It's all about me

2012 Movie Madness

2012-01-22T10:06:00.000+01:00

I've tried tracking the movies I watch before, but it didn't work out. When I saw this fun event/challenge, I knew I wanted to try again.

2012 Movie Madness has several levels and I'm hoping to watch at least 25 movies this year. I watch more series than movies, but I always mean to watch more. I also want to use this opportunity to get good ideas of movies to watch. We have digital tv and can't rent movies from our screen but I never recognise any titles. Sad, isn't it?

Series count too actually, but just one entry per series.

The events is hosted by The Talking Teacup and A Girl, Books and Other Things. Monthly updates etc will be posted on both their sites.

Here is my list of movies and series watched in 2012:

January
4. series - The West Wing
3. Bridesmaids
2. A Fish Called Wanda
1. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Book Exchanges!

2012-01-21T09:51:00.001+01:00

In 2011, some of the most rewarding books I read were part of the book exchange that I did with Alex from The Sleepless Reader. I enjoyed reading the books that Alex chose for me, though some were not books I would have chosen myself. That was the whole point though and I truly felt enriched by the experience.

So we decided to do it again. And my friend Larissa from Like People and Butterflies decided to join us too. So here we go.

Alex wants me to read:

Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmler Bradley

84 Charring Cross Road by Helene Hanff

King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

I want Alex to read:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne

Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre

The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

(I don't know how to put book covers together like Alex did, so the pictures are missing from my and Larissa's lists...)

Larissa wants me to read:

The Lovers by Alice Ferney
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Promethea by Alan Moore
Ocean Sea by Alessandro Baricco

I want Larissa to read:

Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Alborn

European Reading Challenge

2012-01-11T14:46:00.000+01:00

Rose from Rose City Reader is hosting a European Reading Challenge. One of my goals for this year is to branch out in my reading and I always mean to read more non-Anglophone authors and about European settings so I'm signing up.

Visit the challenge post for the details, I'm choosing to sign up for 5 books set in different European countries or by European authors.

My possibilities are below.

Completed: 0/5 as of 11 January 2012

France - The Lovers by Alice Ferney
Ireland - The Likeness by Tana French
Italy - Ocean Sea by Alessandro Baricco
Poland - ?
Sweden - April Witch by Majgull Axelsson
United Kingdom - The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff

Graphic Novels Challenge

2012-01-11T14:44:00.000+01:00

Nicola from Back to Books is hosting the 2012 Graphic Novels Challenge. I keep meaning to read more graphic novels but somehow never manage... I think I read only one in 2011. I'm hoping that this challenge will motivate me and also give me inspiration for graphic novels worth reading.

All information can be found here. The goal is ambitious - 12 books in 2012. But many are short and read quickly so hopefully I'll at least come close!

Completed: 0/12 as of 11 January 2012

2nds Challenge

2012-01-11T05:30:00.000+01:00

Katy is organising a 2nds Challenge and I'm signing up. I'm always discovering new authors and never reading anything more by them, I'm missing out. I'm hoping that this challenge will help.

Visit the challenge post for the details, I'll just say that I'll be reading 6 books that are second in a series or that are by authors I've only read once.

Here are my choices:

Completed: 0/6 as of 11 January 2012

The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
Crossed by Ally Carter
something by Tracy Chevalier
Redemption Falls by Joseph O'Connor
Something Blue by Emily Giffin
something by Tana French
Ludmilla's Broken English by D.B.C. Pierre

What's in a Name 5

2012-01-11T02:58:00.000+01:00

This is the fifth edition of the What's in a Name challenge, organised by Beth Fish Reads. It's one of my favorite challenges, just because I love making the original lists of possibilities. The categories are always so cool!

The challenge requires 6 books, one per category, to be read in 2012. Head on over to the challenge post for the details.

I've participated in the second, the third, and the fourth and here are my possibilities for the fifth:

A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title: The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel

A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

A book with a creepy crawly in the title: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

A book with a type of house in the title: The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title: The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title: April Witch by Majgull Axelsson, The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

2012 Bookish Goals

2012-01-05T14:05:00.000+01:00

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to my first post of 2012! I've been taking my time thinking about what I want this year's reading to be about and here's what I came up with:

I will only participate in a couple of challenges. I will no longer participate in any of the more general challenges, in any case. I haven't been even trying to complete them so there isn't much point. What I'll miss about participating in challenges is making lists so maybe I'll just make some lists for myself of books I want to read per genre this year... Hmmm, that sounds like fun!!

I would like to a participate in a read-along or two in theory, but I'm afraid of committing to something so specific, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up and I don't want to put any extra pressure on myself because I don't have time to read. I'll see how it goes, maybe I'll try one and see how it goes.

I want to re-read several books this year. I haven't re-read anything in years and there are so many books that deserve it.

I want to read more classics. Now, this one is on my list every year, but it's always true.

I want to vary my reading more. I read mostly young adult and fantasy these days, which I think is because I'm so tired and generally overstretched all the time. But I want to make more of an effort to read more non-fiction and more non-YA or fantasy fiction.

I want to read more graphic novels - I like them, but read only one or two last year... I want to change that.

I want to read more poetry. Kailana was talking about this recently and it made me think. I used to love poetry, even used to write some (generally horrible) poems myself, but haven't read a single poem in years. Thing is, I think that poetry is way more fun to read in a group so that you can analyse together, so I'm waiting for someone to organise an event or read-along or something. :-)

I want to read the books I got for Christmas this year, as well those via the Book Blogger Holiday Swap. I generally save them for later, but then later never comes and they become part of my overflowing shelves.

Most of all though, I want to continue to enjoy my reading. I find that if I set too many goals then I end up forcing myself to read books that maybe I'm not in the mood for at that particular time. I don't want, I want to love my reading time. This means giving up on books that simply aren't doing it for me and not feeling guilty about it!

That's it, I think. I'm off to make some of my lists now!

Books Read in 2012

2012-01-01T09:55:00.000+01:00

January
4. Murder Runs in the Family by Anne George
3. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
2. 84 Charring Cross Road by Helene Hanff
1. Love Walked in by Marissa de los Santos

My Top Ten Books of 2011

2011-12-31T13:00:00.000+01:00

I read 62 books in 2011, a few more than in 2010. Not bad considering I work full-time, have a toddler and perform in musicals in my spare time.

Here are some stats (I love stats). The categories overlap so the numbers won't add up to 100.

25 (40%) were fantasy or science fiction
22 (35%) were young adult
7 (11%) were general fiction, novels
8 (13%) were chick lit
1 (2%) was a graphic novel
1 (2%) was a mystery/crime novel
4 (6%) were historical novels
3 (5%) were classics
5 (8%) were non-fiction
5 (8%) were world literature
2 (3%) were read in translation
1 (2%) was in Polish

7 (11%) were audiobooks

45 (73%) were written by women
17 (27%) were written by men

I read 39 new authors. New authors made up 63% of my reading. Only 15 books were by known-to-me authors.

Basically, this shows that I read mostly fantasy and young adult. I think that's because I'm usually too tired to tackle anything else. I read mostly female writers and mostly new-to-me authors. I would really like to challenge myself to read a wider array of books next year...

Anyway, here are my Top Ten Books Read in 2011:
(here are my favorite book lists for 2010, 2009, 2008)

The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
The story of Dashti and her maid Saren, first trapped in a tower and then trying to survive in a world they no longer recognise, was absolutely beautifully written and charming. I listened to this on audio and Chelsey Nixon's narration was magical and perfect.

The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac
A French teacher talks about how he encourages young people to read, but giving them the freedom to read whatever they want and various other rights. I wonderful way to look at reading. I especially liked the parts on reading and young children. A great book for all book lovers.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
A fairy tale about a family that discovers the secret to eternal life. But this gift brings more than happiness, it's not as perfect as it seems.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Another book I listened to on audio and another amazing narrator, Jenna Lamia, who really brought the book to life. The story is of teenager Jenna who is involved in an accident who wakes up after a year-long coma into a world she doesn't know or understand. What happened to her and who is she, really? Creepy and realistic, in the sense that it's not impossible for something like this to happen. Is this what our world is going to look like?

The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne
Brilliant light reading about Melissa Rommey-Jones, probably the most naive and trusting woman left in London. She's not satisfied with her life, but everything changes when she has a business idea that lets her be someone else. But how different are the two personas, really? Great fun.

Winterborne by Augusta Blythe
I gushed about this book when I read it and I will gush about it again. It's the story of Loie and Mia, two best friends with a secret. Mia is due to inherit some kick-ass superpowers on her 17th birthday. But no matter how much she prepares, she can't possibly be ready for what's to come. This is fantasy set in a high school world, my favorite. But the best bit is that cliches like friends falling out over a guy or anything else are not included. These girls' friendship is super-strong and the are smart enough to know what's really important. Great stuff.

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
Another chick-lit book making it onto my top ten list, but it's another good one. It's a tale of female bonding that many of us would like to have in our lives. Female friends who have known each other through good times and bad, from impressionable youth to becoming grandmothers. Lovely book.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
A story about a poor Indian man who rises to entrepreneur status. He first moves to Delhi where he learns everything he needs to know about the upper class and what is required of him to become part of it. A vivid account of modern-day India that will make you feel humble and lucky.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire
The story of what happened in Oz before Dorothy got there, the story of the Glinda the good witch and Elphaba the wicked witch. I was expecting a fairy tale and got a wonderfully crafted world, full of politics and social unrest and everything that makes a world real. A stunner.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
I can't believe that this book ended up on my list, I avoided it for so long because I didn't think I'd like it. It's a fictionalised account of how the painting in the title, by Dutch painter Vermeer, came to be. Great story, great characters, great writing. Historical fiction at its best.

I also have to at least mention the three series I enjoyed reading in 2011 - The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter, the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan and the True Blood series by Charlaine Harris. The only one I finished was the Percy Jackson so I have the rest of the others to entertain me in 2012.

Here's to a New Year filled with more great books!

Wrapping up 2011: Non-bookish goals

2011-12-31T12:30:00.000+01:00

I started 2011 with a list of non-bookish goals I wanted to accomplish. I meant to be more mindful of my progress throughout the year, but in fact didn't look at my list even once, until just now. It was an eventful, lovely year but let's see how I did on those plans!

1. I was hoping that both my civil and spiritual wedding ceremonies would go smoothly. I still can't believe that I got married this year - twice! :-) Both were wonderful and beautiful and great, the best weddings I've ever been to. :-) I was a lucky girl because I found a perfect, magical person to perform our handfasting - my friend Larissa. It was perfect.

2. I turned 35 this year and I wanted to be conscious of that milestone. I think that I forgot about it for a while, but did start thinking about it more as it approached. I used the opportunity to re-evaluate where I am in life and decide where I want to be. The result is some exciting plans for the coming years!

3. I wanted to be more conscious of the beauty of the time I spend with my son, rather than complain about it. This one took a lot of effort, but I think I managed. Obviously I still lose my temper at times, I have zero patience, but I can honestly say that it's rare and that I am doing my best.

4. Goal number four was to get in shape. Ummm, nope, that didn't happen at all. Although I spent a large part of the year thinking about nutrition, not everything is turned into reality yet. And I still haven't made any room for exercise so this goal will remain on my list for 2012!

5. I wanted to get my finances in order. I definitely curbed my spending through most of the year, save our trip to Wales in August, where I went absolutely shopping crazy. Boy, was it fun! But something must have changed because we were able to spend more money on Shane's school and on house stuff, so I guess progress was made for sure!

6. I wanted to travel more... I don't think this happened and I don't think it will any time soon. Traveling with a small child is no picnic!

7. I wanted to cook more and I definitely accomplished this one. We stopped buying processed foods and we cook a lot more from scratch. It's great!

8. I wanted to chill out... I think I did, in as much as someone with my character can... :-) I will never be a calm, zen person, but I think I achieved a kind of inner peace this year.

Not bad, especially since I wasn't consciously working towards any of these! I'm definitely pleased with myself. :-)

2011 Challenges

2011-12-31T10:10:00.000+01:00

Housekeeping post...

Here is a list of my 2011 challenges:

2011 Challenge
Alex and Joanna book exchange - done
Chicklit Challenge - done
Eastern European Reading Challenge
Global Reading Challenge
Graphic Novels Challenge
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Ireland Reading Challenge
One, Two, Theme! - done
Sci Fi Challenge
Seconds Challenge
Southern Reading Challenge
Steampunk Challenge
TBR Challenge
What's in a Name 4 - done

2011 Challenge Wrap-Up

2011-12-30T17:32:00.001+01:00

In 2011, I signed up for 15 challenges. Of these 15, I completed the following:

1) My 'book exchange' challenge with Alex from The Sleepless Reader. My original post is here. I read:

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Gigi by Colette

I actually liked all of them a lot, in one way or another, so this challenge was a total success!

2) The 2011 Challenge hosted by Bart's Bookshelf. You can see a list of all 20 books I read here. I had to cheat slightly and use children's books I read to my son as my re-reads, but hey, they're books too! My favorites have to be:

Winterborne and Ravenstoke, both by Augusta Blythe
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
Angry Housewives Eating Bon-Bons by Lorna Landvik
Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Thanks for hosting this fun challenge Bart!

3) The Chick Lit Challenge hosted by Twiga from Journey through the TBR pile. You can see my intro post, including the list of the 8 books I read, here. I loved all of them, except for The Class by Eric Segal, which I didn't finish, and The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble, which I found only OK. Thanks for hosting Twiga!

4) The What's in a Name? 4 Challenge hosted by Beth Fish Reads. I just love this challenge, with its quirky categories! You can see what I read here. My favorites were:

The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne

Thanks for hosting Beth, I will certainly join you for the 5th edition!

5) And last but not least, the challenge that Alex and I set up though didn't do a great job at hosting, the One, Two, Theme! challenge. This challenge was meant to encourage us to read about specific topics, which I really want to do, but didn't devote much attention to. In the end I only read one book on my New York theme, Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. And I read several books on food and nutrition:

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
Nurturing Superwoman by Carolyn Moody
The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

This wasn't really what I was aiming for, as you can see from my intro post. I hope that Alex wants to continue this challenge into next year and I hope that I can give it more of my attention. There are so many topics that I want to know more about!

Even more mini-reviews!

2011-12-29T21:15:00.000+01:00

I really want to write something about all the books I read this year and I still have several left, so here are more mini-reviews, even though one or two of them are so good that they do actually deserve a full post. But oh well. I haven't been very well this holiday, I got pneumonia just before Christmas and it's not going away and I'm really low on energy, so that's my excuse. I'm trying a third kind of antibiotic tonight so fingers crossed!

Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
This was probably the farthest I've ever been outside of my comfort zone and I'm grateful to Alex for making me read it for our challenge. Palahniuk's book is soooo very weird. It's about a fashion model who has everything but loses it in a freak accident, loses everything including half her face. Overnight, she goes from being beautiful to being so horrible that no one can look at her. She is saved by Queen Supreme Brandy Alexander, almost (but not quite) a woman, who is a whiz at inventing new personas and lives complete with back stories. The plot has so many twists and none of them predictable. The writing is alive. The descriptions are so honest and vivid that many make you cringe. But some are so funny that I was actually laughing out loud on my tram, that hasn't happened in a while. Invisible Monsters is never going to be my favorite book but I honestly feel enriched having read it.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
I have had this book on my shelf for ages, but never felt like picking it up. I told myself that I'd gone off historical novels and that art stuff really wasn't my thing. Thanks to the What's in a Name 4 challenge hosted by Beth Fish Reads, I finally read it and absolutely loved it. It high up on my list of favorites for the year. The story is a fictionalised account of how a painting by Dutch painter Johann Vermeer of a plain girl with extravagant pearl earrings came to be. It tells of Griet, a girl from a poor family, who goes to work as a maid in Vermeer's house. The writing is incredibly engrossing, it was hard to put down. The characters are so real and I love the fact that it's all based on truth, although not much is known about Vermeer's life. A fascinating look at how an artist creates too. I saw an interview with Tracy Chevallier in Bookmarks magazine and she said that she does a lot of hands-on research for her books. So for this one she took a painting class to understand the process. I guess that's one of the things that made her book so real and so engaging.

Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
This one was a disappointment. I ended up loving Gilbert's first book Eat, Pray, Love though it took me forever to read it and despite not liking the whole 'pray' section. The beauty of the last 'love' section made up for everything else. But Committed dragged and dragged for me and I almost gave up on it almost a hundred times, it feels like. I enjoyed the bits on the history of marriage and found especially interesting that the Church was against marriage at first, until it realised that it can't really do anything about people wanting to pair up. Other tidbits of social history were also interesting. But for some reason I couldn't get myself to care enough about the author's relationship with her soon-to-be-husband... those parts felt like filler to me, like something that had to be there to bring all the historical trivia together. I still think Gilbert is amazing, this particular book just wasn't for me.

