BoB

parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow

2010-07-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

I'm getting lazy in my old age, trying to do two blogs is just too much work..... for a lazy person. I'll be keeping up with my books and food discoveries/ideas, but will do them on my exlibrislady blog for now. Thank you for letting me review books for you!!

Tangerine

2010-06-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

I've been going through a book drought. I haven't really read anything that has captivated me (well except for that crazy last one, I'm still mad at, well love/hate) So Sara has been pushing this book on me for a while. So... having never been let down by Ms. Sara before... I read it... in two days...dang that Sara. Those were busy days too! It was really interesting. A little twisted at some points. And some dark parts. It is a young adult book, but there are strong bully issues. But I really did enjoy it. There was football, soccer, sinkholes, tangerine farms, mosquitoes, Koi fish, Carnivals. Yes I know, sinkholes right! kinda fun!

Love to Hate you

2010-06-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

While was on a business trip, I had finished all the books I'd brought so of course I stopped at a book store. I picked up a book by Eva Ibbotso, who I enjoyed greatly when I read her book "A Countess Below Stairs". So I figured a fun light easy read.

Oh Yeah was I wrong.

I started it out slow, I couldn't get into it, the story was skipping around all over the place, I didn't feel like the story was taking me anywhere, but because I'd loved the other book I vowed to give it more of a shot. Two days later..... I found myself staying up late at night, way later than any woman my age with a job in the morning should. But I couldn't put it down. What would happen next? Would she? Did he? No he didn't! She's got to! The school, what would happen to the school? Did the friend survive? AHHRRGG! I CAN'T TAKE IT!

So I jump in with both feel, this book is wonderful, beautiful, fun, funny, dramatic, lyrical. There is action, suspense, opera, drama, and romance. I love this book. Days of wonderful reading, pages and chapters of gooey goodness, then.... on page 320 (of 400 pgs) The happy ending is upon us, ahhh, its so good, but hunh we aren't at the end of the book? I turn the page and THE WORLD ENDS (not literally, but may as well have) and then it says "Part II" What the jumpin' jehoshaphat? Part TWO? ARRGNH! I HATE THIS BOOK!!!

I am so hopping mad I can't bring myself to see what happens in part II... It just sits there staring at me with those wee bitty eyes, saying ohh don't you want to read my book? ohh.

stupid book.

A Kid Hero & A Kid Lawyer & A Princess

2010-05-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

Don't think for a minute that I stopped reading, I just have been busy.

So after watching the movie I was determined to finish the Percy Jackson series. I'd only read the first two. Mr. Riordon is a genius and I cant recommend his work enough. A thrilling adventure and you get to learn about the Greek Gods. I know more about Greek Mythology then I ever thought I would. He has just started a new series focused around Egyptian Gods, "Red Pyramid" I can wait to learn about Ancient Egypt through another kids adventure.

Then while I was on a business trip in Iowa, I stopped by a book store to find something to read, since I'd read both books I'd brought with me all ready. In a display my eye was caught by the name John Grisham. I read a lot of JG, so though I'd check out his new one, I was surprised to find out it was legal thriller about a kid. That was new! Of course I got it. Read it easily on the way home. It was a quick and fun read. 13 yr old Theo is the child of two lawyers, and his dream it to grow up and be the greatest criminal lawyer. He sneaks out of school just to go watch a court case. He finds himself caught up in a real criminal case. I was caught off guard with how the ending ended... I felt incomplete... but I haven't heard about book two. I can see his point if he doesn't, but I'd really like to see what's next!

I also got a book from my papa for my birthday, that I got to finish on my trip. He knew I owned and read a book called Princess and the Hound, and he found a book by the same author and is also a continuation of the story. A pretty fairy tale, and a fun quick read. Thanks Papa

25 Common Cooking Mistakes

2010-04-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

While I was on vacation in Ohio, my sister read an artical about cooking mistakes, I was surprised at how many I made, and have been trying to adjust my cooking. The article was from Cooking Light Magazine. Check out the list, how many do you usually make? There are fun pics, to see them go directly to the magzine here - Cooking Light.

The 25 Most Common Cooking Mistakes
Learn how to avoid these common mistakes for success every time.

1. You don’t taste as you go.
Result: The flavors or textures of an otherwise excellent dish are out of balance or unappealing.For most cooks, tasting is automatic, but when it’s not, the price can be high. Recipes don’t always call for the "right" amount of seasoning, cooking times are estimates, and results vary depending on your ingredients, your stove, altitude…and a million other factors. Your palate is the control factor.Think that experienced cooks don’t forget this most basic rule? Cooking Light Associate Food Editor Tim Cebula was sous chef in a notable restaurant when he served up "caramelized" pineapple that somehow refused to brown. Turns out Tim had coated the fruit in salt, not sugar. "That’s why it wouldn’t caramelize."

2. You don’t read the entire recipe before you start cooking.
Result: Flavors are dull, entire steps or ingredients get left out.Even the best-written recipes may not include all the headline information at the top. A wise cook approaches each recipe with a critical eye and reads the recipe well before it’s time to cook. Follow the pros' habit of gathering your mise en place―that is, having all the ingredients gathered, prepped, and ready to go before you turn on the heat.“Trust me,” says former Cooking Light Test Kitchen tester Mary Drennen Ankar, “you don’t want to be an hour away from dinner guests arriving when you get to the part of the recipe that says to marinate the brisket overnight or simmer for two hours.”

3. You make unwise substitutions in baking.
Result: You wreck the underlying chemistry of the dish.Substitutions are a particular temptation, and challenge, with healthy cooking. At Cooking Light it's our job to substitute lower-fat ingredients―to change the cooking chemistry a bit while capturing the soul of a dish. When it comes to baking, this is as much science as art. "I'll get calls from readers about cakes turning out too dense or too gummy," says Test Kitchen Director Vanessa Pruett. "After a little interrogation, I’ll get to the truth―that the reader used ALL applesauce instead of a mix of applesauce and oil or butter or went with sugar substitute in place of sugar." Best practice: Follow the recipe, period.

4. You boil when you should simmer.
Result: A hurried-up dish that’s cloudy, tough, or dry.This is one of the most common kitchen errors. First, let’s clarify what we mean by simmering: A bubble breaks the surface of the liquid every second or two. More vigorous bubbling than that means you've got a boil going. And the difference between the two can ruin a dish."I had a friend serve me a beef stew once that gave me a real jaw workout," says Nutrition Editor Kathy Kitchens Downie. "She boiled the meat for 45 minutes instead of simmering it for a couple of hours. She says she just wanted it to get done more quickly. Well, it was 'done,' but meat cooked too quickly in liquid ironically turns out very dry. And tough, really tough."

5. You overheat chocolate.
Result: Instead of having a smooth, creamy, luxurious consistency, your chocolate is grainy, separated, or scorched.The best way to melt chocolate is to go slowly, heat gently, remove from the heat before it’s fully melted, and stir until smooth. If using the microwave, proceed cautiously, stopping every 20 to 30 seconds to stir. If using a double boiler, make sure the water is simmering, not boiling. It’s very easy to ruin chocolate, and there is no road back.Associate Food Editor Julianna Grimes recently made a cake but didn’t pay close enough attention while microwaving the chocolate. It curdled. "It was all the chocolate I had on hand, so I had to dump it and change my plans."

6. You over-soften butter.
Result: Cookies spread too much or cakes are too dense.We’ve done it: forgotten to soften the butter and zapped it in the microwave to do the job quickly. Better to let it stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes to get the right consistency. You can speed the process significantly by cutting butter into tablespoon-sized portions and letting it stand at room temperature.Properly softened butter should yield slightly to gentle pressure. Too-soft butter means your cookie dough will be more like batter, and it will spread too much as it bakes and lose shape. Butter that’s too soft also won’t cream properly with sugar, and creaming is essential to creating fluffy, tender cakes with a delicate crumb.

7. You overheat low-fat milk products.
Result: The milk curdles or "breaks," yielding grainy mac and cheese, ice cream, or pudding.If you're new to lighter cooking, you may not know that even though you can boil cream just fine, the same is not true for other milk products, which will curdle. The solution is to cook lower-fat dairy products to a temperature of only 180° or less.Use a clip-on thermometer, hover over the pan, and heat over medium-low or low heat to prevent curdling. And if it curdles, toss and start again. One alternative: Stabilize milk with starch, like cornstarch or flour, if you want to bring it to a boil; the starch will prevent curdling (and it'll thicken the milk, too).

8. You don’t know your oven’s quirks and idiosyncrasies.
Result: Food cooks too fast, too slow, or unevenly.Ideally, every oven set to 350° would heat to 350°. But many ovens don't, including expensive ones, and some change their behavior as they age. Always use an oven thermometer. Next, be aware of hot spots. If you’ve produced cake layers with wavy rather than flat tops, hot spots are the problem.SaBrina Bone, who tests in our kitchen, advises the "bread test:" Arrange bread slices to cover the middle oven rack. Bake at 350° for a few minutes, and see which slices get singed―their location marks your oven's hot spot(s). If you know you have a hot spot in, say, the back left corner, avoid putting pans in that location, or rotate accordingly.

9. You’re too casual about measuring ingredients.
Result: Dry, tough cakes, rubbery brownies, and a host of other textural mishaps.In lighter baking, you're using less of the butter and oil that can hide a host of measurement sins. One cook's "cup of flour" may be another cook's 1¼ cups. Why the discrepancy? Some people scoop their flour out of the canister, essentially packing it down into the measuring cup, or tap the cup on the counter and then top off with more flour. Both practices yield too much flour."Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, then level with a knife," advises Test Kitchen Director Vanessa Pruett. A dry measuring cup is one without a spout―a spout makes it difficult to level off the excess flour with the flat side of a knife. "Lightly spoon" means don’t pack it in.

10. You overcrowd the pan.
Result: Soggy food that doesn’t brown.Food releases moisture as it's cooked, so leave room for the steam to escape. It's easy to overcrowd a pan when you're in a hurry, particularly if you have to brown a large amount of meat for a beef stew. But the brown, crusty bits are critical for flavor, particularly with lower-fat cooking.A soggy batch of beef going into a Dutch oven will not be a beautiful, rich, deeply flavored stew when it comes out, even if it does get properly tender. This browning principle applies equally to quick-cook foods like crab cakes and chicken breasts. Leave breathing room in the pan, and you'll get much better results. If you need to speed things up, use two pans at once.

11. You mishandle egg whites.
Result: The whites won’t whip up. Or, overbeaten or roughly handled, they produce flat cake layers or soufflés with no lift.Properly beaten egg whites are voluminous, creamy, and glossy, but they require care. First, separate whites from yolks carefully, by letting the whites slip through your fingers. A speck of yolk can prevent the whites from whipping up fully.Let the whites stand for a few minutes―at room temperature they whip up better than when cold. Whip with clean, dry beaters at high speed just until stiff peaks form―that is, until the peak created when you lift the beater out of the bowl stands upright. If you overbeat, the whites will turn grainy, dry, or may separate.

12. You turn the food too often.
Result: You interfere with the sear, food sticks, or you lose the breading.Learning to leave food alone is one of the hardest lessons in cooking; it’s so tempting to turn, poke, flip. But your breaded chicken or steak won't develop a nice crust unless you allow it to cook, undisturbed, for the specified time.One sign that it’s too early to turn: You can't slide a spatula cleanly under the crust. "It'll release from the pan when it’s ready," says Assistant Test Kitchen Director Tiffany Vickers Davis. "Don’t try to pry it up―the crust will stick to the pan, not the chicken."

13. You don’t get the pan hot enough before you add the food.
Result: Food that sticks, scallops with no sear, pale meats.The inexperienced or hurried cook will barely heat the pan before adding oil and tossing in onions for a sauté. Next comes...nothing. No sizzle. A hot pan is essential for sautéing veggies or creating a great crust on meat, fish, and poultry. It also helps prevent food from sticking.Associate Food Editor Tim Cebula was once advised: "If you think your pan is hot enough, step back and heat it a couple more minutes. When you’re about ready to call the fire department, then add oil and proceed to cook the food."

14. You slice meat with―instead of against―the grain.
Result: Chewy meat that could have been tender.For tender slices, look at the meat to determine the direction of the grain (the muscle fibers), and cut across the grain, not with it. This is particularly important with tougher cuts such as flank steak or skirt steak, in which the grain is also quite obvious. But it’s also a good practice with more tender cuts like standing rib

15. You underbake cakes and breads.
Result: Cakes, brownies, and breads turn out pallid and gummy.Overcooked baked goods disappoint, but we’ve found that less experienced bakers are more likely to undercook them. "You won't get that irresistible browning unless you have the confidence to fully cook the food," says Associate Food Editor Julianna Grimes."Really look at the food. Even if the wooden pick comes out clean, if the cake is pale, it’s not finished. Let it go another couple of minutes until it has an even, golden brownness." It’s better to err on the side of slightly overcooking than producing gummy, wet, unappealing food. Once you've done this a few times and know exactly what you’re looking for, it'll become second nature.

16. You don’t use a meat thermometer.
Result: Your roast chicken, leg of lamb, or beef tenderloin turns out over- or undercooked.Small and inexpensive, the meat thermometer is one of the most valuable kitchen tools you can own. Using one is the surefire way to achieve a perfect roast chicken or beautiful medium-rare lamb roast, because temperatures don’t lie and appearances can deceive.We love digital probe thermometers, which allow you to set the device to the desired temperature. A heat-proof wire leads to an external digital unit that sits outside the oven and beeps when the meat is ready. This eliminates the frequent opening and closing of the oven door to check the temp―during which you lose valuable heat―and that speeds the cooking.

17. Meat gets no chance to rest after cooking.
Result: Delicious juices vacate the meat and run all over the cutting board, leaving steak or roast dry.Plan your meals so that meat you roast, grill, sear, or sauté has time to rest at room temperature after it’s pulled from the heat. That cooling-off time helps the juices, which migrate to the center of the meat, to be distributed more evenly throughout.The resting rule applies equally to an inexpensive skirt steak or a premium dry-aged, grass-fed steak, as well as poultry. With small cuts like a steak or boneless, skinless chicken breast, five minutes is adequate. A whole bird or standing rib roast requires 20 to 30 minutes. Tent the meat loosely with foil to keep it warm.

18. You try to rush the cooking of caramelized onions.
Result: You end up with sautéed onions, which are nice but a far cry from the melt-in-your-mouth caramelized ideal.If you want real, true, sweet, creamy caramelized onions to top your burger or pizza, cook them over medium-low to low heat for a long time, maybe up to an hour. If you crank the heat and try to speed up the process, you’ll get a different product―onions that may be crisp-tender and nicely browned but lacking that characteristic translucence and meltingly tender quality you want.Bottom line: Know that caramelized onions take time, and plan to cook them when you can give them the time they need.

19. You overwork lower-fat dough.
Result: Cookies, scones, piecrusts, and biscuits turn out tough.Recipes with lots of butter are more likely to stay moist and tender because of the fat, even if the dough is overkneaded. But without all that fat, you absolutely must use a light hand. That’s why many of our biscuit and scone recipes instruct the cook to knead the dough gently or pat it out (instead of rolling), and our cookie or piecrust recipes say to mix just until flour is incorporated.“Whenever I make any of our cookies, I stop the mixer before the flour is completely incorporated,” says the Test Kitchen’s Deb Wise. “I do that last bit of mixing by hand, and it makes a difference.”

20. You neglect the nuts you’re toasting.
Result: Burned nuts, with a sharp, bitter flavor.Toasting intensifies the flavor of nuts. But the nut is a mighty delicate thing―in an oven it can go from perfectly toasty to charred in seconds. This has happened to every one of our Test Kitchen cooks.Arrange nuts in a single layer on a heavy baking sheet, and bake at 350° for as little as two minutes for flaked coconut to five or more minutes (for dense nuts like almonds); shake the pan or stir frequently so the nuts toast evenly―they tend to brown on the bottom more quickly. They’re done when they’ve darkened slightly (or turned golden brown for pale nuts like pine nuts or slivered almonds) and smell fragrant and toasty.

