Books That Broke My Spirit: 2011

I try not to just give up on books. In fact, I probably ought to quit more books and not waste my time, but. . . I just don't.

Still, every once in a while, a book just doesn't do it for me. These are the fifteen books I gave up on in 2011 (theses are books that I was committed enough to put in Goodreads as "currently reading" and then finally gave up. There are, I'm sure, other books that I picked up, read a page or two, and never picked up again. But they aren't on this list).

• The Chronicles of Harris Burdick - Someday I will just learn that I hate short story collections and to stop wasting my time on them. Amen. 
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - I was listening to this and I think this is one that might need to be read instead of listened to. But it's hard to pick up a paper copy of a book you already have bad feelings toward. So, despite this being on all of the best-of lists this year, it might just be one I skip forever. 
• Girls in White Dresses - I tried. It annoyed me. I gave up. 
• The Last Anniversary - I loved What Alice Forgot so much that I immediately picked up another book by the author, got confused by the number of characters in the first chapter and didn't bother to return. I am lazy. 
• The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism and Treachery - I renewed this one six times but I just never actually finished it. It was interesting, but not the one I was dying to finish. Clearly. 
• Walden, or Life in the Woods - My goal was to read four classics this year and this was going to be on of them. I picked something less dense and with more of a storyline instead. 
• Work Hard, Be Nice: How Two Inspired Teachers Created America's Best Schools - I listened to this (it's about the KIPP schools and how they started) and I just couldn't make any progress. It went on and on. 
• The Time-Traveling Fashionista - This is one I actually might come back to. But I just haven't been hooked yet. 
• One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street - I tried so hard on this book (which I got from The Picnic Basket) but. . . I couldn't do it. 
• The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels - My tolerance for the number of times an author can describe how weak her knees went is about 3 times. I listened to this at double speed while I was on the treadmill for 30 minutes (so about 60 minutes of listening) and I heard it no less than 15 times. It was absurd. It embarrassed me to much to continue. 
• The Cinderella Society - I can remember exactly nothing about this book except a keychain. It was due back at the library and I sent it back without hesitation. 
• The Replacement - This book gave me the creeps. I don't do books like this.
• The True Meaning of Smekday - Everyone raved about how amazing this book was, especially the audio version, but it did nothing for me. I guess I don't like weird alien voices? 
• Juliet - Too long and too silly. I gave up after 50 pages. My mom read it and said that giving up was a good plan. 

Anybody else toss a book (or twenty) to the curb this year? 

The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow

The subtitle of The Magic Room is "A Story about the Love We Wish for Our Daughters." I almost ignored it based on that cheese-ball sentence alone, but I was intrigued enough by the idea of a bridal store owned by the same family since the Great Depression to make me pick it up.

And then I ended up reading the whole thing in about three days. I loved this book. It really came within a stone's throw of being on my list of top books for 2011.

It's a non-fiction title about a bridal dress store (converted from a bank that went under during the Great Depression) in a tiny town in Michigan. It's been owned by the same family since its inception and it's always been the female members of the family who've run the store.

The chapters alternate between the family that owns the store and their story, and a series of brides who have bought their dresses at Becker's and their individual journeys to the alter. I loved both parts of the story and felt like it created a great balance of the excitement of a wedding for a family and also the stress of running a business behind the "everything is magical" scenes in the bridal store.

The brides highlighted are a wonderful variety. One woman was getting married just after her 40th birthday for the first time. She'd thought she might never marry. Another girl is one of four sisters, all of whom have waited to kiss anyone until they got engaged (not to mention waited to have sex until they're married). One woman lost her much-loved high-school-sweetheart husband to sudden and completely unexpected heart-failure. A year later, she's remarrying, much to the loud displeasure of her teenage children. Another girl is planning her wedding with her grandmother - after a couple of trips to the dress store, the salespeople discover that the girl's mother died when she was quite young and her grandmother has been the one to raise her.

Watching all these different journeys is so interesting. For the family whose daughter is in a car accident that completely mangles one of her hands and scars her face, the parents get to see first-hand how loving and committed their daughter's fiance is to her, even now that she doesn't look or function quite like she did when he proposed.  For the woman remarrying against the wishes of her children, they see their grandmother leap to her daughter's defense, which shocks them - they felt certain she would side with them - and reminds them that first and foremost she is their mother's mom, not just their grandmother.

Equally fascinating to me was the changes that the Becker family has seen over the generations of brides they serve. Decades ago, the girls who came to pick out dresses felt deep gratitude toward their parents for buying them a new dress, no matter how plain. Today, they see lots of bride-zillas, who are determined that everything must be perfect and, if it is not, that it's time to throw a fit. They see women getting married after having a few children out of wedlock (something they would have almost never have seen fifty years ago) or women getting married for the third and fourth times. They figure out how to fit dresses for pregnant brides. They deal with the knowledge that some of these brides will try on dresses, using up hours of saleswomens' time, only to go home and order the dress off the Internet to save fifty bucks.