Ravenstoke by Augusta Blythe
Ah, fabulous. I wondered what this book would bring, I'm always wary of sequels to books I really love, but it completely lived up to my expectations. The first book in the Universe Unbound series, Winterborne, was the only book I've ever reviewed after receiving an email from the author. Augusta seemed like such a great woman when she contacted me and I liked the sound of her book so I agreed to read it. I absolutely loved the story of Loie and Mia and the special powers that appear on their 17th birthday. This sequel took the story forward in both the human and the supernatural threads. Loie and Mia are dealing with the aftermath of their discoveries in Winterborne and adjusting to their new lives. But everything is not what it seems in this new world and they have a difficult journey ahead. Great characters, great plot, highly recommended for fans of young adult fantasy.

Maggie Again by John D. Husband
Another book that I've been wanting to read for ages. Joe got it for me for Christmas - he had the brilliant idea of looking at the very beginning of my Amazon wishlist and found loads of books I'd added and then forgot about because there were too many. Maggie Again is about a girl called Maggie from rural Indiana who grows up to lead an adult life very unlike the one she wanted. Through the adventurous spirit of three of her childhood friends, at 74 she gets the chance to go back in time and be 16 again. This is a novel about life, friendship, love and making the most of youth. It's heartwarming and pleasant, though it didn't rock my world.

Matched by Ally Condie
This one was right up my alley, young adult dystopia. It's about Cassia, a girl who lives in a very controlled future society, where everyone has their role and most choices are made for you by the Society. This includes the person you're going to marry - but there is a problem with Cassia's match, she sees two boys on her screen. She knows which one she should be with in the eyes of the Society, but which one is really right for her? As Cassia starts to question the world around her, she gets closer and closer to being able to recognise and follow her own heart. The world is similar to the one in Lois Lowry's The Giver, but whereas I found The Giver too short, I wanted more, I thought that Matched could have done with a bit of editing. I know that Cassia can't make up her mind between Xander and Ky and I get it, but there were bits where there was really to much of the back and forth in her head. But I loved the world Ally Condie created and I'll definitely be getting the next book in the series!

Presents!

2011-12-28T21:20:00.003+01:00

I love December, it's present month for me, with my birthday as well as Christmas. This year was particularly rich in both books and other goodies, for which I am very, very grateful. The photo above is of all my lovely December gifts - not including the amazing package Beverly sent me as part of the Book Blogger Holiday Swap.

You probably can't see the details on my photo, so here is a list.

Sun, Moon and Earth by Robin Heath
Things a Mother Should Know by Heather James - my birthday present from my two-year-old son... :-)
The Art of Coarse Acting by Michael Green
84 Charring Cross Road by Helene Hanff
The Warsaw Anagrams by Richard Zimler
A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks
Maggie Again by John D. Husband
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I also got a subscription to Bookmarks magazine and one to Good Food magazine. And jewellery. And loads of series on dvd. And other assorted goodies. What more could a girl ask for?

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-25T14:08:00.001+01:00

I hope everyone is having as good a Christmas as we are.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve last night, this is what a place setting looked like:

My Mom sure knows how to decorate a table! The food was mostly fish and was excellent, as always.

Santa came, but Shane was terrified of him so he left his presents and quickly left again. :-)

There were loads of presents, some of which were books - I'll blog about that next week, I think.

Oh yeah, Shane and I relaxed a lot:

Best wishes to you all!

Last mini reviews of 2011?

2011-12-24T08:07:00.000+01:00

I think they may just be! :-)

The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
I listened to this on audio and although I enjoyed Matthew Brown's narration, I didn't enjoy this sequel as much as I did Jenna Lamia's in the first book. But I think that probably had to do with the story itself than with anything else. This wasn't the worst sequel I've ever read, but it wasn't the best either. I though a lot of it read like a story that was forced, like the author just wanted to have a sequel, not a story that existed because the characters wouldn't stay silent. A tad too drawn out and too predictable. Don't miss the first book, The Adoration of Jenna Fox though, that one was fabulous.

Can Any Mother Help Me? by Jenna Bailey
I loved this when I started it but ended up not finishing. The premise is great, it tells the true story of a group of women who were living during World War II and started a correspondance club to support each other through marriage, raising children and the daily realities of war. They would create a magazine of sorts, where each of them would write an article on something and then mail the whole thing to the next person. Now that I think of the book again I don't know why I didn't finish, I just got stuck somewhere in the middle. Maybe I was looking for something more upbeat at the time. I can't even imagine the world that these women lived in, I am glad I live in times when community support is available for all sorts of things.

Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
The last book in this fun series about Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. In this final story, Kronos launched an attach on New York and Percy and his friends have to save the day. I enjoyed this adventure and liked the way loose ends were tied up. The casualties made sense and so were acceptable. Great end of a great series! Has anyone read Riordan's Egyptian series?

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

2011-12-19T14:19:00.000+01:00

Another book that I had to read for my challenge with Alex, where she gave me five books to read in 2011. I left this one late because I always have trouble starting a classic. I always expect it to be boring and hard to understand and boring. Did I mention boring?

Well, surprisingly, A Room with a View wasn't boring at all. Except in the middle, when I had to put it aside for a few days and read something else. Nothing happened in the middle, it was infuriating! But the first part set in Italy was funny and the last part after George appears again was fabulously refreshing, so I have to say that I really liked it overall. Social comedy at its finest, really.

Lucy was particularly funny, I thought. The way she didn't know how to even think without guidance from someone considered somehow better was written perfectly. I enjoyed her character, including how she grew and developed and somehow managed to become her own person, in spite of it all.

And George! And his father! I loved how unconventional they were, how refreshing in the stifling world of the stereotyped English. I had to read his monologue where he admits he loves Lucy several times, it was so honest and beautiful!

I actually marked down several passages I enjoyed, but only the page numbers and I left the book at home (I'm in Poland for Christmas), so can't share them with you.

Ah yes, my edition finished with a sort of epilogue which the author called A View without a Room. In it he wrote about what happened to all the characters in the following years and I must admit that I didn't want to know. This was a story that for me would have been better left as 'and they lived happily ever after' - I didn't want world wars and such things to enter into it.

But overall, reading this was a great experience, so thank you Alex for encouraging me to read more classics!

Does anyone have any thoughts on E.M. Forster's other works?

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

2011-12-18T13:16:00.001+01:00

This book sat on my shelf for years and it wasn't until I saw Wicked the musical in London that I had the motivation to read it. And even then, I loved the musical so much that I was afraid that the book wouldn't be as good. I had a hard time getting the musical out of my head at the beginning - they're very different - but once I managed that I was quickly drawn into the land of Oz and Wicked became a definite part of this year's favorites list.

Wicked tells what happened in Oz before Dorothy got there - the story of Glinda, who becomes known as the good witch and Elphaba, who becomes known as the wicked witch of the west. See, Elphaba wasn't born wicked and what she ended up as explores the concepts of good and evil. Was she wicked? Or was she misunderstood? Can her actions be explained and justified?

I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the world that Maguire created. The politics of and differences between the many regions of Oz were all so real and so believable - fueled by the same emotions that politics in our world are led by.

The characters were all so well-defined and, again, so real. I could feel what Elpie felt at her college, I could understand that she wanted to do something about the injustice.

It was so much more than a fairy tale and I didn't expect it to be.

I loved it and want to re-read it and also read everything else Maguire has written. I love being transported into a different world like that.

Definitely high on my favorites list for 2011.

Thank you, thank you, book-blogging Santa!

2011-12-16T20:16:00.002+01:00

My gift from my secret Santa for the Book Blogger Holiday Swap arrived! My Santa is no longer secret, it's Beverly from Book Lady's Book Notes, a blog I didn't know before but I definitely like.

Thank you so much Beverly, it was joy to open the package, which contained these treasures:

A hand painted mug, a box of hot chocolate with marshmallows, a lovely christmas card and three books off my wishlist: Matched by Ally Condie, Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente.

Beverly, the books are fabulous, your mug is gorgeous and I'm sure that hot chocolate won't go to waste either! Thank you so much for your generosity and your holiday spirit!

To everyone out there - Happy Holidays, hope they are merry and bright!

More mini-reviews - India, dystopia and turn-of-the-century Paris

2011-12-15T10:46:00.002+01:00

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
I actually wanted to do a separate post about this book, but I read it back in August and left it so late and I've forgotten all the things I wanted to say. What stayed with me most, I think, is the feeling that I'm very lucky to be living where I'm living. I read this book - with its descriptions of the harsh realities of life in the slums and life as hired help for the rich - while on holiday in a lovely cottage in Wales, so I guess thoughts of gratitude were inevitable. The White Tiger is the story of Balram, a man born into a poor Indian family, but who isn't prepared to accept his fate, but instead dreams of escape. He eventually creates his own truth about what that means and about what successful people are prepared to do to get and keep success - and acts accordingly. A fantastic book, incredibly well-written, tackling interesting issues and exposing parts of the human soul that most of us don't like to think about... What are you prepared to do to get the life you want? The White Tiger won the Man Booker Prize in 2008.

Holes by Louis Sachar
This is what I read in one day when I was sick at home and trying to read A Discovery of Witches. I'm so glad I put that book down and picked up Holes instead, what a difference! Stanley Yelnats is accused of stealing a pair of shoes and is sent to Camp Green Lake as punishment. But Camp Green Lake is nothing like what it sounds - there is a warden who makes the boys dig holes all day, every day. No choice and no way out. Why? What's behind the digging? What's the truth about Stanley's family? Great book - it won the Newbery Medal in 1999 and the National Book Award in 1998, with good reason.

Gigi and The Cat by Colette
This is actually two books, which I didn't realise until I bought it! Gigi is on my 2011 list from Alex a.k.a. The Sleepless Reader - I didn't know the story and I enjoyed the turn-of-the-century Paris story of a young girl who everyone was trying to mould into a woman. I love how she thinks and I love how she turns out in the end. Charming. Strangely, since I'm a total musical fan, I've never seen the movie, but now I'll have to. I've never even heard of the second novella, The Cat, before, but I liked it even more than I liked Gigi! It's about a young couple where the man is more interested in his cat than in his young bride. And the young bride is jealous! I loved the slightly creepy feel to it, especially as the man became more and more like the cat.... Very Kafka-esque. Thanks Alex, for enriching my life with these classics!

Eat. Live. Be. - Aromatic Tomato Sauce

2011-12-14T18:48:00.000+01:00

Photo from www.bbcgoodfood.com

The idea of weekly posts is great because it's just too easy to ignore your goals... especially in December, when parties and cocktails and lunches abound. No that I've been following any of my rules or thinking about health really. Today, for example, I had a Christmas lunch at work, one that lasted three hours, and tonight one of my best friends is coming over with thai take-away. Yesterday was my 35th birthday and I'm still celebrating! :-)

Of course, since any changes you make to your lifestyle have to be sustainable, you can't get too upset when you're not super-healthy during periods like this. So I'm not getting upset, but I am trying to make good choices where I can.

This week we're supposed to be sharing inspiration we get online. Most of mine comes from BBC Good Food. The site is easy to use and has recipes for pretty much all occasions. The one I want to share with you today is this one for Lamb Kofte Tagine. I made this amazing tomato sauce to go with store bought lamb meatballs, but I would also make it with chicken or with bean burgers of some kind. It's aromatic and oh so tasty. Not to mention healthy. :-)

Anyway, off I go to enjoy my Thai take-away and catch up with my friend. If you want healthy inspiration, visit the Eat. Live. Be. Facebook page and see what's inspiring others.

2011 Virtual Advent Tour: The Joy of Giving

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000+01:00

I love presents. Who doesn't, right? But I seriously LOVE them. I love thinking about them and choosing them and listing them and buying them and wrapping them and putting them under the tree. I love watching family and friends open presents I chose for them. And of course I love getting presents myself.

We've always been a tad present-crazy in my family. None of this one-present-per-person thing for us! Kids especially benefit from this craziness, but since young kids are only recent in our family, my brother and I were the ones who were showered with gifts. Now there's Shane and present-buying focuses on him, which is so much fun.

As for traditions to do with Christmas presents... In Poland, we celebrate on Christmas Eve. We sit down to dinner at 5 or 6, as soon as it's dark. We are allowed to open presents as soon as we spot the first star in the sky. I can remember my brother and I standing with our noses glued to the window, watching out for that first star. We've lived in some pretty polluted countries though, so sometimes this tradition had to be abandoned.

Now we don't really watch out for that star anymore, we open gifts after the first course. And then again on Christmas morning. (and we already have a first Christmas at the beginning of December, for family reasons, so this isn't even the first holiday event!).

My favorite part is still watching others open gifts I chose for them. Such a joy to see their smiling faces. :-)

Now, head on over to the other bloggers who are part of the 2011 Virtual Advent Tour today:

Cat @ Beyond Books

Tami @ Just One More Thing

Bridget @ Meals on Winthrop

Sharon @ Faith, Hope, & Cherrytea

Happy Holidays to all of you, may they be peaceful and joyful for you and your loved ones!

Eat. Live. Be.

2011-12-08T13:53:00.001+01:00

Eat. Live. Be. is an initiative started by Cate and Sarah to help them focus on their health goals and to help them create healthy habits. The initiative took place on their blogs and had lots of other participants too. So many women aren't where they want to be health-wise!

This time around they are also joined by Joanne and Patsy, two bloggers that I am looking forward to getting to know.

I've been keeping an eye on the Eat. Live. Be. Facebook page and saw that they're re-booting this week. Which is perfect for me, because the issue of health has been on my mind all year and - although I've accomplished a lot in terms of being conscious of what's going on between me and food, me and excercise and me and healthy habits - now it's time for action.

Eat. Live. Be posts will be published on Wednesdays and will focus on inspiration and motivation. Today is Thursday so I am already late, but I wanted to see everyone else's posts first, to be honest.

It makes sense that a first post like this one should contain a list of goals, so here are mine:

eat only what I feel like having, when I feel like having it
include protein in each meal
drink more water
drink less wine (!)
sleep more
excercise when I can, but don't obsess if I can't

I originally had 'lose 10 kilos' as my first goal but in the end I decided that should be the result of all these other habits I'm hoping to form. Losing weight has been mo goal for so long that it sounds ridiculous to me now.

This week's inspiration is supposed to come from a magazine and I wasn't sure what to talk about until I remembered the wonderful Christmas gift I received from my husband's daughter - a year's subscription to BBC Good Food magazine, which I love. The magazine has loads of wonderful ideas and I always think that if I cooked more of our food from there or similar sources, my whole family would end up healthier. So I'm sure that the magazine will be my inspiration all year long. If you don't get the magazine, visit the website, where inspiration is hard to miss!

Mini-reviews...the only way to catch up!

2011-12-06T11:20:00.001+01:00

It's mini-review time again!

Making History by Stephen Fry
Ever wondered what the world would be like if Hitler and World War II hadn't happened? Stephen Fry explores this question in this great book, which shows us that things can always be worse and reminds so to be careful what we wish for. It left me thankful for the freedoms that I have in this world. And what a great idea for a book, a fascinating question. Be warned though, this is nothing like the comic side of Stephen Fry that you may already know and appreciate!

Dating Big Bird by Laura Zigman
A light, quick read about Ellen, a single woman who desperately wants a child - so desperately that "Big Bird is looking like a better candidate for fatherhood every day: he's tall, affectionate, and steadily employed" (from back cover). Those who were ever desparate for children will be able to relate and those who have children will certainly laugh at some kid-related bits. But if you're not really into this topic then you probably won't enjoy this as much as I did.

Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants: The Second Summer by Ann BrasharesAnother installment of the young adult series about four best friends. Not much to say, really, it's fun. I like how the four girls are different and how they end up in completely different places and situations that let them grow. I'll definitely be reading the next one. Oh, and I like the movies too, though Alexis Bledel will always be Rory to me!

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan BradleyThis actually deserves a post of its own, but I've been sitting on it too long and now can't remember the details of what I loved about the book. Except for Flavia the 11-year-old solver of murders herself of course, I love her for everything she is. My only gripe with the book is how horrible her sisters are to her, I can't imagine living in a family like that!

Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick RiordanThe fourth in this series about Percy, son of Poseidon. It brought more adventure, mayhem and monsters - and also some teenage boy feelings, though not explored in any depth. But this isn't supposed to be a deep book, just a fun one that gets kids into mythology. A great aspiration, in my opinion.

Weekend Cooking: Christmas cookies

2011-12-03T11:22:00.001+01:00

Today is our first Christmas celebration. We always have a first Christmas at the beginning of December, when my husband's daughter spends a few days with us. We make Christmas dinner, decorate the tree and exchange gifts. It's a wonderful way of starting the holiday season!

