12:19 pm - What We're Up To...
Check out some of the stuff that we're reading, watching or listening to...
Linda - Beach The Girl in the Face of the Clock, by Charles Mathes Eight years ago Jane Sailor’s artist father was found unconscious at the bottom of a flight of stars and has been in a coma ever since. Suddenly he begins saying, “ No, Perry, don’t do it. ” Who is Perry, and did he push Sailor? Jane has no idea, but when she finally meets the eccentric, wealthy Perry, she is charmed by him (although she feels he’s not completely honest with her), is surprised he owns a picture painted by her father, and briefly works for him. In the course of this intriguing mystery, Jane makes trips to Seattle & London, tries to track down the woman in Perry’s painting, wonders about the significance of a very ugly clock that’s been in her family for many years and a dragonfly ‘cross’, deals with her father’s totally obnoxious agent, and meets a delightful Englishman. Each of Charles Mathes’ mysteries is a “stand-alone” in which a different female heroine must uncover a dark secret about her past, and each title begins with the words, “The girl.” Baby proof, by Emily Giffin Claudia, a successful career woman, tells Ben she doesn’t want to have children. He readily agrees, but when they are married two years, he changes his mind, and she doesn’t! Since this is a situation that can’t lead to compromise, they quickly divorce. But this is in the first 70 pages! Claudia doesn’t admit it to herself, but she is still very much in love with Ben, so how does she handle being newly single? Will the new man in her life be right for her? To add to everything else, one of her sisters has a husband who’s often unfaithful, another sister wants desperately to have a baby, and her best friend is in a relationship that’s all wrong for her. A very enjoyable novel that will appeal to women of all ages. 12 Again, by Sue Corbett Patrick’s mother, after a very frustrating day, decides to spend the night nearby in the home of her (recently-dead) mother, but she doesn’t returns, and no one knows where she is. Of course, Patrick (age 12), his father and 2 brothers are very worried. Patrick e-mails his mother often, but she never responds. Alternating chapters tell the mother’s story. She has, through some ‘magic,’ accidentally become 12 again and is even in one of Patrick’s classes. Of course, she desperately wants to return to her family and her adult self, but how can she? And why won’t her laptop work? An interesting blend of reality and fantasy that will appeal to upper elementary and middle school students. Jen – East Gluten-Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern Most of my coworkers know I have Celiac Disease and cannot eat gluten, so when they put this book aside for me, I was intrigued. This is a wonderful, wonderful book. It is a Memoir/Cookbook/Ode to food written by Ahern, a true foodie. When Ahern found out she had Celiac Disease, she started to explore the world of food outside of the mass-produced, prepackaged stuff (which is inedible for Celiacs). This book captures her adventurous spirit and is incredibly inspiring for anyone who suffers from the autoimmune disorder known as Celiac. Her experiences were so much like my own, that I had to buy my own copy. The only cure for Celiac Disease is to not eat any food with gluten in it. This is a huge challenge which Ahern ran at with open arms. Read and learn from her experiences about how to avoid getting sick when eating out, cooking for yourself and finding food a friend again, instead of the enemy. I recommend this useful and engaging book to anyone who likes to cook, has friends or family with Celiac Disease, and especially, anyone who suffers from it themselves. She also has her own blog: www.glutenfreegirl.com , which is chocked-full of good advice (and lovely recipes) for anyone living with this challenge. Paula – Main Wow it's been a very busy month for me... I've gone from fiction to non-fiction, music and DVDs. The Collectors by David Baldacci on Playaway. This is book two of the camel club. Although I felt this was slower paced than I would normally like, it still kept my attention. The Collectors is about Annabelle Conroy, a con-artist, seeking revenge on Jerry Bagger, also a con-artist, for killing her mother. She basically robs Jerry blind right from under his nose. As Annabelle's fleeing the country she finds out her ex-husband has been murdered. She assists with the investigation of her ex-husband's death and solves the mystery. In the meantime Jerry Bagger is getting closer to finding Annabelle; however, she doesn't pick up on it, as she's to involved in her ex's murder case. Does he find her and get even...you'll have to find our for yourself! The New Testament on Playaway. I've always wanted to read the New Testament and tried several times, but was not able to read all the way through. So I checked out the New Testament on Playaway and was floored by the dramatization and impressed with the introduction to each book, for it included history. The book of Revelations was to me the most fascinating yet fearful book in the entire bible. If you think Steven King is frightening try Revelations! It'll make the hair on the back of your neck stand, will knock your socks off and it will make you think twice about life. Stitch 'n Bitch by Debbie Stoller. I was in middle school the last time I held knitting needles let alone knit a sweater. My mom still has my sweater (bless her heart). Here I am again in my late thirties trying to remember all the stitches, interpret a pattern, etc. The author has illustrations and easy explanations on how to learn kitting. Some of her comments are a little naught, but funny. According to Debbie Stoller knitting is back in style and people across the nation are knitting together. Thus far I've made 4 scarves and one knitting needle case. Knitting Cafe by Suzan Mischer. Now that I've graduated from scarves I have challenged myself and am knitting a funky, colorful skirt from this book. While figuring out the number of stitches to cast on my needle I ran into a snafu. I racked my brain with the formula provided in the book, but kept coming up with an odd ball number of stitches. So I emailed the author directly and to my gleeful surprise she responded by the end of day and I am now 1/4 of way through my pattern. The author was very friendly over the email as she seems to be is in her book. I really like her patterns and foresee future requests from family and friends. Additionally, there's a really yummy orange muffin recipe in this book - I made it for the husband and kids - they loved it. Country Living: Merry & Bright: 301 festive ideas for celebrating Christmas. With the holiday around the corner I anxiously make my own decorations with the assistance of my children and god-son. This book has plenty of ideas as well as pretty pictures. You're house will glow and feel chic with the newest ideas, cakes cookies, and party favors this holiday season. Gluten-free girl: How I found the foot that loves me back...