And they also feel the pressure of running a store that takes up such an incredible amount of time, at the cost of time with their own families. They see other bridal stores folding and fight to keep theirs from being another casualty. And they carry the weight of knowing that their store almost single-handedly keeps the town afloat, with the steady stream of brides, their mothers, and the bridal parties who come to buy dresses and stay to eat, buy gas, and shop elsewhere.

There are so many people in this book and so many different angles to the story, and yet it's a very cohesive book. I didn't have trouble keeping the brides or the Becker family members straight and I didn't feel like there wasn't enough backstory on anyone (or, conversely, that there was too much information about something I didn't care about). This was just fascinating, fun non-fiction.

I read this book for the BlogHer Book Club and you can read other reviews and discussions at BlogHer. I am paid for my participation in the BlogHer Book Club, but I choose which books to read and my reviews are strictly my own opinions. If I think a book is terrible, I'll say so. If I rave about a book, it's because it's one I'd give to Kayla or my mom.

Costumes

What, you don't dress up for Christmas? Am I confusing Christmas with Halloween?

Apparently Ella is too, since she decided to be Victoria Beckham for Christmas.

Pretend This Has a Stamp

If I'd had all your addresses and ordered more cards (who knew 80 wouldn't be enough),  I would have sent you all one.

Adventing in London

A few days before December began, we got an email from Bart's parents, saying they'd purchased us a digital advent calendar.

Even better? It was all London themed.

We downloaded it and on December 1st, we started watching the little animations associated with each day (or, we'll miss a day or two and watch several in a row). You see bears ringing the bells in, I believe, St. Paul's or ride the London Eye and look out over the city lit up for the holidays. A restaurant full of silhouetted workers prepares for a big holiday dinner, and a dog goes to visit the Queen's corgi at Buckingham Palace. Each video is set to a holiday song, and the whole thing is just so sweet, funny, and clever.

Ella has been in HEAVEN. Nearly every animation includes a bird, a dog, or a cat (or all three) and, of course, that means she has to shout "da-da-da-da!" every time they appear.

We have watched all of the videos several times (in the case of the London Eye, we've probably seen it close to 30 times in the last three weeks) and every time they come on, Ella starts bouncing to the music and excitedly identifying animals.

(As you'll see if you watch the video (and really, what else could you possibly have to do instead, four days before Christmas?), sometimes she has to take a little break to brush her teeth. Her dentist grandfather would be proud). 






It's only $3 and the whole thing is so fun, interactive, and full of holiday cheer that we will certainly be buying another one next year. Even if it's not set in London.

Presents

Last year at Christmas, Ella couldn't even sit up. This year, Christmas is much more fun.

We have a (really) tiny little tree up and a few days ago, when pajamas came in the mail for all three of us, I wrapped them up and put them under the tree. For the rest of the afternoon, whenever I left the room, I would hear silence and then a little rustling. I'd pop my head back in and Ella would be carrying her present around. I died a little from the cuteness.

I have firmly put myself into the Princess Nebraska camp of "Some gifts aren't very exciting on Christmas morning, but they are REALLY exciting on Dec 17th." So we just went ahead and opened the pajamas last weekend. Ella opened hers first and she was just SO excited about them. And then, she was just as excited when Bart opened his. She stood right next to him and clapped and giggled. I cannot wait for Christmas morning (which, happily, we get to do twice - once in Utah and once in Las Vegas).

Yesterday, because we weren't planning on hauling IKEA boxes to Utah, we assembled a little table and chairs set we bought her and covered it up in blankets in the living room, with a big bow on it.

Bart took her for a little walk while I did the set-up and hyped her up about it. She came in all full of anticipation.

We took it in to her room and she settled right in to play.

Those people who talked about how magical being a parent is at Christmas time were not lying. Her excitement is making this one of my favorite Christmas seasons I can remember. And we haven't even gotten to the actual day yet.

Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Vicky White

Can We Save the Tiger? is a gorgeous picture book. When I first flipped through it, I was taken by how amazing the drawings were. Then, when I sat down to actually read it, I couldn't believe that I was just as taken by the text. This is a masterful offering.

It begins by presenting animals that have become extinct (a reason that drawings, rather than photographs, work so well for this book), then moves to ones that are hovering on the verge of extinction. The story about why the partula snails are nearly extinct fascinated me (humans introduced other large snails that started eating crops, so they brought ANOTHER snail to eat the second snails, but they mainly ate the partula snails instead of the crop-eating snails. Whoops).  