The dinner will be started later on today, but in the meantime I thought I would introduce my toddler to the joys of baking cookies. I wanted a simple recipe we could put together quickly and settled on Rachel Allen's basic cookie recipe from her book Bake. By the way, it's a wonderful book full of both sweet and savory baked goodies that are easy to make.

The cookie recipe is simple - cream together 225g of butter with 110g sugar, then stir in 275g flour. You can add whatever flavorings you want - we added cinnamon and vanilla and stirred in some chocolate chips too. I have some lavender which I'll add to the next batch, once these disappear.

My son loved arranging the balls of dough on the baking sheet! :-)

This post is part of this week's Weekend Cooking feature over at Beth Fish Reads.

Wish me Dead by Helen Grant

2011-11-18T08:46:00.001+01:00

The first book I read by Helen Grant was The Vanishing of Katharina Linden and I loved it. I was so glad I did, because I'd never heard of it before buying it. I only got it because it was featured at my local bookstore as Helen Grant is a local author. Since I live in Belgium and don't read in French or Flemish, I was pretty excited about the whole local author thing.

Now, having read Wish Me Dead, I can safely put Helen Grant on my favorite authors list. The combination of young adult lit, mystery, creepiness and folklore is right up my alley. And the Bad Münstereifel setting is wonderful.

Wish Me Dead is the story of Steffi and her friends, who come across a local myth about a witch and decide to see if there is any truth in it. Strange things start happening and people start dying - is it possible that just wishing something to happen is making it come true?

Chilling and entertaining, a great read. If you haven't discovered this author yet, you're missing out!

The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett

2011-11-13T07:21:00.001+01:00

This is a very difficult one to review, because it is very definitely quality reading, but it took me about six months to finish and although I enjoyed it at times, I can't say that I enjoyed it ALL the time.

It's because of Alex that I read The Game of Kings in the first place. It's one of her favorites (see her fabulous lists here and here to see why and to discover other great books) and she wanted me to read it as part of our challenge for 2011 - we recommended five books to each other, ones that we loved and wanted the other person to get to experience as well.

Alex did warn me that perhaps this was not the time to start reading a book like The Game of Kings. I have a very busy life and don't get much sleep because of baby S. She said that it wasn't a book that you could read a page of here and there. But that's really the only kind of reading I get to do and I was curious so I tried it.

The Game of Kings is part one of the Lymond Chronicles. It takes place in 1547 Scotland, a country plagued by English invasion but still free. The story is about Lymond himself - his relationship with his brother, his women, how he deals with the accusation of treason. It is a complex tale and I admit that I regularly got lost among the characters - I used the Kindle of feature of being able to search for a character by name to see where they appeared before.

But in the end, despite getting lost in the characters, the plot lines and the language as well, since Dorothy Dunnett includes bits in Latin, in Spanish, in French, despite all this, I must say I liked it.

I liked Lymond's passion and his honor. I liked the historical setting and what I learned about Scottish-English-French relations of the 16 century. I thought I would give up on this story, but I found myself coming back to it over and over, wanting more.

I do want to read the next book of Lymond's adventures, but I'm not sure I have the courage to read it right away. But I feel like if I don't read it then I'll be missing out on something, so, yes, I want to know what happens to Lymond in France, while he's in the court of Henri II.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

2011-11-06T12:50:00.001+01:00

This is the story of a year in the life of Charlie, high school freshman. Charlie is shy, observant, intelligent, sensitive and genuinely nice, if naive. He believes the best of other people. He is befriended by two seniors, Samantha and Patrick, and with them starts participating in high school life, parties and such.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower has loads of fantastic reviews and I've been wanting to read it for years. Luckily, I was only ever so slightly disappointed. I loved the beautiful writing and how it brought the relationships to life. I loved how the relationships developed. I loved how Charlie was slowly brought out of his shell and how he joined the real world, made friends, had experiences. He lived through some painful moments, but also through ones of awesome happiness. I especially liked his feeling of being infinite - I still remember that feeling from when I was younger, when I thought anything was possible and that the world was mine. 'Infinite' is exactly the right word for it and the fact that the author got this right is amazing in itself.

I said I was ever so slightly disappointed because there was one thing that bothered me and I wanted this book to be perfect for me. In the high school world I know, Samantha and Patrick (and their friends) would never have been nice to someone like Charlie. So their friendship seemed forced to me, I didn't quite believe it, I kept expecting them to turn around and do something nasty. This probably has to do with me being jaded rather than the book itself, but that's what I was thinking while I was reading it.

I just looked on Amazon to see Chbosky's other books but there aren't any - can that be right?

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

2011-11-03T09:47:00.000+01:00

I am very sad to say that A Discovery of Witches is going on my did-no-finish list for this year. I so so so wanted to love this book, in fact I never really considered that I wouldn't love it. The vampires, the demons, the witches, the academic setting, everything screamed 'this book is for you!'. But alas.

I'm a big fan of strong female characters, both in books and on TV. Think Buffy, Veronica Mars, Frankie Landau-Banks, Rory Gilmore, Anne Shirley. Women who know what they want and who will go after it no matter what. I am not a fan of Bella-like characters who lose all sense of self because of a gorgeous guy. Unfortunately, it turned out that Diana Bishop, the main character in A Discovery of Witches, is a Bella-type character. She starts out strong and purpose-full, she's writing a thesis, she has research to do, she moves to Oxford and leaves what's left of her family behind. She knows what she's doing and doesn't let anything in Oxford distract her from her purpose, her research. Until she meets vampire Matthew Clairmont and all of it goes out the window.

Diana had devoted her entire adult life to making sure that the magic that runs in her family doesn't influence her life at all. She didn't want to have anything to do with anything supernatural - yet once she met Matthew, she seemed to forget all this and didn't see anything strange about being friends - and maybe more - with a vampire. I hated that. I can't decide whether this behaviour was more annoying and disturbing in Bella because she's a teen and is a role model for real teenage or girls, or whether it's worse in Diana because she's in her thirties and really should know better by now.

And did I mention that Diana didn't think about Matthew being a vampire at all? Like, at all? She'd have dinner with him, serve him loads of raw meat and then wonder (yes, out loud) what she herself would taste like. And although Matthew got angry and told her never to tempt him, I didn't see any fear at all from her side. No beating herself up for being so stupid, nothing. Like a woman who starts dating someone violent and believes that this time it's different and he would never do anything like that to her. Now there's a great female character to read about.

The Diana character wasn't the only thing that bugged me though. The story didn't really unfold as it should have. All of a sudden all these demons started appearing everywhere and then nothing really happened forever, except for Diana and Matthew going to yoga a few times. Honestly, the endless trips to the library with no action became tiresome and boring.

I was still reading at this point and I wanted to continue and find that it all gets better. But when I got to the part where we got some information about Matthew's past and the vampires were all calling each other Father and Son, I couldn't stomach any more. I don't think you can use those words, insinuate such close bonds, without providing a hell of a back story. A vamp siring another vamp didn't automatically mean closest family, an I'd-do-anything-for-you kind of relationship, at least not to me.

So, the book goes on my DNF list. I know a lot of you really liked it, so I geuss it's one of those books, you either love it or hate it.

Happy Samhain, All Hallow's Eve and R.I.P. Challenge wrap-up

2011-10-31T10:47:00.000+01:00

Happy Celtic New Year! :-)

Samhain is a Celtic festival that marks the end of summer and the beginning of the long cold season. It's all about the final harvest, preparing for winter and also about the dead. It was thought that the line between the worlds was especially blurry at Samhain and that magical things could happen.

I like thinking of Samhain as the start of a New Year and in the past we have marked this holiday in various ways. My favorite I think was a ritual of letting go of our baggage so that we could more forward. This involved writing what we wanted to get rid of on pieces of paper and throwing them into our fireplace. A bonfire would have been better but hey.

Halloween is the modern, secularised version of this old festival and I love the modern traditions too. Pumpkins and candy and scary things. And lovely little children going from door to door. What's not to love?

I already had some trick-or-treaters knock on my door on Saturday. I'm not sure they counted as lovely littel children, they were boys of about 12 or 13, they were not dressed up and they carried plastic chopping bags. They were going on holiday apparently and had to collect their candy a few days early. Lucky for them, I had just bought mini chocolate bars that morning. I forgot to decorate the house with all the spooky stuff I bought though. Ah well, you can't do it all, eh?

I can't say that I've been in the mood for much spooky reading this year. I think it has something to do with the fact that it's been around 20 degrees here lately, which really doesn't correspond to the atmosphere in which I wish to read my spooky books, i.e. in cold and rain and wind. While cozy inside obviously.

I did read some things that qualified for the R.I.P. VI challenge that Carl hosts each year:

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

I'm not doing so well with reviews, but they'll come soon. In a nutshell: I loved The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley because I love, love, love Flavia de Luce; I'm enjoying the Sookie Stackhouse series; I didn't finish either Soulless or A Discovery of Witches, which is a surprise to me.

I love the R.I.P. challenge but I didn't really give it much attention this year and now I regret it. I should have taken the time to curl up on the couch with a Wilkie Collins or some ghost stories. I'll have to remember that for next year.

Anyway, Happy Halloween everyone!

One Day by David Nicholls

2011-10-29T13:33:00.001+02:00

I don't know what to do about this review now. I read most of One Day in a state of love and admiration and the feeling that finally, at last, there is a book that understands my generation. I always looked for such a book but could never find one where the atmosphere was spot on. I found what I was looking for in One Day, not because of the story itself but because of the way the characters thought and acted and felt. I could see myself in this story like I've never been able to see myself in any other piece of writing.

First of all, they were lost for a really long time and I think that's one of the things that there is so much of. Because we don't have the obligations - legal or societal - to settle down at 20 we are allowed this period of discovering ourselves, of wandering, of not knowing where we're heading. It's easy to wake up around 30 years old and realize that this isn't where you want to be at all.

Then there's the way they're always just playing at stuff. Dexter is obviously always playing, at being cool and famous and young. But Emma is too, never quite belonging, never quite believing that she's up to the task.

This passage really rang true for me: Emma is on her way to an interview in a publishing house and she's accompanied by an aquiantance from college who got her this interview:

"They ride the next twenty storeys in silence. Beside her Stephanie Shaw stands smart, petite in a crisp white shirt - no, not a shirt, a blouse - tight black pencil skirt, a neat little bob, years away from the sullen Goth who sat next to her in tutorials all that time ago, and Emma is surprised to find herself intimidated by her old acquaintance; her professional demeanour, her no-nonsense manner. Stephanie Shaw has probably sacked people. She probably says things like 'photocopy this for me!' If Emma did the same at school they'd laugh in her face. In the lift, hands clasped in front of her, Emma has a sudden urge to giggle. It's like they're playing at a game called 'Offices'." (pp 237-238)

Oh, how many times I've felt this way! All those board meetings with a bunch of men in suits and now all these other meetings with public servants, so more men in suits. And women too actually, and all of them, irrespective of gender, seem to take themselves way too seriously. All those years ago, when I was young and ambitious, I would be asked to do things like meet with the company president and I'd think, 'but it's only me, why would you want to listen to me'. But I looked like I should know.

I guess the book made me think about how my outlook changed over the years. When I was younger; I would dress the corporate part but didn't believe that I belonged in that world, that I knew anything. I felt like I was faking it. Now, I dress and I act like me - no more suits, no more corporate behaviour - I'm the same person at work and at home and so much happier. Not everyone likes this, but I feel that I'm true to myself wherever I am and that's important to me.

I loved the way One Day was structured, I loved the writing, I loved the characters. I loved it all the way up until the ending and then I stopped. I hated the ending. (***SPOILER ALERT - HIGHLIGHT THE FOLLOWING LINES TO READ MY THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING***) I don't see why things had to be that way, I don't see how it made the story any better. In fact, I think it would have been better if Emma and Dex either ended up with each other period or if they ended up with other people and never got to find out if they would have worked or not. To me, that would have been more realistic and would have left the story as about two regular lives. I think the dying was too much. (***END OF SPOILER***)

So in the end, it's not one of my favorite books but I certainly loved reading it. Oh, and I think it'll make a great movie, can't wait to see it!

What did you think? If you haven't read One Day yet, did the ending ever totally ruin a book for you?

My week of reading

2011-10-24T12:53:00.003+02:00

I actually had a week of reading as I was off sick. In fact, I'm still off sick until Thursday and hope to get even more reading in. :-)

Being sick is no fun of course and it was even worse than usual because Shane had the stomach flu at the beginning of the week and Joe had the stomach flu at the end of the week. I'm sticking to the good old regular flu so far, thankfully.

What did I do? I watched a lot of crap TV, which is what you're supposed to do in these situations, right?

And I read. Reviews will come later on, but I'll already say that I admit defeat when it comes to A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. I kept thinking of other things I needed to do while I was reading it and eventually I just switched books. I read Holes by Louis Sachar and One Day by David Nicholls instead. A much nicer experience.

Now I'm on Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I've been dying to read it since I saw the musical in London at the beginning of October. Have you read it? What did you think?

More mini-reviews - Japan, female bonding and steampunk

2011-10-20T11:05:00.000+02:00

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik

This book was utterly predictable, but maybe that's what made it such acomfort to read. I loved this story of female bonding, the friendship betweenfive women who live in the same neighborhood, their trials and experiences thattake them from young age to old. To have a night off from family and home oncein a while, the ladies form a book club that one of the husbands calls AngryHousewives Eating Bon Bons. But their friendship isn't limited to thesemeetings, they are there for each other through everything - and I mean that,since the author includes pretty much everything that could happen to people inthe story lines. :-) Very enjoyable book that made me feel warm inside.

The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
This is the only book that I managed to read in Polish this year, how appalling. My Mom gave it to me, otherwise I probably would never had picked it up. This is a story of Japan during and after World War II and is incredibly interesting from all kinds of perspectives. First of all, obviously from the historical perspective. My reading on World War II is limited to the European point of view, maybe sometimes the American. I enjoyed learning about this period of time in Japan (just like I enjoyed reading about the war in Hong Kong in The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee), I knew close to nothing about it. Aside from wartime reality, the book has so much interesting detail on Japanese culture, including on sumo wrestling and on traditional Japanese 'Noh' theatre and the art of making the masks the actors wear on stage. I found these truly fascinating. The story read like a soap opera, every tragedy that could befall the characters did so at some point, just like in Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, but I enjoyed the book anyway.

Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
The fourth installment in the Gallagher Girls series was just as much fun. Things are getting darker and darker for Cameron as she tries to cope with spy school, boys and trying to hide from the evil terrorist organization that is after her. And her favorite teacher might be involved too, how can she trust anyone? Great series for when you're in the mood for something light but original.

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
The latest book in the life of Becky Brandon, nee Bloomwood. Becky's daughter Minnie is now two and quite a handful with a will of her own and a taste for the expensive. Becky's having some trouble controlling her and also finding time to plan Luke's birthday party (on a budget!) and trying not to indulge in shopping (she's on a budget!). the usual hilarity results. I know that some people are annoyed by Becky, but I love her voice, maybe because I can relate to her shopping mania. :-) This was a perfect summer book!

Soulless by Gail Carriger
This is my second DNF (did not finish) of the year, I just couldn't get into it. I had such high hopes for this story about an Italian lady without a soul, vampires and werewolves living in Victorian London. But halfway into the book I didn't care what happened to any of the characters and I couldn't force myself to read it any more. Maybe because I don't like the Victorian setting in general? This was my first book in the steampunk genre, I'm now undecided about whether to try another or accept that the genre is not for me...

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Whose Titles Or Covers Made Me Buy Them

2011-10-18T16:37:00.000+02:00

My friend Larissa, who recently started blogging over at Like People and Butterflies, reminded me how much I liked participating in memes when she started participating in Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I love lists so going back once in a while sounds like fun.

My top books whose titles or covers made me buy them:

1. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, believe it or not. It had just come out, I knew nothing about it, but I loved the title. It's now one of my favorite books of all time. 'Nuff said.

2. When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman. I bought this for my husband because of an inside joke. Apparently it's only mediocre, unfortunately, though I haven't read it myself yet.

3. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. Covers don't usually grab me like titles do, but oh my gosh this cover is soooo pretty! With glitter! :-))

4. The Earth, My Butt and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler. I was just getting into YA and couldn't resist this title. It's great, no?

5. I Can Make You Thin by Paul Mckenna. How could I resist a title like that? That effect is what Mr. McKenna must be counting on of course. Now if only it did what it says on the box... sigh.

Umm... I only have 5... can I still participate? ;-)

Irish music, Ethiopian food and Hello Dolly

2011-10-15T14:07:00.001+02:00

I've seen many bloggers - including, Trish, Kailana and Erin, who are among my favorites, keep track of their goals, their progress and their moods through weekly updates. I love reading them and it looks like they come in useful. They must put things in perspective a bit, which is definitely something I can often use. I'll think I'll try adding this weekly feature each weekend.

