Peyton Place

Peyton Place by Grace Metalious

read December 2011

This has been on my "to read" list for quite a while, and I finally got around to reading it over the holiday season. I liked it. For those of you unfamiliar with the book, it created quite a stir when published in 1956. In fact, locals from the New England town where Metalious lived pretty much shunned her for the rest of her life. The story of the author intrigues me about as much as the book. Throughout her life, people didn't hesitate to call her writing "trash". She is quoted as saying, "If I'm a lousy writer, then an awful lot of people have lousy taste". Take that, nay-sayers. It was a quick read and entertaining. While it's probably not too shocking by today's standards, I can see how scandalous this was when it was published. Some people think it's too soap-opera-y, and there is an element of that in the book. But there are also some fantastic descriptions of the homes, seasons and the mill that made me feel like I was right there in Peyton Place in the 30's and 40's.

I gave this book 3 stars on Good Reads.

Everything Kennedy

Everything Kennedy: My (much shorter, less historical, less sad, more funny) Times to Remember by Kristi Farrow

read December 2011

As far as I can tell, this is only available via Kindle e-book. I looked on Amazon.com and at the library for the print versions, but I couldn't seem to find it. At any rate, this was recommended to me by one of my friends. It was a steal - only $2.99. And guess what? It's worth so much more. Hilarious. It's a super short read, but I'm so, so glad I read it. From what I can tell, Kristi Farrow is a local girl. You can find some of her articles on the Columbus Parent website. I'll have to ask my friend, Cari, about her. These days it's tough to find entertainment this good for only $2.99! Download it. Read it. Laugh.

The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything

The Jesuit Guide To Almost Everything:A Spirituality For Real Life by James Martin

read December 2011

I learned about this author (a Jesuit priest) on The Stephen Colbert show. Colbert, a Catholic, calls Martin "the official priest of the Colbert Nation". I'm not Catholic, but I was so impressed with this guy that I decided to check out his book. It was pretty good. The books is very user-friendly, meaning that you don't have to be Catholic to "get it". There's a lot of talk about finding God in your everyday life (the little things) and recognizing when God's has touched you. The book made a lot of sense to me. I'd definitely read more by this author.

Cold Vengence

Cold Vengence (Pendergast #11) by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

read December 2011

I am a big fan of a lot of Preston & Child's work. Cabinet of Curiousities is one of my favorite books of all time. A lot of their books revolve around FBI Special Agent Aloysius X. L. Pendergast, who is rich, super smart and ninja-like. The books, in the past, have had a lot of history, museums, and haunted houses. But this book is more Nazi conspiracy theory and less history mystery. I read it over the weekend in fits and starts. In this book, Pendergast is investigating his wife's accidental death - which took place over 12 years ago. It get's a little boring in spots. I guess this is book #2 in a trilogy about Pendergast's wife's death. I probably won't read any of the other ones. Don't get me wrong, it's a good book. But not buy-it-at-the-bookstore good. Get it from the library. And while you're at it, do yourself a favor and pick up Cabinet of Curiousities, Reliquary or Still Life With Crows. You won't be disappointed.

Bacon: A Love Story

Bacon:A Love Story by Heather Lauer

read December 2011

I wanted to love this book. Really, I did. Because I love bacon. Who doesn't? It is, in my opinion, the best part of the pig. And I love to read about food, so this book jumped out at me from the library shelves. Heather Lauer is a blogger who basically turned her blog into a book. The book is not great. I don't even know if I'd give it a good. There are some good parts, though, so I guess I'll stick with a good. The beginning of the book has some interesting history notes on bacon, and there are some recipes that sound great. (Bacon wrapped tater tots, anyone??) I found the book to be a little repetitive and boring.

Her blog is actually pretty good, although it hasn't seen a new post since early fall.

Catching Fire

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

read December 2011

If you haven't read or heard of "The Hunger Games Trilogy", let me give you a little background information: This is a teen series. Set in the United States after a big civil uprising, the country is divided into "districts". The Hunger Games are the government's punishment for the citizens rising up. 1 boy and 1 girl are selected (through a lottery) to attend the Hunger Games, where they fight to the death. The last one standing is the victor, and their district gets food and goodies as a prize. Sick, huh? The main character is Katniss Everdeen, who (spoiler alert) survives not one, but two Hunger Games. This second book picks up where the first one left off. Katniss is living in Victors' Village with her mom and younger sister. You'd think she'd be able to relax and enjoy her victory, right? Wrong.

I am conflicted about this series. They're relatively well written, and fun to read. But the books are just so, so dark! I am almost depressed reading them. I read the first one on the recommendation of my BFF, who has pretty much the same taste in books as I do. I'm a sucker for a teen novel, so I thought I'd give them a try. I purchased #2 for the Kindle, but I didn't pick it up until recently. There's been a lot of talk about these books lately, as a movie is being made about them.... I'll probably read #3, but not anytime soon. It will take me a while to perk back up after reading #2.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

read November 2011

This is our November BC book. I realized today that this was due back to the library by Thursday, so I forced myself to power through it today. It actually wasn't that difficult to do, as the book is quite the page turner. Have you seen the movie? Matt Damon plays Tom Ripley, Gwennie Paltrow is Madge and Jude Law is Dickie Greenleaf. The movie's pretty good. As with most books-to-movies, though, I thought the book was much better. What surprises me the most is how modern the book reads. I mean, it was written in 1955, yet it reads very "modern". Tom Ripley is a true sociopath...but when did he turn into one? You get a glimpse that he was involved in some not-so-nice activities before he met Dickie Greenleaf, but we're talking insurance fraud and the like, not murder. Note: I am not endorsing insurance fraud! Something that I find interesting is that Tom seems to vacillate between finding Dickie infuriating and being infatuated with him. I really enjoyed this book. Highsmith wrote a bunch of Tom Ripley books, and I'm intrigued enough to check out the next one in the series, which is 'Ripley Under Ground'.

100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know

100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know Cindi Leive and the Editors of Glamour

read November 2011

I picked this up at the library this morning and flipped through it this afternoon. I'm not too impressed with the recipes. I love Glamour magazine and the recipes that they feature. They showcase quick recipes for entertaining. I am so glad I didn't buy this cookbook! Bottom line: probably best for a 20-something career girl with limited time and not-so-much cooking experience. That just made me sound REALLY old, didn't it?

Yes, I Have Been Reading

Okay, I had great intentions at the beginning of 2011 to blog on a regular basis. On my "regular" blog and here on Readin' and Bloggin'. Kinda didn't happen. But, yes, I have been reading. Quite a lot. In the beginning of the year, I stuck to mostly book club books and wedding books. But then I discovered George R R Martin, and he took a lot of my time this year. I've also been trying to rediscover the classics. For example, I just read "The Old Curiousity Shop" by Dickens. What I haven't been doing is keeping track of what I've been reading. But I am going to make an effort to improve!

A Feast for Crows

A Feast for Crows by George R Martin

read November 2011

This is book #4 in the "Song of Ice and Fire" series by Martin. Here's a little background info on the books. You may have seen the HBO series "Game of Thrones". Yes? Well, that show mirrors book #1 in the series. (Side note: The HBO show is quite good!) These books were recommended to me last year by one of my employees, who is an avid reader. I downloaded the first book to my Kindle but just couldn't get into it at first. There are A LOT of characters in these books. It's almost overwhelming. And each chapter is told from the viewpoint of a different character. I read the first 2 chapters and then put it down....for a year. But something possessed me to give it another go and I am SOOOO glad that I did! The books take place in the land of Westeros, which is suspiciously similar to medieval England. Various members of the Seven Kingdoms all bicker and squabble for control of the Iron Throne. That's probably as detailed as I should go, or I may give away some good information. I am not a fan of fantasy at all, but these books have an air of historical fiction that appeals to me. Very much so.

So now to book #4. Great book. Long, but well worth the effort. This book introduces us to a TON of new characters. There is a lot of detailed character development in this book, but it barely mentions some of the other main characters that I've grown to love. Like Tyrion (aka The Imp) and Dany. Apparently Martin realized that his book was going to be too big for one book so he just hacked it in half! Fortunately, book #5 was published this year, so I have it on hold at the library. Can't wait for it to come in, but I'm #68, so it may be a while. I cannot wait!

Book Update

Wow - I can't believe it's been nearly 5 months since I posted a book update! I have been reading plenty lately. Here's a recap of some of the books (the ones that I can remember) that I've read over the fall and holiday season:

1) "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova. This is a GREAT book! I read it a year or so ago and picked it up again in October. Thought it would be a good Halloween read. It's the story of a girl (late teens) who discovers that her father secretly has been studying Dracula. She finds this super old book (like from the Middle Ages) in his study one day and a package of letters. Is it possible that Dracula has lived on in the modern world? It's a big book, but not tough to read at all.

2) "The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Society" by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows. This was our November (I think) book club book. At first, I absolutely hated it. So much that I couldn't even finish it. But I carried on.... And, admittedly, ended up really enjoying it.

3) The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. So far I've read books 1, 2 and 3. They're kind of trashy, but oh-so-good. Mandy turned me on to this series and I can't put them down! They're kind of a unique twist on a vampire story. The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a group of ultra tough vampires who protect their race from a group called "the lessers", whose goal in life is to kill vampires. Very good.

4) "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. I got a kindle from Tommy for Christmas! Love, love, love it! There are a TON of free books available for download, and this was one I downloaded on Christmas night. I can't believe I've never read it! Great read, but not one to read when you're home alone at night.

5) "The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the Periodic Table" by Sam Kean. Okay, it might SOUND nerdy, but this book all about the elements REALLY is fascinating! There is a weird or sordid tale behind the discovery of a lot of the elements. This is another kindle download. I'm glad I read it, but I wish I wouldn't have purchased it! Should have gotten it from the library.

6) "Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette" by Peggy Post. Wedding plans start in earnest this month. Now I'm an expert! :-)

7) "Water for Elephants" by Sarah Gruen. This was another Book Club book. Either September or October.... SOOOO stinkin' good! Here's what the review on barnesandnoble.com says:

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

That sums it up quite nicely, don'tcha think?? Great book. I just started reading "Ape House" by the same author.

8)"Candy Freak: A Journey into the Chocolate Underbelly of America" by Steve Almond. This guy is obsessed with candy. Obsessed with it. And this book is all about candy and the people who make candy. Interesting.

9) "At Home: A Short History of Private Life" by Bill Bryson. SOOOO interesting. The author moved into this old parsonage (if I remember correctly, built in the 1850s), and started to question the rooms and things in the house. This led to this lovely book. If you ever wanted to know everything there is to know about the history of homes, this is the book for you. I found it fascinating! I got a previous book of his, "The Short History of Nearly Everything", but didn't find it nearly as good as this one. In my opinion, this is a must read!

I believe there are more books that I've read, but I'll need to make an additional post at a later time. I need to return to scrapbooking! Happy New Year! Happy reading!