This is a book that Ella liked looking at for the pictures (if there is an animal, she doesn't care if it's a book about removing fleas from dogs), but it is quite a text-heavy book and definitely aimed at older children.

It reminds me a little of So You Want to be President? in that it's long, but would really be a great read-aloud for an older class because it's written in such an accessible and fascinating way. I loved it the first time I read it, and I've loved it more every time I've reread it. It'd be such a great part of a lesson about animals, extinction, cause and effect, unintended consequences, and probably about fifty other topics.

Did I mention how much I love this book?

Copy checked out from my local library

Gift Guide: Middle Grade Books

Here is something they don't warn you about in library school: if you become an elementary school librairan, people will ask you about chapter book recommendations and the only thing you will be able to think of are all the young adult books you've read. You will think, "Have I ever read something that is appropriate for a third or fourth grader?" With some thought, happily, I was able to come up with a few.

Here's another thing: "middle grade" really means upper elementary school and the very low end of middle school. I know. Confusing. But I soldier on.

Anyway, here are some of the books I've most loved for kids around grades 3 - 6. 

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. This book was wildly popular in my elementary schools because it's so LONG, but most kids can read it in a couple of hours because the majority of the book is full-page pictures. Plus, the story is great and it's a movie now (a pretty good one, actually, from what I hear).

Savvy by Ingrid Law. This book is just such a fun read. It's reasonably long, so it's a good choice for older or more advanced readers. What kid WOULDN'T want to get some magical power on their 13th birthday? (None that I've ever met).

Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry by Jack Preluzky. I read parts of this one out loud to my 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes when we did a poetry unit and they were howling with laughter. Frankly, when I read it myself, I was giggling out loud. I find his poetry even more amusing and kid-friendly than Shel Silverstein. A short, funny read. 

The Time Warp Trio by Jon Scieszka. I like this series a lot because each book is quite short, but it's also a high-interest and funny. This is a perfect series for a kid who struggles a little with reading but doesn't want to be reading "baby" books. Or it's really a good book for anyone, frankly. Like all Jon Scieszka books, there is a heavy dose of weird. Also a dash of history.

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell and Jonathan Bean. This is still one of my favorite middle-grade books. It's on the long side (clocking in at over 300 pages), so it's not probably a great choice for a struggling reader, but if you have a child that just can't get enough to read, this is a great pick.

The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger. This is such a great book for boys. Funny, weird, has great illustrations and a little bit of mystery, plus, it's just over 100 pages. The nice people at ALA Midwinter in Boston gave me two copies of it and I gave them away as prizes in my library - they were the first two books in a large stack of prize books to go. There is a sequel, too, called Darth Paper Strikes Back. Even the title kills me.

Swindle by Gordon Korman. I started off the year reading an excerpt of this to the 4th and 5th grade classes and it never once was on the shelf for the rest of the year. I bought more copies and it still wouldn't stay in the library. I like this book for its adventure and for the appeal for both girls and boys. A solidly good read.

Favorite Books of 2011

Yes, I could, potentially, read something in the next two weeks that becomes a favorite, but I'm not inclined to think this will happen. If it does, though, you will be the first to know.

I have read many, many many mediocre books this year. But there have also been standouts and several good middle grade books and a lot of excellent non-fiction. Frankly, the adult titles have been fantastic this year - SIX of my top 12 books this year are published for the adult market.

Just looking at this list makes me happy. These are books that transported me, that I couldn't put down, that opened my eyes to all sort of things I knew nothing about, that made me fall desperately in love with fictional characters.

Ack, the gushing is making me feel a little nauseous (or that could be the cookies I pretended were dinner. Either way. . . ). Here is my 2011, in books:

Unbroken - These generally aren't in any order, except Unbroken? Absolutely my number one book of the year. This is just the most amazing non-fiction. I love this book so very very much. You can read more wild-eyed ranting about it here, in my regular review.

Okay for Now - Alright, alright, this list might be a tiny bit in order, at least with these first two. I thought I couldn't love any middle grade/young adult fiction like I loved The Wednesday Wars. But this one is neck and neck with it. I laughed, I cried, it shot to the top of my favorite books list. I am holding out hope that this one will get a Newbery nod in January. Full review here.

What Alice Forgot - The bright spot of chick-lit in 2011. Funny, romantic, and amnesia - a perfect book for me. Full review here.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - More people would like fantasy if more fantasy was written like this one. This one is so tightly plotted, funny, and heart-wrenching. I fear that they'll make a movie of it and ruin everything. Full review here.