So what happened during this past week?

I had two Hello Dolly rehearsals, which I tried to enjoy though I was sooo tired from my week in London. We did a lot of the choreography which I love. Rehearsals are becoming more intense and more frequent now, Sunday rehearsals start this weekend. Show's on in the third week of November, so soon!
I went to a birthday dinner for one of my best friends. We went to an Ethiopian restaurant - has anyone else been to one? The food is served on big sharing platters and you eat with your hands, by scooping the food with pancakes. I imagined that the food would be more hand-friendly, but it's things like spinach in a sauce or minced beef in a sauce so quite difficult to eat without a fork. The flavors were nice enough, but I gotta say that I didn't enjoy eating with my hands. How closed-minded of me!!
We went to a concert by traditional Irish band Altan, who by some sort of fluke of the universe happened to be playing in our local, small cultural center. I'm glad they agreed to the gig, it was fantastic.
Work has been pretty crazy, but that's a given by now. No point dwelling on it over the weekend anyway!
I got my wisdom tooth pulled and my cheek is now swollen and bruised. :-(
I've been reading A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. I'm finding it enjoyable but not gripping. I wanted gripping.

And looking forward to next week:

Two more Hello, Dolly rehearsals! I really need to learn my lines now...
Joe has an evening rehearsal with his band Shantalla, so I'll be able to spend an evening with a book or a movie... Hmmm, I wonder if I can rent Something Borrowed yet!
I'll continue with A Discovery of Witches, but I'll also try to make some progress with Gigi by Colette, which I'm reading for the challenge I'm doing with Alex from The Sleepless Reader.

I'll leave you with the promotional video for Shantalla's new CD, Turas, which means 'journey' in the Gaelic language - hope you like it!

Better Late Than Never - R.I.P. VI Challenge

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000+02:00

I meant to join this amazing blogging event when Carl first announced it, but it kept slipping into the future and then I figured I was too late. Until I read Iliana's post, she's just joining now too! :-)

So here we go again, I'm signing up for the R.I.P. VI Challenge - and I'm so happy to be doing so, I've never missed a year since I started blogging.

The R.I.P. Challenge is all about reading creepy, mysterious, scary books through September and October. The challenge appropriately ends on October 31. There are many levels so that anyone can take part, no matter how much time to read they have.

I'm doing Peril the First, which requires four books and I'm already on my fourth book that qualifies since the beginning of September. :-) Here are my choices:

Completed: 3/4 by 31 October 2011

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Some thoughts on Sookie Stackhouse

2011-10-12T14:14:00.000+02:00

I'm back from a week in London, where I went with work for WorldSkills 2011, which is actually a really cool event, basically like the Olympics but for skills. Everything went and well and I got to see three shows in the evenings (hmmm, maybe I should do a separat post on how fabulous they were?), as well as catch up with friends, so I feel like I got the most I could out of the week.

Now it's time for more catching up... I wish I was better at keeping up with reviews and updating this blog and reading all your blogs, but life is hectic. What can I say?

A large chunk of my reading time over the past months has been spent with the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. There were books that I enjoyed more than others, but in general I'm liking this series a lot. Sookie is sassy, witty, intelligent and oh-so-real, I'd like to know her in real life, I think. Although if she comes with all the monsters attached then I might change my mind! Since the last book in the series that I talked about here, Living Dead in Dallas, Sookie has had about a million adventures. Lots of things around her have changed, people (and un-people) have come and gone, but she has remained the same old Sookie. She evolves and grows, but stays true to herself.

In Club Dead, Sookie has trouble with steady vampire boyfriend Bill -can he be trusted or should she dump him?

In Dead to the World, Sookie finds herself helping Eric, the powerful vampire she never really had time for. Thing is that he's lost his memory after some particularly powerful witches appeared on the scene and he really does need help. This was my favorite of the series so far... I loved the Eric/Sookie dynamic and I loved the introduction of witches and magic. It gets more and more like Buffy with each book! ;-)

In Dead as a Doornail, Sookie's focus is on her brother Jason, a new were-panther who seems to be a target for someone deadly. We get more insights into the were community in this book, makes for very interesting reading!

In Definitely Dead, Sookie goes off to New Orleans to clean out her cousin Hadley's appartment. Hadley had been a vampire and had been murdered. She had also been close to the local vampire queen so now Sookie has to deal with her too. And with more witches as well.

I don't want to give details not to spoil anyone's fun... But the stories are engaging and the characters are fun, I'm enjoying the books. I want to watch the TV series too, but was told that it doesn't follow the chronology of the books so I prefer to read them first!

Mini-reviews - the only way to catch up!

2011-09-20T14:49:00.001+02:00

It's time for some mini-reviews again, since I'm so far behind that it's getting embarassing!

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Loved it! :-) I really enjoy entertaining chick lit and this fit the bill. It had the extra plus of being very realistic - even though most of us would never admit it, the story could happen to us all. Rachel is a 30-something with a job she hates, no boyfriend and a best friend who seems to get whatever she wants and catch all the breaks. Until Rachel accidentally kisses her best friend's fiancee at a party. Where can they all go from there? I understand there's a movie of this out now, but from what I hear the book is a thousand times better!

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
I listed to this one on audio and thought it was ok. It's been described as a children's or YA The Time Traveller's Wife, but as a huge Audrey Niffenegger fan, I must say that I don't think they're in the same league. I liked the puzzle structure and I liked the story, but I wasn't 'wowed'. It was a quiet, interesting read for me. Maybe I'm just disappointed because I wanted to be 'wowed', I can't really put my finger on what in the book didn't work for me.

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
Lived it! Stephanie Plum is such a likeable character, no wonder this series is so popular! This is the first book of eight or nine now, I think, and so the one where we meet Stephanie and are told of her family background and assorted issues. The heroine is sassy, the writing is fun and often laugh-out-loud funny, what's not to like?

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison
Disappointing. I liked the premise - the main character, Anna, is one of the children evacuated from London during World War II - but I didn't really care for the execution. I found the characters flat and their motivations lacking. And to be honest, I thought that some of the attachments made in the story were rather creepy... I won't mention details of course, I don't do spoilers. :-) All in all, pretty much forgettable.

My search for bread

2011-09-18T09:53:00.003+02:00

Since going gluten-free, many of my Saturdays are spent trying out bread recipes, in search for a bread that somehow resembles what I can no longer have.

So far, no joy.

I have tried this simple bread from Elana's Pantry, but it was really more like a nutty cake so, although tasty, not what I was looking for. Elana has since developed other bread recipes, including this one, which I will certainly be trying, but plans for more baking doesn't ease the disappointment of not having nice bread on a Sunday morning.

Yesterday, I made this bread, since I needed to use up some brown rice flour. It's decent, but too moist for me, wet really, and has a rice taste that just doesn't resemble bread. So it's a no, both on the texture and on the taste front.

I'll keep looking. Maybe one of these will be my bread salvation?

- one of these lovely sounding recipes from the Gluten-Free Girl
- or one of these from the Gluten-Free Goddess
- any others you'd like to point me to?

This post is linked to the September edition of Whip up Something New! (don't know what I'm talking about? - see here) and to Weekend Cooking over at Beth Fish Reads.

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

2011-09-16T10:38:00.000+02:00

I've been reading this beautiful book this week and finished it last night so it's not entirely fair that it already gets its own post when books I read in April are still waiting, but hey, I guess life isn't fair, even if you're a book. :-)

I wanted to post my thought on The School of Essential Ingredients before the feeling of magic and beauty that it created in me goes away and I forget just how much I liked it.

And like it I did. The storyline is so simple - a woman, Lillian, who loves food and cooking and who understands that food is magic and can change lives - wants to share her skill with others, so she organizes a cooking class. On one Monday per month, eight people get together for an evening of cooking. They are all lost but they all somehow found their way to Lillian's kitchen, where their lives will change forever, where they will learn so much more than cooking.

The writing made me want to cook but it also made me want to be happy with small things, like a beautiful red tomato. Why stress yourself out with all this other stuff when there is so much beauty in the world?

This book combines two things I love a lot, food and magic, though the magic is 'magical realism', not Harry Potter. It reminds me of other authors I love, Sarah Addison Allen, Alice Hoffman, Joanne Harris.

A lovely book to be savored slowly and remembered forever.

Umm, too many books?

2011-09-12T14:18:00.000+02:00

How many books bought is one day is too many? Is this too many?

How about this?

How about both of these piles put together? :-)

These are the books I picked up on my day out in Hay-on-Wye, a lovely village on the border between England and Wales, famous for its bookshops. Yes, it's a village full of bookshops! And I got to spend a day there on my own this year, which was fantastic. Well, it was fantastic until my backpack became ridiculously heavy and browsing - squatting and standing up with a huge load on my back - became more like excercise and less like fun. But hey, by then I had over 30 books added to my collection so I suppose it was time to go anyway. :-)

Here they are in list format, in case anyone wants to advise me on which ones to read next - I've already read Dating Big Bird by Laura Zigman (very funny!) and I'm currently reading The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley - I couldn't resist Flavia any longer. What should be next though?

Animal Husbandry by Laura Zigman
Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani
The Boys from Brazil by Ira Levin
Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
Cuban Heels by Emily Barr
Dating Big Bird by Laura Zigman
The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
Empress Orchid by Anchee Min
Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
Feed by M.T. Anderson
Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
Hector and the Secrets of Love by Francois Lelord
Holes by Louis Sachar
Ireland by Frank Delaney
The Keepers of Truth by Michael Collins
Lost Souls by Michael Collins
The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli
The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama
A Morbid Taste for Bones (Cadfael Chronicles 1) by Ellis Peters
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Private Life by Jane Smiley
Queen Mum by Kate Long
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian
Suchi for Beginners by Marian Keyes
Things to Make and Mend by Ruth Thomas
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
Why not Catch-21? by Andrew Dexter
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

Whip up Something New in September

2011-09-02T09:17:00.000+02:00

You may have noticed that there was no host for August. Hope you 've all continued whipping up delicious food - make sure you add them to September's linky.

Any volunteers for hosting in the coming months?

For information about this event, read this post. To participate, add the link to your recipe below!

On vacation

2011-08-09T06:10:00.001+02:00

I've been on vacation since the beginning of August and am only getting to post this now, from the car on our way to our next destination, Wales. I'll tell you all about the best fantasy/gothic/medieval/pagan festival ever (Castlefest on Holland) and about Stonehenge, where we're stopping on our way and no doubt about other interesting things we experience in England and Wales... But that's all for later.

See you in September!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Easy Gluten-Free Bread

2011-07-30T16:20:00.000+02:00

Giving up bread is sooo hard, especially when you live with people who love bread and pastry and especially if you live in the French culture where life without baguettes, croissants, pains au chocolat and other goodies cannot be imagined.

I've tried all the ready gluten-free breads I can buy and they range from alright when toasted and smothered in something that can kill the taste to inedible under any circumstances. So I decided that baking my own was the only way to go.

Thankfully, bloggers like Elana are out there to perfect healthy recipes and share them with us. :-)

Last night, I made Elana's Simple Bread. I happened across it and had all the ingredients plus it really did look simple. When I tried it last night I thought it tasted strange - I guess I was expecting something more like a baguette so my expectation was clearly unrealistic. :-)

It did bake into a loaf of bread though and that is amazing. It amazes me that these ingredients made any sort of bread. I mean, it's mostly almond flour! :-)

This morning I made french toast out of it and had it with maple syrup and bacon - delicious.

I believe that Elana has developed a better recipe for bread - I'll try it as soon as I get my hands on some flaxseed meal, probably after our trip to the UK.

I'm still on time to enter this into the July edition of Whip up Something New!, hosted by Margot. Check out the other recipes and add your own here.

YA Mini-Reviews

2011-07-28T10:11:00.000+02:00

I read a lot of YA literature. Some of it is the serious, heavy kind that tackles issues that are oh so difficult. And some if it's easy and entertaining and so, so much fun. These three YA books fall in the 'so much fun' category - though some have difficult issues touched upon in them as well.

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen CookHelen and Lauren have been friends forever. Lauren is popular and outgoing and Helen kind of stays in her shadpw. But they remain pretty much inseperable. Until right before they start 8th grade, when Lauren humiliates Helen and leaves her to be judged by her peers. School is horrible for Helen after that and Lauren is no longer a friend. Helen's family moves away and Helen can move on in a different school, but they end up moving back for Helen's senior year of high school. And that's when Helen sets out to ruin Lauren's high school life of glory. This involves some pretty mean stuff, but I really enjoyed reading about it anyway. ;-) Loads of (slightly wicked) fun.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

15-year-old Isabel (or Belly) spends every summer in the same beach house with her Mom, her best friend and two sons, more or less Belly's ages. Conrad, who Belly has always had a crush on, has always been aloof with her and Jeremiah has always been a buddy, someone to hang out and joke around with. But this summer something is different - the boys (and others too) are starting to notice Belly and things are changing. This is a book of discovery, both of oneself and of the world. It's a real book about what growing up feels like. I liked it, though nor enough to continue with the series.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

I think this one was my favorite of this bunch. It's the story of 17-year-old Ginny's summer of adventure. Ginny spends a few months exploring Europe but following the instructions left in 13 letters left her by Aunt Peg, a favorite aunt who died suddenly. Ginny has to complete the tasks in each letter before she gets to open the next one. As she goes from task to task, she retraces her Aunt's journey of discovery and makes discoveries of her own. She finds love and meets people who will make a difference to her life and to the way she sees herself. I loved seeing Ginny grow during the book, change from a shy, self-conscious girl to the confident, worldly young woman she becomes. I enjoyed this story immensely - what a fun idea!

London, baby!

2011-07-27T07:59:00.000+02:00

Yep, that's right, I'm in London all day today. You know what that means? A couple of hours of alone time on the train over, about 3 hours of alone time to browse and generally hang out until I meet colleagues for lunch (at Wagamama's, with plenty of gluten-free and dairy-free choices) and then attend a meeting and then another couple of hours of alone time on the train back. Bliss...

I'm taking my kindle and hoping to get lots of reading done. :-)

Have a good Wednesday everyone!

Nurturing Superwoman by Carolyn Moody

2011-07-24T09:46:00.000+02:00

I've been pretty obsessed with nutrition lately. Actually, I used to be pretty obsessed with nutrition in the past too, but didn't know enough about how my body works to be able to separate the stuff that made sense from the stuff that didn't make sense. And so much information out there gets published despite not making sense or just being completely wrong! Very difficult to sift through.

I read this particular book because it's written by a friend of mine and it popped up in a conversation. I thought that her take on health was perfect for me right now - the book's subtitle is "The busy woman's guide to stress reduction and dynamic health".

The author thinks that women today are still suffering from the legacy of the 70s Superwoman who thought she could have it all and that it should all be done perfectly. She says that we have let our nutrition slide and that this has resulted in a whole series of health problems - including things that we now take for granted as normal, such as PMS. I can get rid of irritability, fatigue and PMS with proper nutrition? Score!

I was happy to find that the book focusses on something that I never read much about - hormones and how they influence our health. Now, I'm actually pretty surprised to say that I never looked into hormones. I mean, going through IVF messed up my hormones and I sure felt the aftermath. Pregnancy - same thing. So why didn't I try to understand more about how hormones work in my body?

One of the most interesting things for me was reading about oestrogen dominance - what the hormone does and is supposed to do and how we're all exposed to so, so much more of it than we should. The book makes a link to how environmental factors like pollution affect us really and how important it is to eat organic.

Honestly, there wasn't anything about this book that I didn't like. Some of it was quite complex, but I thought that the author did a great job of putting in more personal comments here and there to lighten things up a bit. She also has a way of explaining complex processes in a way that makes them relevant to you. I love learning science stuff that way. :-)

I guess if I really think about it, the one thing that I'm not sure about are the Patrick Holford quotes. I read so much about him in Bad Science by Ben Goldacre and online that I don't know what to think anymore. I know that I don't really trust him, but to be honest I don't care enough about him to spend any time finding out.

The topics covered are for women of all ages - the information covers the menstruating years and menopause. It's a book that every woman should read once and keep as reference. We should all know how our bodies work and why they react in various ways to what we eat.

There are so many stories of people beating disease through dietary changes - this stuff is really worth looking into!

If you're interested, visit her website, Body Balance. You can get the book through there - and she does coaching and workshops and lots of other things, maybe you'll find something you'll like.

July Self-Care Retreat

2011-07-22T09:55:00.000+02:00

There is a whole community of health conscious bloggers out there. In a world where there is so much conflicting information, where widely available foods are poisonous to some of us, where awareness of what food actually does to our system is so small, where you can feel so alone when you discover that what you ate your entire life is making you sick, in a world like this one, a community is a life saver. I am grateful to have found it, just like I am grateful I found the book blogging community when I needed it most.