21. You don’t shock vegetables when they’ve reached the desired texture.
Result: Mush.Toss green beans, broccoli, or asparagus into boiling water for three to seven minutes, and they’ll turn vibrant green with a crisp-tender texture. But if you don’t “shock” those vegetables at that point by spooning them out of the boiling water and plunging them into ice water (or at least rinsing under cold running water) to stop the cooking process, the carryover heat will continue to cook them to the point that they turn army-green and flabby. This is not a concern if you intend to serve the vegetables immediately.

22. You put all the salt in the marinade or breading.
Result: Fish, poultry, or meat that’s underseasoned.Healthy cooks try to keep sodium levels in check and only allocate a small amount of salt to a recipe―so they need to maximize the salt’s impact. For example, chicken marinating in citrus juice and salt will only absorb a tiny amount of the marinade. When you toss out the marinade, you also toss out most of the salt and its seasoning effect.It’s better to use a little salt in the marinade, then directly sprinkle the majority of the salt on the chicken after it comes out of the marinade. The same goes for breaded items. Sprinkle salt directly on the food and then coat it with the breading.

23. You pop meat straight from the fridge into the oven or onto the grill.
Result: Food cooks unevenly: The outside is overdone, the inside rare or raw.Meats will cook much more evenly if you allow them to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes (depending on the size of the cut) to take the chill off.A roast that goes into the oven refrigerator-cold will likely yield a piece of meat that is overcooked on the outside and undercooked at the center. As you slice the roast, you’ll see a bull’s-eye effect: The middle is rare (or even raw) while the outside is well done. This is less of a problem with smaller cuts like chicken breasts―though even those benefit from resting at room temperature for five or 10 minutes before cooking.

24. You don’t know when to abandon ship and start over.
Result: You serve a disappointing meal. And you know it’s disappointing!There’s no shame in making a mistake; we all do. And while it may feel a bit wasteful to throw food in the trash, tossing out burned garlic, charred nuts, or smoking oil is the right thing to do. Start again fresh (if you have extras of the ingredients). Of course, there is a no-turning-back point, too. If you’ve overcooked a chicken because you didn’t use a meat thermometer, you’re bound to serve an overcooked chicken. At that point, the best practice is to 'fess up, apologize, pass the wine, and move on.

25. You use inferior ingredients.
Result: Sigh.We save this point for last because it’s the linchpin of great cooking: Good food begins and ends with the ingredients. The dishes you cook will only be as mediocre, good, or superb as the ingredients you put in them. As a rule, we recommend using high-quality ingredients whenever available and affordable.Always shop for the best ingredients. They’re the foundation of good cooking and why we strive not to make the mistakes described here. Choose top-notch produce, meats, and cheeses, and protect them as you would anything else precious―handle with love, respect, and care so you can be a steward of the joys of great food. Your cooking

the ultimate fluffy cornbread

2010-04-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

I just made the yummiest cornbread!! I could eat the whole pan myself... give it a try.... but be forewarned.... it is YUMMIE~!!! (thank you to recipezaar's Kittencalskitchen)

The Ultimate Fluffy Cornbread

Recipe #77311 | 40 min | 10 min prep

This recipe goes back over 30 years, it's a basic recipe but produces a fabulous cornbread, you may add in some jalapeno peppers, cayenne, corn kernels or any extras you desire ---you will love this cornbread!
SERVES 6

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, melted (divided)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2-3 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder (1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt or white salt
1 (8 ounce) can creamed corn
1 cup half-and-half or milk
1 extra large egg, beaten

Directions

1 Set oven to 450 degrees F.
2 Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
3 Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter into cake pan then bake for 5 minutes or until the cake pan is very hot.
4 Meanwhile in a medium bowl whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
5 Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour the creamed corn, milk, remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter and the egg into the well; stir until smooth.
6 Pour the batter into the HOT cake pan.
7 Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown and tests done.
8 Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Leslies's Family Tree

2010-03-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to Manti we stoped in Santaquin for dinner. Not knowing the area or what the local grub was we just picked randomly from the Internet... yea, iphones! Our only stipulation was it had to be a local place no franchises!! and McD's was just blaspheme on vacation.

We decided on Leslie's Family Tree purely because it had a wicked cool name.

As you can see on the walls there are several framed photo's. What you can't see is they are all photo's of families.. Old, New, Modern, antique. there were TONS of them. It was a real homey country feel. We ordered the special, which was chicken fried steak. Y.U.M. it came with potatoes and gravy, and stuffing, and green beans. and.... a side of homemade scones.. score!

What we didn't realize is that the scones were the size of the Titanic! Good thing we were sharing, but they were oh so good. If you ever find yourself in Santaquin... check out Leslie's.

East - Edith Pattou

2010-03-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

In the good old USA we have the story of Beauty and the Beast. It's a classic that we all love. Well there is an old Norse tale called East of the Sun West of the Moon, that is their version of Beauty and the Beast. I read a book called Sun & Moon, Ice & Snow by Jessica Day George that i previously blogged about here. So when I came across EAST and realized it was a retelling of the same story I had to read it. It reminded me of a Mercedes or Shannon retelling. One that is deeper and fuller than just a basic retelling. I had thought before that SMI&S was just a made up story kind of a Beauty and the Beast retelling for people in snow. But I've realized it is a very big fairy tale up north, and a beautiful one at that.

Rose comes from a family with a very superstitious mother (that plays a lot into the story), and a poor mapmaker in a father. One day a White Bear arrives at the home promising wealth and health to the family if Rose goes with him. She goes to live with him in a grand castle carved in a mountain. She has company in the bear, but he is well a bear, and doesn't talk much. She gets lonely and homesick. .... well read it yourself. Rose is an adventurer and it gets her into tough spots more than once. She meets and learns from Inuits. She befriends an unfriendly seaman, gets tossed around at see, almost dies trying to find the northern lands. And of course there is a little romance, it is a fairy tale after all.

Happy St. Patty's Day

2010-03-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

I was really in the mood for a good spring soup today and so in honor of St Pat.... I decided to make a GREEN asparagus soup... oh my yes was it good. Easy to make (only 30 min) and satisfies the palate. So, give it a try... hope you like it!

Fresh Asparagus Soup
"A creamy asparagus soup accented with yogurt, lemon, and Parmesan cheese. Everyone loves it!."

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound fresh asparagus
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place asparagus and onion in a saucepan with 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the vegetables are tender.
2. Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish. Place remaining vegetable mixture in an electric blender and puree until smooth.
3. Melt butter in the pan that was used for simmering the asparagus and onions. Stir while sprinkling flour, salt, and pepper into the butter. Do not let the flour brown. Allow the mixture to cook only 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth and increase the heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.
4. Stir the vegetable puree and milk into the saucepan. Whisk yogurt into the mixture, followed by lemon juice. Stir until heated through, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

A Brief History of Montmaray - Michelle Cooper

2010-03-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

When I first came across this book, I picked it up because it seemed to have the same feel as "GL&PPPS'. Small island invaded by the Germans during WWII. Sophie is given a journal for her 16th birthday and is determined to write in it as much as she can, but fears not much happens on her small island nation where she is a princess by title only. There are less then 10 people living on the island so what could really happen?

It started off fun and fluffy, and I was completely enjoying it. Then the adventure and action part started and I was caught off guard, in a good way. It is the best imaginable combination of wit, hardship, love, adventure, and history. Sophia is such a genuine and truly likable character, and her clever descriptions of her home and the quirky and unique individuals that inhabit Montmaray are unforgettable. The wry and self-deprecating humor that comes with being poor is endearing, and as much as they struggle, the characters are dignified and strong and completely engrossing. Sophia is a dreamer, and while she loves her home and her family, she can't help but want to see London and experience the balls and parties and dinners her aunt frequently takes part in. She is torn between wanting to leave and loyalty to her home and Veronica, who refuses to abandon Montmaray.

Excerpt: I need to write down what has just happened. I need to set down the truth. If I write lies or nothing at all, this journal is worthless. I must do this, in case anything happens. All right. This is what happened tonight, every single terrible thing that I can remember.....

chocolate

2010-03-03T14:42:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe when I was not allowed to eat it..... well I probably still shouldn't... but couldn't help my self from making it!!!

Word to the wise however... do not substitute. Follow the recipe exactly even if you don't have the ingredients... go get them!!! It still tasted really good... but didn't look as nice as this one. So I am giving you the official pic and recipe.... don't eat it all yourself.... though you will be tempted to.... share!!!

Chocolate-Glazed Fudge Cake

Cake
1 cup butter
16 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 eggs, lightly beaten
Glaze
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
Garnish
2 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts (filberts)(I did use sliced almonds instead and I liked it even more!!)
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 8-inch round cake pan. In medium saucepan, melt butter and 16 oz. chocolate over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Gently stir in eggs until well combined. Pour into greased pan. Place cake pan in 13x9-inch pan; add warm water until 1 inch deep.
2. Bake at 350°F. for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Remove cake pan from water bath; place on wire rack. Cool 40 minutes.
3. Carefully run knife around edge of pan; invert cake onto wire rack. Cool an additional 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, combine whipping cream, corn syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add 3 oz. chocolate; stir until melted and smooth.
5. Place cake on serving platter. Place pieces of waxed paper under cake to catch drips. Slowly pour glaze over top and sides of cake to cover. With narrow metal spatula, smooth glaze over cake. Sprinkle hazelnuts around top edge of cake. When glaze is set, remove waxed paper. Store in refrigerator.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):
Bake at 350°F. for 45 to 50 minutes.

KIM vs. FOOD

2010-02-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

Before I embarked upon my trip to Ohio, I did some research. Well, I watched

Man vs. Food to see where all the hot spots to eat were. There was a place called Thurman's Cafe and the Ohio Deli. B&Q and I thought the Thurman one sounded fly so we packed up the kids and headed over. the wait was over an hour long and it was smoky AND i was toting the only humans under the age of 18... I felt very uncomfortable. asking the kids to wait another hour to eat made us all cringe, and i didn't think i could wait that long either. So off to Ohio Deli we headed... YEA us!!

it was an awesome choice. The choice Adam partook was to eat the Dagwood, in 30 min. The 'Dagwood' includes 2 lbs of meat.. oh yea TWO POUNDS and a pound of fries.. A WHOLE POUND. plus the buns, and of course the pickle. this was no biggie for Adam, the record time was three minutes...

Q decided to take the challenge head on. I ordered the Dagwood just to say I did. Q gave up at about 15 min in.... as you can see, there was mucho left over in our doggie bags. but I give props to deliciousness, it was yummy, and we all gave props to the fries.

L here says it all.......

Tuscan Chicken and Buttered Rosemary Rolls

2010-02-15T13:24:00.000-08:00

I was in the mood to cook something fun this weekend and after much research I settled on Tuscan Chicken and Buttered Rosemary Rolls. They really turned out yummy. I have to say, I didn't make up the recipe.... they are from 2 different sites...

The chicken is from "The Gathering of Friends" a blog that is associated with one of my favorite cookbooks by the same name.

here is the link to her site and recipe.

http://thegatheringoffriends.com/2010/02/effortless-meal/

I took some pics along the way... her's look a lot better, but just to make sure you know I really did it...... here they are......

Pounding the chicken flat

browning in seasoning and extra virgin olive oil

Stir frying the vegetables (sorry Kim there are LOTS of bell peppers in this one).

Setting out the plates with spinach

Adding the chicken and pouring on the savory Glaze.

Yes it really was as yummy as it looks!!

Then we had the Buttered Rosemary Rolls - OH MY!!!

It is from the pioneer woman

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/buttered-rosemary-rolls/

and proof that I made them.....

Grma Iris made the dough in her breadmaker the day before, put it in the fridge, and then we let it warm up, shaped into rolls and put in the pans

Chopping the fresh rosemary.... my first time to do this, it was trickier than I thought it would be. But definitely worth the effort.

toasty brown out of the oven, still needing the last lather of butter.

Then the whole group enjoying the finished products.!! Brought to go along with was fresh fruit with jello mold and yogurt and the meal was finished off with fresh raspberry trifle.

Fun for all.

Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld

2010-01-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

From the mad genius who gave us Uglies and Pretties, we now have... Leviathan.

I'll be honest, I grabbed it purely based on the fact that it was by Scott. I had no idea what to expect. The first couple of pages really threw me for a loop de loop. First off it was written for a younger audience than U&P's. I really enjoy middle readers, I just was not prepared. And then it was so far removed from the U&P world. Oh it was still SciFi, but oh so different. Part steam punk (Heather, did your ears just perk?) Part historical fiction (mostly fiction) Part action adventure. It was ALL fun. Telling the story of Alek, the son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand a (a real person) and his wife who are assassinated, so he and his party escape into the night. Also about Deryn who dresses up as a boy to join the British air force.

Set in an alternate world in which Charles Darwin discovered biotechnology. The British Empire was built on the backs of strange, fabricated beasties. Living airships! Fighting kraken! Message lizards! Called by others Darwinists, the Brits use these beasties for everything. On the other end of Europe are the Clankers. Germans, Austrians, etc who are the opposites of Darwinists and extreme skilled machinists. Walking tanks, flying zeppelin's, etc. And at the beginning of the war these two worlds collide. It was just pure imagination and fun.

I can not do this book credit with out mentioning the illustrations. Keith Thompson provided an addition to this story that not only helped me understand the crazy inventions of either side with detail, but they were just so beautiful I just couldn't stop staring at them. Would make cool artwork to add to my library.

The MET

2010-01-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

I have a group of about 6 girlfriends I mingle with regularly, so when Christmas comes around I start getting ulcers about what to get them. how much to spend. what what what! Then I had a flash of idea. Why not go to a really nice restaurant and have a grand girls night out. Spend our dineros on a really nice social activity/bonding moment instead 6 different trinkets. Luckily my girlies thought my idea was brilliant. We also decided to put it off till after the holidays because organizing 7 very busy girls schedules over the holidays was basically impossible. So Last night we gussied up in our best duds.... for most of us that meant old bridesmaids dresses..... I wore heals for longer than 30 minutes for the first time. We felt fancy. I even got valet parking, I am so posh. And then we descended upon the Metropolitan in downtown SLC.

It was super fancy... when you think PF Changes is our usual fancy... they had cloth hand towels in the bathroom...whoo eee...then we heard the music...wha? Pink? Bruce Springsteen? Backstreet Boys...so random. We had a good giggle. As others started to arrive we felt slightly over dressed, but didn't care much. Probably the jeans the others were wearing cost double what our dresses cost... they were probably mostly Sundance folks and couldn't figure out why these women were taking pictures of their food. Again we didn't care much.

We started with a 'taste' of butternut squash soup. Yep they called it a taste. I was worried it would come out in a spoon, for just one sip. but it was actually a decent sized small bowl of deliciousness soup. Not to sweet not to savory, but just perfect.

Then since I was on a ritzy fritzy roll, I went for the million dollar special. Ok it wasn't a million dollars, but compared to my budget it could have been. It was a Bison Rib Eye Oscar style. Wha?? I'd never even heard that before. It was topped with this crab from heaven and a bearnaise sauce that made me want to cry with joy. and then to make it all happy some asparagus. YEA ME!

We could not end the night w/o a dessert. We'd heard accolades about the molten lava cake, but after the crush of finding out it wasn't on the menu that night, we went for Assorted Mousse Selection. There was a Strawberry mousse, a Chocolate Orange mousse, a Blueberry mousse, and a Gingerbread mousse. Molten Lava Cake was soon forgotten. They were so good, so light and so good. I would taste the chocolate-orange and say 'that is my favorite' then I'd taste the gingerbread and say ... 'that is my favorite' it was hard to say.

But the crown of the entire piece for me was the gingerbread confetti. they were so adorable!

I doubt any food network critic will be asking me anytime soon, but it was awesome. We really had a great night. Just don't go if you are in a hurry. It was a 3 hour dinner.

Weeks of good food!!