Falling for Hamlet - I love a retelling and this one was fantastically done. This one earned it's place on my bookshelf. Full review here.

Make the Bread, Buy the Butter - Everyone I have recommended this book to has loved it. And nothing makes me happier than that. Full review here.

The Warmth of Other Suns - This was a book club read (chosen by Julie), about the huge numbers of black Americans who left the South between 1920s and 1970s to find new lives in northern cities (or in the West). It follows three people who left in different decades for different places for different reasons, and the whole book is just really fascinating. I wish I hadn't procrastinated reading it so much that I had to zip through it in three days.

Room - I still think about this book often - the whole thing is so horrifying and yet full of hope and promise. It really is as good as everyone says. Full review here.

Split - This was the third book I read in 2011, and yet my love for it has not been dimmed at all by the number of books I've read since then. In fact, it might have increased my devotion since most of the YA books I read over the course of the year failed to come even close to competing with how masterfully written this one was. I cannot wait for her next book. Full review here.

After Ever After - This book is a great example of why I love realistic fiction - I love a book that is all about the character and the storyline is really not the point (not that this book doesn't have a great storyline too).  Full review here.

Moon Over Manifest - I find Newbery winners to be so hit or miss. This one was a bulls-eye. Wonderful, wonderful historical fiction, set in both WWI and the Great Depression. I'd give this to any kid. Full review here.

The Omnivore's Dilemma - We read this for book club and it really has changed my life - I joined the CSA because of this book and we've made a lot of other changes in our diet as well. My nerdy self loved almost every page of this book (the mushroom chapter was . . . a little too lengthy).

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

You know how sometimes everyone is raving about a book and you just feel certain you won't really like it?

That was Daughter of Smoke and Bone for me. I read one gushing review after another and my copy from BEA just sat under my bedside table.

Part of my hesitancy was that I read Lips Touch Three Times a couple of years when it was a National Book Award Finalist and I did not particularly care for it.

So, that was a big strike right there for me.

And then, also, other-world fantasy is. . . just not my genre. 

Which means that I'm admitting that I was wrong and I loved this book, just like everyone else I know. It's just that good.It's not only so good that I forgive it for being a trilogy (really? can NOTHING stand alone anymore?), I'm actually happy there is more to come.

And, this isn't borderline fantasy. It's a full-on other species, angels, collections of human teeth, flying/cursed beings fantasy.  I should have hated this book.

You don't really need to know a lot about the plot - and, really, it's probably a more enjoyable read if you can just be surprised by how everything plays out - but I will tell you that it's blue-haired, art student Karou's story. She lives in Prague and has no idea what her background is. She's grown up in the shop of a monster, a part human, part many-other-animals chimaera named Brimstone who mainly deals in human teeth. Karou has spent her childhood watching him barter for teeth and, eventually, being sent to collect them herself, but she has no idea why.

Now she lives in an apartment, attempting to have a somewhat normal life, although she continues to visit the shop (which acts as a portal that can open to anywhere on earth), and run errands for Brimstone.

And then, on one trip to Morocco, an angel appears and tries to kill her. Karou (who is just exceedingly tough, gutsy, and all-around excellent) manages to get away, but she realizes quickly that this wasn't an isolated incident.

Something much bigger is going on - she's already been noticing that Brimstone is running low on teeth and that black hand prints are showing up on the doors around the world that lead back to his shop - but she has no idea what it might be and Brimstone and those that work with him aren't saying a word to her.

But, whether they like it or not, she's about to find out exactly what's going on, perhaps more than she would have wanted to know.

This book starts fast, and just gets better from there. The pace is very quick, without feeling frantic. I didn't have that "I can hardly breathe" feeling as I read - instead it was more of a "I just want to keep reading and reading" feeling. I loved every page.

I like it when a book surprises me, but I especially like it when a book surprises me in a way that makes me think, "Of COURSE this is how it had to be. Why didn't I see that coming?"  To me, that's one of the signs of a good writer. There's no need to throw something absurd in to catch you off guard, but it's not so obvious you figure it out within a few pages. This book delighted me over and over again as the story .

It's definitely written for older teens, I think (at least, I wouldn't hand it over to a thirteen your old), but it's not overly graphic. It's just quite intense, has some fairly dark parts, and has some, er, mature relationships. This is very much a high stakes book; you can sense almost immediately that there is no guaranteed happy ending for anyone.

This book deserves every word of praise its received.  I usually feel annoyed that I'll need to reread or at least skim a book before starting the second book of the series, but in this case, I am eagerly anticipating a second reading.


I don't usually link to other reviews, but I really loved Kim's, and I always enjoy the clever things that Angela Noelle has to say about the books she reads. If you're still on the fence about this book, they might convince you.