Now it seems that I need both and this blog reflects the changes that my life is going through.

A self-care retreat - this is what Valerie from City Life Eats and Cheryl from Gluten-Free Goodness have organised for the month of July to remind themselves and others about how important it is to take good care of ourselves. Everyone is invited to reflect on taking better care of their needs, both physical and spiritual. Check out Valerie's thoughts and Cheryl's thoughts and participate yourself, if you wish.

As for me, well, as most of you know, since I've been going on and on about it, I recently discovered that I am gluten- and dairy-intolerant. Even more reently, as in last week, I discovered that I am also wheat-intolerant. How do I know? I have psoriasis and I can tell within a day if something didn't agree with me, because my psoriasis turns bright red and itchy and incredibly unpleasant. For gluten and dairy, I also get stomach issues, brain fog, chills and a variety of other symptoms, including an almost debilitating fatigue. No fun at all.

It makes me happy that I can now recognise when something has made me sick. For so long, I thought that's what normal felt like.

In the context of this and in the context of my neverending journey to lose 10-15 kilos, I have been thinking about health a lot lately. Here are some things I am realising and aiming towards:

Food is supposed to nourish us and keep us healthy. Choosing foods that are good for me equals treating myself with care and respect. Choosing junk foods puts strain on my body and doesn't give me the energy I need to tackle my busy life. Same goes for my family.
Eating out is a risk. Pretty much every time I've eaten out in the past few months, I've been ill afterwards. Everything works much better if I know exactly what's gone into my food.
I can't be an angel all the time. :-) I will want to go out to eat, I will want comfort junk food. What I'm aiming for is to make the healthiest choices I can, most of the time. This once-in-a-while rule obviously relates only to the foods that don't make me sick. Those are totally off limits because they're just not worth it.
Excercise, ah, excercise. I find it pretty much impossible to work excercise into my schedule. I started running and couldn't keep it up, I started all sorts of programs on the Wii and couldn't keep them up either. I've resigned myself to the fact that with a demanding full-time job, a small child and a theatre hobby, excercise time won't be available to me. The one thing I can do is walk as much a I can.
Peace of mind - where are you? I really, really want to become a calmer person. I don't like raising my voice at home, I don't like inner turmoil keeping me up at night, I want to be zen. But this is the one part of self-care that I have no idea how to reach. Ideas, anyone? I'm no good at meditation. Any other ideas? ;-)

Self-care is so incredibly important and yet most people have so much trouble making time for it. By taking the time to think about this and to make small changes, I am doing myself a favor.

The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne

2011-07-18T10:13:00.000+02:00

I absolutely loved this book! So much fun! Has no movie been made of this? It would be perfect!

Melissa Rommey-Jones is a regular girl who is down on herself and down on her luck - she lost her job, she's hung up on an ex-boyfriend who is probably not that good for her, everyone else seems to have life figured out except for her. Until she has a business idea that lets her be who she's always wanted to be - she buys a wig, creates a new persona to go with it and lets life's adventures unfold. What she can't seem to realize is that it's not the wig that's responsible for her new life, Melissa and the fake Honey Blennerhesket are the same person, after all!

The story is great fun. It's a perfect light summer read. It's different to other chick lit type books, as it had a very specific sort of charm to it. Melissa is a girl unlike many others, she is naive and trusting and believes the best about everyone. She values honesty and respect and good manners. She likes true gentlemen. Although the story is set in modern day London, Melissa's charming character makes it read like it's set in the 1930's.

Absolutely lovely. I already have the next installment of Melissa's adventures and it's definitely on my vacation reading list.

Must. Try. Soon.

2011-07-16T09:59:00.001+02:00

The problem with challenges like the Whip Up Something New challenge and with constantly scouring newly-disovered gluten-free and dairy-free recipe blogs is that you end up with yet more recipes that simply have to be tried. And soon. I don't have any bright ideas for keeping up with the interesting things I want to try, so I'll try listing them in a post once in a while.

Here are the yummy things I discovered this week and want to try soon:

This egg-free, dairy-free, grain-free chocolate decadence cake from Lexie's Kitchen - that photo is amazing, I want a slice of this beauty right now. I mean it.
This raw nacho cheese sauce, which is both vegan and dairy-free, also from Lexie's Kitchen. Hmmm, have I discovered a gem in the blogosphere?
Zucchini Fries from Dixie Chik Cooks - I actually have zucchini at home and I ALWAYS have tortilla chips so...
Zucchini Brownies from And Love it Too - I think I need more zucchini! :-)

Any more ideas for me to try? If you've made something new recently, don't forget to submit it to the Whip up Something New challenge, July's edition of which is hosted by Margot (if you don't know what this means, go here).

Make-your-own summer pasta dinner

2011-07-14T09:37:00.000+02:00

Before I went gluten-free and dairy-free, one of my favorite comfort foods was a bowl of pasta with olive oil, garlic and chillies. But I could also eat other comfort foods - pizza, chinese takeaways etc. Now, my choices are much more limited so I tend to get ridiculously happy when I end up with a meal that is incredibly tasty and easy. And you can't get any easier than this pasta dish.

Put your pasta on. In a pan, heat some olive oil (enough to coat all your pasta) and add garlic slices and chilli flakes, both to taste. I tend to use a lot of garlic. :-) Serve each person a plate of pasta coated in the olive oil mixture. Also set out - torn pieces of parma ham, olives, diced fresh tomatoes, dried or semi-dried tomatoes, roquette salad leaves, toasted pine nuts and torn fresh basil. Any anything else you want - my husband added grated parmesan to his dish last night.

The beauty of this is that everyone takes whatever they want. All the flavors are fresh and work well together but if someone doesn't like one ingredient (or likes a lot of one of the flavors) it's not a problem. A super tasty summer dish, perfect for entertaining. We liked it so much that we're having it again tonight! :-)

This is my entry for the Whip up Something New challenge - July's edition is hosted by Margot, visit her linky post to add your recipe and check out the other entries.

Mini Reviews - I'm on vacation!

2011-07-06T18:26:00.001+02:00

I'm spending the week in Poland with my parents. As always, it's great to hang out with them and great to see them take so much pleasure out of playing with Shane. Joe is coming to join us later this week and I can't wait. I am lucky to have such a lovely family.

I'm not doing anything interesting - eating, drinking, reading a bit. I've been avoiding the computer, but am now ready to sit down and write something, even if only something simple.

With such a backlog, I think it's time for some mini-reviews.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
I read this as part of the challenge I'm doing with Alex. This was the shortest book on the list she gave me so I guess it's no wonder that it got read first. Tuck Everlasting is a fairytale for adults, about a family who have discovered the secret of eternal youth. I liked the story idea, the characters and the message behind it all. But my romantic nature would have like the ending to be slightly different. ;-) Oh, and the frog? What's up with that? What a waste! That bit kind of pissed me off! I still enjoyed it though and hope that the rest of the books Alex wants me to read this year are just as good. :-)

Fables 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham
So many bloggers (like Alex and Larissa) love this series of comics about a part of New York that's inhabited by characters from fables and fairy tales. This is the third installment and it's still fun to read about the wolf, Snow White, Prince Charming and many others trying to make it in a world that's so unlike the fairy tale world they knew.

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

I love books about Ireland and I love stories about immigrants in New York, so this one was a good fit. I thought it was a strange book. It was realistic, in the sense that I could really see the realities both of the Irish countryside and of immigrant New York. But I didn't like the main character much. I wanted her to do things that she clearly wasn't ready to do. I suppose that's just a difference in personalities, but in this particular book I found it hard to deal with. Brooklyn qualifies as one of my books about New York for the One, Two, Theme! challenge.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
I listened to this as an audiobook and it was fantastic. The narrator, Jenna Lamia, was fabulous and made the strange future world of the story really come to life for me. Jenna Fox is a 17-year-old girl who wakes up after a year-long coma and doesn't remember anything about her life. When she starts to remember, she ends up with more questions than answers and nobody wants to tell her the truth. What are the secrets that her parents are so intent on keeping? One of my favorite audiobooks and definitely on my list of favorite books read this year. Creepy but realistic.

Winterborne by Augusta Blythe

2011-06-23T09:34:00.000+02:00

Winterborne is the first book I review at the request of an author. I avoided accepting books for review before this - what if I didn't like the book and I'd have to write a negative review? What if I didn't have time to read the book at all? What if I started it and couldn't get myself to finish it? But when Augusta Blythe contacted me to review Winterborne, I had a good feeling. An urban fantasy YA novel about a teen waiting for superpowers to kick in? Just my thing.

Am I glad I trusted my instinct on this one! I could have easily missed out on an amazing book. I read it back in May, but still remember the strange feeling of wanting to read faster to find out what happens, but at the same time wanting to read slower because I didn't want it to end. Like watching Buffy for the first time. ;-)

Here's the plot, as summarised by the author:

Sixteen-year old Mia Winterborne is destined to be special. Details are sketchy, though, as her dad disappeared with all the answers when she was five. Mia only knows that she’ll inherit her kickass superpowers on her seventeenth birthday. Helping Mia prepare for her anticipated ascendancy is Loie (rhymes with Joey) Bryce, her best friend and eternal sidekick extraordinaire. The girls’ intense friendship has never wavered until now, when Andreas arrives in Salcey Ridge. They both fall hard for the British hottie, who quickly becomes a fixture in their lives. When they discover that Andreas is not who he appears to be, the frightening reality of Mia’s powers finally hits home. The nearer Mia’s birthday draws, the more the danger escalates and long-buried lies are exposed, putting the girls on a path that they never expected.

It's a good story. As an urban fantasy fan and a Buffy fan, I couldn't not like it. But I think that it's very easy to ruin a story like this one with poor characters or mundane style. Augusta Blythe did the opposite, she made the story a million times better. The main characters, Mia and Loie, are strong and intelligent female leads. They're best friends and they won't let stuff come between them. Many books introduce boys or other distractions to ruin friendships, but in this case the friendship got stronger and stronger. Finally, we have two teen best friends who are smart enough to recognise that what they have is special. I loved that.

I also loved the language and the style. Very witty and engaging.

All in all, this book is a winner. I can't wait for the next installment in the series. I hope that some of you will take a chance on an unknown author and that you'll be as happy with your choice as I am.

Winterborne is available via Amazon.

Four Things

2011-06-10T09:35:00.000+02:00

I've seen this one going around, most recently at Iliana's, and I think it's really fun. Plus, since book reviews have been lacking from this blog and since things won't get any better until after our handfasting this weekend, I thought this would be a nice, quick post to do.

Four jobs I've had in my life:
1. Waitress
2. Marketing Officer
3. Au Pair
4. Translator

Four books I would read over and over:
1. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Four places I have lived:
1. Queens, New York, USA
2. Manila, The Philippines
3. Seoul, South Korea,
4. Warsaw, Poland

Four books I would recommend (that I read in 2011):
1. The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (audiobook)
2. The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne
3. The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac
4. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

Four places I have been:
1. Barcelona, Spain
2. Dublin, Ireland
3. Beijing, China
4. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Pizza
2. Peanut butter
3. Falafel
4. The Chili con Carne my husband makes

Four of my favorite drinks:
1. Red wine
2. Lemonade
3. Ginger Ale
4. Mango juice

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. At home with my family
2. Wherever, catching up with my girlfriends
3. Visiting my parents in Poland
4. On our upcoming vacation in Wales

Four things that are very special in my life:
1. My family
2. My health
3. My books
4. My theatre activities

Four bloggers I hope will do this meme - why don't you all do it? It's fun! :-)

The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

2011-06-08T13:18:00.000+02:00

Yes, that's right, by Alicia Silverstone. I didn't know she had a book out either, but there you go.

This is a book about veganism, really. About how to eat great and treat your body and the planet in a kind way. Even though I have no interest in becoming vegan, I wanted to explore some of the ideas and benefit from some of the recipes. Which are great, by the way. I already made the Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew and all three of us enjoyed it immensely. Yum.

I liked the way Alicia explained what certain foods do to your body and what their production does to the planet. The tone is upbeat, without being pushy, which was appreciated. She presents three levels of changes, the first of which is just 'flirting' so that you can try out some different things with food and not get hung up on labels.

It took me longer than expected to read this, because sometimes I couldn't stand the peppy attitude for a second longer. :-) But all in all it's a good one to read if you're interested in nutrition.

I would never have read this book if my friend Larissa hadn't mentioned it to me and introduced tahini into my life. Larissa has now joined the world of book bloggers and she reads some great stuff (plus she's a really cool person) so make sure you go visit her!

Banana Bread - Yum!

2011-06-01T13:01:00.000+02:00

Thank you all you wonderful people who have given me gluten-free and dairy-free ideas, you are all so helpful! I'm still struggling, but feel like I have a plan now. Or more of a plan. Or at least some substitutes for foods I love.

I still get frustrated in some situations though. Like yesterday, I had a call-back for a small principal part in Hello, Dolly! and I got the part (of Minnie Fay). I was thrilled (still am!!) and wanted to celebrate so I picked up a bottle of wine and wanted something indulgent for dinner too. Pizza? Can't. Pasta? Can't. A raw vegetable salad? Ummm, not so indulgent. In the end I bought some tortilla chips and had them with guacamole. But I really would have loved a pizza! :-)

One thing that I miss is baked goods. So I'll be experimenting with those, I guess. Over the weekend I realised I had too many blackening bananas so I looked for a banana bread recipe - and found one that is both gluten-free and dairy-free. It turned out fabulous - my husband couldn't even tell the difference. ;-)

You can find the recipe on the Taste of Home website here but I am copying it down in this post too, just in case. I really wouldn't want to lose it!

Banana Bread (gluten- and dairy-free)

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4-5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted these)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, bananas, sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla.

Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Transfer to two 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
This is my entry into June's Whip up Something New challenge, hosted by Gnoe over here.

P.S. This blog has turned into a recipe/nutrition blog lately... I assure you, I AM reading and have some coold reviews coming soon. Promise. :-)

Gluten-free, dairy-free ideas, please!

2011-05-26T13:31:00.000+02:00

Please, give me some gluten-free and dairy-free ideas, I'm going crazy trying to figure out what I can eat! :-( Anyone have any favorite meals or snacks that would work here?

Anyone in the same situation and can give me some thoughts on what to order when eating out??

It's becoming less of an adventure and more of a pain. On the plus side, it seemed to be working until I cheated slightly and my skin got worse again. Sigh.

Whip up something new - Tahini and cider vinegar dressing

2011-05-18T09:31:00.000+02:00

I haven't finished a single book so far in May. That's right. Not one. Zilch. I'm reading several at the same time, but I guess none have grabbed my attention. I may have to resort to trusty YA to get things going again. How bad is it that I only seem to connect with teens at the moment? ;-)

Actually, instead of reading I've been doing other things. I was in a local production of Kurt Weil and Bertold Brecht's Threepenny Opera at the beginning of May. I'm rehearsing for a mini-show in June, as well as for a couple of things I will be performing during our handfasting in a few weeks. And I'm preparing for auditions for Hello, Dolly - I want one of the few female roles, but will be happy with just chorus too. That's a lot of singing, preparing, extra voice lessons and therefore evenings out of the house. I'm lucky that Joe hasn't minded staying at home with Baby S!

I've also been concetrating on food and health. I have a skin condition called psoriasis. I've had it for years, but it was more or less manageable. It went away when I was pregnant, which is normal because auto-immune conditions always do. But it came back with a vengeance after S was born and hasn't really been manageable since. It's been getting worse and worse and more itchy/painful than ever.

I started doing some research and found that many people who suffer from psoriasis (not all but many) we're helped by going on diary-free and gluten-free diets. So that's what I'm trying. It's hard. Especially since I started this new way of eating without too much preparation, so fixing meals is a daily struggle. It's not coming naturally. But, after a week of doing it, I can see a real improvement on my skin. Isn't that amazing? It's so motivating to see results that fast! I'm nowhere near completely healed, but I now have high hopes.

So onto the dressing. My friend Larissa, who is vegan, was over at our place with her family this weekend. I asked her for any staples she uses that I could possibly incorporate into my new diet. I was sitting in front of a place of grated carrot and cabbage and was wondering how I could liven it up. She told me that she often uses a tahini-lemon dressing from Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet (which I have now ordered, by the way). I tried it and it was fantastic.

The next day, I combined it with elements of another dressing I used to make for a similar salad, though that one also had ramen noodles and spices. And this fantastically tasty dressing was the result:

Tahini and Cider Vinegar dressing

Combine olive oil, cider vinegar, tahini, honey, crushed garlic, chilli, salt and pepper. That's it!