& how you can too. by Shauna James Ahern This book is about the author's agony and reactions to gluten. She includes plenty of yummy recipes and how to eat gluten free and still enjoy life. The Brazilian bikini body program : 30 days to a sexier body and mind by Joseph, Regina. This book is about eating the Brazilian way. The author uses and encourages the reader to add tropical veggies and fruits to their diet. There are some really yummy recipes, including some very tasty smoothies and an exercise program. I used the book strictly for the recipes; the exercise or diet plan didn't interest me. Enjoy the Ride (CD)by Sugarland. County music CD. A couple good songs - my favorite tune is "Settlin" Feels Like Today (CD) by Rascal Flatts. Country music CD. Some really nice songs - my favorite tune is "Bless the Broken Road". It's so romantic! Complete Clapton (CD) by Eric Clapton. Soft Rock music CD. There are some really great oldies on this CD. I loved all the songs and they brought some great memories of mom dancing around the house. Magic (CD) by Bruce Springsteen. Rock music CD. Absolutely love his raspy voice and the guitar. You'll get the house cleaned in to time! Memory Almost Full (CD) by Paul McCartney. Rock music CD. I'm a McCartney fan and of course a Beatles fan, but was not at all impressed with this CD. Bug (DVD) - It was a little odd, but kept my interest. At the end you'll wonder if they were imagining things or if the government really had something to do with the bugs! Disturbia (DVD) - The beginning of the movie will get you all choked up. As you get into the movie you'll realize what the character is facing and you'll do anything to help him get the bad guy. Lisa – North Greenwood Almost Moon By Alice Seabold Most readers know Alice Seabold from her novel, The Lovely Bones... I was expecting a similar novel, one I couldn't put down. Instead, I found a book that seemed to sit on my nightstand... I finished it, only to see if it would get better and how it would end. It's about a woman, Helen, who kills her elderly mother. The book reveals the next 24 hours after Helen killed her mother. You'll get to know Helen's mother, father, and or course, Helen... It is dark, deep, and reveals the pain of each character. I am not sure I would recommend it, but it is not my least favorite book of 2008. Twilight By Stephenie Meyer This is a young adult book that will appeal to everyone, even if you are not a fan of vampire genre and even if you are not a teen. Bella the new kid in high school, in a new state, meets Edward, who is a vampire. In fact, he is from a family of vampires! Twilight is suspenseful and full of drama. Bella's descriptions of Edward will make any girl want fall in love. The ending is a cliff hanger... Will Bella choose life or death? Luckily there are two more books in this series, so you can figure it doesn't end yet, which is good, because the first book was a good read. Laura – Main Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier. It's in the science fiction paperback collection, but it's a fantasy set in Ireland and England. Celtic and druid themes abound, some terrific old legends will be throughout the trilogy. Action, romance, anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction book should enjoy this one, including teens. The good news is that it's the first of a trilogy, all of which we own (or are processing now!). Tracey – Main Just Listen by Sarah Dessen A fairly typical slice of teenage life novel focusing on Annabel Green as she comes to terms with the ups and downs of life. From the angst of her middle sister's eating disorder, to her mother's depression, her family, while seemingly perfect from the outside (as evidenced by the all-glass front house that allows the outside world to view the facade they put on), is seemingly on the mend. However, Annabel's social life has been destroyed one night over the summer. But when she meets Owen, the mysterious loaner, things begin to turn around. Told in real-time and flashbacks, this novel deals with topics such as managing anger, unwanted sexual advances and just growing up. A bit heavy handed with the imagery and symbolism, but overall worth reading. Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters by Alan S. Miller A good example of what I've come to term "sound bite nonfiction", this book was a quick read with several "hmmmm" moments. The premise of evolutionary psychology - that the evolution of human minds has not kept up with the changes in our environment, and that the unconscious reason for everything we do is based on sex and the desire to reproduce - is discussed in short sections with titles such as "Why do men like blonde bombshells (and why do women want to look like them)?", "Why might handsome men make bad husbands?", "What do Bill Gates and Paul McCartney have in common with criminals?" For the first three-quarters of this book, I had few problems with the author's conclusions, and enough "yeah, that makes sense" moments to keep me interested. However, in the last couple chapters, they stretch the concepts of evolutionary psychology to try to explain suicide bombers, why single women travel more than men, and several other questions that I just don't quite buy. But there's enough in the beginning of the book to make it worth picking up. Because of the Times (CD) by Kings of Leon Great garage rock. Strong guitars, rambling thematic songs. Strong, dark lyrics challenge the listener. B.R.M.C. (CD) by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Apparently, I’m in a garage rock phase. Also strong guitars with serious attitude, this is great party music.
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