2010-01-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

I have been at B&Qs celebrating the arrival of beautiful G for a couple of weeks and and you know there is always lots of good food to be had at their place. We should have been showing you some of the yummy things we have been creating.... but we didn't. So to repent on my final night here we took some pics and are going to share the yummy Chipotle Meatballs meal we had tonight. We made it with ground turkey and loved the special surprise flavor of bacon. It is baked so you don't have to worry about turning the meatballs while they are cooking. They were really complemented well with mashed sweet potatoes. B added low fat cream cheese to the potatoes so they were especially scrupdilliocious!

Here are the pics and recipe....... enjoy!!

Chipotle Meatballs Recipe

(from Everyday Mexican - by Rick Bayless)

INGREDIENTS

3 slices bacon in 1-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 large eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Salt
1 ¼ pounds ground pork ( we used turkey)
1/2 cup (loosely packed) coarsely chopped mint leaves, more for garnish - not sure if Brooke put these in... but I didn't notice the flavor of them, if she did)
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted), drained of all but ¼ cup juice
1 or 2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo, stemmed, seeded and sauce reserved - didn't use this much.... use to you like of HOTNESS
1 teaspoon dried oregano
About 1½ cups beef or chicken broth (we didn't add any -- it was a fine consistency).

METHOD

1 Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, combine bacon and 1 garlic clove. Process until finely chopped. Add eggs, bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon salt. Pulse several times to combine thoroughly, then add pork and mint. (We did not add the meat. We hand mixed it because the texture if weird if the turkey is processed like that) Pulse a few more times until well combined but not a paste. Remove meat from processor.

2 With wet hands, form meat into about 16 plum-size balls ( we did a bazillion walnut sized) and space them out in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

3 While meatballs bake, combine tomatoes, ¼ cup tomato juice, chipotles, 1 to 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce, oregano, remaining garlic cloves (cut in half) and ½ teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor. Process to a smooth purée.

4 When meatballs are ready, spoon off rendered fat from baking dish, then pour tomato mixture on top, covering meatballs evenly. Bake until sauce has thickened somewhat, 15 to 20 minutes.

5 Heat broth in a small saucepan. Divide meatballs among four dinner plates, leaving sauce behind. Stir enough broth into sauce to give it a spoonable consistency. Taste and season with salt, if necessary. Spoon sauce over meatballs, decorate with extra mint leaves, if you wish, and serve.

Serves four....... if you are really a big eatter....6 for smaller eaters

Undaunted

2010-01-16T17:17:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah I read it. and I loved it. I'm now desperate to go down south and see where the all these things took lace. There is so much about our pioneer history that is so amazing and inspiring. I know I know this is a fictional book, and no I don't believe the Steeds are real places. But no one can deny that Elder Lund uses as much truth as he can. In this book he actually lists at the end of each chapter what is real and what is embellished. One thing I'd never thought thought about before is that Lake Powell didn't even exist back then. When we go south it is Lake Side Resorts, camping, four wheeling, 4x4 fun. But how to survive there with no air conditioning, no McD's on the corner... just fascinating and more than a little inspiring (oh kay i admit I got choked up more than once) As Jans Nielson said, they had stickity tootie. One of my favorite quotes (and yes Bishop Nielson is a real person, and these are real quotes, and yes it is the same Jans Nielson from the Fire and the Covenant) "Even when there is no way to go, you must go."

Christmas Delectiables

2009-12-30T11:11:00.000-08:00

So over the Christmas festivus's I tried out a few new recipies.

First were my Buñuelos (cheese fritters) These are a Colombian Christmas dosh, and are traditionally served with natilla. I'm not sure how we felt about the natilla, it was actually very tasty, but we didn't get how it went with the Buñuelos . But the Buñuelos them selves were a HUGE HIT.

Buñuelos -

200g Feta or Paneer Cheese

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tsp caster sugar (we used regular sugar)

1 large egg

Blend cheese and egg to form a smooth paste. add sugar and cornstarch and mix until well blended.

Roll into little balls and deep fry. Make sure the oil is not too hot.

Natilla -

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup cream

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 heaped tsp golden syrup (i used molasses)

1 stick cinnamon

1/2 cup corn starch

1/2 T butter

Place 1 cup of milk, and the sugar, syrup, cinnamon stick and salt in a pot and simmer over low heat till the sugar and syrup have dissolved completely. do not boil. In separate bowl, stir remaining cup of milk and cornstarch until completely dissolved. stir into the sugar mixture on stove. Raise temp slightly and stir continuously to 'cook' the cornstarch. Add cream then raise the heat again to medium, continuously stir and scrape the bottom of the pot until the mixture has thickened. Remove pot from heat and add butter. mix well and remove Cinnamon stick. pour the mixture into a mould or serving dish. sprinkle with cinnamon.

Next I made some Indian Pudding. This is something I discovered while watching the Food Network, on a show called "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" where all the cooks and show hosts talk about their favorite foods.. I know evil show.

It is a very old recipe, but still delicious of course.

Ingredients
6 cups of milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup molasses
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 cup golden raisins (optional)
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Directions
1 Scald the milk and butter in a large double boiler. Or heat the milk and butter for 5 or 6 minutes on high heat in the microwave, until it is boiling, then transfer it to a pot on the stove. Keep hot on medium heat. Preheat oven to 250°F. In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, and salt; stir in molasses. Thin the mixture with about 1/2 cup of scalded milk, a few tablespoons at a time, then gradually add the mixture back to the large pot of scalded milk. Cook, stirring until thickened. Temper the eggs by slowly adding a half cup of the hot milk cornmeal mixture to the beaten eggs, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture back in with the hot milk cornmeal mixture, stir to combine. Stir in the sugar and spices, until smooth. At this point, if the mixture is clumpy, you can run it through a blender to smooth it out. Stir in the raisins (optional). Pour into a 2 1/2 quart shallow casserole dish. Bake for 2 hours at 250°F. Allow the pudding to cool about an hour to be at its best. It should be reheated to warm temperature if it has been chilled. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Then on Boxing Day I made an Egg Florentine Casserole, and Monkey Muffins. I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman blog. check it out... YUM!

Monkey Muffins

Sugarhouse BBQ

2009-12-20T10:51:00.001-08:00

My friend Andrea, seen above on the left, when she found out I had never really enjoyed a good BBQ Establishment, she was agahst and insisted that we visit one of her favorite joints, the Sugarhouse BBQ. Located in ... Sugarhouse. (right around 21st and 7th.) It was a dog on blast. Our waiter, Currey? Was awesome, he was from Kentucky, claimed to be a true southerner. Kept giving us the two thumbs up and making sure we were doing great.

Me and Split the Sugarhouse special which included cornbread and honey butter of course. Two sides. We got the Cucumber Salad (eh) and the Greek roasted potatoes... Y.U.M!! Then came the pulled pork. oh deliciousness. and then we got the Brisket. I, for one, have never had brisket before. I'd heard Wolowitz talk about it several times (Big Bang Theory) but never had partaken. Well I can tell you one thing, it wont be my last. It was super yummy. We tried all the sauces. the BBQ was excellent, the Vinaigrette not to shabby, the Mustard was yummy! and the hot sauce, yuck! This coming from a hot sauce lover.

Over all a super duper experience, we will definitely be going back to try something new.

Stephanies world famous, in Bearverton soon to be in Salt lake, Molasses Crinkles with a twist

2009-12-20T10:38:00.001-08:00

When I lived in PDX, Stephanie's Molasses Crinkles were always in high demand. I decided to make them for Christmas this year, but thought they might taste well with a slight twist... Cream Cheese Filling.

¾ c. butter or shortening 1 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg ¼ c. molasses

Mix well, then add dry ingredients & mix thoroughly.

2 ¼ c. flour 1 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. salt

Roll into balls. Dip tops in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350° for approximately 8-10 minutes. Store in airtight container to keep fresh.

And now for the guest star..

1 pkg of Cream Cheese
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

mix together well, and voi la...

then you make a yummie sandwich and all your dreams come true.

The Forgotten Spice

2009-12-19T23:08:00.000-08:00

Guest blogger Heather here...

Christmas is one of the aromatic holidays.

What... you didn't know there were aromatic holidays?
OK, so I just made that up.

But don't you agree? Our memories of Christmas are so often coupled with aromas - pine and cinnamon and peppermint and chocolate and nutmeg and ginger.

There is one scent that I believe should be added to that list, one spice that I love to cook with and that I think is sadly overlooked in our holiday cuisine. That spice is cardomon.

One breath of the intense earthy, mellow spiciness that is cardamom and I'm suddenly transported to an exotic bazaar, where colorful spices lie heaped in copper ewers and spill out of rough burlap bags.

What can you do with cardomom? There are scads of recipes for this wonderful spice, which can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. But lets start with something easy. When you're making that wassail this Christmas, skip the cinnamon. Instead, toss in a half dozen cardamom pods and heat as usual. You may never use cinnamon sticks again!

Heather's Holiday Wassail

Mix apple juice and cranberry juice to taste in your large crockpot (6 quart is great). I tend to use 1/3 cranberry to 2/3 apple, but I like it rather smooth.
Add a bit of sugar to counteract the bite of the cranberry juice and a splash of lemon juice to brighten it all up. Give it a quick stir.

Now for the fun - toss in eight to twelve lovely green cardamom pods. You can crush them lightly before hand, just leave the pods intact. Or you can be lazy and drop them right in. No problem. No other spices needed.

Heat on low until it reaches your desired temperature and then set to warm.
Lovely!

How about making cardamom snaps instead of ginger snaps? Ginger and cardamom are closely related, so this is an easy substitute and makes the kitchen smell soooo good.

Next you might want to try cardamom bread. A quick goggle or bing on "cardamon bread" should net you a dozen recipes. In part that's because the Scandinavians love cardamom and we all know how wonderful their breads are!

There are many quick cardamom breads, but here's a recipe that's just begging you to make it. It takes kneading and rising time, but it's so worth the work. Cardamom Bread, Sweet and Rustic from the Razor Family Farms blog.

Substitute a few slices of warm bread for that plate of cookies and Santa will be extra nice to you. I promise.

A snobbish spice note: Sure, you probably have cardamom powder in your cupboard, but let me urge you to head to your local ethnic store (here in the Northwest we're blessed with an abundance of Indian groceries) and buy a bag of cardamom pods. I use green cardamom, I think it's the best but black is also available and is sometimes less expensive.

Like most spices, the intense aroma and taste of cardomom are carried in the oils of the plant and are lost quickly to evaporation once they are ground. That nice bottle you have will only give you a pale imitation of the heady pleasure of real cardomom. I promise.

Once you've incorporated cardamom into your holiday baking and your family sings your praises, you'll be ready for our next adventure - Indian curries with cardamom.

One more important note - you need to teach your family that you never EAT the cardamom pod. Only one bite and they'll learn this lesson, but it would be kind of you to warn them. Ground cardamom is fine, but whole pods can be overpowering. Just skim the little pods out of the wassail and discard once they have steeped thoroughly . (I leave them in, but I like to live on the edge.)

Happy baking and Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Guilty Pleasures

2009-12-18T18:15:00.001-08:00

As I lay in bed trying to lay my worries at rest

An image pops in my head like a welcome guest

Two helpings of all American sliced bread

The doughy suppleness swirling around in my head

Liberally spread with that gooey mayo goodness

On each slice with professional finesse

Slices of ham drizzling down one upon another

2 or 4 or many more, the idea is to smother

On top of that you place the cheese

This is how I aim to please

A family secret to make it complete

Mustard and ketchup, a masterful feet

When I’m feeling fancy I add one more item

The dillies pickle, can you just say YUM!

Bride in the Bargain - Deeanne Gist

2009-12-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

- Romance, historical, Seattle

This is the 3rd Deeanne Gist book I have read. I bow to Deeanne. My opinion? I think she is the 21st century version of Jane Austin. Yea, I think she is that good. If you are looking for a good romance that doesn't have a heaving bosom on the cover, but one that they author can make your heart skip a beat just by describing wrists accidentally touching. Usually set in the 1800's her books bring you back in time where romance was romantic and proper. She also weaves in humor. Most of her stories are about women in awkward circumstances, and the men involved. An arranged marriage, the only woman in the area not a 'saloon dancer', or other crazy things. The characters have depth as well. You can get in their heads and scream out loud when they make the wrong decision. Or weep with joy when they finally figure it out right.

I read my first Gist book (Bride most Begrudging) right after I finished Twilight. Sorry Edward, but you have nothing on Drew. Gist knows how to right about real MEN.

Bride in the Bargain was one of those books you wanted to call in sick to work just to finish. I was strong though I waited till I got home to read, but stayed up way past my bedtime reading. Only problem with these kinds of books is that you get done so fast, then the next couple of days you are in mourning because there is no more to read. Good news is if you haven't read any Deeanne Gist books yet, you have several to keep you occupied.

Bride in the Bargain is the story of a man (who was a real person) in Seattle who offers to go to the East coast and find all the lumberjacks wives. When he gets to the east, he promises all the war widows jobs as nannies, cooks, teachers, etc. and proceeds to bring hundreds of women across the Continent on false pretences. Anna is one of those women, Joe was one of the lumberjacks.

Warm Winter Drinks

2009-12-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about this blog that I decided I had to add my 2 favorite winter drinks (well 2 of my favorite - I really like winter and all of it's fun drink options)

The first is a family tradition ..... I make it in a crock pot and let it simmer all day. But it can be made and then put in the fridge and warmed as used.

"The Best Wassail"

1/2 gal. Apple Cider

12oz frozen Orange Juice

12oz Frozen Lemonade

1 c. sugar

10 whole cloves

5 sticks of cinnamon

(I put these last 2 in a cheese cloth or tea bag so I can remove them after a while and it doesn't get too spicy or thick)

fill crock pot (or kettle) with water..... let heat and serve.

The second one is from a friend that serves it every year at her party. Beazers - I don't know how authentic it is, but that is what she calls it...... YUMMY!!!

(Notice - part of the charm is the presentation!!)

RUSSIAN TEA

1 c. sugar

2 c. water

3/4 c. lemon juice

2 c. orange juice frozen concentrate

1 tsp. almond extract

2 qt. Boiling water

Mix sugar and 1st water and bring to a boil. Combine the remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

and maybe serve with Russian Tea Cakes?

(this is a Motab Mama post)

Ravioli

2009-12-09T18:29:00.000-08:00

Today I want to share the joys of Ravioli. When I think of Heavenly Ravioli, I think of two places. One here in the SLC, and one up the street in PDX (Portland, Oregon).

Let's start with PDX. The Farm Cafe. This place is definitely for the tree huggin, veggie eatin, peace lovin folks we all know hide out in PDX. This place oozzes organic. Interestingly enough I was introduced to it by a vegetarian. To us carnivores... well it's worth the trip. I ordered the "Braised Greens and Toasted Pecan Stuffed Ravioli" I was not even sure what braised greens were but the pecans piqued my interest. I may have cried a little. The cheese was a Fiscalini cheddar and ricotta, and it was drizzled with a tarragon brown butter. (don't ask I have no idea what tarragon is, but I loved it) The ravioli noodles were hand made. Seriously good stuff. And the pecans gave it a fun little crunch. My dinning partners were happy as well with their choices, but I couldn't tell you what they were, I was too busy concentrating on those ravioli.

Woe is you, you say, I'm just not in PDX that much. Well I have a solution. It has nothing in common with the above mentioned except it's ravioli and it's yummy. But, it's yummy that's the point. Em's Restaurant. Located behind the conference center in SCL hidden among all those apartments. This is a recent discovery for me, and a very guilty pleasure. It is a little on the expensive side, but worth the sacrifice. For an appetizer you can get this flat bread toasted with cheese, artichokes, and caramelized onions. wow. So me and my mom decided on the ravioli. We decided because of the price, we would split the dish. When it came out they gave us each TWO ravioli. TWO.. that means the dish its self only comes with four. Granted they were a little on the large side, but really! Then we bit into them, looked at each other and said Worth IT! I've had a few other things at Em's and nothing has disappointed me yet. Most things there are seasonal, so you really never know what your options will be.