I'm sorry I can't be more specific, but you just have to experiment and do it to taste. The result is sooooo good though - a bit sweet, a bit tangy, a bit spicy. Perfect on all sorts of veggies!

Whip up something new is an ongoing challenge with a rotating host system. Kristi is our host for May, make sure you visit this post and check out the other entries!

Does anyone want to host for June?

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

2011-04-30T08:11:00.000+02:00

It seems like so long ago that I read this! I do remember that I read it pretty much in one day, I didn't want to put it down...

This is the story of Taylor Markham who was abandoned when she was 11 and now, at 14, lives and studies at a boarding school where they woman who took her in works. It's the story of the conflict between Taylor's school's underground community, the Townies and the visiting Cadets. Taylor is drawn into the conflict and into relationships she would normally avoid. She also finds a string of clues about a past tragedy that is somehow connected to the people around her.

I liked Jellicoe Road because it's different. Something about the author's tone makes the book unique, the atmosphere different from other YA books I've read. There is darkness there, and pain, but there is also this incredible feeling of realism, like I was watching real people in a world I didn't really understand. Nothing was simple and everything was a struggle. Isn't that what adolescence feels like?

Melina Marchetta is an Australian author, one of the very few I've ever read. Jellicoe Road won the Printz Award in 2009.

Catching up - Mini-reviews

2011-04-20T19:26:00.000+02:00

Being in Poland is great. My parents are loving taking care of Shane and we're loving a bit of peace. Joe is getting more reading time than I am, but I'm getting to hang out with my Mom, which is great. I'm reading too, which is kind of why I'm not blogging... when I have a bit of time, I'd much rather read than sit at the computer!

But looking at my list of books read in 2011, it seems that I have given up reviewing altogether. That's certainly not true, I really enjoy exchanging ideas about books with all of you. It would be difficult to catch up properly though, so here are a few mini-reviews, of books that I have a bit less to say about.

The Princess Diaries, Take Two by Meg Cabot
I really like most of what Meg Cabot writes. The Princess Diaries series is a great light read, I love the charming story that every girl dreams about. This second book was just as good as the first, with Princess Mia holding her own against her Grandmother, who still has very specific ideas about who she wants Mia to be. If you like light YA literature, you'll like this. I just wonder if the rest of series continues to be entertaining, there are so many books in it!

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
This was an audiobook that I didn't finish... I listened to the first book in this trilogy, Wicked Lovely, last year and liked it enough to continue. But the narrator in this one was different and I couldn't get into it. It's very dark and to be honest I found the plot quite repetitive... even though the premise about fairy kings, queens and courts was very cool.

The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble
Sometimes I need chick lit, I really do. I loved the idea behind this book - it was structured around the monthly meetings of a book club. While we listened to the discussions about their current book club read, we found out more and more about the characters. Just like the women in the club became friends, little by little. I did think that too much about the books was revealed though and I was annoyed because of the ones I haven't read yet and want to... Also, a large part of the action centered around motherhood and the mothers were of the 'my kids come first and nothing else, including my own life and needs, matters' variety, which is something that really annoys me, especially since having Shane. I don't think the author portrayed mothers realistically and I found the characters two-dimensional... Not a book for me.

The Reptile Room (Book Two in A Series of Unfortunate Events) by Lemony Snicket

Book two was just as enjoyable as the first, with the poor orphans trying hard to survive all the misfortune that is thrown their way. Charming and extremely entertaining.

The good and the bad about this week

2011-04-12T14:07:00.002+02:00

Why is this week being so slow??? Here's what's happening:

This sucks:

Work is annoying me. I'm responsible for a project that nobody is happy with. I have to make a lot of compromises and in the end no one is satisfied. It's stressing me out.
I'm rehearsing for The Threepenny Opera by Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht - the show is really cool, but rehearsals are just too consuming at the moment, it's too much pressure!
I didn't even get a chance to do a wrap-up post for the read-a-thon, in which I participated rather casually, but still. It would have been nice to re-cap and link up.

This is making me happy:

We're going to Poland on Saturday and staying for a week - yay, no work, no rehearsals, and two grandparents eager to look after Baby S. I can't wait.
I just had the yummiest ever falafel wrap. I discovered a fabulous Lebanese around my workplace and I'm there all the time now.
We're about 600 people working in the same building and some colleagues organised a book swap table. You put books you want to swap and take whatever you want in return. Today, I found what I think is a real gem - Can Any Mother Help Me? by Jenna Bailey. It's based on a collection of letters/articles written by a group of women, housewives, in the 1930s and 1940s, basically about their lives. It seems to be a fascinating piece of social history.
I subscribe to audible.co.uk and recently got The Journey Into Yourself by Eckhart Tolle, which is not a book but a retreat. Tolle is famous for preaching focussing on the now rather than dwelling on past event or wishing your life away waiting for the future. It really relaxes me. And it's both enlightening and funny. So far, of course, I only just started listening a few days ago.

How's your week going?

Read-a-thon Hour 19

2011-04-10T08:20:00.000+02:00

I'm back! I didn't get much sleep, baby S was acting up pretty much the whole night... I thought he'd be so tired that he'd sleep in this morning, but no chance, we were up at 6:15. Sigh. This sleep deprivation thing is what I find hardest in parenthood.

Anyway, before going to bed last night and in between feeding baby S and doing puzzles etc with him, I've been making some progress on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus, volume 2. I miss Buffy the series and always really enjoy the comics. I'm a total purist though and I only like the ones where the characters look exactly like on TV. No creative deviations when it comes to my Buffy, please!

Baby S seems to want something so I'm again. I hope to squeeze in a few more pages though!

Read-a-thon Hour 10

2011-04-09T23:10:00.000+02:00

Time for me to go to bed now... When I get up in the morning I'll have to look after my son, so I probably won't get too much reading time... I had fun today and finished two books - When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead on audio and One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. I started a few more too!

If I don't post again before it finishes, have a great rest of the read-a-thon, everyone!

Read-a-thon Hour 7

2011-04-09T20:12:00.000+02:00

Where has my day gone? It's now 8pm over here and I'm tired. And I didn't even read all that much! I did spend a lot of time blogging and I spent some time reading and I also spent some time baking, which has nothing to do with the read-a-thon of course. But the results were yummy so I now have snacks for the evening. And breakfast for tomorrow. :-)

What have I been reading? I finished listening to When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead when I went for a long walk earlier today. It's a great book, I enjoyed it immensely. I'm about halfway through One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. And I read some of the first comic in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus, volume 2.

I'm having a great day, but I'm certainly not as productive a reader as I have been in the past. Oh well, the point is to have fun, eh?

See you in a couple of hours!

Yay, the Read-a-thon is here!

2011-04-09T13:52:00.001+02:00

Dewey's read-a-thon is now an institution in our blogging world. It's here again now and I'm ready! I can't participate for the full one this time, only the first half or so, but hey, it's better than nothing.

This is the pile I'll be reading from:

It's a beautiful day today and it would be a real shame not to get out there, so I'll be going for a walk and hopefully finishing the audio version of Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me as well. I'm on the last chapter and can't wait to find out what's going on!

I'll be checking in once in a while, so see you later. Enjoy the read-a-thon if you're participating too!

(edited to add this intro meme)

1)Where are you reading from today? I'm reading from my home in Tervuren, Belgium. Very close to Brussels.

2)Three random facts about me…
I got married a month ago.
I bought a pair of red cowboy boots a few days ago.
I grew up in Flushing, Queens, New York.

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
Five real books and the ending of an audiobook.

4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
Nope, no goals, just want to enjoy a day more-or-less to myself. My husband's daughter is visiting and they took the baby out for most of the day. Time for me, yay!

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time? Don't miss out on the blogging aspect, the community fun is amazing!

Whip up something new! in April

2011-04-05T09:03:00.000+02:00

Head on over to Michelle's (My Favorite Time of Day...), she's the Whip up Something New! host for April. Make sure you leave a link to your April recipe(s) here, a Mr. Linky will be available all month. And she promises a giveaway at the end so how much more incentive do you need, really??

Don't know what I'm talking about? Read this post. We're trying to get through some of the recipes we've all clipped over the years. It's great, lots of people are cooking, baking and posting about it. Only thing is, everyone is making such yummy food that I now have even more recipes to try! :-)

The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac

2011-03-31T09:34:00.000+02:00

I don't remember who in the blogosphere read this and blogged about it, but whoever it was, thank you, thank you, thank you. This little book is an absolute gem. The only thing I'm angry about it that I read it back in February and still haven't written anything about it... I felt so passionate about it as I was reading it and when I was done and now the passion has died down and it bothers me that this post will be flat.

Ah well.

So, The Rights of the Reader. It is an amazing, enlightening book (or essay) on why people read and how we can get more people to like reading, starting from when they're kids. Pennac is a teacher, passionate about reading, and he does his best to pass his enthusiasm along. Successfully.

There are so, so many things he talked about that I want to mention, but I think that would mean re-typing the whole book here. So, I'll just talk about a few things.

Firstly, I loved how he talked about the time when a child is just learning to read. He (or she) loves when mommy and daddy read to him, he loves stories, he loves the magic. He also loves the magic of learning to read, the magic of words appearing on a page and meaning something that is beautiful. (Daniel Pennac describes these first moments of recognising words in an amazing, beautiful way, I could never do it justice here.) And then the child gets more comfortable reading on his own and his parents just leave him to it, happy that they have an extra ten minutes in the evening to do something of their own. But the child is still struggling and because that support, that reading companion is gone, some of the magic dies too. And some kids just never recover from this disappointment of reading and grow up to be adults who don't have time for books.

Then, Pennac talks about how we from the beginning distort the experience of reading by giving it inappropriate labels. Surely you're not meant to enjoy whatever you are assigned to read in school if adults make a difference between 'reading for school' and 'reading for pleasure'. Surely TV is a much more enjoyable pastime if punishment consists of 'no tv' and you're forced to sit quietly and do something boring, like read a book. This really struck a chord with me, perhaps because I am desperate to get Shane to like books.

The actual rights of the reader that Pennac talks about it are so thought-provoking. Like the right to skip over passages that don't speak to you. Isn't it better to enjoy parts of War and Peace than to not read it at all? Or the right to be read to out loud, even as an adult. For some people, this really turns reading into an incredible experience.

This is now getting pretty long, so I'll stop, but I strongly urge everyone who loves reading and who wants to encourage kids and teens to read more to get Pennac's book. It's a real treat.

And a last note - Daniel Pennac is a Frenchman and the book is written in his native French. It is translated into English by Sarah Hamp Adams.

Time to talk about books

2011-03-21T14:54:00.000+01:00

I've been off work for two weeks and now I'm back. Which means that blogging will be back in my life too. I try not to spend too much time on the computer when I'm at home, I try to read if I have a spare moment instead, which means blogging breaks. But I like to blog on my breaks at work, so here I am.

My time off was great. The wedding was great of course and in the week that followed I managed to squeeze in a day all to myself as well as a honeymoon day with Joe. The day with Joe was taken up with life stuff like grocery shopping but I made sure that my day off included nothing that I 'should' do. I was so lazy that I didn't even do laundry, seriously, basically I had my own private read-a-thon. It was great. As I was saying to Alexandra during lunch today, that's really the one thing I miss from my days before baby came along. Not going out, not spontaneity, but those days when you can sit on the couch and read all day, with nowhere to go and no responsibility. So I take one from time to time, it's just more of an effort to plan it in.

What did I read? I finished Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, I read Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt and I finished Fables 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham. It was a great day. :-) Reviews will be coming soon, I just need to catch up and review the books I read before!

So yes, I guess that wedding post spent enough time in first place and I need to go back to normal life now. Good thing we're doing another ceremony in June, I'm already looking forward to it! :-)

Last Saturday, I got married

2011-03-15T14:05:00.000+01:00

That's right. :-) I'm now Joe's wife. And oh so happy.

It was a beautiful ceremony and a great party. We're having our spiritual ceremony in June only so we get to do it all again too! :-)

I'll be back blogging at some point, but not just yet, I need a longer break...

Starring Sally J. Friedman as Herself by Judy Blume

2011-02-21T09:53:00.000+01:00

This was my second audiobook this year and, although The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale is a touch act to follow, I thoroughly enjoyed this one too.

The best thing about it? The audio version of Starring Sally J. Friedman as Herself was read by Judy Blume herself! It was great to listen to her read this to me, especially since she says that this is the most autobiographical of her books. I loved Judy Blume as a child and I loved re-discovering her now.

Sally is a great character for us bookworms. She loves stories and she's constantly making them up inside her head. She reads books, but she also watches movies and she wants to be a movie star. Or a detective. Or a ballerina. So basically she's a pretty typical pre-teen, except that she uses everything around her in the stories inside her head. A great character.

But what I enjoyed most about this book, which I would have no doubt missed if I'd read this as a child, was the social history. Sally and her family live in New Jersey, but move to Florida after her brother gets sick, to provide him with a better climate in which to recuperate. Sally's father stays in New Jersey and visits as often as he can afford to, which is not often enough. When Sally starts her new school in Miami, it turns out that there are loads of kids in the same situation. Loads of displaced families relying on the wonder of the Florida sun. Loads of families living without the father, who is back home where his job is and where they all want to be. Moving to Florida for at least part of the year was what one did if one could afford it.

The other social history aspect I found fascinating was the links to World World II and Hitler. The story takes place in the late 1940s and Sally's family was Jewish; they had relatives in Europe who died in the concetration camps. I don't suppose that any family would talk about Hitler all the time in front of their kids, but I guess some of it would be mentioned. Sally was obsessed with Hitler, to the extent that she was convinced that he was living in her building and she would be the one to turn him in. The whole concentration camp thing must have been a really strange part of kids' lives back then. I mean, they knew some facts, they overheard some stuff, parents probably didn't want to discuss it and they couldn't help but think about it. At one point in the book, Sally's preferred make-believe game was not Movie Star or Detective, but concentration camp, complete with fake showers and everything. What a topic to have to cope with at that age.

So - I really liked this short book. And it was very interesting to read it as an adult, just for the social history alone. Having Judy Blume herself read it to me was the icing on the cake.

A book and a head full of thoughts

2011-02-18T17:52:00.000+01:00

I'm still here! And I'm still reading! I just don't have the time (or sometimes the energy) to blog!

Book-wise, I'm continuing the Gallagher Girl series by Ally Carter and have now finished Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover. You'd think that the spy thing should be getting old by now, but no, it still entertains me. This series is the perfect antidote to my stressful days, I highly recommend it if you're in need of something light and fluffy. It's like watching Gossip Girl, clears the brain. :-)

I'm going through a lot at work. There's just so much to do and I'm struggling to fit everything into a workday that actually has to end because I need to pick up Shane. If I was still childless and my only problem for the evening was where to eat, I could manage a stressful month. As it is, I'm struggling.

I've also started rehearsals for a couple of projects which is a good thing because it gets me out of the house a couple of evenings a week, but a bad thing for the same reason.

I have so much on my mind that I think I can actually feel it getting crowded up there. Does that ever happen to you?

That's it for now. I'll be a better blogger in a couple of weeks, things should calm down by then.

Whip up something new - Faworki

2011-02-15T07:45:00.000+01:00

Well. I can't believe how busy work has been! Between that and Shane and everything else I haven't had a single second to blog! So sad! But I have been cooking and I have been reading, so there are a few interesting things coming up on my side.

Today, I want to tell you about is a Polish carnival tradition, faworki. Carnival refers to the time right before Lent in Roman Catholic countries and is characterized by a lot of partying, eating and drinking. Which explains this Polish tradition - faworki are deep-fried pieces of dough with powdered sugar on top.

Making them is really easy - explaining might make the process sound more difficult than it is. :-)

Fill a glass with egg yolks. It doesn't matter what size the glass is, some sort of medium-sized variety. Measure out the same amount of beer. Put these in a bowl and add as much flour as is needed to make a dough. the dough shouldn't stick to your hands, but be careful not to put too much flour as then it'll be too tough. This part just takes practice.

Roll out the dough so that it's very thin. Cut into strips and then cut a line in the middle of each strip, like so:

Heat oil in deep-ish pan. It should be enough oil so that the strips of batter can be covered in it and the process can be called deep-frying.

Pick up a strip of dough, out one end through the whole in the middle, to get a shape like this:

Deep fry, turning once, until golden. Once the oil is hot, this goes really fast so it's best to have all your faworki ready to be fried before you start frying.

Dust generously with sifted powdered sugar.

These are seriously, seriously yummy and they're not as complicated as I make them sound. The most difficult thing about them, I find, is getting the amount of flour right so that the dough doesn't get too touch. Oh and also having the patience to roll the dough out to be really thin, I almost never do.

