliar. I enjoyed the introspective nature of the main character, but didn't feel a good connection with many of the supporting cast. There were passages that made me ache and other ones that didn't touch me at all. Overall, it has me thinking and that is a good thing.

I would recommend this book, but I am still not sure whether it will be going on the permanent shelves. I already lent it out.

Quiet time

2008-03-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

Just getting 10, 15 or 30 minutes to myself, no one calling Mom or crying. Having a few quiet moments to drink a mug of tea and read the newspaper or a glass of milk and browse a magazine. Or maybe it is just the quiet. It's something that makes me feel better, although I am not sure if that is the same as being happy.

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

2008-03-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

As I read this book, I kept wondering why it is considered a classic. The only thing I can think of is the fabulous description of the bull fights. The rest of the book left me bored and struggling to pick it up. I even went looking for reader guides or discussion questions to give insight into what I failed to notice. Even with those questions, I don't see what the fuss is about.

I'll be sending this back to the person I borrowed it from - and I'll have to think of something to say at book club next week.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses - Tom Standage

2008-03-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

After looking through the bibliography of The Ghost Map, I decide to read A History of the World in 6 Glasses - and someone was nice enough to give it to me for Christmas. It really is a world history from ancient times to current. It all starts with beer - which was apparently a main currency back in the day. Everyone was given a ration, even slaves. As time went on, wine took on a larger role - increasing it's influence as the cultivation of grapes improved. Helping this trend along is that aged wine can improve where aged beer is not considered a delicacy. The discovery of the New World and the resulting slave trade and sugar production moved spirits (originally rum from the waste of sugar production) to the forefront. Not only was it cost effective to use the waste from the sugar process, it was smaller to transport back to Africa, where it was prized as the most efficient way to get drunk. The Age of Reason required everyone to sober up, so coffee and the coffeehouses moved to ahead - stimulating conversation rather than rowdy behavior and sleep. The British love for tea helped them become a world power, based on the antibacterial properties and the need to boil the water. And finally Coca-Cola - which did indeed (and incidentally still does) contain ingredients from the plant that is used for cocaine - is the best known brand in the world and made it there through the rise of the USA as the superpower. Reading this concise history made me look at things in a new light and gave me a better understanding of each area in history.

I would recommend this book, let me know if you want to borrow it.

Spring has sprung here

2008-03-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

Spring has started to poke it's head out of the cold, wet ground. Nothing like happy tulips. I love them as my flowers around the house - not only when they are living and vibrant colors, but I love the way they die into interesting sculptural shapes. I'll be bringing some of that home today I think.

Safe Haven - Hannah Alexander

2008-03-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

This one was lying around my parents house when I was taking a break. As expected, I picked it up and made it through 80% of the book before I headed back home. It's part of a Christian medical thriller series and I won't be going out of my way to finish it. I would pick it up if I happened to see it, but I have a pretty good idea where it will end up. The beginning of the book was pretty light on the save your soul message but the references to finding / relying on God are getting more and more frequent. The mystery isn't all that mysterious or thrilling to me, although I suppose if I finish the book I could be surprised.

Update March 7, 2008: Mom hand delivered the book to my house, so I finished it. I had barely 30 pages to go. Yup, just as a suspected. Not terrible, but not brilliant either. Since I am reading so much less these days, I am trying to be more selective in what goes onto my To Read shelf. Books by this author are unlikely to make it.

Deadly Gamble - Linda Lael Miller

2008-03-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

Yup, I read a book that isn't from my "To Read" shelf - which is packed so full it should be shelves. My mom handed me this on and said she wanted it back when I finished. What a perfect excuse to read the introduction to the wacky Mojo Sheepshanks. This is fun in the vein of the Evanovich Plum series, but I don't feel that I need to keep it around. I look forward to more Mojo adventures in the future.

Now, back to A History of the World in 6 Glasses. I'm almost halfway through, or I think I am, since I am up to coffee having completed the beer, wine and spirits sections.

Happy Thoughts running low

2008-02-25T19:14:00.001-08:00

Calling a friend who says, "I was just about to call / write you" always brings a smile
Having a friend say - "Can I visit on XXX?" smiles and maybe I'll even dance a jig
Hearing the Little Miss laugh - it's only happened twice, but I look forward to more
Thin Mints, yippee for Girl Scout Cookie season
Marble Fudge ice cream from Leatherby's - only available as a "special"
Shiny, glossy, primary colors for children's furniture and bedding (Thank you Mom & Dad)
Seat warmers on a cold day
Hot coffee with lots of sugar and cream when you've only slept for 3 hours
Crossing items off your to do list - even if you have to add them so you can cross them off

The Edge - Catherine Coulter

2008-02-25T19:06:00.000-08:00

Brad, owner of Book Lovers, recommend I read the Catherine Coulter's FBI series. She will be signing her next book at his store in the summer. Since I am generally looking for a new series of brain candy reading, I picked up The Edge.