Maze Runner - James Dashner

2009-12-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

A little violence

I just realised the authors last name is DASHner... like a runner... ha, well you have to read to understand all about the runners.

One cool thing about James Dashner, is that he is famous for the 13th reality series, I have yet to read them but have heard nothing but good. Another cool thing about James D. is that he is one of our own. A BYU alum, and Utah resident. BUY & SUPPORT LOCAL AUTHORS!

Well not on purpose but it seems I've stumbled on another 'Lord of the Rings' type book. Though this one took a very different approach. When we start the boys have all ready be isolated over 2 years, all of them have lost memories of before they arrived, and they reside inside of a maze. Each day a few of the boys go out into the maze to try and solve it. This is very dangerous, but they feel it must be done. The boys are very organized and demand strict order so they don't go crazy. It really was a page turner...

Cranberry Orange Bread

2009-12-08T19:52:00.000-08:00

If you've been wondering what Christmas gift to take to your neighbors or co-workers... wonder no more! We've been making this recipe for a couple of years now and have had nothing but rave reviews back from the recipients. It looks so festive with those cranberries and the orange-cranberry combo makes for tangy-sweet goodness!

Usually we make four loaves at a time (that's the max capacity for our mixer) so you'd just adjust the measurements accordingly. I've been wanting to go out and buy some mini-loaf pans though -- they'd make just as thoughtful a gift and you could crank out more than three at a time (you always have to keep the fourth one for yourself).

Cranberry Orange Bread

(recipe adapted from a post on about.com by Diana Rattray and picture taken from bakingbites.com/2005/02/orange-cranberry-bread)

FOR ONE LOAF

Ingredients:

juice and grated peel of 1 orange (we've used grapefruit in a pinch)
boiling water
2 tablespoons butter (cut it up to help it melt)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup fresh cranberries (we buy a ton when they're on sale -- they freeze forever)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (haven't ever tried it with the nuts)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation:

Put orange juice in a 1-cup measure. Add enough boiling water to orange juice to make 3/4 cup. Add grated orange peel and butter; stir until butter is melted. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat sugar and egg together; add orange mixture and stir until well blended. Add cranberries and nuts. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Stir into egg and orange mixture. Pour batter into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 325° for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.

Naomi Novik

2009-12-07T17:15:00.000-08:00

- Fantasy, Dragons, War

- language and war violence

I just finished Empire of Ivory book 4 of the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik. I have really enjoyed this series. It was an interesting take on the wars of England. Where His Majesty's Aerial Corps involved dragons. Everything else was normal, the only Fantasy part was the dragon. The war against Napoleon was raging, and Lawrence was a captain of a ship who by fate came across a dragon egg. And from there on became Temeraire's captain in the Aerial force. A world where a dragon is big enough to whole a whole team of men, gunners, flaggers, etc. all strapped on by harnesses. My biggest struggle with this series, was that Temeraire had the same personality as Saphiera from Eragon. BUT Temeraire was a male. so confusing at times.

The first book is about the new relationship of L & T, and T's development into one of the fleets best dragon fighters. In book two they travel to China where they learn that dragons are part of society and sometimes royalty. In book three they travel to Istanbul to rescue some other dragon eggs, and in book four they travel to Africa to find a cure for an illness that is threatening the whole fleet.

Lots of fun and an easy read.

A Literary Feast

2009-11-28T22:20:00.000-08:00

A post by guest author Heather...

Sometimes the best books can also serve a higher purpose. Yes, I'm talking about cook books. While books satisfy my mind and soul, cook books satisfy the inner beast, and the BEST cook books satisfy all three.

In my dream house, my dining room is a library, the walls covered with books and a large wooden farm-style table running down the center of the room. During the day the table is covered with homework, books, atlases, the works - at night all of that is cleared away and candle lit, the room becomes a place to enjoy good conversation and food.

OK, I ripped that off. I admit it. That's Nigella Lawson's dining room as I saw it in her wonderful TV series, "Nigella Bites". (Stop right here if you don't know Nigella. She's British, beautiful and a superb cook. I want to be her when I grow up. No, I just want to look like her. Anything else would be icing on the cake. Here is her website. You may now proceed. ) I've looked everywhere for a picture of that dining room, and can't find it, so I'll just have to recreate it in my mind.

In Nigella's dining room, the shelves are lined with her collection of cookbooks. I don't have enough to line an entire room, but the few I do have are wonderful! Here are four that I can recommend as being a delicious read.

"The Flavor Principle"

How to Create the Authentic Flavors of 30 International Cuisines by Elisabeth Rozin

This is probably my favorite cookbook of all because it actually explains what is going on under the lid.

Rozin's thesis is that basic combinations of flavors make up every ethnic taste. The combinations are predictable, and once you know them you can use them to make your ethic dishes taste exactly as they should. Even more interesting, at least to me, is to watch how the flavor combinations change, just a little, from one region to a neighoring region but with huge differences to the flavor.

For example, the basic southern Italian flavors are Olive Oil/Garlic/Basil plus Tomato. Move to Greece and you retain the Olive Oil but change the Garlic/Basil for Oregano and add Lemon. The Tomato remains but is almost always paired with Cinnamon. Intriguing, no?

Here's another. Japanese flavors revolve around light soy sauce, rice wine and sugar. Move to Korea and you change to a heavier soy sauce, garlic and brown sugar (plus hot chilies for fun).

The book is full of easy, delicious recipes that clearly illustrate the points the author has made, and is just as much fun to read as it is too cook from. A word of caution - this book has been out of print for years. My first copy was called "The Flavor Principle" and I loaned it out, never to see it again. I looked for a replacement for years and finally found it under the new title "Ethnic Cuisine". You can still find copies at used bookstores or at my favorite online used book search service, Abebooks as well as Amazon. (Why bother with the snooty staff at Powells when you can order from the comfort of your home?)

"The Splendid Table"

Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food by Lynne Rossetto Kasper

I have to admit that I've never made any of the recipes from this book. Not that I don't want to, but I just haven't. However, I have spent considerable time reading it, savoring it and wafting along on the imagined heavenly aromas. I don't know where I first picked up this book. It's a tome for certain, not some little leaflet, and beautifully accented with woodcuts, lavish photos and aside sections. A perfect book to curl up with.

The recipes all seem to be grounded in the 15th and 16th centuries, and a history of the dish and the ingredients is fascinating reading. One of my favorite chapters is entitled "Sweet Pastas of the Renaissance". Here are some of the mouth watering offerings: Chestnut Ricotta Cheesecake, Lamb with Black Olives, Almond Spice Broth, Sweet Fennel Jewish Style.

There are two recipes in this book which I must make before I die.

The first is Lasagne Duchi di Ferrara - Lasagne Dukes of Ferrara. I'll let you read the description for yourself:

"Inspired by a 16th-century banquet dish, sheets of sheer pasta are layered with a ragu of chicken and sprinklings of nuts, raisins, spices, cheese, and a touch of cream. What emerges is a lasagna hinting at the extravagance and exotica of The Arabian Nights." (pg. 168)

Heavenly!

The second is a masterpiece that I will serve at Christmas. Some year. Not this year, but some year.

Pasticcio di Tortellini con Crema di Cannella

An Unusual Tortellini Pie

"A lavish piece of the past, this tall pie with its sweet crust and layering of tortellini, ragu, and tiny meatballs is well-known feasting food in Emilia-Romagna, especially in Bologna and Romagna. What sets this recipe apart is the sweet, cinnamon -scented custard that is added just before the top crust is put in place. It accents the meaty flavors of the pie's filling. Save tortellini pie for the most important of occasions." (pg. 175)

Maybe I'd better just plan to travel to northern Italy around Christmas... might be easier.

Nope. I take that back. I'm going to make this.

A little personal aside - I served in the New York, New York mission and one of the sisters who served at the same time was Sister Pavan from Italy. She was from Trenton (pronounced Tren-TOE), Italy and we both served in Trenton (pronounced Tren-TON), New Jersey. That always made us smile.

Sister Pavan was never my companion, sadly, but we did share a common companion, Sister Sindergaard. So - Sister Pavan taught Sister Sindergaard how her mother made lasagne back home in Trenton, Italy, and Sister Sindergaard taught me (we were out on Long Island at the time, but that's not part of the story).

Sister Pavan's lasagna is hands down THE BEST lasagna I've ever had. The secret was a generous layer of rich nutmeg scented bechamel spooned over a layer of sauteed grated carrots, all if this hidden within the normal layers of riccotta and tomato-y ground lamb. Makes me hungry to think of it, even now. Perhaps the layer of bechamel is what is drawing me to the custard in the tall tortellini pie. Whatever it may be, one Christmas day we shall dine like kings! Or maybe Dukes.

Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson

Yes, we've come full circle. I hardly know which of Nigella's books to recommend. Her "How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking" is sinfully delicious, and "How to Eat: The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food" is satisfying reading and tempting eating. However I went with the first of her books that I aquired, the one which showcased all the lovely recipes from her television show. Honestly, whichever of these you pickup, you'll be a happy little cook.

Nigella's style has been called both "cheeky" and "chatty", a perfect combination for the kitchen. One tiny word of warning. These books were all written for the UK market, and with one of them, when the US conversions were done they messed up rather badly. I believe it was the book "Feast" which I don't own. They corrected the problem, but some old copies are likely hanging out there. My advice would be to check these out from the library and give them a test drive to be sure they are working. Of course, you can always read and not cook... but Nigella makes that very difficult.

50 Chowders

One-Pot meals - Clam, Corn and Beyond by Jasper White

This is the newest addition to my library. It arrived in the mail last week. I was pointed to this book by the author of "Hungry Monkey" who gave it rave reviews.

I'm a great chowder lover. Take me to Skippers and I've been known to ignore the fish and just take two bowls of chowder. However, Skippers (and every other chowder I've found on the west coast) is that thick, spoon coating stuff. This book describes real New England chowders, which are surprisingly light soups, almost broths.

I was frankly shocked by the idea, but as I read I decided it was worth a shot. I chose to make a Chicken Corn Chowder, and believe it or not I was a good girl and followed the recipe exactly.

OK, not exactly. The recipe says to brown the bacon bits, then remove them. I forgot and left them in when I added the onions. Bad move! It was still yummy, but I can promise you, you want to remove the bacon bits. Then you get to sprinkle the crunchy bits over the steaming heavenly broth just before you eat. Oi.... soooooo good!

As for reading, this book is perfect for history buff and history minded cooks. It starts off with a history of Chowders in America. Did you know that the first chowders were put together as an attempt to make hardtack palatable? They'd layer those rock hard biscuits with salt pork, fish and onions, and cook it down until it resembled a porridge! er.. yum? I think not. Potatoes were a much later addition, and tomatoes.... well that's another story.

Easy to read, easy to make - this book has it all. Even better, I found it on Abebooks for $3, brand new, so there was no excuse not to buy it! Warning, once you taste the rich flavorful broth that you've made with your own hands, you won't be going back for any more of the gloppy stuff that the chain restaurants sell. Be prepared.

Other titles

There are so many more, but I have to reign myself in. Let me wrap up by leaving you with some of the wonderful titles that I've run across, that are both good eats and good reads.

"Dictionary of Cuisine" by Alexandre Dumas (yes, THAT Dumas)
"The Saucier's Apprentice" by Raymond Sokolov
"An Exaltation of Soups" by Patricia Solley
"Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking"
"InterCourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook" by Martha Hopkins (sorry about that title, but it really is a very good book)
And of course, the inevitable "Two Fat Ladies: Gastronomic Adventures (with Motorbike and Sidecar)" by Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson

My advice for the season? Stop cooking and start reading!

The Cobra Event - Richard Preston

2009-11-22T14:57:00.000-08:00

- I almost gave this two books, but there were so many parts over my head, I had to dock it a half book for making me feel stupid.
- very graphic details of the effects of this disease

Well after a fluff fest of easy books, I decided to work on a book that has been sitting in my 'to read' pile for years. I've read two other Richard Preston works "Hot Zone" & "Demon in the Freezer", and completely enjoyed them but they exhaust me mentally and emotionally and rationally. So I was hesitant to pick this one up. Though I've heard from a pandemic expert that this was one of his best along with his first. HZ & DitF were more non-fiction genera, and just gave a lot of scary facts in a story form. Cobra Event was a work of fiction filled with TONS of info. If you have a queasy stomach, I would not advise this read. But if you have an iron stomach like me and enjoy the off the wall books like this, I can definitely give a good recommendation.

Cobra Event follows a CDC doctor, and a couple of FBI biological warfare experts. They discover someone has combined a common cold with the small pox, and is releasing it into the NY subways. This new virus does not play nice, is 100% lethal with in 3 days and is painful and destructive. They work with a secret government agency called Reachdeep to try to forensically discover what this virus is, who is making it and how to stop it.

It's a page turning thriller, but it is also filled with immense details about world wide biological warfare, building, testing, storing, hiding, etc. And unless your some kind of scientist, most of this will just go over your head... more than most went over mine. I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Fire, Princesses & Bears

2009-11-11T15:48:00.000-08:00

So I actually have read quite a few books recently, but some I don't think fit this forum, and others are guilty pleasures :0). Here are a few of the guilty pleasures.

Fire by Kristen Cashore was a companion book to Graceling, which I absolutely loved. But I was mildly disappointed in this submission of the fantasy world Ms. Cashore portrays. In this part of the 'kingdom' there were no gracelings. but instead 'Monsters'. Animals that are vibrant colors also have special powers to make other animals or humans worship them so they can eat them. Fire (stupid name) is the only remaining human monster. She also has the ability to control and read minds. Her father who was a monster used that power for evil, but she is determined to use it as little as possible and only for good.

The Princess of the Midnight Ball - Jessica Day George

This reminded me of Shannon Hale books. JDG takes a fairy tale and brings it to life and gives it a little bit of her own spin. This tale was of the 12 dancing princesses. It followed the oldest princess and also a gardener who had just returned from a war. I really enjoyed it. It was very young but fun.

Sun & Moon, Ice & Snow - Jessica Day George

This one on the other hand was a retelling of a fairy tale I've never heard of. East of the Sun, West of the Moon. I'm guessing its an old Norse tale. She mixed it up with a little bit of Beauty and the beast, and I felt a little 'golden compass' in there as well, but that was just my take. It was a beautiful retelling and I really enjoyed it.

These is my words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine - Nancy E. Turner

2009-10-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

for book club, Steph picked this book. At first I thought it would be just a historical fiction, but it turned out to be that and a whole lot more, plus some great romance thrown in. Steph came to book club prepared with thought provoking questions. It was so fun. Sara was a perfect heroine, and it was really fascinating to follow her from a gangly teen to an adult running a prosperous cattle ranch. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about the Arizona territories, pioneers crossing the plains, sheer girl power, or just really enjoys a good book. It was unanimous at the club this book was a hit.

Magical.....

2009-09-17T18:39:00.000-07:00

The other day I was taking advantage of my Netflix (oh how I love thee) and decided to watch 'A Wrinkle in Time' I realized as I watched the film that I had completely and entirely forgotten what the story line was. I remembered there was a part where the kids walked into a creepy town, but that was it. So I then decided to take advantage of my library card (oh how I love thee) and borrowed the book on CD, to listen to. To my happy surprise, Madeleine L'Engle was reading her own story. I absolutely love it when the author reads their own story, they know precisely how their characters should be read. Madeleine knows better than anyone how exactly Meg is feeling. But on top of that there is just something magical about her and her voice, then you add a magical story on top of that... have I mentioned I found it magical?

catching fire

2009-09-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

Catching Fire - Susanne Collins (this is book two of the Hunger Games)

young adult, fantasy, post apocalyptic
violence

Here is an artists interpretation of Katniss the main heroine. I dont want to spoil much of what happens, but I will say I liked it just as much as the first one. I was worried she wouln't have anywhere to go after book one, but she did... oh she did. and left HUGE cliff hangers for book three.

Book Club - Books about Books

2009-09-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

2009-08-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

This is a guest blog review from C. Caldwell

I just finished reading one of my new favorite books. It is call The Help by Kathryn Stockett. This is her first novel. It is set in Jackson, Miss. during the early 1960's. A white woman, Skeeter, wants to be a journalist when she arrives home from college. She finds her dearly beloved "maid" is gone and no one will tell her where she is. In trying to discover what happened to her maid, she becomes involved with two African/American maids and together they decide to tell the stories of "the hired black help" in Jackson, Miss. I felt it was well written and I really enjoyed it. However, the ending was a bit predictable , but I would recommend the book. There is one part where a naked white man is trying to break into a home but other than that there is no profanity or sexuality. Hope you enjoy!

Foodies Unite!

2009-08-28T22:43:00.000-07:00

Guest blogger Heather, reporting.

I have an exceedingly clear and horrifying memory of a Visiting Teacher who sat very calmly on my couch and described how she would make five different meals to suit the tastes of her five different children. Daily. No, make that three times a day.

Pardon my French, but, NO FREAKING WAY! I don't believe it's a parent's job to entertain their children, nor do I believe they should cater to the kid's every whim.

Or any whim.

At all.

Makes me shudder to think about it even now.

What is she rambling on about and how does it relate to books? you ask.

Ah! But my ramblings are indeed relevant, because the book I want to introduce you to is
"Hungry Monkey - A Food-Loving Father's Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater" by Matthew Amster-Burton.

One part cookbook, one part Northwest Travel Guide and several parts Adoring Father memoir, this book is a great way to spend an afternoon. Or several. I didn't end up reading this book from cover to cover, instead I found myself picking a chapter at random (open and point method) and that was just fine.

The author and his wife raise little Iris to eat what they are eating - she was noshing down sushi before age one. Their adventures move us through gourmet hot spots around the Pacific Northwest and provide a perfect backdrop for kid (and parent) friendly recipes. Even those with lobsters.

While reading this book I remembered a passage from "Toujours Provence" (the sequel to the wonderful "A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle), where a French friend tells the author why the English have such appalling taste in food. May I quote?

"[Régis] had made a study of the English and their eating habits, and during dinner he told us exactly where we went wrong.
It starts, he said, at babyhood. The English baby is fed on bland mush, the kind of pabulum one would give to an undiscriminating chicken, sans caractère, sans goût. The French infant, however even before he has teeth, is treated as a human being with taste buds. As evidence, Regis described the menu offered by Gallia, one of the leading baby food manufacturers. It included brains, fillet of sole, poulet au riz, tuna, lamb, liver, veal, Gruyère, soups, fruits vegetables, puddings of quince and bilberry, crème caramel and fromage blanc. All of that and more, said Régis, before the child is 18 months old. You see? The palate is being educated."

So true! In a personal yet slightly skewed example, my mother, bless her heart, required that we eat her homemade (and not particularly accurate but oh some yummy) versions of Chinese food with chopsticks. That wonderful habit has stuck with me my entire life. Asian food just tastes wrong if I don't eat it with chopsticks. Score one for Mom!

As I mentioned, this book is part Northwest Travel Guide, and that's really a good deal of fun. If you have ever lived in the Pacific Northwest you'll find yourself jonesing for the places described - Pike Street Market in Seattle, Vancouver's amazing restaurants and markets, even little hometown Beaverton. I was just down at Uwajimaya last week, picking up some homemade tofu and udon. Made me smile to think I knew exactly what the author was going on about.

What if you aren't a parent, you haven't been to the Upper Left Coast and you can't particularly cook? Never fear, the descriptions of little Iris' adventures are well worth your time and you'll find yourself chuckling along as you devour this tasty book.

Chapter 19 - The Lobster Chronicles

"Do Lobsters have crabby hands?" asked Iris, clicking her fingertips together like castanets.

Toast to the Man

2009-08-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

The 'man' is Clive Cussler.

I don't recall the reason or specifics behind why I picked up my first Cussler... but there was no looking back once I did. But I do have to admit a little snobbery, I've only read Dirk Pitt's. Me and Dirk Pitt are bosom buddies, and me and Al go WAY back. One of my favorite characters St. Julien Perlmutter. He was totally ripped off being cut out of the film version of Sahara. While on the subject of the movie, let's talk about it. The book Sahara was one of the first of Clive's I read. And it is dear to my heart. Clive himself had a few issues with the film. There were some lawyers involved and it wasn't pretty. The film was loosely and when I say loosely, I meant the main characters had the same name, based on the book. When I saw it i had to completely separate it from the book in my mind. I will admit I liked it as far as a fun action adventure flick. and I didn't mind watching the actors and actresses. But it was not the book, and if I compared it to the book I would have gone mad.

Well this week i finished my last Dirk Pitt novel. I felt like I was saying good bye to an old friend. Good news is I can walk back into my library any day I want, saunter up to my shelf dedicated to Clive and pick any one I want to re-read at any time :)

Deep Six, is not the last one written, I didn't read them in consecutive order. But it is the last one I read. The good news is it doesn't matter, there are a few things that go in order in the series, but you don't necessarily need to read them in order. Each one Dirk and Al save the world from impending doom. All done from a Cruise ship, a freighter, a salvage ship, or another nautical type sailing vessel. Of course Dirk is smooth, attractive, indestructible and tough James Bond of the sea, who doesn't love that?

Next Thursday….

2009-08-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Thursday Next Series - Jasper Fford

- the S word is used a LOT besides that it was good stuff

crime fiction, action, comedy, romance & drama

I’ve talked before about one of my literary heroes Jasper Fforde. In the past few weeks I have gone back and re-read the series that started it all in prep for another book in the series that just came out. A few words about Jasper. hilarious, genius, mastermind and original.

And extra props, he refuses to sign his books over for movie rights. Someday when he comes over to the US for a book signing tour or whatnot I hope to get to go to a lecture.

So far the Thursday Next Series includes

The Eyre AffairLost in a Good Book

Well of Lost Plots

Something Rotten

First Among Sequels

As I was reading these books there were just so many times I wished I was reading along with someone so I could discuss and enjoy a mutual laugh. I even told a friend of mine who’s read the series we needed to start a Thursday Next support group. I wanted to go on and say all the things I loved most about these books but I realized that A – it would take pages and pages to get it all down, plus and B- it would give a lot of stuff away.

Thursday next is a Literary officer in SpecOps. In a world where The Crimean War has dragged on for more than 130 years and Wales is self-governing. The only recognizable thing about this England is her citizens' enduring love of literature. She has a pet Dodo named Pickwick that she made from a home growing kit. Her father is a eradicated chronoguard officer and oh just so much more. Someone once said Thursday was part Bridget Jones, part Nancy Drew and part Dirty Harry. There is action, romance and most welcome comedy. Jasper takes you into a world where book characters are the celebrities, and movies are just things on the side, where literature is king. My world. As the series progresses Thursday becomes a Jurisfiction officer… inside literature. She stops page runners, runs anger management courses for the characters from Withering Heights, strolls the great library and is guided by the librarian (the Cat formerly known as Cheshire) and apprentices with Miss Havisham.

I enjoyed finding references to earlier (or later) books, and even references (and/or introduction) to his new series of Nursery Crimes in book 3. It was also fun to try to identify all the works of literature referenced, (get an extra thrill if I’d actually read it) and try to guess or remember if what they are talking about is the original story line or maybe will be fixed by the book end. One of the greatest feats of these books is it got me to read Jane Eyre. I know I know I’m over 30 and had never read the great, and now I can say with confidence, GREAT, Jane Eyre. The Eyre Affair was quite a different affair to me when I read it again after reading Jane Eyre. Three cheers for Jasper. (who has no idea who I am but I feel close enough to, to refer to him by his first name)

Wel of Lost Plots Quote from a Jurisfiction role call meeting.

"Good. Item seven. The had had and that that problem. Lady Cavendish, weren't you working on this?" Lady Cavendish stood up and gathered her thoughts. "Indeed. The use of had had and that that has to be strictly controlled; they can interrupt the ImaginoTransference quite dramatically, causing readers to go back over the sentence in confusion, something we try to avoid." "Go on." "It's mostly an unlicensed usage problem. At the last count David Copperfield alone had had had had sixty-three times, all but ten unapproved. Pilgrim's Progress may also be a problem owing to its had had / that that ratio." "So what's the problem in Progress?" "That that had that that ten times but had had had had only thrice. Increased had had usage had had to be overlooked but not if the number exceeds that that that usage." "Hmm," said the Bellman. "I thought had had had had TGC's approval for use in Dickens? What's the problem?" "Take the first had had and that that in the book by way of example," explained Lady Cavendish. "You would have thought that that first had had had had good occasion to be seen as had, had you not? Had had had approval but had had had not; equally it is true to say that that that that had had approval but that that other that that had not." "So the problem with that other that that was that--?" "That that other-other that that had had approval." "Okay," said the Bellman, whose head was in danger of falling apart like a chocolate orange, "let me get this straight: David Copperfield, unlike Pilgrim's Progress, which had had had, had had had had. Had had had had TGC's approval?" There was a very long pause.

Summer Fun, Victorian Style!

2009-07-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

Guest blog by Heather -

With the temperatures rising, don't you long for a really fun book? A book that won't make you think too hard, won't make you moan over the sorry state of the world and won't make you feel utterly depressed in the morning?

Have I got a deal for you! Pull up your hammock, grab a tall frosty glass of lemonade and dive into

Larklight
or
The Revenge of the White Spiders!,
or
To Saturn's rings and back! :
A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the farthest reaches of Space.

No kidding. Don't you want to smile already?

"Larklight" is a wonderful addition to the genera of literature known in the United States as "Steampunk" (a sad choice of a name, especially since "punk" carries rather dystopian connotations). In Britain this same genera is also known as "Scientific Romances". That's much more fun, don't you think?

What is Steampunk you ask?
Think of it this way - what if Jules Verne were right?
Or - what if the information age had happened during the industrial age?

Hmm… let me make this easier.

Take the charm of Victorian manners ("The ship is on fire! Tea anyone?"), the beauty of Victorian costumes (lovely gloves and hats!) and the richness of Victorian furnishings (deeply tufted leather chairs, rich velvets, shining brass and delicate Chinese porcelain).
Now take all the wonders of our time (computers, jets, the telephone, space travel, etc) and twist our wonders them until they fit in with the Victorian era.

What would you have?

That's exactly the question that Steampunk asks, and the answer is loads of fun. Steam powered dirigibles (or aetherships as they might be called), rayguns made in the most meticulous fashion, robot butlers and lots of brass goggles!

Someone steampunked their computer!Fun, no?

Ah, but back to our story…

Larklight is a lovely house that sits just outside the moon's orbit. Aboard you'll find a host of wonderful servants and devices that keep Art Mumby and his sister Myrtle busy while their father studies Ichthyomorphs (space fish) in his laboratory.

And then, one day, a message arrives…. a Mr. Webster is coming to visit.
*cue suspenseful music*

Come now, you don't want me to ruin it for you, did you??
OK, I'll give you a few hints. It involves space pirates, Martians and… Giant Spiders!!!!

This is a great book to read aloud for the whole family, but will be most enjoyed by teenagers and up. Of course, those who have a familiarity with British Victoriana are going to get all the jokes, but that just makes it more fun. Ah, the benefits of a classical education…

The book is delightfully tongue in cheek and deadly serious at the same time.

After you get done with this book, there are two more in the series! But be sure to read them in order, or you'll ruin the surprises.

StarCross
Or
The Coming of the Moobs!
Or
Our Adventures in the Fourth Dimension!
A Stirring Adventure of Spies, Time Travel and Curious Hats

and

MothStorm
or
The Horror from Beyond ~~Uranus~~ Georgium Sidus!
Or
A Tale of Two Shapers
A Rattling Yarn of Danger, Dastardy and Derring-Do upon the Far Frontiers of British Space

(I have "Mothstorm" in my hands right now and the first chapter already has me giggling. Yup. Giggling.)

Login to your local library web site and reserve a copy of "Larklight" right away.
And chill that lemonade. You're going to need it.

Did I mention the wonderful drawings?

OH! One more thing. If you'd like to dive into something Steampunk-ish right away, might I suggest a wonderful web comic called "Girl Genius"?
This version of steampunk doesn’t take place on earth as we know it, has lots of big death rays, over the top heroics, lots of brass cogs and is affectionately known as a "Gaslight Romance". It starts out in black and white and then switches to color. There are several years worth of installments in the story, so start at the beginning and enjoy! (No library card necessary.)

A final word: Seems that a major studio has decided to make a movie out of Larklight. I'm devastated! I know they'll ruin it!
Read the book now, so you can have your own fond memories before Hollywood trashes the thing.

Library Day

2009-07-19T13:37:00.001-07:00

I was getting behind in my reading, and also was needed a little book time, or a time out. so I decided this weekend I would have a library day. I would get some of my favorite snacks, a few piles of my favorite books, and just read all day. It was HEAVEN.

Hourglass Door - Lisa Mangum

This one I will find hard to review. I KNEW it was going one way, and I KNEW someone was someone else. I was wrong on both accounts. So if I tell you what I thought and what really happened ... if you read it... it might not have a surprise like I got. Get it?

But it was a good read, and its written by a local Utahn.

Emily Strange - The Lost Days - Rob Reger

Loved it. I heard about it on a fluke, so went to --- bookstore, and asked about the book, she said she had a copy but it wasn't the first one. I said what the heck, I'll try it anyway. But then I got curious, who was Emily Strange, and what is the first book. Well, Emily is apparently a very popular little girl. I found out she started out as a sticker for advertising of skateboarding clothes. then she became a comic strip, then a counterculture icon. So now they have wrote a book about her. And yes, this was the first book. My sister read it and wasn't blown away by it, because it was written for young adults. Um yea, it was written from the view of a 13yr old. but I do enjoy reading these kids books. It was a lot of fun. A little girl's journal entries to help her remember things, because she has amnesia. She does drawings and takes Polaroid pics. She has 4 cats, a crazy (possibly evil) carnival, and a ditzy friend. She loves to make lists in groups of 13...... 13 items you will find in the book

1 - Mystery

2 - a beautiful golum

3 - souped up slingshots

4 - four black cats

5 - amnesia

6 - calamity poker

7 - angry ponies

8 - a shady truant officer

9 - to 13 lists

10 - a sandstorm generator

11 - doppelganger

12 - a secret mission

13 - earwigs

The Rossetti Letter - Christi Phillips

- story is about a Courtesan so.......

This is one of those books that flip from present to 17th century Italy. A woman is writing her dissertation on the Spanish conspiracy to overthrow the Venetian government. How one letter from Alessandra Rossetti changed the whole conspiracy. The other story is Alessandra's story. Being that I'm thinking of going to Venice this spring, it was totally cool to ready about a - the history and b - the city, modern and historical. But.....I cant recommend this book because there are some 'courtesan' moments.

Colonel Brandon's Diary - Amanda Grange

Oh h0w fun was this book! It's the fourth Amanda Grange book I've read. I've been waiting for this one to come out in paperback, as James Brandon is one of my favorite JA characters. This one was a little different from the others (to me at least) as there was a tremendous amount of back story that Jane never gave us, as CB wasn't one of the MAIN characters. I loved it though.

The Fourth Bear - Jasper Fforde

I crave anything Jasper Fforde. All four (now five) books of the Thursday Next series, and now book two of the Nursery Crime Division series. Authors who think outside of the box, authors who are original, authors who care creative. Those are authors I love. Jasper is all of those and more. I marvel at the things he comes up with and the way he puts them together. NCD series is about Jack Spratt (with two t's) who is in denial about his PDR (Persons of Dubious Reality) status. In book one he talks about his first wife who died because she could eat no lean. And he sold his mothers cow for some beans, and there were some Giants involved. Jack is the Chief Inspector of the NCD, so anything involving a Nursery character or a PDR, the police send to Jack. In this one the psychotic mass murder ..... the GINGERMAN. Laughed all the way through it.

Ok so I didn't read all these books in one day, but a few of them :0). These are the books I've read over the last week or two.

Survey Says

2009-07-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

If you read my blog, and I know you do… I’m hoping to see if anyone has answers to the following questions.

- Do you like the reviews short, or would you like more details, or longer opinions?

- Do you like that I give a review and then a summary (usually) if so which do you like more review or summary?

- Do you like the rating system?That’s all really I was just wondering if anyone had any preferences.

Feel free to leave your answers in the comments

June Book Club - Biographies/Journals, Memoirs

2009-07-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

Guest Blogger - C. Caldwell

2009-06-26T16:10:00.001-07:00

Year of Fog - Michelle Richmond

The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond is about a woman photographer who is engaged to marry a fellow who has a 7 year old daughter. One day when she has taken the girl on a walk along the beach the woman stops to take a picture of a baby seal who has washed unto the beach and when she looks up the girl is gone. The story is about the year following the girl's disappearance. It was quite the page turner for me. I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Kristi Dawn

2009-06-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

A Little Bit Wicked - Kristin Chenowith

I've always been a Chenifan. I saw Wicked on Broadway, unfortunately she was not in it, but I have the soundtrack with her on it, and just loooove it. I also am a big ...BIG... fan of Pushing Daises, that could be a whole blog in and of itself. She's also had tons of little roles on TV & Movies. So when this months book club was a 'biography' how could I resist picking it up? I could not. I read it in 3 days. So fun. True to her personality she was all over the place in the book, she's young, she's grown up, she's single, she'd dating the AMAZING Aaron Sorkin, she's famous, she's infamous... all on one page. But it was also fun to take the ride with her from a little girl singing in church, to sleeping in an apartment with 4 bunk beds and who ever got there first got a bed (all struggling actresses) to being a Tony winner. Talking about the shows that were written based on her life (2 of them). On her strong Christian beliefs in Hollywood and Broadway. Her amazing family, her incredible adoption story. It was just good fun. It was good to meet you Kristin.

GONE - Michael Grant

2009-06-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

book contains violence

One reviewer said it best "If Stephen King had written LORD OF THE FLIES, it might have been a little like this..." I remember reading Lord of the flies like a hundred years ago, but I don't remember loving it. Gone was very interesting. You have your reluctant hero, your psychopath bully, your loner turned McDonalds worker winner. oh yeah and throw in a little x-men to make this book totally awesome. I had to keep reminding myself that these were 15 and under kids! But you have to think what would you have done at 15, if every adult disappeared and things needed taken care of, AND some kids had special powers? Oh YEAH and animals are mutating.. I'm referring to the talking Coyotes.

In the book every person in a 20 mile radius over 15 disappears. And the kids left behind have to figure out how to cope and survive. Can't wait for book 2 'Hunger'

Bibliophile on Tour

2009-05-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

Recently I took a little hop across the pond. On this tour between me and my traveling companion we purchased over 40 books. Don't even ask how we hauled them all home, it was quite silly, but seriously how can you go to England and not buy books?

Jane Austin Books were bought at the Jane Austin Center in Bath (it would have been a sin not to), a biography of Shakespeare was bought at the Globe Theater Gift shop in London. Radcliff books were bought at Blackwell's in Oxford, some adorable children's books were bought at 'the little apple' in York. and some other random books were bought. it was VERY tempting to buy British cover versions of some of my favorite British series, I.E. Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, etc, the covers are very different and it would have been cool to have some, but I'd have had to buy all 7 books of HP, that would almost double my books!! Out of the 20 that were purchased by me I read 6 over the 2 week traveling period. Mostly I tried to read 'in the place' books, but only fate dictates what to read ...

First book I read was The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel - Michael Scott.

This is actually the second in the Nicholas Flamel series. (First was the Alchemist, I thought I'd BoBed it but apparently not) I'm really enjoying these books, I have learned a lot about myths, legends and some history. You've probably heard of Nicholas Flamel form the Harry Potter books. I thought he was made up like everyone else, but turns out he is a real dude. He actually did find a book that folks thought he got his Alchemy from and made him wealthy. After he died they dug up his grave (to get the book) and he wasn't there, which prompted the immortal legend. Look him up in Wiki, its actually quite fascinating. His actual house is still standing in Paris, I wanted to go there so bad, but we ran out of time. it is now a fancy restaurant. Another interesting thing about these books, is the Author uses John Dee as the villain in the series. He says when he first thought up the series he had John Dee as the hero. but then did research on NF and decided to use him, and make Dee the villain. Dee... another REAL Person with a very interesting past.....Book 2 (the Magician) was based in Paris, so, wicked cool to read it as we were there. There was a whole scene at the Arch, at the Eiffel Tower, and at the Catacombs... I've also read about the catacombs in 39 clues, and seen a bit of it on the Amazing Race, so of course we HAD to go there. These books are way fun and I am looking forward to book 3!

Second Book:Pride, Prejudice and ZOMBIES - Jane Austen & Seth Graeme-Smith

LOVED IT! How can you not be magnetically drawn to a book that takes the ultimate English polite society story, and add Zombies? The moment I heard about this book I knew I had to read it and add it to my Austen shelf. I searched 6 different book stores here in Utah and it was completely sold out of every single one, even the warehouse at B&N was sold out. Apparently I was not the only one to have to have this book. I found a copy at the Chicago airport and thinking it might be the last one on the planet scooped it up. (I have to note here that there were at least 1 billion copies throughout the UK, so it was just Utah that was sold out) It did not disappoint. Now I have to insert here, if you are one of those Jane Austen purists, I might advise not reading it. But if you want my opinion it was very complimentary to Jane's classic work and if I were Jane herself I would be flattered that such a work could be written, and find great humor in the approach. Speaking of humor, this book was FUNNY. laugh out loud funny. Elizabeth is a gun toting, sword swinging, ninja slaying Heroine. But still maintains the leadership of the sisters, the strong personality, and all other quirks she has. Darcy is still Darcy, from a long line of famous Zombie slayers, he is still cranky and arrogant. Lydia puts off her zombie slaying practices to chase the soldiers. And Mrs. Bennett is just as annoying as ever. There's blood and gore, and fancy dresses and polite society. And Netherfield Ball like you've never read it before. I'll say it again. I loved it.While we are on the Austen subject I have to give props to Shannon Hale, who's book (along with PP & zombies) were on display at the Jane Austen Center in Bath.Also if you have not yet seen the BBC miniseries "Lost in Austin" I HIGHLY recommend it. For the first time, you just don't know what will happen next.....

Third, Fourth and Fifth BookMagicians Guild, Novice and High Lord - The Black Magicians Trilogy - Trudi Canavan

I found the first book at a book shop in Greenwich, it sounded fun so I read it, and enjoyed it so much that I had to go hunt down the next two (as I've never seen them sold in the US and wanted to read them NOW) It was an interesting concept regarding magicians and having to have extensive training, or your powers will overpower and destroy you. Its one of those where the good guy is the bad guy is the good guy. And about a very poor girl living in the slums where there is a huge mistrust of the magicians, as they only help the rich. she awakens her powers w/o knowing it and has to be trained by those she mistrusts the most. There were some adult themes and some concepts that I couldn't agree with and make it so I really cant recommend this series w/o the warning of adult content.

Sixth BookThe London Eye Mystery - Siobhan Dowd

I actually read this just before I left but it was very relevant to our trip as we went on the London Eye. When I first started reading this book I hadn't read anything about it so I was very put off at her writing style it was very choppy and made the main character look very awkward, until I realized that the story was told from the main characters point of view, and he was autistic. Finally figuring that out, the story took on a whole new viewpoint for me. She wrote it brilliantly. I have never personally known someone autistic so I'm not an expert but I feel like she captured his personality very well. It was a fun little story where his cousin goes missing and he is able to solve the mystery with is 'reasoning' logic. His sister is the exact opposite of him, and provides a fun contrast. I'm very interested to read other works by Siobhan Dowd, she passed away in 2007, so there are only a few out there.

From the 'Art of Manliness' - Man Books

2009-05-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

Anne and Beka

2009-04-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

Interesting Ode to Anne Frank.
Going back through my BoB entries, I noticed there was a strong representation of Anne Frank. Out of the 7 book clubs recorded 3 had Anne Frank. Interesting how many Genre's she fits into, and also interesting how many folks chose to read her for their pick. Another interesting tid bit. I have not read this book. Whaaa? you say... well I just haven't, not because I don't want to, I just never did... maybe its time.... we have a date Anne, you and I. I also watched Freedom Writers over the weekend. If you have not seen it, I highly recommend it. HIGHLY, but bring a tissue, or 8. It is a true story of Erin Gruwell, who picks a school to teach at that is known for its violence and poverty. Through love and patience she earns the respect of the students. She gets them to read the Diary of Anne Frank, and also encourages them to start weighting their own journals. They are so inspired they ask to have Miep Gies come visit them, and they earn the money to fly her to CA. * She is the woman who hid Anne and her family* at the visit she tells these Ghetto poor, gang influence children that they are the hero's not her... like I said... tissues..

Terrier - Beka Cooper: by Tamora Pierce

This is probably the 20th book I've read by Tamora. She is one of my favorite YA authoresses. Mostly because she writes about young female hero's and warriors that make you want to go out and be the best you can be. She also has a way of writing that just immerses you in the book. There are two series I was disappointed in, and that's because I did not agree with the path some of the heroines chose. But The Song of the Lioness Quartet, Protector of the Small), The Immortals, Daughter of the Lioness, and now Provost Dog. are all series I highly recommend. One thing I find cool about her series is they are all somehow connected. Lioness Quartet is the story of Alanna. Daughter of the Lioness is her Daughter, Provost Dog is the story of the Lioness's husband's great great great grandmother. Not all series are generations some are just friends or followers... but they all are connected.
Pierce also has a web board where she talks with fans and discusses Shero's (female hero's)

In the Terrier, Beka is a girl who grew up in the poorest neighborhood of the city, but has a magical ability to hear the whispers of the dead. Her greatest desire is to grow up and be a Dog (what they call the police or enforcers) Dog trainees are called Puppies, and this is the story of Beka the Puppy. She is a very independent and strong girl, but incredibly shy which hinders her work more than she'd like. There are some dark characters some outright funny characters and a Cat that is part God with purple eyes, who helps guide Beka.

PS - does anyone really read my reviews? just curious

FLYGIRL - Sherri L. Smith

2009-04-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

Themes: Civil Rights, WWII, Women's Rights, WASP

I have one word to describe this book "Refreshing". I've been reading and watching a lot of stories about Legal Thrillers, Violence, shoot'em up bang bang, grrr, anger stuff. I also wasn't in the mood for wizards, witches or fairy dust. So when I found this book my interest was piqued. I know stuff like WASP happened, but I didn't know much about it. WASP (Women's Air force Service Pilots) was a program set up to give women pilots a way to help in the war. The weren't actually given military status, but there efforts were a huge help in the war efforts. Ida May is a fictional character that the author uses to give us an insight into the WASP program. Ida is a colored girl, who poses as a white girl to get into the program. One of the things I enjoyed about this book is the absence of anger. You have your southern racists, and a few cranky folks, but overall everyone is a good person.

overall I recommend this book.

April Book Club - Cybils Awards

2009-04-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

Extras - Scott Westerfield

2009-04-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

(one book is generous)
*both books have moderate violence, is for young adult audiences, discusses post apocalypse type society**

So, I don't usually review books that I'm not dying to recommend, but this one is the end of a 'series' and the first few I really liked so I want to talk about Extras so I can talk about Uglies, Pretties and Specials. Extras wasn't horrible, just in comparison to Uglies it was very bland. And it probably would have been better as a stand alone (not mentioning Tally at all) but on the other hand it might not have made sense if you hadn't read the Specials... very confusing I know.
Uglies was a fantastic book and the follow ups of Pretties and Specials were worth the read. I like the idea of post apocalypse type societies for a good story (Hunger Games, The Giver, The Alliance) and I understand that people are subject to the culture they were raised in, but I still felt the main character was selfish and stupid. Where as Tally-wa was a genuine and strong character.

moral of the story? Read Uglies

Extras is set post apocalypse about 2 years after Tally-wa changes the world and stops the government from controlling peoples brains. Aya's world is run by a reputation or popularity economy. The more popular you were the higher up in society you were. In fact everyone was given a number, at the beginning of the book, Aya is in the 500,000's (there are 1,000,000 people) and that means she is a nobody. Bloggers and Reporters and 'surge monkeys' people who have extreme surgeries to stand out, are the high rankers. So Aya sets out to get THE story so her ranking will be higher and she will no be and 'extra'

It's always fun to find a book with such a great protagonist, and this one has several. Female and Male. In this society every one is broken into categories, as are we today, but much more defined and role oriented. (a little like the Giver) Littlies are children, Uglies are young adults before they turn 16, who attend school and live in very advanced dorms where they can get anything they want by asking the 'wall'. They are all separated from the 'crusties' adults past their prime. Once they turn 16 they are given a surgery that makes them beautiful, and they go live in Prettyville, where all they do is party and have a good time (Uglies are NOT allowed in Prettyville). Tally Youngblood longs to grow up and cross the river to Prittyville. Then she meets Shay who shows her the 'Rusty' ruins, (Rusties are our society that was destroyed) and introduces her to a world where being Pretty isn't all its cracked up to be.

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman

2009-03-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Safe for all readers - contain themes of death and murder

I have procrastinated reading this book, and put off reading this book, and pretended I'd never heard of this book. But I could not escape it. It was on every blog, every award posting, every reviews list, it was everywhere. At first i wanted to read it because it sounded like it was about a book, and well I'm all over that. But when ever I'd read a summary, it just didn't seem to catch me. You ever just 'don't feel like it' with a book? Finally I caved. And NO its not about a book. In fact it takes from "The Jungle Book" title theme. And the book its self follows the same plotesque kind of feel. (yes i made up that word). And now that I'm done I have to say it endeared me to it. Like cuddling up with a warm fire. I love when authors think outside the box, and try something new, and Neil accomplished that.

This is a story of Bod, short for Nobody. His parents were murdered when he was a tot, but he escaped by wandering out of the house at just the right time, and wandering into a grave yard, where the ghost residents adopted him and gave him 'freedom of the graveyard' which means he can fade, haunt, pass through, see in the dark, etc just like anyone else 'residing' in the graveyard. He has a guardian who provides food, and other ghosts teach him. (mind you most of them lived hundreds of years ago) Bod is also protected by the graveyard as the man who murdered his family is still out there looking for him. I love how Bod just like Mowgli is more comfortable as a ghost than a little boy. He is always aware though that he is just a little different, and longs to find out the ways of the real world. It's fun to meet all the different ghosts personalities and the culture of the graveyard. It was a good time.

FOREIGN BOOKS

2009-03-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

We had a great turn out, and L even brought excellent snacks with a Greece theme.

Too many books to go into detail about, but they all come with excellent reviews. Can you guess which country each book represents?

see you next month!

The Fire Rose - Mercedes Lackey

2009-02-24T16:14:00.000-08:00

(more that average)
(Adult Themes)

I have to say this is probably the 4th Mercedes book I've read, all part of the Elemental Masters Series. And I find them fascinating. These are retold Fairy Tale Stories, but told in a way you've never read before. They are usually in semi-modern times (WWII or Victorian era) and they are not your pixie dust and charming prince type stories. They contain Magik, but not the fairy godmother type. An there usually is some pretty Dark Magic (hence the adult themes). But they are fun.

This one is about 'Rose' who after her father passes away she is left with his debts, and is forced to drop out of college (it was hard enough trying to get an education as a girl but with out money and her fathers support....) when she gets a mysterious letter from a Jason Cameron, a rail road mogul, asking for her specific skills as a linguist to come be a governess for his children. When she arrives she finds out there are no children but she has been hired to translate and read ancient tomes to the mysterious Jason through a speaking tube. Jason is arrogant and cold, and has become a recluse since his 'accident'. Rose soon learns that Jason is a Firemaster, a very powerful magician, and his accident happened because he let his pride get in the way and tried a spell that was too powerful for him. Now that Rose is learning about Magik, she helps Jason find the cure for his 'accident'. But there is dark magik at work in San Francisco, and Rose and Jason must work together to fight it, before its too late and Jason is destroyed.

If you like fairy tell revellings, but want something different than Lackey, try Robin McKinley. Start with Beauty, her retelling of B&B. Also her most famous.

Order of Odd Fish - James Kenney

2009-02-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

1 book
Clean and fun
Adventure, mystery, and tons of crazy.

If the name its self doesn't give you a clue as to how this book will go, then how about this review... "It's Lemony Snicket, Lewis Carroll, Roald Dahl, and Norton Juster all rolled into one with some Monty Python sprinkled on top."
The first half was just pure crazy talk, you can't help but giggle at the insanity of it all. By the second half you have kinda caught on, and can flow with the plot. I loved the absurdity of it all, and the randomness of the characters and their 'quests'.

Poor Jo, is just a normal girl being raised by her x-Hollywood aunt, who cant remember a thing of her past. All she knows is she found Jo in a dryer with a note that said "This is Jo. Please take care of her. But beware. This is a DANGEROUS baby." Then things start to go crazy and Jo finds out her Aunt is really a Knight in the the Order of Odd-Fish, an eclectic collection of knights devoted entirely to the research of useless information. And they aren't kidding when they say useless. They also have strict traditions that are followed with out question. Like a weeks worth of insulting before dueling. Or Dithering, they are very good at dithering. Also their butlers are giant vain cockroaches. Then Jo finds herself hiding a secret she just discovered from all her new friends, and then the action begins.

I really had a good time with this book, like a breath of crazy air, if you want something fun. This will be a good choice.

BoB - Classic Novels pre 1900

2009-02-05T17:32:00.000-08:00

BoB the book club is officially official. We discussed books that were published pre 1900, J won the prize for the oldest book, by reading Confucius. (551 bc) We discussed how interesting it was thinking about how some of these books were the mass media releases of their time, how like we wait in line over night for the latest Harry Potter movie, or Wicked Tickets. Back then Don Quixote was the blockbuster of the time. We also talked about literary styles, the four we reviewed couldn't be any more different. DQ was filled with run on sentences, Iron Mask was detailed down to the last button. (no moving picture...or HD... to show details). I'm excited by the variety in books and span of years! See you next month.

And Only To Deceive - Tasha Alexander

2009-01-22T21:51:00.000-08:00

Hello! My name is Heather and I'm very honored to be doing a guest Book Review for B-O-B.

Rated 2 Books
No warnings

Imagine, if you will, living a privileged life as the only daughter of a wealthy Victorian family. Emily lived this life, and frankly hated it, largely because of her domineering mother whose only goal was to see Emily wed.

To escape eternal rounds of pestering Emily finally gave up and accepted the very next proposal which came along, regardless of love, and quickly married Philip, the Viscount Ashton.

However, just a few months after their marriage, Philip was killed while on safari and suddenly Emily found herself in an amazing position. A young and beautiful widow, with a title and wealth at her command, she could now do everything she'd always dreamed of - read, study, travel - all without anyone telling her what she could and could not do.

Life was hers for the taking, and she couldn't have been happier.

But Emily happens upon Philip's journals and while reading them discovers that Philip adored her. She continues to read and slowly realizes that she has fallen in love with her dead husband.

Interested yet?
Good! But it gets even better. Throw in Philip's charming best friend (who may not be exactly what he seems), a villa in Greece and a mystery involving stolen artifacts from the British Museum and you have a wonderful novel of suspense and intrigue couched in lovely Victorian cadences.

I simply could not put this one down.

There are two addition novels which follow the further adventures of Emily, Lady Ashton. All are worth reading, although I must admit I liked the first one best.

Run out to the library and grab "And Only To Deceive". You won't be disappointed.

BoB is BACK!

2009-01-12T18:47:00.000-08:00

BoB = Binge on Books, the book club is back in action.

Watch this blog for themes and meet dates. Books read will be posted on this blog as before. If you wish to participate remotly please post your books and thoughts in the comment section.

Sara's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay

2009-01-07T19:51:00.000-08:00

(one and a half books)

(Sexual references, Adult themes, Holocaust theme, and language)

Adult Fiction, Holocaust, Remembering, Family Relationships, History

So why am I recommending this book when there are so many warnings? I admit there is a lot of stuff you need to be aware of, but this book was powerful. It was one of those books where laying in bed, I said "OK just one more chapter" next thing I knew, the book was done and it was way way way (that's three hours) past my bed time. It was captivating. It was also very interesting and I felt like I got a very entertaining history lesson. I do recommend this book, but proceed with caution.

Summary:
This is a story about a reporter, Julia, in Paris who is assigned to write a story on the 1942 Jewish 'roundup' in France. Vel d'Hiv. A story detailing the roundup of over 13,000 French Jews and sent them off to Concentration camps, where very few returned from. It is also the story of little Sara Starzynski a ten-year-old Parisian girl born to Jewish parents. Her experience when the French police banged on her door early in the morning and forced her and her family to join those being held in the Vélodrome d'Hiver, and their following trips to the camps. This story talks about Frenchmen some who turned their eyes, others who reached out.
It will also follow Julia in her personal life as she digs deeper and deeper into the roundup's history.

An Ode to an Author and a Tribute to Jane Austen

2009-01-02T16:22:00.001-08:00

Amanda Grange Books
Review: +
Rating: S, as safe as any Austin book would be

If you are a die hard Austenite, you probably know there are several books out there telling Darcy's point of view. Well this is the one I have read and this will be the one I review/recommend....
Amanda Grange has actually written several books from the 'man' point of view.
Mr. Darcy's Diary
Mr. Knightley's Diary
Captain Wentworth's Diary
Edmund Bertrams Diary
and coming soon (the anticipation is killing me) Colonel Brandon's Diary

I found them very fun and quite enjoyable. Besides the fact that it is a work of fiction, it was so fun seeing what Darcy was thinking that whole time. Who knew :)
Darcy's diary went through about 6 of my family in less than 2 weeks, we all thought it was super fun. Being that we knew the plot all ready and it was fluffy, I cant say it took my breath away, but I liked it enough to pick up Mr. Knightley and am excited for Colonel Brandon!

The Blue Castle - L.M Montgomery

2008-12-09T17:59:00.000-08:00

Enjoyability: ++
Rating: S, This is in the Adult Genre but is clean

Remember that feeling you had the first time you read Anne of Green Gables?
Blue Castle is by the same author, so expect the best.
First time I heard about this it was referred to me by the Weston Girls. The cover looks a little Harlequin, and the name a little cheezy. So I'll be honest, I have had it in my 'to read' pile for about 6 months. Finally I figured, the Westons never led me astray before so.........
I read it in one sitting. It started slow, but in a good way. But 2 or 3 chapters in and I was entranced. I was laughing out loud. I actually put myself in her place a few times. Its really short but a lot is packed into those few pages. And the thing I found most interesting is that the feeling, or aura you have at the beginning of the book is vastly different from where it leaves you in the end.

Summary
At twenty-nine Valancy had never been in love, and it seemed romance had passed her by. Living with her overbearing mother and meddlesome aunt, she found her only consolations in the "forbidden" books of John Foster and her daydreams of the Blue Castle. Then a letter arrived from Dr. Trent -- and Valancy decided to throw caution to the winds. For the first time in her life Valancy did and said exactly what she wanted. Soon she discovered a surprising new world, full of love and adventures far beyond her most secret dreams.

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2008-11-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Anne Barrows

Enjoyability: +++ (I don't give this out much)
Rating: A (there are swear words)

Have you ever read a book that was so good you tell yourself to stop at the end of every chapter, 'STOP' you say, Stop reading right now so you will have more to read later. You want to prolong your reading experience and not let it end so soon. But alas you are not strong enough and read on.... That was the experience I had with GLPPPS.

This was a first effort for the authoress, but I certainly hope its not her last. Although her niece helped her due to illnesses. There were so many poignant and beautiful parts to this book I found myself on the verge of tears more than once (many more than once) but I also found myself laughing out loud at different witty comments or eccentricities of the islanders. Sometimes I was laughing and crying at the same time, this was met by curious stares when I was reading in public places. The characters in this book were so charming and charismatic and eccentric I found myself through out the book saying 'I'm going to be like this person when I grow up' or 'I'm naming my first daughter/son after this character'.

You cant help but feel you've known these characters your whole life. And you want to know them for the rest of your life. I'm traveling to England this summer and I think Guernsey Island is going to be on my list of stops. This is one of those books that leave you wishing you were a part of the story and not just a reader.

I only hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

The Diaries of Adam and Eve - Mark Twain

2008-11-11T00:04:00.000-08:00

Handsome fellow isn't he, who doesn't love Mark Twain?

Enjoyability: ++

Rating: A, not really anything offensive, unless you don't have any sense of humor.

This was introduced to me by a friends who had me listen to it on Audio CD. If even your have a chance to do that, I recommend it for this particular book. Listening to it be narrated made it all that more funny. The ultimate mental battle between man and women and the sweet story of the first case of love, are shown in a witty and timeless way by Mr. Twain. You'll laugh until you cry, and have a little more insight to or first mother and father.

A Quote from MT on this piece of work: " A little gem if I do say it myself"

Summary: MT claims he found original diaries of Adam and Eve and shares with us their discovery of themselves, each other and the new 'earth'. This is also one of the rare times you'll see MT write from a women's point of view.

Quote from book: Monday (Adam) " This new creature with the long hair is a good deal in the way. It is always hanging around and following me about. "I don't like this; I'm not used to company. I wish it would stay with the other animals.......Cloudy to-day, wind in the east; think we shall have rain....WE? Where did Ii get that word? - I remember now - the new creature uses it."

Middle Readers

2008-10-28T18:45:00.001-07:00

Definition of a Middle Reader: Books geared for readers aged 9-11
Definition of a Young Adult Book: written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents, roughly between the ages of 12 and 18.

I have read a few Middle Readers over the past few days, they make for an interesting comparison.

City of Ember - Jeanne DuPrau
Enjoyability: +
Rating: S (fun for all ages)

Review only no spoilers (ok Brooke?)
With heavy heart I have to say I was a little disappointed in this book. It had gotten so much publicity, and is well beloved by most kids I had high hopes for it. But I do think that it was my own fault. I went and saw the movie first. Usually that proves good for me, I can like the movie then love the book. But this time it did not happen that way. I think it was because the movie was geared towards older teens. There was a lot of fast paced action and the storyline moved quite rappidly in the film. The book was actually great, but it was geared towards the younger middle readers. After the fast paced movie, the poor book, by no fault of its own, dragged on. There were some phrases that were so simple and slow, I acually had to pause to see if I missed something somewhere. I tried to start up on the second book, but I just couldn't get up the gumption. My advise, read it....but before the movie. If you want my opinion of the movie, I highly recommend it. Bill Murray was great and the kids were super duper.

Story Line
Lina and her family, have lived in Ember all their lives. What they don't know is that 200 years previously, the 'builders' (who they worship as a sort of god) built a city underground to form a new civilization because the the world topside was distroying itsself. The 'builders' had stored in a locked box, the way out of Ember. The box would open after 200 years had passed. By the time Lina's generation had come around, everyone had forgotten about the box. Lina and expecially her friend Doon, start to get concerned when the city's generator starts breaking down and worry that the lights my go out permanatly. When they discover the opened box (and somwhat discinigrated instructions) and and evil plot involving the Mayor, they set out to save the City of Ember.

The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart
Enjoyability: ++
Rating: S (Adventure, and Spy Missions)

Review (no spoilers):
I loved this book, from begining to end. Even though I am roughly 20 years older than the audience it was geared towards, I admit I was smitten. I loved the characters, I loved the plot, I loved the ambiance of the whole story. Unlike the previous book it didn't feel slow at any part. Now I am not saying its the greatest book ever written, far from that. But if you are looking for an easy read (even though it is quite thick for a middle reader) some good action and adventures this is your book. It was fun trying to solve some of the tests and riddles the children were given. Also the art work and chapter headings are very entertaining.

Story Line:
Four children, Reynie Muldoon, George "Sticky" Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire, pass a series of tests advertised in the newspaper and meet Mr. Nicholas Benedict, a man trying to stop something known as "The Thing to Come". Mr. Benedict sends them to The Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (L.I.V.E.), where they meet Ledroptha Curtain, a man trying to take over the world using submiminal messages.

Paperback Dreams - BUY LOCAL

2008-10-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to a screening of a Documentary called ‘Paperback Dreams’ at the Salt Lake Library. It was produced by a guy who grew up in SLC shopping at the independent bookstores like the Waking Owl, Kings English, Sam Wellers and Ken Sanders Rare Books. He moved to San Francisco and became huge fans of Cody Books and Keplar Books. When he noticed that these bookstores were going out of business he figured there was a story there somewhere, and made the film.

PAPERBACK DREAMS is the story of two landmark independent bookstores and their struggle to survive. The film follows Andy Ross, owner of Cody’s Books, and Clark Kepler, owner of Kepler’s Books, over the course of two tumultuous years in the book business.

I loved the film. It was fascinating and made me feel even more connected to the book world. Living in Portland I became a Powell’s junkie, and it is due to Powell’s that I became the bibliophile I am today. Michel Powell owner of Powell's books was also featured in the film. Now that I am back in the land of the Saltie Lake, I am a frequenter of Kings English and Sam Weller's. So learning about the independent bookseller was very interesting to me. After the film there was a panel discussion with the owners of Kings English (Anne Holman - Manager), Sam Weller's (Tony Weller - Manager), Ken Sanders (himself), Univ of Utah Bookstore, and the owner of the now closed Waking Owl (Patrick de Freitas - Owner). That was so cool (to use a cliché) to see the faces behind the stores I give all my money to. They shared some very interesting information about how buying from the big book and mortar as they called them, not only put the independents out of business but also jacked up the prices of our favorites, and our paperbacks. BUY LOCAL! Me and Steph really enjoyed it and felt very ‘Indie’.

Paperback dreams is going to be showing on PBS, so check out the web site and see when it will be paying in your area. For the Utahans it will be on KUED on November 23rd (9pm) & 25th (12am), so set your DVRs.

I hope you enjoy the documentary as much as we did!

And here is my little soap box, Buy Local! Find your own independent bookstore where ever you are, and support them (in turn supporting your community) fight the urge to buy from the AMAZON, and others like that, your local should have online too.

If you are a Utahan and have not yet visited the Kings English or Sam Wellers, I can promise you, you are missing out!

The Heretic's Daughter - Kathleen Kent

2008-10-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Likability: +
Rating: A, although told from the perspective of an 10 yr old, this was not a young adult book

The author Kathleen Kent is a tenth generation descendant of Martha Carrier. In this book she weaves the story of her grandmother was one of the first women to be accused, tried and hanged as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts. The prologue is a letter from a grandmother to a granddaughter. The grandmother is Sara, the daughter of Martha. She recounts the tale of her family as they moved to Andover. And through her stubbornness and willfulness makes a few enemies. When the witch superstition comes to Salem then Andover, Martha is one of the first ones accused. Her daughter Sara, willful herself finally finds the bond with her mother and they go through the hardship of the trials together. It is a heartbreaking account of a real occurrence. You feel anger and frustration at the ignorance and arrogance of a people who are consumed with self righteousness and fear. Neighbors who were friends are now enemies. An act as simple as sticking your tongue at someone is considered a curse. Vengeance and hate gets a new name.

This is not something new, we see it time and again throughout history. The only consolation is that for every person like that out there, there is always someone kind, someone willing to give hope, someone past prejudices. There are just as many good people as there are wicked. Though it was hard to get through, I still enjoyed the read and would recommend it to anyone wanting to get up close and personal to this historic though tragic part of our history.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

2008-10-08T17:12:00.001-07:00

Likability: ++
Rating: ME, very violent
This book grabbed me right off of the shelf, I was helpless to defend myself. I was intrigued by the concept, a Distopian or non-Utopian society, mixed with a reality game show that was in deed reality. The concept is not new, many of the negative reviews say she ripped it off from Battle Royal by Koushun Takami, which kind of just makes me want to go read that book now too.

70+ years after the fall of the Northern American government, Katniss and her family struggle to survive in District 12. The poorest and farthest away from 'the Capitol', where the new government rules with fear and an iron fist. The government keeps the districts working like slaves and starving to keep them in line. They also created the 'Hunger Games'. Where two teenagers from each district are forced to play against the other 22 teens from the other districts. The games are treated like reality TV show and those living in the Capitol treat it like a national holiday. The winner gets riches and fame for their family, but .... there is only one winner, because they are the last one left alive. When Katniss's baby sister is selected to be the tribute from their district, she immediately volunteers to take her place.

Because of the nature of the game/book, there is a lot of violence, and obviously many deaths. I couldn't put the book down, it drew me in from the first chapter, and she left us hanging which means there's a book two out there somewhere........

Agatha Christie Night

2008-10-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

Everyone should have a month to just read Agatha Christie. She is a genius at mystery writing, fun, witty, suspenseful and easy to read. They renew your love for reading.

The body in the Library - when a strange body is found in the library, Mrs. Bantry calls her old friend Miss. Marple. I was excited to read one of the famed Miss. Marple books, but was a little surprised to find she was not actually the main character, while she did in fact solve the mystery, it focused on all the other characters just as much. It was a fun and quick read.

And Then There Were None (or Ten Little Indians) - such a fun little read, one of the classics, glad I got a chance to read it. and i was totally surprised by the ending...hmmmm

The Maze of Bones (Book 1 - 39 Clues) - Rick Riordan

2008-10-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

Likability: ++ Loved it!

Rating: S totally!

First time i heard about this book was because of its author Rick Riordan. I loved his Lightening Thief series, and was excited about a new series. So like i always do when I'm bored i research books. I found this bit-o-info from Time.com which was very eye opening to me. The book is designed to be fun and educational at the same time, to all you grimacing at this point....pbtttt. also what i found interesting is that Rick Riordan will not be the only author, in fact there will be 10 books with 10 different authors, one coming out every three or four months. I find that fascinating, also exciting that i don't have to wait years for book 2 to come out. This book is pretty much engineered, which means that a bunch of money hungry executives got together and thought, (spoken in powerful executive voice) "We must create a book that is greater even than those crazy Potter books. We must mass market it as much as possible, trading cards, real live clues, merchandise, prizes the woooorrrllldd.....wa ha ha ha" Which is exactly what they did. So instantly i was turned off. I like books that are private discoveries or references from close friends, or have personal meaning. I loved the twilight books until they got to be a teen crazed disease, then i lost interest, it made me feel like a lemming. Alas i fear the 39 clues books will fall into that trend. So with that in mind and with much excitement/trepidation I dove in.

I loved it. I love love looooooved it. read it in less than 24 hours. Granted it is only 210 short pages long, but it was fun exciting, mysterious, natural. Why natural you ask? I felt the main characters were real teenage kids with fears, insecurities, overly enthusiastic bravery, and a little ADD as well. Some of the other characters were not 100% believable but that is what made them fun and a little funny too. The synopsis can be summed up in the link above, but basically its two orphaned kids who while at their beloved grandmothers will reading found out they can take 1 million dollars and walk away or take the first clue of 39 that will lead them to find the family legacy and treasure which they are told will make them the most powerful in the world.

I'm hooked. Only 60 days till the next book comes out. (do i even need to mention that there is all ready movie chatter?)

ok ok i admit it, i went to the web site, and logged on. You never know i could win the prizes

Opheilia - Lisa Klien / Hamlet - Shakespeare

2008-09-30T19:33:00.001-07:00

Rating: ME - some reference to passion and violence

Enjoyability: +

I am always intrigued by 'the other story'. Books written from a non main characters point of view. Thus when my sister recommended it as a book she read in her book club about local Ohio authors, I decided to give it a try. While i was reading it i decided how fun it would be to read Shakespeare's version at the same time, its been a long time since i read Shakespeare raw.

The book follows the story of Hamlets lover, Ophelia. From her life as a child to well after the time she spent with Hamlet. As she describes it there is her rowdy time as a wild child with out a mother, her time as a lady in waiting to Queen Gertrude, her time as a shepherdess when she dressed up in costume to meet Hamlet in secret, Hamlets wife, the mad women in rags, and the woman after. There are many personalities and stories for her to tell. While I didn't find this story one that made me want to forgo food and sleep to finish, I did enjoy the telling. I also enjoyed the Shakespeare refresher.

What other books do you know that have a Hamlet theme?

The Disreputable history of Frankie Landau-Banks - E. Lockhart

2008-09-17T18:55:00.001-07:00

Enjoyability: +

Rating: ME (It has real teen themes: drinking, smoking, and sexual references)

Genre: Teen Fiction

I picked a tough one for my first review. I should have cheated and reviewed a book I all ready knew.

I found myself reading it in one day, so it was definitely enjoyable. Very girl power and stick it to 'the man' but I also worried about the reasons behind what she did, and I found the conclusion very dissatisfying. It was the club theme and the clues and the pranks I found amusing. It was very modern and current. Which I found fun and refreshing. So I am torn between a good review and a bad.

Review with SPOILERS:

I was excited that Frankie refused to be objectified, and only seen as a pretty little girl with no mind. I was very impressed with what she was able to accomplish with the 'old boys club'. But i was so extremely depressed to find out she did it all for the attention of the boys she so badly wanted to prove she was smarter than. I understand, being only a few decades since I was a teen myself, how important it is to have the cool kids like you. I have to say though for all the intelligence she supposedly was trying to prove, she still couldn't see how extremely wrong for her she was trying to impress, were. The pranks were entertaining though, and her will to accomplish such impossible tasks were fun to follow. I always enjoy a good mystery and clue solving book. It's reference to a fictional secret society while referencing real secret societies i.e. "The Skulls" (I've seen the movie I know all about them, wa ha ha. ) Makes it a little more tangible. So reading it as it was intended as an enjoyable teen book, I did not find it a waste of my time.

Biographies - August

2008-09-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

what a whole wide world of people. and some of them decided to share their story.

Anne Frank by . . Anne Frank

Forced into hiding in Nazi Germany, this is the diary of a teenager and her experiences

Race Across Alaska (First woman to win the Ididirod) - Libby Riddle
Racing across the cold, barren, unforgiving land for up to 2000 miles. Rarely sleeping, drinking seal oil for fats and energy (and she LIKES it, especially in a Popsicle form) Facing Mooses, Wolves, 50 below with 50mph winds, sometimes with no one around to rescue you if needed. This book read like and adventure novel, a page turner for me, and Libby has a funny sense of humor. another cool thing about this book is it is half Libby's diary, and half Ididarod and Alaska facts. Which are just as cool

Garlic and Sapphires - Ruth Reichl

Ruth was hired by the New York Times, putting her in one of the most acknowledged food critics in the US. The downside of that is, now all the restaurants have a price on her head, anyone who warns of her coming gets a hefty bonus. so she goes undercover, and gives reviews as her undercover 'everyday' person, and her 'critic' persona. she also starts reviewing restaurants that are not on the HOT list. She is funny, witty, intelligent and human. she gets flustered, confused and in the end really discovers a lot about her self as well. very enjoyable AND each chapter includes a recipe

Fairy Tale Spin Offs

2008-08-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

This month we read books that had an original plot of a well known Fairy Tale. If you look for children's picture books, there is just no limit to what you can find. Mom has an extensive collection of Cinderella-esque books, its nothing short of impressive. I was going to list a few others but i just would not know when to stop.

But the adult books came through as well...

"Someday you will be old enough to start reading Fairy Tales again" - CS Lewis

A retelling of sleeping beauty set in turn of the century London. With modern themes but in keeping with the original plot. not a children's book, very adult themes (nothing immoral!)
Part of the Elemental Masters series, all which take on a different fairy tale.

Two sister princesses charged with saving the world. the outgoing and brave sister gets sick and can not help, sot he meek and shy sister must be brave and save mankind.

Retelling of Robin Hood, and with the story of how Robin became Robin Hood the outlaw. - Most of Robin's books are Fairy Tale take offs.

Believing in magic also means believing in yourself and others. Another Sleeping Beauty retake

We seem to have a theme, Orson Scott Card takes a stab at retelling Sleeping Beauty. A NY Russian Jew who is studying Russian Fairy Tales and Returns to his homeland and actually lives one.

Cinderella retelling - dreams don't always come true the way you think they will

A princess who turns away suitors and turns them in to frogs

A western take on a Cinderfella story with a cow fairy godmother

Cinderella is remade more than any other I think!

Gail is masterful at the fair tails, this one is her princess and the pea story.

BANNED!

2008-07-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

This month we went where censors told us not to go, and read books that were banned. its so fun to see what conversations spring up when good people talk about the ridiculousness of banning books.

"If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed." - Benjamin Franklin, 1730

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
The story begins with a futuristic fireman, and very soon after you learn that firemen in the future burn books, rather than put out fires. A classic book about censoring.
and why was it banned? It contained themes of state censorship? go figure..
We learned that Ray did not wright it with ideas of censorship just to share his love of the written word.

The Diary of a young Girl - Anne Frank
A True story of a young girl hiding from the Nazi's in a small concealed closet. Her overall theme of finding joy even in the worst circumstances. Very beautiful, sad and inspiring.
Anne was banned for sexual undertones. We disagreed.

Gulliver's Travels - Johnathon Swift
A surgeon then a captain of several ships, 'travels' to several islands meeting several different peoples. Said to be wildly popular from cabinet council to the nursery.
Banned for public urination, Denounced as wicked and obscene in Ireland. Was that Mr. Swifts point?

Call of the wild - Jack London
A dog named Buck who lives spoiled until he is sold on the black market and has to learn to survive, with good and bad masters. Story is told from Bucks point of view.
Banned in Italy and Yugoslavia, and was on Hitlers 'Black List'. All the more reason to read it right?

Julie of the Wolves - Jean Craighead George
Taken away from her family in Alaska, this Eskimo is forced to marry a 13 yr old mentally handicap boy. She runs away and learns to live with wolves.
Banned because her ‘husband’ who is mentally handicap tries to mate with her
This was declared ALA's #38 most challenged book. Ms. George was grateful for the award.

Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
This begins with the famous "It was a dark and stormy night" and you are hooked from that moment on. A young adult sci-fi beloved by adults and children of all ages. And winner of Several Awards, including Newberry. A classic story of Good vs. Evil and Good wins when the main hero discovers love is what wins out.
Banned in 1985 because of witchcraft and Demons and in 1990 in Alabama because of Jesus connection. How many books would we lose if these themes were prohibited?

The Giver - Lois Lowry
It is set in a future society which is at first presented as a utopian society and gradually appears more and more dystopian; therefore, it could be considered anti-utopianIt is set in a future society which is at first presented as a utopian society and gradually appears more and more dystopian; therefore, it could be considered anti-utopian.
Another classic beloved by all ages, and Newberry Award.
Banned in 1995, and became one of three most commonly challenged book (written in 93) Challenged because history is hidden, and color is hidden, music is hidden. People not perfectly fitting in society are released (euthanized). The giver is truly a gift for readers.

The Wealth of Nations – Adam Smith
A clearly written account of political economy at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, and is widely considered to be the first modern work in the field of economics.
Banned by the communist party in Russia - of course it was!

The Golden Compass - Phillip Pullman
Again another Newberry (honor) award - see a theme here?
A young girl in an alternate universe to earth where the 'soul' is an external animal.
Banned by the Catholic Board in Canada and other religionist because the author was an atheist. - "Philip Pullman's trilogy of atheist ideology, carefully couched within the realm of fantasy for young readers, is in direct opposition to the mission statement and governing values of our board." And we all know where religions censoring gets us.

Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby - African Folk Lore
Br'er Rabbit is trapped by Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear by getting his hands stuck in a doll made of tar and turpentine. Made famous by Disney in Songs of the South
Banned because of issues related to race. Just think with out it we wouldn't have zipadeedooda!

Black Beauty - Anna Swell
The Autobiography of a horse, as told by the horse 'Black Beauty'. Each short chapter recounts an incident in Black Beauty's life containing a lesson or moral typically related to the kindness, sympathy, and understanding treatment of horses, with Sewell's detailed observations and extensive descriptions of horse behaviour lending the novel a good deal of verisimilitude.
Banned because the word "Black" is in the title....what?

06/11/08 Book Published the Year You Were Born....

2008-06-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

1951 - Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft by Thor Heyerdahl
On April 28th, 1947, Heyerdahl and his five crew members embarked from Peru on their daring voyage to the Marquesaa Islands, on a Balsa wood raft withch was built according to the traditions of South America's pre-Columbian Indians. After 101 suspensful days on the open sea, alone amid raging storms, whales, and coutnless sharks, they landed on the Polynesian island of Raroia.

1954 - Three Men Out by Nero Wolfe & Rex Stout
In the early 1950s Nero Wolfe was famous. His stories had become so well known that, as is depicted in two of the three in this collection, Archie is instantly recognized on the street as a celebrity (in one of them he's asked for his autograph). This collection represents, then, "middle Wolfe." He was franchising by then: radio plays, a short-lived TV show, and even a Nero Wolfe comic strip. Nero Wolfe chewing gum? Nero Wolfe frozen dinners?

1975 - Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

I'm not allowed to tell... you'll just have to read the book

1986 - So far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Watkins

A true account that is filled with violence and death, yet one that is ultimately a story of family love and life. Eleven-year-old Yoko Kawashima had led a peaceful and secure life as the daughter of a Japanese government official stationed in North Korea near the end of World War II. Abruptly, all is changed as she, her older sister Ko, and their mother flee the vengeance-seeking North Korean Communists and eventually make their way to an unwelcoming and war-ravaged Japan.

1977 - Foster Child by Marion Dane Bower
When her great-grandmother is placed in a nursing home, a twelve-year-old is sent to a foster home where the fanatically religious father presses his attentions on her.

1928 - Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure Island is perhaps THE classic pirate's tale. A rich story of adventure and treachery on the high seas all seen through the eyes of a boy named Jim Hawkins. Jim starts off as the son of tavern owners in a humble little port village. When an old seaman stays at the tavern, trouble soon follows him in the form of a pirate crew seeking revenge. I will not give away any more specific plot points, but events move forward to a great treasure hunt.

1974 - Iceberg Hermit by Arthur Roth
Shipwrecked in 1757 on an iceberg in the Arctic seas with only an orphaned polar cub for companionship, seventeen-year-old Allan begins a seemingly hopeless struggle for survival.

1935 - Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
This story is an incredible true tale of a simple young boy who is forced into an apprenticeship by his father. Rather than letting his new life depress him, he began the process of educating himself. He found he had a talent for math and navigation, and became a famous navigator at sea.

1945 - Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson
It has been a while since Folks lived in the Big House, and an even longer time has passed since there has been a garden at the House. All the animals of the Hill are very excited about the new Folks moving in, and they wonder how things are going to change. It’s only a matter of time before the animals of the Hill find out just who is moving in, and they may be a little bit surprised when they do.

1983 - Fox at School by Edward and James Marshall
As usual with the books of James Marshall, the combinations of the words and the silly pictures make this a very funny book. Fox lose his big part in the class play, is afraid to go down a slide for a fire drill, and is left in charge of the class by Miss Moon.

1974 - JAWS by Peter Benchly

Insert Music Here . . . . Dun Dun...Dun Dun . . .

WELCOME TO BOB!

2008-05-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

June's Book Club theme is "book published in the year you were born"

please come with a book that was published in the year you were born.
if you want to volunteer to bring a refreshment pleaes contact Kim or Janet
come with ideas for other themes
come with a friend, spouse, sibling, parent, child, etc.
be prepared to be overwhelmed by literature (in a good way)