I don't know why I forgot to take a photo of the finished faworki, but I did, so here is a photo of what they should look like, taken from the web:

And what to do with all the egg whites, you ask? Why, make meringues of course! Beat the egg whites on their own for a while, then add the same amount of sugar, slowly and still beating. Then add the same amount of sugar again, slowly and still beating. And a teaspoon of potato starch (but I've omitted this and the meringues have been fine). Let them dry in an oven preheated to about 100C for a couple of hours. I always take mine out slightly early because I like them all gooey! Yum!

Go check out the other entries over at Trish's, she's the host in February. And it's actually already high time to find a host for March. Any takers?

Also, don't forget to regularly visit Beth at Beth Fish Reads - she has a great Weekend Cooking event each week!

The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

2011-02-03T09:46:00.001+01:00

I finished this beautiful audiobook some time ago, but put off writing about it because I just don't know how I'm going to do it justice.

There are two parts to my love for this book. The first is the book itself, as written by Shannon Hale. The story of Dashti, a lady's maid, and her lady Saren, locked up in a tower because Seran won't marry who has been chosen for her, an evil lord of a neighboring realm. They break out of the tower eventually, but a find a world that is completely changed, destroyed by Khasar, the man Saren refused. Only one realm is still left standing and free from Khasar and that's where the two girls head for. They live, they grow, they change and they discover and they become mature women with difficult choices to make. They survive.

Shannon Hale's language is captivating, as is the story itself. But what I loved most was the character of Dashti - brave, smart, scarred, overlooked, incredible Dashti, who is one of my favorite heroines ever. This great site has lots of extra information about The Book of a Thousand Days and explains that the story is based on an old Grimm fairy tale called "Maid Maleen" - but the original completely ignores the side of the maid, her feelings, her predicament. What Shannon Hale did with Dashti to rectify that is amazing. Aside from her character and thought process in general, I love the backdrop of the serving culture, the division between nobility and muckers. Dashti understands that she was created to serve her Lady but questions it too, at some point. She is an intelligent character and I am certainly not doing her justice here so you'll just have to go meet her yourself.

Another thing I loved about the characters was the development of Dashti and Saren. The way they both evolve, the way all their experiences shape them, Hale describes is so, so well. The women they become really show all they've been through, everything they'be learned. So amazing.

And I loved the role of Gods in the story. That the eight realms of the world were named after Gods, that the Gods influenced so much that went on. They didn't make appearances like in the Greek myths, but they were really a strong presence.

Apparently the setting was inspired by Mongolia, how cool is that??
Which bring me to the second part of my love of this book. I can't imagine that a better audio recording could ever be created. The Book of a Thousand Days was narrated by Chelsey Nixon as Dashti and she was absolutely amazing. She had the perfect voice for this part and her acting was superb. Plus, the whole thing is a Full Cast Audio recording, meaning that different people play different parts. Like in a theatre play. It adds SO much to the experience, the cast really made the book come alive for me. Special mention has to go to Chelsey Nixon's singing - Dashti knows the healing songs and uses them to help those around her. So whenever the text goes: "I sang the song for sadness, which goes :" Chelsey Nixon actually sang the excerpt. Incredible. I'd add more 'incredibles', I want to, but that would be just plain silly. :-)

There's so much more I want to say about this wonderful story, but I'll stop now and let you go discover it for yourself. The only other Shannon Hale book I've read was The Goose Girl and I thought it was only ok. The Book of a Thousand Days makes me want to read everything she's ever written.

Challenges: Seconds Challenge, What's in a Name 4

Over to Trish!

2011-02-01T19:05:00.000+01:00

I don't have time to post anything today (or in the last few days) but just wanted to say that I'll have a round-up post for January's Whip up something new! ready soon. And now that it's February, head on over to Trish's place - she's your February hostess. Go on, you know you want to! :-)

Whip up Something New: Banana Cake and Vanilla Cupcakes

2011-01-25T12:07:00.001+01:00

I had a blast cooking this weekend! Or baking, rather. Which means I have two recipes to talk about for January's edition of Whip up something new! and for Beth's Weekend Cooking. Yay me!

When I saw the first contribution ever to Whip up something new!, Elise's Old-fashioned Banana Cake, I immediately thought of the perfect occasion to try it - my Baby Shane's first birthday party! :-)

Yes, that's right, Shane is now officially a toddler - and toddle he does. The cake, with it's banana goodness and lots of moisture from the added sour cream - and let's not forget the cream cheese frosting - was a huge hit with kids and adults alike. Lovely for a Sunday afternoon, no matter what age group you've invited. Thanks Elise!

But - as you can from the photo, the banana cake is one of those 'proper' round cakes so I couldn't cut it open and see if it baked properly and all that... so I also made these vanilla cupcakes. It's a Martha Stewart recipe for plain cupcakes, which is just what I wanted. I frosted them with ready-made chocolate frosting and they were good, though not as good as the banana cake!

I am SO proud of myself for making Shane's first birthday cake from scratch. That's some serious Mommy behavior, I guess I'm growing into the part. :-)

Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

2011-01-21T08:51:00.001+01:00

This is the second book in the Gallagher Girls series and was in my gift package from my Secret Santa, along with the first one, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, which I read as soon as it arrived back in December but never reviewed. Now that I finished the second one and still want to continue with the series, I thought I'd write up some thoughts.

But first... thank you, thank you, thank you to my awesome Secret Santa, Kathrin from Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic! Kathrin looked through my wishlist and chose books that she loved herself, which I think is the perfect way to choose gifts. Kathrin, they were great choices, thank you so much!

Now on to the Gallagher Girls... they are not just ordinary girls. They go to a special privileged school, but it's not what sets them apart. The Gallagher Academy isn't for rich girls, it's for future spies! Yes, that's right, we're talking about teenage girl drama set in a spy school! How fun is that?

The characters are fun, the back stories are intriguing and even the simplest story lines become fresh when you add some spies-in-training, some family secrets and practice missions to the local town where the boy you like lives. Oh and I love the 'in-passing' mentions of some fantastic inventions that originated in the labs of the Gallagher Academy. And the mentions of some of the exciting things the teachers did when they were still working as spies. Not in too much detail obviously, a higher level of security clearance would be needed for that!

These books are light and great fun so if the mood strikes... indulge. I am - I just ordered the third one, Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover. :-)

Challenges: 2011 Challenge

Weekend Cooking: Lemon chicken with chickpeas

2011-01-16T15:05:00.000+01:00

I recently realized that, no matter how good our intentions, it's simply not possible for us to cook meals on weeknights. Which means that either we live on frozen convenience foods like 'fish and chips' or we get take aways. The only solution for us is to batch-cook at the weekend so that we have nice things to eat during the week.

Setting aside a few hours at the weekend for cooking doesn't always work, but we try. This weekend we managed and this lemon chicken with chickpeas is one of the things we made. This is my entry into this week's Weekend Cooking event hosted by Beth Fish Reads, as well as my first entry into January's Whip up something new! challenge. Did you make anything yummy this weekend? Blog about and post a link!

This came out very good and I'm looking forward to having it with some rice some evening this week. Plus it takes no time to make, such a plus! The recipe is out of my stash of pages torn out of magazines, though this one is glued into a notebook, inspired by Trish. It's likely to be from BBC Good Food magazine, I almost always buy that one.

Lemon chicken with chickpeas

Serves 4, suitable for freezing

1tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 tsp each ground coriander and cumin
grated rind and juice of one lemon
400g can chickpeas, drained
200ml chicken stock
250g bag spinach

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion gently for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat, add the chicken and fry for 4 minutes, until golden. Stir in the spices and lemon rind, fry for one more minute, then tip in the chickpeas and stock. Put the lid on and simmer for 5 minutes. Season, then tip in the spinach and re-cover. Leave to wilt for 2 minutes, then stir. Squeeze over the lemon juice just before serving.

Hell's Belles by Jackie Kessler

2011-01-15T08:11:00.005+01:00

This was my second Kindle book and the first I actually paid for. I bought it immediately after reading Jackie Kessler's guest post and interview during the fabulous Smugglivus event organised by the The Book Smugglers. She just sounded so cool and the fact that Joss Whedon thinks so too and she was asked to do some writing for the Buffyverse comics, well, I couldn't not see what she was about after that.

Hell's Belles is about a succubus demon called Jezebel. She likes what she is and enjoys working out of hell, until some changes are introduced. She then leaves and tries to make it as a human. You're not given all the information at the beginning though... the book starts pretty much with Jesse's human life and all you know is that some hell beasts are after her.

A succubus demon is a sex demon and I admit that there were parts where I could have done without the sex scenes. But Jesse is sex and she works in a strip joint so there isn't any way of skipping over those bits.

Other than that (and it's possible to get over it and into the story), the book is great. The story is interesting, the characters are interesting and I love what Kessler did with the heaven/hell/God/Lucifer story that is general knowledge. And I love her writing style, it's engaging and really brings the story alive. It totally works for me.

I'm definitely curious as to what will happen next and am glad that The Road to Hell is out there. And of course I can't wait to see what Kessler contributed to the Buffyverse!

Challenges: 2011 Challenge, What's in a Name 4

A book unfinished and a book postponed

2011-01-12T09:38:00.000+01:00

I've spread myself a bit thin on the reading front lately, starting too many books at once and not finishing anything. One of these books will have to remain unfinished I think. I've been reading Eric Segal's The Class on and off for months and can't seem to care enough about the characters to get through it at any sort of reasonable pace. It's not bad or anything, the story is interesting enough I guess, but the style and the choppy chapters irritate me. I know he's all famous and I remember loving Love Story, both book and movie, but this just isn't doing it for me.

Another book will have to be postponed. I've been working on The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas by John Matthews and already wrote one post on pagan midwinter traditions. I read a couple more chapters now and have plenty of notes and ideas, but with Christmas long gone both reading it and writing about it don't seem appropriate. So I decided to leave writing anything more on the subject until next December when it's all Christmassy again.

So there. On to the other five or six books I have going! :-)

January Foodie Challenge: Whip up something new!

2011-01-09T13:49:00.001+01:00

There are still a couple of weeks left in January so we're starting right away! I'll be your host this month. :-)

If you don't know what I'm talking about, go here.

Otherwise -

Get out those piles of un-filed recipes, look through your binders or your cookbooks and start cooking! Make at least one new dish in what's left of January and add your link below - each new recipe must have a separate post and a separate link. Make sure you're linking to the specific post(s) and not to your blog in general, I will be deleting links that don't follow this (sorry, but otherwise we won't be able to find your post!). Leave the name of your dish in brackets after your name.

Deadline for adding links - Monday January 31.

Don't forget to also add your recipe to Weekend Cooking, a weekly event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Hey, what a great place to find even more recipes to clip and put in your to-be-tried pile! :-)

Have fun - I'll post a January round-up of submitted recipes on February 1.

P.S. If someone can make a button, that would be great!

Foodie Challenge: Whip up something new!

2011-01-09T13:47:00.017+01:00

It seems that many of us have recipes torn out of magazines or given to us by friends, recipes that remain in the 'to-be-tried' pile way too long. After Trish posted about her new recipe scrapbook project to organise all the great recipes she's collected over the years, the comments were quickly full of similar stories - too many untried recipes floating around!

Whip up something new! is a monthly challenge for the many of of us who promise ourselves that we'll try new recipes and yet we end up cooking the same old things. Although it was inspired by organising those ripped/cut out recipes, if you don't have such a pile of paper to sift through, feel free to make something from one of your cookbooks or from the hundreds of fabulous cooking blogs. The point is to try cooking new things!

This is how it works -

Each month, you are asked to make (at least) one dish from a recipe that is new to you and to blog about it, whether it was delicious or not-so-much. The person who is hosting the challenge that month (yes, we have a rotation going on!) will make an introductory post with the possibility of leaving a link to the new recipe posts. The host chooses how to do this and will also do a wrap-up post at the end of their month. Other than that, they can run the challenge any way they wish during the month they're hosting, including mini-challenges and related events.

This post will always have a link to whoever is hosting the following month. I'll do January myself and Trish will host in February. If you're interested in being next, leave a comment and let me know!

January - Joanna (add your recipe here)

February - Trish (add your recipe here)

March - Elise (add your recipe here; see the wrap-up post here)
April - Michelle (add your recipe here)
May - Kristi (add your recipe here)
June - Gnoe (add your recipe here)
July - Margot (add your recipe here)
September - Joanna (add your recipe here)

Here are some buttons for you (thanks Violet and Veens!)- feel free to use them, just make sure you link to this post so you know who the current host is!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2011-01-05T09:40:00.002+01:00

What took me so long? People around me have been loving Jane Austen for a very long time and I still held on to my 'classic are boring' frame of mind. I've been making such an effort to read more classics in the past few years and I'm happy with how I'm doing - but I was still wary of Jane Austen. How can a love story set 'back then' be of any interest? How can it compare with today's chick lit books? I won't be able to relate!

So. Not. True.

I absolutely loved Pride and Prejudice when I read it in December. I loved Lizzie and her defiance and her softness. I loved Jane and her calmness and wisdom. I loved their father and the way he looked at a life he wasn't entirely happy with. I loved Darcy. The mom and some of the sisters got on my nerves at times, but it wouldn't have been a very good story without them.

I felt so much while I was reading this. The emotion is incredible. And Austen's humor, wit, sarcasm were all completely, utterly unexpected. Pride and Prejudice was a real pleasure to read and I can't wait to read another Austen.

I ordered the BBC adaptation from Amazon. And in the meantime watched Bridget Jones, she has a Darcy too, right? :-)

TV shows I love

2011-01-03T10:57:00.000+01:00

I've seen many, many posts about TV shows around the blogosphere and have been wanting to do a TV post of my own for ages.

I love TV. Intelligent TV, escapist TV, funny TV. Joe and I spend our evenings watching series on DVD and we feel only slightly guilty about it. We've discovered loads of shows that we both like so we have many choices and we keep discovering more.

Last night, we watched the first couple of episodes of Season One of Glee and the first episode of Season One of Mad Men. All were FANTASTIC and I think I can honestly say that both shows will be up there with our favorites - Buffy, Angel, Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, Outnumbered, Arrested Development.

A word on Glee - oh my Gods, can a show be any more perfect? All that beautiful singing, all that great choreography and all set in a high school, which is my preferred fun setting! The script is great - funny, quirky and quick. A couple of lines in the first episodes made me laugh so hard I had to pause the show. Fabulous.

And Mad Men. I have a specific interest in the 1950s, especially in the role/treatment of women and I'm also fascinated by the advertising industry and how they pass messages to us. I loved the first episode and can't wait to watch more. Though the treating-women-like-shit thing makes me very angry and I end up yelling at the TV...

What are your favorite shows? Anything I need to buy? :-)

Books Read in 2011

2011-01-01T09:20:00.040+01:00

December
62. Matched by Ally Condie
61. Maggie Again by John D. Husband
60. Ravenstoke by Augusta Blythe
59. Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
58. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
57. Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
56. Can Any Mother Help Me? by Jenna Bailey
55. Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
54. audiobook - The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
53. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

November
52. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
51. The Cat by Colette
50. Gigi by Colette

October
49. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
48. One Day by David Nicholls
47. Holes by Louis Sachar
46. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
45. Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

September
44. *The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
43. The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
42. Soulless by Gail Carriger
41. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
40. audiobook - Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants: The Second Summer by Ann Brashares

August
39. Dating Big Bird by Laura Zigman
38. Making History by Stephen Fry
37. Wish me Dead by Helen Grant
36. Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
35. Only the Good Spy Young (Gallagher Girls #4) by Ally Carter
34. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

July
33. The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett
32. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
31. in Polish: The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
30. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
29. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
28. Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik

June
27. Nurturing Superwoman by Carolyn Moody
26. The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

May
25. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
24. *Winterborne by Augusta Blythe

April
23. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
22. Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook
21. *The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne
20. The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison
19. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
18. audiobook - When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
17. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

March
16. *audiobook - The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
15. Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
14. Fables 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham
13. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
12. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
11. The Reptile Room (Book Two in A Series of Unfortunate Events) by Lemony Snicket
10. The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble

February
9. DNF - Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
8. The Princess Diaries, Take Two by Meg Cabot
7. *The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac
6. *audiobook - Starring Sally J. Friedman as Herself by Judy Blume
5. Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter

January
4. *audiobook - The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
3. Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
2. The Class by Eric Segal (DNF)
1. Hell's Belles by Jackie Kessler

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T18:00:00.002+01:00

Wishing you all a most fabulous New Year 2011, filled with happiness, laughter, love and, of course, books!

2011 Goals, part 2: Bookish Goals

2010-12-31T17:28:00.000+01:00

2010 was all about spontaneous reading for me. I didn't think I could handle challenges with a new baby and all so I didn't sign up for many. I enjoyed the freedom, but missed my reference lists, so this year I want to do a bit of both.