Copy picked up at BEA

100 Old Things

My "About Me" page has had a list pf 100 things for the last four years.

Recently, Preethi (who is lovely and one of my recent favorite bloggy friends) commented on something from that list and when I looked at the list, I realized how woefully out of date it was.

Not only were some of the things on the list BLATANTLY untrue now, the whole list just wasn't very representative of me anymore. Someday, when I'm feeling like I have nothing better to do, I'll make a new list.

For now, though,I thought I'd point out a few things that have changed a lot (The item that stuck out most to me was the fact that my favorite foods in 2007 were creamy chicken Raman and string cheese. Erk! I've kind of burned out on string cheese and Raman no longer has ANY appeal for me).

1. I hate planning out the weekly menu. (Now I actually look forward to this. Thank you, Pinterest)
2. I could eat the same thing for a long, long time.(Meh, now I want variety)
3. Currently, my go-to foods are Creamy Chicken Raman and string cheese. (How embarrassing)
4. I hate doing the dishes by hand. A dishwasher is the best invention of all time. (After living in Boston, I don't mind doing dishes by hand and I think it's often much faster).
5. Early evening is the most depressing time of day for me. (No longer! Did I grow out of this?)
6. I would usually rather eat salty food than sugary foods. (Pregnancy made me prefer sugar. Ella's birth didn't make it switch back)
7. I love buying clothes in the children's section because they are cheaper and often identical to the adult versions (Can't do it anymore - they just look too . . .childish)
8. When I got married, I inherited 7 nieces and nephews. Now there are 13. (Now there are 18 on Bart's side and 1 on my side. Neither number counts Ella)
9. Strawberry ice cream (with lots of real strawberries in it) is my favorite flavor. (Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough)
10. I am total Mac-addict (I enjoy my iPhone, but I feel like Mac computers are overpriced and comparatively slow) 
11. Now we own three TVs, but none of them are hooked up to receive any television channels. We are solely a video watching family (We now only own one TV but we have cable (because our apartment has it and it's not optional))
12. I don't care much for cooked fish, but almost all raw fish is delicious to my taste buds (I like most fish these days)
13. My toenails are always painted (now I leave them unpainted most of the winter and. . . sometimes when it's not winter)

And for fun, here I am in early 2007:

And here I am now:

Why, this outfit looks familiar. . .

Ella thinks this was not her most photogenic moment. But I assured her it was only because she was sick and that normally she is the most darling of my children (also my only child, but I prefer not to quibble. I think it makes her feel better).

Open to Interpretation

One of my rules to live by is always smell the milk before you pour it on to your cereal (not true. I actually rarely do this. Bart is the one who suffers from milk-paranoia in our family. Also, this is two days in a row where I've talked about cereal. How sad is my life?).

My other rule that I actually follow is that when Kayla asks me to do something, I do it (especially right now, a week after she agreed to not only do half the $5 gift guide, but also formatted all the pictures for me).

A few weeks ago, she asked if I'd participate in the first public round of Open to Interpretation, a series she's been doing with Erica and Amy for a while, where they choose a picture and then put together an outfit that's based (however loosely) on that picture. It's good times.

This is the picture they picked for this time:

And. . . .here is what I wore (I know, the excitement is just about to kill you, right here sitting at your computer): 

Sweater: Old Navy, Striped Shirt: Old Navy,
Jeans: Target, Necklace: gift, Shoes: Landen

I couldn't look at the camera, because there was a little child sitting on my bed making me laugh.

Sadly, both of my red pants were in the hamper, so I had to make do with regular jeans (more lies! I don't own any red pants).

Both the shirt and the sweater are things that I wear very infrequently and don't really like, but together? I was actually quite a fan. The best part of the outfit for me, though, was the necklace from my in-laws (they bought one for each of the daughter and daughters-in-law in Venice last year) - the picture doesn't make it very visible, but in real life, I thought it really kept the whole thing from being too blah.

Vegetarian Recipe #10: Lemon Lentil Soup

I made this one night when Bart was working late and I thought, "Is this a lot of work when I could have just had a bowl of cereal?"

And yes, this was more work than a bowl of cereal, but it was also much more delicious than a bowl of cereal (I kid. Nothing is better than a bowl of cereal. Ella, at birth, was probably 95% Cinnamon Toast Crunch).

Bart only got a tiny bit of this, because I ate two huge bowls for dinner, and then another enormous bowl for lunch the next day. I loved this.

Also, my mom probably doesn't even recognize me anymore, what with the voluntary eating of lentils.

Lemon Lentil Soup
(from 101 Cookbooks)

Serves 6

2 cups split red lentils, rinsed well
1 tablespoon turmeric
4 tablespoons butter
2 tsp salt
1 small/medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 - 1/2 cup lemon juice
1 large bunch of spinach leaves or chard or kale, chopped

2-3 cups cooked brown rice
Plain yogurt

In a large pot, mix 7 cups water, lentils, turmeric, 1 tablespoon of the butter, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are very soft (about twenty minutes). Puree with an immersion blender (if you don't have an immersion blender, frankly, I wouldn't bother blending it. Just mash it around with a fork or potato masher). Salt to taste, if needed.

While the lentils are cooking, chop the onion. In a skillet over low heat cook the onion in 2 tablespoons of the butter along with the cumin and mustard seeds, stirring occasionally. When the onions have softened, 8 - 10 minutes, add the cilantro and cook for a few seconds before removing from the heat. Add the whole thing to the soup, then add the lemon juice a bit at a time, until the flavor has a tang that you like.

Just before serving, add the last of the butter to the skillet, when melted, toss in the spinach/chard/kale and a big pinch of salt. Stir well, and cook just long enough for the greens to collapse.

To serve, put a scoop of rice in each bowl, then ladle the soup over the top, sprinkle on the spinach, and finish with a big dollop of yogurt.

First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew by Robbin Gourley

You had to have know that if there was a book about food nominated for the Cybils, I was going to be forced to write about it. Forced!

Happily, First Garden didn't disappoint me.  It sucked me in with the history of the White House grounds and the children of presidents' who have played (and married) there.

Then it went specifically into the White House gardens of the past (did you know that the last vegetable garden on White House grounds was during WWII when Eleanor Roosevelt planted one to encourage Americans to plant their own Victory gardens?) before detailing how Mrs. Obama got the current one launched, with help from children at a local elementary school.

I loved the bit about special problems of a White House garden (the wind from the president's helicopter necessitated a concrete base for the beehive), and then the descriptions of how the food from the garden was used.

The last pages talk about how gardening encourages independence and self-reliance, a section about why gardening is a good idea, and ends with recipes the White House kitchen use to incorporate the produce from the garden.

Every bit of this book appealed to me - the cheerful illustrations, the great historical tidbits, the recipes, and the success of the current garden.

Also, apparently President Obama doesn't like beets. Has he ever had them roasted? I must conclude he has not, because no one could dislike a roasted beet, could they?


Copy checked out from my local library

The $5 (or less!) Gift Guide

You know what words strike fear into my heart? "Bring a gift that costs less than $5." Basically, you know you're going to go home with a bottle of Bath and Body Works lotion. 

And after getting invites to a couple of parties this holiday season with just those words on them, I thought, "Is there NOTHING cool for less than $5?"

It turns out, I could think of a lot of things I like that are less than $5. And when I asked Kayla for her suggestions, we decided to make a little gift guide. We both came up with 30 items that ring up at less than $5 and that we'd be more than happy to take home with us. 

And thus, without further ado, we give you:

1. Parchment Paper - I've been converted in recent years to the glory of baking with parchment paper. It makes cooking and clean up such a breeze. But it's just a little bit pricy for me (around $4 a roll at the grocery store or Michales). As a gift? I'd be hoarding this like crazy.

2. Spice Jars - I love these little spice jars (4 for $3.99). I'd check out the bulk section of your local grocery store and fill them up with some fun spices, like smoked paprika or nutmeg.

3. Belt from Forever 21 - Belts are such an easy, quick way to spice up an outfit, the size doesn't matter much, and I've been pleasantly surprised with how well my cheap belts have held up. They have tons of options under $5 at Forever 21.

4. Knit hat - I love the fun colors of this hat. Also the price is hard to beat - I don't think you could MAKE it for this little.

5. Creamy White Chili in a Bag - How popular would this be around the holidays, when it's a little crazy and making dinner seems like a giant chore? Toss an onion, a 1 lb bag of white beans, a can of chicken broth, a can of diced green chiles, a bag of all the spices from this recipe, and the recipe. They can toss it all, with two frozen chicken breasts, right into the crockpot, add some sour cream at the end of the day, and, presto! Dinner.

6. Movie candy and RedBox codes - Buy a box of popcorn (usually 3 for $1) or a bag of popcorn kernels, if that's more your style (usually about 80 cents a bag) and a box or two of movie candies (if you're buying for me, I'd suggestion Junior Mints and Raisinets). Add a little card with a couple of codes for a free movie at Redbox or Blockbuster express (Google some) and you've got a movie night at home.

7. Nail Polish - I love nail polish, especially in fun, unusual colors. Pick up three or four for $1 each at the drug or grocery store (maybe a grey, , tie a ribbon around the top and, ta-da!

8. Candle warmer - Michael's sells these for $4.99 each, but with one of those ubiquitous 40% off coupons (does anyone buy things for full price at Michael's?), it'll be even cheaper. I love using the candles I have this way.

9. Mini Umbrella - I need about ten of these, so I'm never stuck without an umbrella. One for every purse, car, diaper bag, and stroller, yes? $1.95

10. Pyramid Stud Earrings - With a curious baby on the loose at my house, stud earrings are a much safer bet for me these days. I like the twist on a classic here. For $1.50, that's hard to beat.

11. Gloves - Even in relatively warm places (like Arizona and Texas), there are still days when you just NEED gloves. Target has pretty sets of two - one solid, one patterned - for $2 (in stores only, apparently, as I can't track them down on their website). One for your purse, one for the glove box.

12. Notecards - I love to buy packs of 10 at Michaels in the dollar bins (and then use a 40% off coupon, of course). I have a wide variety of colors and styles and I love having so many to choose from when I sit down to write a thank you card or a birthday note.

13. Letter Tray - Target has this pretty, light-weight letter tray for $4.99. I love how this would look on a desk or counter top. It comes in several colors and patterns.

14. Bic Pens - These cheap pens ($1.44 for ten) are my favorite pens in the entire world. Bart and I both hoard them like they are expensive desk pens. Also, they must be blue.

15. Mini Prep Bowls - I saw several sets of these at my local Ross - some were square, some were round, some were multiple colors while others were all the same. How fantastic to not have to pull out a big bowl when you only need a couple of tablespoons of something. $4.99 or less.

16. Cutting Board - Cutting boards are one of those things I don't think you can own enough of. This pack of three is less than $5, or you can buy them inexpensively at Marshall's, Ross, or TJ Maxx.

17. Muffin Liners - These make muffins or cupcakes so easy to eat on the go and make them seem special too. Michael's has a huge variety, usually for about $2 for 30 - 50. One of those things you might not buy for yourself, but are really fun to have around.

18. Spatula Scrapers - Another thing I never have enough of. I don't like the ones that are kind of spoon-like. I want it flat and made to scrape a bowl.

19. Mini Pitcher - I have one I bought for $1.99 at Ross and I see them in all shapes there frequently. I use it for salad dressing and sauces for pancakes and waffles.

20. Cheese and Crackers - I love food and I especially love non-dessert food around the holidays, when I feel like it's just one sweetsy thing after another. Grab a wedge of brie or blue cheese or something else fun (my grocery store always has these wedges of cranberry marbled goat cheese) and a box of crackers. Ta-da!

21. Wrapping Paper - If you're going to a before-Christmas gift exchange, I think this would be a HOT item. My local Ross has double rolls packaged together for $3.99. The Dollar Store is also a great place to pick up a cheap roll of paper.

22. Groupon certificate - With Groupon gift card, they can get double the mileage out of $5. And they can pick their own item.

23. Bobby Pins - Somewhere in this world is an enormous pile of my lost bobby pins. Nothing walks off faster than these do. I am particularly fond of the ones that curve a little bit, so that they don't stick straight out of the top of my head. $1.99.

24. Magnetic jars - These would be so great to keep kitchen misc in (whole spices or twist-ties) or desk items (paperclips or thumbtacks) or bathroom things (earrings, pills). 3 for $4.99.

25. Head Bands - I love these skinny, plastic headbands. Makes you look a little more put-together and takes all of two seconds. Four for $3.59

26. Water Bottle. Who wants an ugly disposable water bottle, when you can use something this pretty? Old Navy usually has them for $5 or less and they come in many fun designs.

27. Bounce Dryer Bar - I know, I know. But seriously, I love this thing. $4.27 and you never have to deal with dryer sheets again, plus your laundry smells great.

28. Magazine Subscription - I love getting things in the mail and I really love getting magazines. I'd particularly enjoy Family Fun, Better Homes and Gardens, or Taste of Home (okay, okay, Taste of Home is $5.40. Cut me some slack).

29. Stamps - Who doesn't need stamps? Especially at Christmas. Pick out a sheet of pretty ones for less $10 and use it for two gifts. There are many holiday ones, but I'm particularly fond of these King and Queen of Hearts ones.

30. Vase - Unless your husband regularly brings you home dozens of flowers, most of the time you need a small vase that doesn't make three or four flowers look stupid. This vase is perfect. And $1.99.

And if this wasn't enough, go check out Kayla's suggestions - thirty more things for under $5. Stocking stuffers, anyone? 

Also, if you're buying things online, might I strongly suggest you sign up for Ebates? You get a $10 Target gift card or $5 cash when you sign up and make a purchase, and then percentages back whenever you shop through their site. I've used it for years and have nothing but glowing things to say about not only the concept, but also their fabulous customer service.

2011 Goals: Austin Adventures

One of my goals for 2011 was to do four things in Austin we'd never done before. Success!

If you count restaurants, we've WAY exceeded four, but even without restaurants, we had a good showing.

I've mentioned, in previous posts, the baseball game we attended, the O. Henry home, Zilker Botanical Gardens, the Zilker Zephyr train, the Gypsy Picnic, all of which were new to us this year.

Five other outings:

1) The Texas State History Museum. It's free one day a month, so we headed down there with Ralphie and her family. Amusingly, Ralphie and I were dressed very similarly, and since our hair is the same length and color and the museum was quite dark, everyone had a hard time telling us apart. Her kids kept coming up to hold my hand or hang on to my leg before realizing I was not, in fact, their mother. Bart said he had to pay close attention to be sure he didn't put his arm around the wrong person.

It was a nice outing, with lots of interesting exhibits. I'd definitely go back on another free day.

2) Three theater outings. First, a group outing to see West Side Story when it was performed downtown by Broadway Across America. It as a mega-disappointment. It was so crass we nearly walked out. Our second try was better: on a beautiful summer night, Bart and I went to see an outdoor performance of A Servant of Two Masters (free!) that was hilariously funny. We took a blanket and ate snow cones during intermission. Finally, the best of them all, an unbelievably good performance of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (one of my favorite musicals ever) in the tiniest theater known to man. The entire theater was about the size of our living room. We went with Ralphie and B and ate Tejis in the park beforehand.

3) The Austin Children's Museum. Bart's office did a family day which was a huge success. I thought Ella would be completely uninterested, but she wouldn't stop lunging for the baby section. She probably would have stayed for hours. Also, the lunch was really delicious. We got coupons to go back again and we will definitely not let those go to waste.

4) The Pecan Street Festival. It was SO hot, but we tried to stay in the shade and snagged several free samples of sorbet. Plus we got a really great parking spot for $1.50. So, definitely a win. Ella went nuts over  all the dogs that were there (seriously, hundreds), and I wore the same shirt I did to the Texas History Museum. Apparently anything Texas-y makes me feel like I need to wear burnt orange. I swear I own other clothing.

5) The Austin Zoo. Last weekend, while Bart was off of work for the holiday, we went to the zoo. Ella was, not surprisingly, a big fan of the animals (surprisingly, the potbellied pigs were her very favorite). It's a small zoo and I think the regular admission price might have seemed steep to me, but for $5 for all three of us, it was great. Also, our admission included bags of food for the petting zoo, but since everyone had the food, the animals were completely uninterested in it. Ella tried really hard to feed some deer and a goat and they wanted nothing to do with her.

Have I mentioned before how much I love Austin?

I can't wait for a whole new line-up of adventures in 2012.

The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards

I wonder if other people who read a lot of books (and a lot of book blogs) feel this way too, but when I hear a bunch of terrible things about a book, I feel a little relieved. One less book to try and squeeze onto my already way-too-long list of things to read.

And if I read a book that I don't care for, I am unlikely to read anything else by that author.

After reading (and by "reading," I really mean "slogging") The Memory Keeper's Daughter a couple of years ago and being distinctly unimpressed, I had no desire to read anything by Kim Edwards again.

But then, when The Lake of Dreams showed up as an option for the BlogHer Book Club and the back sounded like it could be quite excellent, I decided to take a chance on it.

And I am so so glad I did. I enjoyed this book more than any adult book I've read since What Alice Forgot (I liked What Alice Forgot more, though, so if you only have time for ONE book, you should choose that one instead).

The Lake of Dreams has many of the same elements of The Memory Keeper's Daughter - family secrets, forgotten relatives, etc - but the way this one came together worked so much better for me. I found the characters richer and more likeable.

I loved watching the family mysteries slowly unfold, the backdrop of history, and the romance. The narrative follows Lucy, who has spent the decade since her father's somewhat mysterious death roaming the globe. After her mother has a minor accident, she comes home to visit and discovers some hidden documents in the house which leads her to discover an ancestor who has been forgotten for generations. I loved seeing the clues come together while Lucy also tries to decide between her long-time boyfriend and her now-back-in-town high school boyfriend. It's really just a lovely, well-written, engrossing book.

Now I'm wondering what other authors I've mistakenly written off after one lousy book . . .

I read this book for the BlogHer Book Club and you can read other reviews and discussions at BlogHer. I am paid for my participation in the BlogHer Book Club, but I choose which books to read and my reviews are strictly my own opinions. If I think a book is terrible, I'll say so. If I rave about a book, it's because it's one I'd give to Kayla or my mom.