It was good as brain candy of the mystery, detective goes, but it wasn't spectacular. I enjoyed the story when it was in Edgerton, Oregon. But once they were assaulted and whisked to South America, I lost all ability to suspend belief.

I will try another book in the series, but at this point, I would only pick these up used and when I am running low on my "To Read" pile.

Their Eyes were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston

2008-02-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

Reasons this book should be considered a classic:

Strong character development of the main character - insight into her thinking at different ages
Non-idealistic view of love and how people who love each other can react - jealous, controlling, abusive, supportive, loving, friendly, etc.
Societal norms - follow or not to follow?
Sense of place - gives the feeling of the South during Jim Crow years

I'd never heard of this book before I found it on my "To Read" shelf. Even while I wasn't reading this book, I wondered what would happen next. I considered the life she had left behind and compared it to the life she was embarking on. I wondered how she would end up alone at the end (they tell you this at the beginning).

A wonderful book, I will be passing it on. If I wasn't paring back the bookshelves, I would keep it.

Bunco

2008-02-13T13:45:00.000-08:00

Here are 5 things that make me happy related to my monthly bunco group:

1. I've played with this group since I was a teenager, and it's like extended family.
2. No matter how much I may want to sleep or veg instead, I am always glad I went.
3. Winning - even if it is the low prize.
4. Eating food I would probably never have made.
5. Laughing and hearing others laugh.

Sleep, blessed sleep

2008-02-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

My happy thought for the day is my oh, so comfy bed. The feather bed, feather pillows and feather comforter make a fabulous nest to snuggle up and sleep the sleep of the dead - or at least really sleep and wake up refreshed. Sleep makes me happy, or maybe it is feeling rested and refreshed that makes me happy?

Dark Tort - Diane Mott Davidson

2008-02-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

Another book in the Goldie Culinary Mysteries series. I wonder how long she can really keep this up. This was book 13 and I am really starting to get the hang of enjoying these. I have to read them quickly and not think about them too much. If I do think too much, I can easily figure out where things are going. Each book in the series has become less and less enjoyable. I will probably continue with the series, but I'll make sure to get them used and in paperback.

In this installment, the neighbor is murdered and Goldie discovers the body. Now, she is off to help find the killer.

This one will go to the family reading circle and then back to the independent bookstore.

The Blind Side - Michael Lewis

2008-01-31T07:09:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it, I do enjoy football. I have probably watched 80% of the Sundays for 17 of the last 19 seasons - and with DirecTV NFL Pass, that is a lot of games. In all that time, I have heard the announcers talk about "West Coast Offense", "nickel and dime", etc., but I'll be honest, I didn't have a clue what they were talking about. I grew up with the legend of Joe Montana and Bill Walsh - and let me tell you, I am still sick of hearing about the 49ers. I have lamented the declining ability of players to actually TACKLE - all this shoving and pushing, bring the man down already.

The Blind Side helped me understand all of it and I am looking forward to watching for the left side tackle in the Super Bowl this Sunday. The Blind Side tells the story of the growing importance of the left side tackle position on the offensive line (and before this book, I knew that was a position but that was about it...). It starts with Lawrence Taylor (LT) and the new move to sack the quarterback. Before this book, I had assumed the sack statistic had been around since the dawn of football. Now, I know that it was invented after LT came to play. The topic sounds boring, but Lewis finds a way to intersperse the history of the game with the story of Michael Oher. Michael is being groomed to be a left side tackle and the story of how it happened is heartbreaking.

I loved this book and had a hard time putting it down. It will have a home in the library, and more importantly, I think it will change how I watch football.

Confessor - Terry Goodkind

2008-01-31T07:05:00.001-08:00

Yippee, the Sword of Truth series is over! This last book in the series was fast paced and action packed; wrapping up all of the major characters that have played a role in the last 10 books. This is not a book that someone who hasn't read any of the rest of the series should read. I have read the rest of the series (more than once for most books) and I was thinking, "and how does this character fit again?"

Somehow he has tied up all the loose ends and still left the door open to return to this world sometime in the future. However, it wasn't enough for me to keep the series. Now that it has been finished, I'll be taking all of the books to the book store for credit.

Touchstone - Laurie R. King

2008-01-31T06:54:00.000-08:00

I enjoy Laurie King books and usually, I enjoy her non-series books more than her series books. Touchstone was different. It is set in 1920s England with a US FBI agent investigating a terrorist who is believed to be an English gentleman involved in workers' rights. The book was slow going and in fact, I finished it a few weeks ago. I just didn't know what to say about it. I trudged through the beginning of the book and somewhere in the middle it picked up steam. It wasn't a book that made me think about larger issues as some of her other ones do, it was just a story to me.

I'll be keeping it for now, but if it wasn't a Laurie King book, it would probably get passed on with out having a permanent home in my library.

Happy birthday Higgy!

2008-01-29T20:56:00.001-08:00

In honor of Higgy's 38th B-day, here's 38 happy thoughts related to having him in my life:

Wonderful warm bear hugs
Cuddling on cold winter nights
Fabulous sunny side up eggs (yes, he can cook)
The way his eyes crinkle when he smiles (or laughs)
A son who looks like him
A daughter who does too!
Wearing his extra large sweats when my maternity clothes weren't good enough
Mentioning that I want the bed changed, and finding it with clean sheets at bed time - I thought I was going to help
Watching British comedy (ok - at least some of them)
Vacations in Wales - complete with family
Walking in the snow in Paris - probably the only time I didn't absolutely hate snow
Discussing our future
Reminiscing about our pasts
Bedtime stories - I love hearing about his pre-me exploits (most of them, anyway)
Seeing him read stories to our son
Watching him hold our daughter while he's playing games on-line
Being able to have him hold a child during a Bills game - he has to calm down
Watching him sleep
Seeing him vacuum - he knows I HATE it
Hearing him laugh out loud at the movies - it almost always prompts me to do the same
Curry and chips - something I never would have tried without him
Morning tea, pots and pots of it
Being able to say, "I can't believe I married a frat boy"
Being able to tell shared stories
Having fond memories of Columbus, Ohio (date 2)
Reading R.A. Salvatore - something I wouldn't have done without him
Hearing the term "knackered" with an accent on a regular basis
Knowing that the reason it is pronounced yog-urt (yog rhymes with jog) instead of yo-gurt is because in Britain it is spelled yoghurt
Holding my hand up when asked what the best money he spent was (or any time he tells the stories of his 2nd and 3rd best expenses were)
Reading aloud to each other in the U-haul as I moved across country
Having a husband who my friends consider a friend too
Feeling so much love for one person and feeling it returned
Having someone who loves our kids and lives so much he has taken thousands upon thousands of pictures in the last few years
Warming up my side of the bed before I get in, even if it means his side is cold
Looking at pictures on my wall that have a crazy Higgy mustache from his college days
Looking through our photo albums and seeing the smiles
The view from the top of the Lincoln Center, our first kiss
Knowing that our future is together

Happy birthday Higgy, I love you!

Cuddle & Chat before sleep

2008-01-24T19:30:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite parts of the day is cuddling with Higgy while talking about the day. It's my favorite way to unwind before going to sleep.

LIFE tiles

2008-01-23T08:41:00.000-08:00

If you play the new Game of Life from Milton Bradley, you will get to collect LIFE tiles. These are tiles you pick up for doing things - have a child, go on vacation, those memories that make up your life. So, here is a LIFE tiles list of happy thoughts from the last few days:

Learn more about a friend - nothing beats some one on one time to talk
Family game night - because friends are family
Visit the Zoo - you gotta love like the wide-eyed look on your son's face as the hornbill hops then spreads its wings and flies

In the game, each LIFE tile then earns you money for some acheivement - Pulitzer Prize, Invent a Game, etc. I think the experience is worth more than the money (even if it were real).

And strange aside - we have 3 boxes of The Game of Life. How does that happen?

One happy thought for each day since I posted last

2008-01-18T20:06:00.000-08:00

1. a clean and empty sink to start the day
2. watching my son pick up after himself, without prompting
3. seeing my daughter smile in her sleep
4. shopping with Mom, although I usually find way too much good stuff
5. free long distance phone calls (maybe I need more local friends?)
6. my car's seat warmers on a cold night (yes, I know it doesn't really get that cold here)

Hugs and Kisses

2008-01-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

I am happy to have family and friends who give me hugs (and kisses) when I need them. Sometimes you just need that human comfort.

Firmin - Sam Savage

2008-01-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

This is a book club pick and not one that I voted for. It is " Savage's sentimental debut concerns the coming-of-age of a well-read rat in 1960s Boston." The rat lives in a book store and tells his life story. It was definitely different, and thankfully quite a quick read. I started it this morning and finished it this afternoon. It wasn't terrible, it was just forgettable. Rat eats book and lives in slum...

I borrowed it and I'll be giving it back.

Caffeine and medication

2008-01-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

I have had a horrible headache for going on 4 days now, so my happy thought is the caffeine and medication that is able to take it from blurring my vision painful to just annoying. Without these wonderful things, I would be entirely unable to function.

Leatherby's

2008-01-07T08:56:00.001-08:00

We started going to Leatherby's so long ago that I don't remember not having Leatherby's in my life. Friends have been amused at how quickly we can gather 10 family members for ice cream with less than 20 minutes notice. One of yesterday's happy moments was the seasonal Apple Pie ice cream sundae with caramel, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry. I am looking forward to Strawberry Chocolate Chip in the spring.

I survived today

2008-01-05T20:34:00.001-08:00

There aren't many days when I have both kids to myself for hours on end; today was one of those days. Higgy helped my sister move in SF. Since 2 kids 2 and under would really not help with the move in process, I stayed behind. We've all been sick this week and I was really not sure if 3 sick (although healing) people would be something fun. I had more fun than I thought. Big Brother was very good and only asked me to put the Little Sister down once. Well, one time he did want me to let her keep crying to stay with him. Little Sister was her usual charming self - although with more sleeping and less crying than usual. Somehow I was able to get them each to sleep during the day and through bath time to go to bed at night.

I got many smiles from each of them and they made my day.

Stardust - Neil Gaiman

2008-01-03T21:40:00.001-08:00

This book was a fairy tale. A boy goes off to find a fallen star for his love and the star is a girl. A delightful story filled with talking animals and all manner of adventure. It brought a smile to my face several times. But, I don't think it would be worth reading again.

I'll be passing it on.

New Year's Resolutions - and a new thing to blog about...

2008-01-03T21:34:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has been around me lately knows that I have been more cranky and negative than usual. At least, I am going to guess they think so, I would hate to think that I am like this all the time... My New Year's Resolution is to blog about happy things at least 4 times a week.

Hopefully, this will at least start me focusing on the good things and not just all the bad.

Today's happy thing - the sound of rain. I love rain. I don't mind getting wet and I sure do enjoy the rain dropping on a roof, car, puddle, anything really. We're in for a huge storm this weekend; I'll have a few days to enjoy it.

Books to look forward to...

2008-01-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

Last year I gave the preview of what I would be reading in the coming year, so here's an update on what is to come...

Received for Xmas:
Your Money or Your Life - Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
A History of the World in 6 Glasses - Tom Standage
Banker to the Poor - Muhammad Yunus
A Feast for Crows - George R.R. Martin
The Blind Side - Michael Lewis

Book Club for the next few months:
Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife by Sam Savage

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

The Accidental Masterpiece by Michael Kimmelman

The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson

Where I Was From by Joan Didion

Books left over from last year's list:
The Invisible Circus - Jennifer Egan
White Fang - Jack London
The Christmas Box -Richard Paul Evans
Adam Bede - George Elliot
The Cloister Walk, Dakota and Amazing Grace - Kathleen Norris
Under the Banner of Heaven - Jon Krakauer
Selected Fiction - Henry James
The Time of Our Singing - Richard Powers
The Winter of Our Discontent - John Steinbeck
Stolen Lives - Malika Oufkin
Dearest Friend, A life of Abigail Adams - Lynne Withey
Africans in America, America's Journey through Slavery
Time to be in Earnest - PD James
Sappho's Leap - Erica Jong
A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
Sixth Precinct - Christopher Newman
Protect and Defend - Richard North Patterson
Family Orchard - Nomi Eve
PG County - Connie Briscoe

For the other books I have already on my shelf, which as you can see from last year's list doesn't mean I'll read it anytime this year, I have added an applet on the bottom of the blog. It's a facebook application that allows you to put in your coming reading and what you are reading now. I still have to add in the books I got from Christmas and the ones coming up in book club, but it will give you a look at what is lying around - in case anyone cares.

Happy New Year!

Perfume by Patrick Suskind

2007-12-30T13:38:00.000-08:00

Perfume is one strange book and the ending was very very disconcerting. It was a quick read and quite original. The idea of someone with a perfectly discerning nose for scents who doesn't have any individual scent of his own was unique. Set in the past, when odors were much more pronounced, it was an interesting tale. I just wish I had stopped reading before the last chapter.

I will pass this on and see if anyone else feels the same.

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

2007-12-30T13:30:00.000-08:00

This book reminds me of Who Moved my Cheese? Simple easy reading with a hammer of a moral to the story. There were parts that made me think a little. I liked the idea that enthusiasm is as much a universal language as love is. I like the idea that everyone has a personal goal and that the universe is trying to get you to it - although not always in ways that you would understand. However, I liked the book more as I was reading it than I do in the days after finishing it. It was easy to get sucked into the philosophy of the book (much like when I read Ayn Rand). However, the lingering taste is not necessarily one that I treasure.

I think I will keep it and pass it to others and try to read it again in a while. Maybe it will improve with another reading?

Happiest Toddler on the Block - Harvey Karp, MD

2007-12-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

Interesting ideas. I haven't put all of them to work yet, but I am going to suggest my husband read it. Hopefully, that will make me less embarrassed to try Toddler-ese and Fast Food Talk.

Another review of this book took issue with the use of evolution of man to convey the developments going on in a toddler. While I don't have any issues with using evolution to convey the ideas behind the strategies and tactics, I did get sick of that portion of the book. I was ready to move on to the techniques. I should have just skipped ahead.

It will go on the bookshelf until we make it out of the toddler years - what only 4 more years of this???

100 Best Novels

2007-12-06T02:55:00.001-08:00

After looking at MLA's 100 Best Novels, I am feel like I'll need to get out of the brain candy mode and pick up something worth reading.

For the Board's List, I have only read 15 of them!

The Great Gatsby - does it count that I have read it more than once?
Brave New World
Catch-22
The Grapes of Wrath - again, do multiple readings count for something?
1984 - multiple readings again...
Slaughterhouse-Five
Animal Farm
Howards End
Lord of the Flies
The Age of Innocence
Death Comes for the Archbishop
The Catcher in the Rye - multiple readings
The House of Mirth
A Bend in the River
The Call of the Wild

I do slightly better for the Reader's list, 28!

Atlas Shrugged
The Fountainhead
The Lord of the Rings
To Kill a Mockingbird
1984
Catch-22
The Great Gatsby
Stranger in a Strange Land
Brave New World
The Catcher in the Rye
Animal Farm
The Grapes of Wrath
Slaughterhouse-Five
Gone with the Wind
Lord of the Flies
A Prayer for Owen Meany
The Stand
Beloved
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Handmaid's Tale
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Call of the Wild
Fahrenheit 451
Watership Down
The Hunt for Red October
Naked Lunch
It
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Does it count that I tried to read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? I think it should, I won't pick it up again.

How did you do?

The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz

2007-12-06T02:44:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows I enjoy Koontz, but between this one and the last one, I don't know if I can say that as strongly. When Koontz is good, I love it. But two less than stellar books in a row and I am starting to question my decision to go out of my way to buy them the day they come out.

"he delivers a heart-gripping tour de force he’s been waiting years to write, at once a love story, a thrilling adventure, and a masterwork of suspense that redefines the boundaries of primal fear—and of enduring devotion." HA HA HA! That's some good promotional writing. The love story is underwhelming and the adventure and suspense were hardly worth mentioning. I was never in doubt about the outcome and the villains were very one dimensional. The return of a dog as a main character was contrived and unbelievable. I am having a terrible time coming up with a redeeming feature... There was one paragraph I thought was worth reading again, and when I did, I am not sure what I was thinking. Normally, I have several quotable sections - ideas that just seem to make more sense when phrased that way.

Yes, I read the book in one night like usual, but I was never at the edge of my seat and I didn't have to stay up past my bedtime. Without any other thing to do, yes, I finished it. But it wouldn't have been hard to put down. What a disappointment.

The Obsidian Trilogy - Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory

2007-11-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

I like Mercedes Lackey - she writes brain candy for the fantasy crowd. Some of her books have more to them, but most of them are just a nice adventure story with a fun cast of characters. After all the mystery / suspense / detective brain candy reading of recent months, I needed a new flavor. I picked a book in a series that came out after the last book I read by Lackey - about 2 years ago. It turns out that I should REALLY look at my book case more often. After starting The Outstretched Shadow I realized I had already read it! But, I re-read it and then moved on to the rest of the trilogy: To Light a Candle and When Darkness Falls.

This is the standard fantasy set up; magic, disenfranchised youth, evil forces, etc. With the usual caste of characters - centaurs, mages, unicorns, elves, demons, trolls, etc., it felt more like a Salvatore story than a Lackey one. I enjoyed the main characters, they didn't feel one dimensional. And they went by quickly. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy Salvatore or those who want brain candy in the fantasy flavor.

I'm not sure if it will stay on my shelf, but I will try to get Higgy to read it before it leaves the house and maybe Joe once Higgy is done.

Love Frustration - RM Johnson

2007-11-13T19:18:00.000-08:00

Hmm, I don't know how to characterize this book. It was a cross between straight fiction and romance. It went by quickly enough, but I doubt I'll remember it. I think the detailed (and in my opinion, entirely unnecessary) rape segment has me firmly putting it in the to the used book store stack. Until that, it was harmless enough that I probably would have passed it on as something fun.

Cause for Alarm - Erica Spindler

2007-11-13T19:16:00.000-08:00

Brain candy - nothing more, nothing less. It's going back to the used book store. I read it last week and I can't even remember what it was about. Not a good sign...

Ship of Destiny - Robin Hobb

2007-11-13T19:12:00.000-08:00

The end of the Liveship Traders trilogy was not as thought provoking as the previous books in the series. Ship of Destiny was more of an action packed soap opera - each character being put through increasingly interesting turns of events. It was a page turner - and at 800+ pages, that is almost on the verge of annoying. Actually, the end wasn't so much a page turner. It was the happily ever after part - the part where all the endings are taken to a complete close. That was the only disappointment in the series. I would have preferred a couple of loose endings - things that you could speculate as to the outcome.

This series is my favorite Hobb trilogy, it will be staying on the shelf.

Mad Ship - Robin Hobb

2007-11-06T07:55:00.001-08:00

Second book in the Liveship Traders Trilogy. This one focus more on the life of a pirate raiding the slaveships, while also focusing on families in Bingtown. Same themes, same great storytelling.

It will be on the shelf.

Ship of Magic - Robin Hobb

2007-11-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

Oh, I do enjoy Robin Hobb. I tried to read this series years ago and just couldn't get into it. I returned it. I picked it up again used. I was missing out.

The story follows the lives of people in Bingtown - an outpost of a distant ruler and founded on the Cursed Shores. There were ancient bargains made that shape the culture and politics of the area, but now newcomers are invading and changing the way of life. They bring slavery and a lack of respect for women with them. The theme of many fantasy novels is around political ideas and being self supporting, but with this series it is about free will. The story revolves around destiny, fate, and the characters ability to determine their own way. At the same time, there are discussions about slavery - what attitudes are needed on the part of the owners and society to let it occur in the first place. It is also about standing up for what you believe even when you know it is futile - should you or shouldn't you, when is the right time?

I find myself thinking about the series frequently throughout the day.

It will go on the shelf with the other 2 series from Hobb.

All Fall Down - Erica Spindler

2007-11-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

Another in the long line of brain candy. But this one has some interesting side things to think about. Spousal abuse - why do people stay and if someone kills the abuser, is it worth looking for the killer? There are also interesting dynamics of family - guilt, loyalty, and blind faith. I found this book moved quickly - satisfying my need for something easy to read, but I also thought about some of the aspects of the book once I was done.

I'll be loaning this one out and then it will probably go back to the used bookstore.

Eva Luna - Isabel Allende

2007-10-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

After giving up on Secret Love, I picked up a book I knew I would enjoy. I have enjoyed every book I've ready by Allende's and Eva Luna was no exception.

It covers the story of Eva Luna from her being found at the mission to her finding her partner. Like many of Allende's books, the character moves around as circumstances change. The one constant in Luna's life is the stories she makes up for herself and those around her. The cast of characters was amusing and brought additional comedy to the happenings.

This one is on the shelf and available for borrowing.

Secret Love - Bart Schneider

2007-10-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

This book isn't bad exactly, it just isn't good. I started it well over a week ago and I still haven't made it to page 100; which in light of my recent reading pace tells you something. I just don't have any desire to pick it up and find out what happens next. Yes, I'm tired with the demands of our new baby, but both Ghost Map and Natural Ordermage had me reading in the middle of the night - happily reading instead of watching bad TV or decent TiVO.

An interracial couple in 1960s San Francisco - one a lawyer leading protests the other a hanger-on in those protests was just not enough for me to keep going. If I was in a different mood, I probably would have finished it because it isn't terrible - but it is definitely not engaging.

It'll be heading off to the used book store on my next run.

The Ghost Map - Steven Johnson

2007-10-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

A book club book that for some reason I was convinced was the book for November - since I skipped October. But it is actually for December! I'll probably read it again closer to the meeting. Yes, it was that good. I would be willing to read it again in the next 2 months. Ok, I might not read the final 2 chapters again...

The Ghost Map is about the investigation into the spread of cholera in London during the 2nd to last outbreak. It describes London in the mid 19th century and then moves on to the epidemic and resulting investigation I was fascinated by the description of London overcrowding and how many more people per square acre lived in London then than live in NYC today. The sections dealing with the outbreak and investigation were well written and engaging.

However, the final 2 chapters were difficult for me to get through. One chapter talks about the spread of disease today and the other tends to focus on urbanization and terrorism. While the author made interesting points, I wish he had done so in a more concise manner.

I enjoyed this book and will read it again. I will either add it to the library or include it in the package when I return "A Perfect Red" to the east coast.

Natural Ordermage - L.E. Modesitt, Jr

2007-10-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

For the first time in reading the Saga of Recluce series I find myself wanting to read the series in the chronological order of the books rather than in the order they are published. Natural Ordermage includes excerpts of history books detailing what happened in earlier books in the series - each colored with the politics of the land producing the history. While I remember the books vaguely, my memory does not correspond to the accounts in the histories, so I find myself wanting to go back to those sections of the series and read them in historical order. Of course, whether those sections of the series were written from the point of view of Order or Chaos will color the account.

I particularly like this series because it constantly moves back and forth between the Order or Chaos side of the story - showing that neither side is completely evil, they just look at the world in different ways - and try to control it differently based on those points of view. This is something more people need to try - seeing the world from both sides.

This book will reside in the library - since I have read the rest of the books in the series at least twice through if not more.

Running from the Law - Lisa Scottoline

2007-10-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

Nothing special, although a nice change from the usual heroine attorney. Fun family dynamics mixed in with the crime - enough to make me smile at some of the situations. Quick and easy read, I'll pass it on to others.

Books with baby (3 books or was it 4)

2007-10-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Echo Park by Micheal Connelly - next in the Harry Bosch series I enjoy. I nice read - quick and fun. Finished it at the doctor appointment before going to the hospital.

Forbidden Fruit by Erica Spindler - started this one in the hospital and after 156 pages I still didn't care. It reminded me of a Danielle Steele novel. At 156 pages in, I was just getting the overview of main character number 3 and so I put it down to return to the used book store.

Legal Tender by Lisa Scottoline - Related to the characters in Killer Smile which I wrote about last month - although this one came first. This was a nice, quick read - as is everything I have tried to tackle lately. I look forward to more of these, although I doubt I would re-read them.

See Jane Die by Erica Spindler - leery after the last one, I picked this one up and got sucked in. I even read it in the car - which I haven't been doing because it makes me sick. Of course, it was the part about who the killer was and I only had 3 pages to go. Fun, it kept me guessing as to who the killer was until the end (although I had narrowed it down to 2).

The Killing Game - Iris Johansen

2007-10-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't read Johansen in ages (at least 10 years) - she's one of the author's Grandma reads. I think reading a book by her every once in a while is ok, but I tend to find them repetitive and easy to figure out. This one was an exception - more than likely she has increased her skill or decreased her output over the years. It was fun and while I had an inkling that one of two options was the killer, it was interesting to see how they got there.

A fun book, but nothing spectacular, and I'll probably offer it to anyone who wants it and then send it back to the used book store it came from.

Vanishing Point - Marcia Muller

2007-10-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

Another book in the Sharon McCone series that I enjoy. Muller has always provided a fun read - a character that actually grows over the life of the series and yet a nice detective mystery mixed with the personal problems. This was just as expected, quick and fun. I do enjoy this series - although I did start waiting for the paperback.

This will be on the shelf with the rest of the series.

Brenda Novak series (3 books)

2007-10-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

I bought this series to support both a local bookstore and a local author, I knew nothing about them at the time. There's a book signing at Book Lovers in October - but I doubt I'll be there.

The Stillwater series is set up like a fantasy or sci-fi series. After resolving the issues of the current book, Novak makes sure to set up the interest for the next book in the series. The entire series (Dead Silence, Dead Giveaway, and Dead Right) centers around keeping a deadly family secret. Most of the series you know what the secret is - it's just a matter of what will make it out in the open and which family member's perspective will be the focus. The interesting thing is thinking about whether it is better for it to stay a secret or not. Each book also touches on the idea of whether they are keeping the secret to help themselves or to help someone else. Are they avoiding their own suffering or shielding someone else from it?

Anyway, they are a quick read - and the author is local - probably lives within 15 mins of me. I'll be passing these on for others to read. I doubt I would re-read them.

Voices Carry - Mariah Stewart

2007-09-27T09:11:00.001-07:00

Another day in bed, another book moves from the unread to the read pile. I'm starting to alternate brain candy with something more serious, so after A Perfect Red today is brain candy.

Voices Carry is a book that would have preceded the "Dead..." series and "... Truth" series I read in the last few weeks. It appears that any couple you meet in those series has a book that explains how they got to together. After having read more of this type in the last few weeks, I appreciate that Stewart focuses more on the crime and solving it than the relationship that will happen in the end. It was a nice quick read - but nothing fabulous. It's also not a series I can see myself re-reading. But, it is a nice way to pass the day.

It will get passed on and then probably returned to the used book store it came from.

A Perfect Red - Amy Butler Greenfield

2007-09-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

This was one of two books a friend traveled across the country to share with me. I am so glad she did. I would never have picked up this book on my own. I have a terrible time finding non-fiction works that are interesting - unless they are recommended. I look at the table of books and decide something looks good. Then when I get it home, I have a hard time getting to my 100 page allowed stopping point.

Greenfield does a wonderful job of describing the importance of the color red throughout history and the different compounds used to create it. With a focus on the cochineal originating in Mexico, this book covers the fortunes of Spain and the industry itself. Weaving the domestication of cochineal with the efforts of other countries to destroy Spain's monopoly, the book moves quickly. there were very few sections of the book where I was willing to put it down. Yes, I could stop at the chapters, but I only once put it down while in the middle of a chapter.

I highly recommend this book - and if I didn't have to send it back to its owner, I would keep it in the library. I will be recommending it to my mother for her book club. With their focus on women authors and a mix of fiction and non-fiction, this book will give them much to discuss.

The Murder List - Julie Garwood

2007-09-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Another piece of the brain candy that is rotting my mind. It was fun - nothing exciting. It's has some of the tangential characters from the other books, but only phone conversations. It went quickly and thankfully focused more on the crimes and solving of them than the romance aspect. Still, it was fun.

I'll be passing this on. It won't be staying in the library.

Bed rest - slowing down (2 books / 3 magazines)

2007-09-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

The Waterborn - J. Gregory Keyes - a fantasy book that I was given years ago - just the first book in the series. While I enjoyed the book - it has action, religion, politics, etc. - I just don't feel compelled to go and get the next book in the series. I'm not sure if it is my mood or whether it just wasn't that good. Or maybe for a change, it actually wrapped up nicely enough without the cliff hanger that a series book usually ends on?

Mercy - Julie Garwood - This one fell between Heartbreaker and Killjoy - oops, I read it out of order. Some recurring characters, but like the Mariah Stewart series the recurring characters are more tangential. If you have read the other books, they give context to the characters without needing to have read the previous books.

Cooking Light - What a depressing read. In addition to bedrest, I am following a low sodium diet. So, I was looking forward to the new issue of Cooking Light - ready to find something flavorful I could eat. There' s only so much pasta with zero sodium sauce a girl can eat. Turns out, when they take out the fat, they increase sodium or something. I had a hard time finding a main dish and a side dish that would keep the meal below 900 mg of sodium - keep in mind that the RDA for sodium is 2300 or less! Oh well, I guess I'll figure it out on my own. One article did make me smile - D.C. was named the 3rd most fit city in their 20 city list. It was fun to see pictures of places I recognized.

O, The Oprah Magazine - a fun read - some good articles and some interesting reviews. But nothing that I would want to buy for a change - ok, maybe there were some nice dishes... I do like this magazine - some books, some movies, some interesting articles, some self help and some shopping tips. A nice mix.

Parents - short articles - some fun, some informative. One of Owen's favorite toys has been recalled - but only on ones sold after he got his - woohoo! And I found out I'm supposed to keep chopping his grapes in half until he's 4 (????!!!!). He's been eating whole grapes for months. And - all kinds of other things - most of which make me think I am just not a vigilant parent -but that's ok.

Bed rest continued - 5 books in one

2007-09-19T07:15:00.000-07:00

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs - this was a poor choice for me - too much death and the death of an infant. I made it through because there were other crimes, but I didn't think I would. I normally like her stuff, this just wasn't the right fit.

Killjoy by Julie Garwood - Fun romance / suspense type book. Nothing fancy, nothing worth keeping, but not a waste of time.

Priceless by Mariah Stewart - not part of the other series, a stand alone book. More romance than mystery - but enough mystery to get the guy and girl together. Brain candy.

The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland - a historical fiction account of Emily Carr's life painting Indian artifacts (totem poles, big houses, etc.) in Vancouver. I find myself wanting to go see her work - of course, I'll have to use the Internet for now. It's always good to read about someone who gets upset about being called a "good woman painter". Highly recommend this one.

The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr - nonfiction about the search for a lost Caravaggio masterpiece. It takes the reader through the process of researching provenance of paintings. I am still amazed that people have account ledgers from 1600s and back at their disposal. One of the things I kept thinking as I read this was about how future researchers are going to have a hard time finding data about our current "Information age" - incompatible file formats, operating systems and will they even realize the information is on a disk and that the disk might look like a pen??? Recommended.

Reading on bed rest... (10 books)

2007-09-16T00:42:00.000-07:00

Finished prior to bed rest...

The Mermaid Chair - Sue Monk Kidd - ok / fun, probably wouldn't read again
The End Of The Dream The Golden Boy Who Never Grew Up - Ann Rule - ok, not stellar

Bed rest... (8 books in 4 days?)

Dead Even / Dead End - Mariah Stewart - end of a series I started a while ago - fun, repeating characters - big cast
Cold Truth / Hard Truth / Dark Truth / Final Truth - Mariah Stewart - a different series, ties in with the "Dead ..." series from same author - same recurring characters - although I needed to switch authors after this set, I knew the "shocking" turn in the Final Truth book when it started 2 books earlier
Heartbreaker - Julie Garwood - good, fun - page turner
In Silence - Erica Spindler - fun, easy - got sucked in

I'll probably continue with the brain candy reading. I know I have some highly recommended ones on my to read list, but I'm not sure if I want anything that makes me do more than look for the next plot turn / twist.