In 2011, I want to:

Continue reading classics. I got into classics in the past few years and have been going through them slowly but surely. 2010 was the year I discovered Jane Austen and I definitely want to read more of her. There are several others on my list too, for example The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. And I'd like to re-read Jane Eyre at some point too, although I'm not sure I'll get around to it in 2011!
Read second books by authors I liked. Luckily, there's a challenge set up for this, so I'm all set.
Read more in Polish. I was disappointed to realise that I didn't read a single book in Polish in 2010. I think I need to include Polish books in a challenge format, otherwise I won't pick any up. Even though I'm Polish, I've been in English-speaking environments since I was 6 years old and reading in Polish is hard for me. I have to concentrate more than in English. But I do want to keep up with new Polish authors and also improve my vocabulary so I'd really like to include Polish reading in my life.
Keep up with series I'm reading. I seem to read a lot of series and I seem to constantly discover new ones. I want to keep track of where I am and continue with the series I've started.
Read e-books. I got a Kindle for my birthday and I want to use it - e-books, here I come!
Learn more about topics that interest me. This is why Alex and I set up the One, Two, Theme! challenge... my list of topics is here.
Read the books that Alex chose for me. We exchanged book recommendations and I really want to read the books she loved and thought I'd enjoy too.
Read off my shelves. I'm sure many of you will understand perfectly when I say that I have a book-buying problem. I love it. I can kind of control myself when buying new books, but whenever I go to a charity sale I end of with bags and bags of new books on my shelves. Some of those need to get read - see the list I made for the TBR challenge.
Re-read some favorites. There are a few books that I've been meaning to re-read because I enjoyed them so much, such as Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and the Harry Potter series. Maybe I'll get around to doing this in 2011?
Knock a few books off my TBR list. Like Nymeth and probably loads of other bloggers, I have a huge list of books that I've been meaning to get to soon. I would like to read several of books from the list below in 2011 - not all, but definitely some:

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Wild Swans by Jung Chang
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
1984 by George Orwell

Hmmmm.... that seems to be a lot of reading! :-)

2010 Challenges

2010-12-31T09:42:00.000+01:00

Housekeeping post...

These are the challenges I participated in in 2010:

1% Well-Read Challenge

2010 Countdown Challenge

Flashback Challenge - done

Four-Month Reading Challenge

Graphic Novels Challenge

Orbis Terrarum

R.I.P. V - done

What's in a Name 3 - done

Women Unbound

2011 Goals, part 1: Non-Bookish Goals

2010-12-29T19:27:00.001+01:00

I love the start of a new year. I love being able to leave behind what already happened and love being able to look forward. And I love making lists of what I'd like to accomplish. :-)

I expect that 2011 will be pretty busy. Here are a few things that I'd like to get done:

I'll be getting married in 2011 and I'd like things to go smoothly. If all goes well with documents, translations and other administrative things, our civil ceremony will take place in February. Our handfasting (a pagan wedding ceremony) will be in June, provided we can find someone to perform it - our party will celebrate that as well as Joe's 50th birthday. We're really looking forward to our marriage and to the related celebrations.
I'll be turning 35. This milestone won't happen until December, but I'd still like to keep it in mind throughout the year and mark it by growing, both spiritually and intellectually. To me, life makes sense as long as I'm learning something and sometimes that requires more of an effort than I like to admit. Also, I understand that spiritually 2011 will be the year of embracing those unique attributes that make you YOU. Learning more about myself and accepting what I find are definitely on my to-do list.
2011 will be the second year of Baby S's life. I want to cherish the times we'll have together and stop whining. He's a baby and that means he acts like a baby. Seriously, I need to focus on the huge positives that he brought to my life. Sometimes I loose myself in the little things that don't matter and lose sight of what's important.
Get in shape. This has been a goal of mine for soooo long and I soooo want it to be done. I will eat healthy and I will excercise and I will be fit by the time 2012 rolls around.
Get finances in order. Even in these tougher times, I remain a big spender. I want to become better with money, there's no other way of saying it. Grocery shopping is my downfall so I guess that's where we'll start.
Travel. I already have a few trips planned, but I wan't more... I just want to take advantage of the holidays we get and make sure I start visiting some of the countries I've been wanting to go to. There's no time like the present, right?
Cook more. I love cooking and I have a about a million cookbooks. I want to make time on the weekends to cook meals for the week so we end up eating pizza less often!
Chill out. I want to be balanced and zen, not stressed out and crazy. Any tips on how to get to my goal?

Favorite books 2010

2010-12-27T08:39:00.002+01:00

Here we are again. The end of the year is one of my favorite times of the blogging year, because of everyone's favorites lists that I devour and end up adding to my wishlist. Good times!

2010 was a great reading year for me - 59 books, which I think is pretty good with a new baby around!
I hope that my favorites of 2010 add some interesting books to your lists too! Here they are, in no particular order:

1. The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
This trilogy was a treat. I couldn't get enough of Katniss and the terrible world she lives in. It's not often that you enjoy all the books in a trilogy and I loved every minute of The Hunger Games, from the action-packed first games Katniss took part in to her introspection and pain in Mockingjay. (Yes, I know I'm cheating by listing these three as one book on my list...)

2. The Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch Alborn
This was a book I avoided because of the hype and only read because a dear friend said it was her favorite. How I loved the idea that the people you meet in heaven teach you something about the way you lived your life! This is one I'll be re-reading often, I'm sure.

3. What Mothers Do, Especially When It Looks Like Nothing by Naomi Stadlen
The perfect book for every expecting or new mom. Who knew that all the stuff you go through in the first weeks an months isn't strange and that all other moms went through it too? The part that made me feel better was the societal aspect - the fact that traditionally we're not meant to do it all alone, so I could stop feeling guilty for finding it so very hard at times. A real eye-opener.

4. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
A beautifully-written book about the changes you go through as you get older... an amazing novel in stories with unforgettable characters that inspired a whole range of surprisingly real emotions in me. Not to be missed.

5. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
A fun YA novel about a girl named Frankie, who sets out to change some of the male-centered ways of her Ivy League school. Her unique use of language ("I was gruntled") stayed in my mind all year. She reminded me of Rory Gilmore and I loved her just as much.

6. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
The only part I didn't enjoy was the 'Pray' part, but it goes on my favorites list anyway, because the other two were brilliant. Great reading for all women who are trying to figure out where and how they belong and if they're choices are right - which I guess will be most of us. Gilbert has a wonderfully down-to-earth writing style and her ability to laugh at herself makes her someone the reader can totally identify with.

7. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
I love Flavia de Luce, so passionate about chemistry, obsevant of life in general and intent on solving a real murder committed on her family's property. Besides that she's a completely normal eleven-year-old. :-)

8. Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
Fascinating popular science book about how big pharma and the media use science to further their own goals and how being misinformed can affect our choices. A book that everyone should read to learn to distinguish between good and bad science themselves - knowledge is power, in this case.

9. Room by Emma Donaghue
The story of Jack and Ma and their life in Room shows how we can adapt to almost anything and what life can look like if we're not aware of the existence of anything else. Told from 5-year-old Jack's point of view, it's a truly unique piece of writing.

10. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My first Jane Austen and I admit that I was very surprised to have liked it so much! I was expecting a more 'typical' classic and instead I got a story full of great characters and writing full of humor. Now I can't wait to watch the tv and movie adaptations!

Special mentions, or books that didn't make the top ten but were still fantastic:

The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan - a great way to teach kids about Greek mythology.
In the Woods by Tana French - I don't read many thrillers, but Tana French kept my interest the whole way through.
The Wood Wife by Terri Windling - fantasy book with aspects of Native American mythology, very engrossing.
Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi - graphic novel set in Iran, about a man who gives up on life. Another example of the beauty of graphic novels - the simple drawings deliver a very strong message.
I'd tell you I love you but then I'd have to kill you by Ally Carter - a refreshingly original take on adolescence, through the eyes of a teenage spy.

And that's that. Can't wait to see all your lists now!!!

Eastern European Reading Challenge

2010-12-26T18:56:00.000+01:00

Amy of The Black Sheep Dances is hosting the Eastern European Reading Challenge in 2011. I imagine that most of my books will come from my own country, Poland, and that's perfectly ok with me. I didn't read a single Polish book in 2010 and that makes me sad.

I'll go for Tourist level, which means 4 books in 2011. It isn't that many I suppose, but I need to be realistic! If I make 8 books I'll upgrade to Ambassador level. ;-)

Completed: 0/4 as of January 1, 2011

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T10:55:00.000+01:00

Best wishes to you and your families during this holiday season - whatever you're celebrating, may this time bring you lots of joy and laughter, and of course lovely prezzies. :-) Santa has been very good to our family this year, loads of goodies floating around the place. Baby S is worn out by all his new toys and is sleeping, so I'll take some time out too and look over all the beautiful things I got this year - no books but two fantastic cookbooks and lots of non-bookish stuff! Hope you're all having a great day with your loved ones!

2011 Graphic Novels Challenge

2010-12-23T18:35:00.000+01:00

Vasilly is the new host for the 2011 Graphic Novels Challenge, hosted on a dedicated blog.

The challenge runs from January to December 2011. I'm going for the intermediate level, which means 3-10 books.

I always want to include more graphic novels in my reading and a challenge is the perfect way to plan it in!

Completed: 0/3-10 as of January 1, 2011

Preludes and Nocturnes (The Sandman, #1) by Neil Gaiman
Fables 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham
Blankets by Craig Thompson
Maus by Art Spiegelman
Buffy Omnnibus, vol. 2 by Joss Whedon et. al.
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Chick Lit Challenge

2010-12-23T18:32:00.002+01:00

Twiga at Journey to the End of the TBR Pile is once again hosting the Chick Lit Challenge for 2011.

The challenge is to read 8 chicklit books in 2011 - I enjoy fun chicklit so I'm in. :-)

Completed: ALL 8/8 as of December 30, 2011 (see my wrap-up post here)

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
Dating Big Bird by Laura Zigman
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot
Bet Me by Jennifer Cruise
Undead and Unappreciated by MaryJanice Davidson
something by Marian Keyes
The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble
The Class by Eric Segal
The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne
One Day by David Nicholls

Steampunk Challenge

2010-12-23T18:31:00.001+01:00

The Bookkeeper is organising a Steampunk Challenge.

I've never read anything that would classify as 'setampunk' and I'm really intrigued by these books. :-)

The challenge started in October so I'm a bit late, but it goes on until October 2011 so I still have time. No commitment is needed so we'll see how things go!

Completed: 0 as of January 1, 2011

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Girl Genius, vol. 1 by Phil Foglio

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

2010-12-23T18:18:00.001+01:00

The women over at Historical Tapestry are hosting the Historical Fiction Challenge.

I alwazs want to read more historical fiction - I love learning about life in other time periods and, as long as they're well-researched, historical fiction books are great for that.

This challenge has several levels and I choose the 'Daring and Curious' level, so 5 books in 2011. The great thing is that all historical fiction counts - including YA and fantasy. yay!

Some ideas are below, but I'm not committing to a list!

Completed: 2/5 as of July 28, 2011

Soulless by Gail Carriger
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison

Mini reviews - coming to you from beautiful Poland

2010-12-23T13:56:00.000+01:00

We finally made it over. There was lots of confusion as the airport in Brussels was closed for a while because of weather conditions... we had to switch flights and then switch back and it made everything very rushed and hectic. But we're at my parents' house now, which is great for so many reasons. The Warsaw airport was closed this morning so we feel very lucky to have gotten here - having survived a four hour delay at the airport too.

So the next week or so will filled with family time, presents, good food and lots of happiness. Joe and I are even going into Warsaw for a couple of days, without Baby S, to spend some quality time together. Lots to look forward to.

I'm doing some reading, though not tons. Enough. But I still have all my November reviews to post so, this is another mini-review post. I'm getting used to these!

Mary Anne Saves the Day, Dawn and the Impossible Three, Kristy's Big Day by Ann M. Martin (The Babysitters Club #4, #5, #6)
What is there to say about this great series that I loved so much when I was a kid? I am really enjoying re-reading them, especially while taking care of Baby S in the early hours of several November mornings. I don't know if anyone who doesn't already know these books would like them as an adult, but as re-reads they are a great comfort.

Diplomatic Baggage by Brigid Keenan
I soooo wanted to like this, since I too travelled around the world a lot and lived in a couple of more 'exotic' countries. Keenan is the wife of a diplomat and her book is a memoir of their experiences and travels in country after country. I wanted to relate, I wanted to laugh with her at the absurdity of some of the situations you encounter when you move around that often, but I just couldn't. She annoyed me immensely and I found her jokes forced. Sometimes I even wonder if she didn't make them up, they often seemed apocryphal. And did I mention that she really annoyed me?

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
I think 'creepy' is the only way to describe this... Englishman Edward Prendick finds himself stranded on an island with mad scientist Dr. Moreau and some other beings who don't seem quite human. The story combines science, ethics and the nature of man. It's quite unbelievable that it was written in the 19th century. The science fiction that H.G. Wells produced is incredible. I'd like to read up more about him, it seems that he was quite the champion of free thought and equal rights.

The Bad Mother's Handbook by Kate Long
Three generations of women under the same roof come to terms with themselves and each other. They're each going through a different phase of womanhood and struggling with relating to the others. A chick lit book which looks at what it means to be a daughter and a mother. Very enjoyable and very real, it made me laugh so many times. I think one of the things that made is so wonderfully real is that the point-of-view alternates - we get a glimpse into the minds of all three generations. It doesn't look like much, but it's a keeper, I'd recommend it to all women!

2011 Global Reading Challenge

2010-12-23T13:31:00.001+01:00

The Global Reading Challenge is hosted by Danish blogger Dorte H and is a great idea. The point is to read novels from each continent. There are several levels of participation, but I'll go for the easy one, so one book per continent, just because I'm signing up to so many other challenges and I want to have a chance of completing them!

For the seventh continent, we can choose either Antarctica or any other setting, eg the sea, space, a supernatural/paranormal world, history, the future – you name it. Great idea.

Completed: 5/7 as of July 28, 2011

Africa -
Asia - The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
Australasia - The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Europe - The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett
North America - Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
South/Central America -
The Seventh Continent - The Future - The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

Challenge: The 2011 Challenge

2010-12-23T11:40:00.005+01:00

Bart of Bart's Bookshelf is hosting the 2011 Challenge, which features a whole series of categories participants need to fill. I'm a total sucker for categories. :-)

I need to read 2 books per category, but can read only 1 book for two of the categories, for a total of 20 books. For details, visit the intro post.

Completed: ALL 20/20 as of December 30, 2011 (see my wrap-up post here)

1. To YA or not YA... (one YA and one adult fiction)
Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy by Ally Carter
The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble

2. ...with a twist (subgenres, steampunk and historical)
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk

3. Hot off the presses
Winterborne by Augusta Blythe
Ravenstoke by Augusta Blythe

4. It wasn't me! (a.k.a. Bad Bloggers)
Hell's Belles by Jackie Kessler
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

5. Show it who's boss! (TBR pile)
Angry Housewives Eating Bon-Bons by Lorna Landvik
Wicked by Gregory Maguire

6. Babelfish (books in translation)
The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac

7. Willpower? What willpower? (newly bought books)
The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

8. Mind the gap! (to finish a trilogy or series)
Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter

9. Back in the day (re-reads)
The Cat in The Hat by Dr Seuss
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss

10. Way back when (published before I was born)
A Room With A View by E.M. Forster

11. Slim pickings (novellas)
Gigi by Colette

Southern Reading Challenge

2010-12-23T09:33:00.001+01:00

Jen of The Introverted Reader is hosting the Southern Literature Challenge. There are many levels, but I'll be ambitious with this one and go for the highest one - Level 4-Y'all come back now, y'hear!, which means reading 4 books. I really enjoy that Southern feel so I'm hoping this will be easy to do!

Completed: 0/4 as of January 1, 2011

Murder Runs in the Family by Anne George
Daisy Day and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc by Loraine Despres
Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

Challenge: 2011 TBR Challenge

2010-12-17T13:52:00.001+01:00

I need this challenge - I have sooo many books that have been sitting on my shelves for years and years. At least if I put some of them on a list I remember that I have them. :-)

The TBR challenge is hosted by Adam, a.k.a. The Roofbeam Reader, and requires participants to read 12 books that have been on their shelves for over a year. A list is required and is considered final on January 1, 2011, when the challenge starts. It lasts all year.

I just walked around the house and looked at my bookshelves and selected the books below. Maybe they'll be lucky and will finally get read!

Completed: 0/12 as of January 1, 2011

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell
The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer
The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood
Hunting Unicorns by Bella Pollen
The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble
A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton
Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg
Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
Making History by Stephen Fry

Two alternates:

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore