Book Backlog

Lots of winners in this batch of books! 

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton:  Loved it. I'm sorry I let myself be deterred by the length of these books for so long!

We are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg:  I came across this title while researching read alikes for The Help.  I haven't been a big fan of Berg's more recent books, but I really enjoyed both this one and Durable Goods. 

Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym:  Always love a Pym book!

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton: Good, worth reading, just not quite as entrancing as The Forgotten Garden.

The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper:  Quite similar to This is Where I Leave You, but just as good.  I am getting a little wary about reading more of his stuff, though.  Will they all be so similar?

The Fallback Plan by Leigh Stein: Eh.  Nothing new.
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Below Stairs by Margaret Powell: New editions of this book bill it as the inspiration for Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey.  Some interesting bits, but I expected more.

Not Buying It by Judith Levine: Interesting read about a year without shopping, but it's getting a bit dated and includes more economic theory than most people are going to want to read.  I wanted more anecdotes about how they got along without shopping.

An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear:  Always enjoy my Maisie Dobbs. 
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A Carrion Death by Michael Stanley:  The first book in the Detective Kubu mystery series.  Generally, I liked it, but it felt a little bogged down.  It's hard not to compare it to the No. 1 Ladies Detective series, and they're so breezy, anything else is going to suffer in comparison.

Books, Wonderful Books!

As usual, insert the usual apologies for delaying a book post for so long!  This is about half of what I have to share, but I figured it best to delay no longer.


The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly: I love the way this overlapped with The Tea Rose, but focuses on a whole new set of characters.  I confess, I am goofy about this series!





Vaclav and Lena by Haley Tanner: I'd heard so many good things about this book, I think it may have been a victim of the hype.  It was okay, but something about it felt awkward.  Her website though?  Darling.  Check it out.

Julia's Child by Sarah Pinneo:  Boring.  Not much of a story.

The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons: If you like Kate Morton's books or Downton Abbey, I'll bet you'll like this as well.  I liked it quite a bit!






I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman:  This sort of book kills me.  I was really into it and couldn't put it down, but then when I got to the end?  HUGE disappointment!

Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton:  Come to think of it, this one fizzled out at the end as well.  I really enjoyed the writing, but the story didn't seem to go anywhere. 

A few young adult books:

Empty by Suzanne Weyn: Premise=good.  Execution=weak.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: Book three of the Hunger Games trilogy.  I gave it a chance.  The first book was good.  The second was okay.  I could have done without the third.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: I'm usually a big fan of Green's books, but this one irritated me for some reason.  Of course, with close to 500 reviews on Amazon, the average rating is five stars, so what do I know?

S'more Books!

True Grit by Charles Portis: Very good, just as you'd expect.  A nice change of pace from all the girly books I read!  My library has none of his other books, but I'd like to give one a try.




Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout: The story itself is nothing new, but the book is packed with emotions.  Worth reading.

Tinsel: A Search for America's Christmas Present by Hank Stuever: I read some cynical books about Christmas this year!  This is a series of essays about the trappings of Christmas--outdoor lights, Black Friday, etc.  Interesting in parts, but uneven.

Nice to Come Home To by Rebecca Flowers: Chick lit with a cute cover!  Enjoyed it well enough, though.

Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord: One of those small books with a big message.  It was okay.  It didn't change my life, but I wasn't left gagging!  :)

The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy: I found this book while searching for books similar to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  Aside from being set on Guernsey, they aren't that alike, but I really liked this book.  I'm surprised it isn't better known.  Definitely recommend it!




There But For The by Ali Smith: This was on a "Best of 2011" list somewhere, so I gave it a try.  Wasn't quite my thing. 

The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly: I'm a bit embarrassed about this one, but I kind of loved it.  It's completely improbable, but who cares?  And it's the first in a trilogy, so I get to read more!  Whee!





Pretty Ugly by Karyn Langhorne Folan: I had a young library patron ask about this series, so I tried one.  I tried, really I did, but I couldn't get through it.  There are so many better YA books out there.

This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper: Highly recommend this book.  One of my favorites.  How did this get past me when it first came out?  Looks like they're turning it into a movie, so get it while it's still on the shelf!

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides: Aw, poor Jeffrey Eugenides.  He isn't going to get top billing in my post.  That's okay--he's had enough hoopla.  I liked the book, but it was a little pretentious for my tastes. 

Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman: This was a pleasant surprise!  It gets absolutely NO attention at the library, but I am going to try to put it in more hands.  It's funny and touching, and I think it's going to explode once it's made into a movie.  (I feel like I'm really twisting the knife on Mr. Eugenides now, sandwiching him between two books I liked better than his!)

Belated Books

I'm still determined to catch up with my book reviews!  Look for a few posts over the next couple of days!

More Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin: I really took my time and savored every word of this book.  Her style of cooking is just so down to earth--she makes it sound effortless and enjoyable instead of onerous and complicated!




Ireland Unhinged: Encounters with a Wildly Changing Country by David Monagan: I thought this was going to be a really interesting read for me, having visited Ireland during its Celtic Tiger days and then after the economic collapse. I feel like I could do a better job describing the atmosphere than he did, and I only visited! I kept reading, hoping something would really strike a chord with me, but I was disappointed.

American Boy by Larry Watson: Watson's Montana 1948 is a perennial favorite pick for high school reading lists, but I've somehow never read it.  Now that I've read American Boy, I'll give it a try, because I really liked Watson's writing.

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian: This is one of my favorite authors, so I was excited to get my hands on the new book! I don't think it was his best, it was a bit too predicatable to me, but it was a fun read. It reminded me so much of a Jodi Picoult book, so if you enjoy her, I think you'll like this!

84, Charing Cross Road  by Helene Hanff: As a friend of mine pointed out, this is one of those titles that is always showing up on "You Might Also Like" or "Customers Also Bought" lists, so we both gave it a try!  It was pretty neat, and I enjoyed it, but it's just a little amuse-bouche type of book, not something you really sink into.




The Call by Yannick Murphy:  This book is written in a style that takes some getting used to, and I had one or two false starts with it before I really got into it.  I'm not usually a fan of books that make me work, but I'm glad I stuck it out with this one, because once I got used to it, the style was very effective.

Comfort and Joy by India Knight:  I like to read a few Christmas books every holiday season, and Scroogenomics wasn't going to cut it on its own!  Unfortunately, this one fell short as well.

Murder at the Painted Lady by Barbara Warren: This really got some poor reviews, but I didn't think there was anything wrong with it.  Certainly liked it better than some of the wacky series that are out there!

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch: Didn't like this at all.  It took me a few tries to get going, which should have told me something!

Late Homework Assignment

I just found a half-written book post I started ages ago.  Without further ado, here is what I had done!

The McCloud Home for Wayward Girls by Wendy Delsol:  I liked this book, but it's been so long since I read it, I don't remember much about it.  I guess that says something, hmm.  Okay, it was a perfectly good time-filler, but not outstanding.

1105 Yakima Street and 1225 Christmas Tree Lane by Debbie Macomber:  I should be am ashamed of myself for wasting time on such drivel. 

The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky: Now this book is different!  Really quirky and sort of disturbing, but a compelling read.

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins: I had to see what all the fuss was about.  Surprisingly, I liked The Hunger Games enough to read on in the series, but Catching Fire didn't seem to break any new ground.  Suzanne Collins has a really unimpressive website considering how successful she is!

Mrs. Tim of the Regiment by D. E. Stevenson:  Enjoyed other Mrs. Tim books much more than this first one.  I'm glad I read those first or I'd have never continued!

Who was Changed and Who was Dead by Barbara Comyns: This is an older book that's been re-released, and boy is it strange!  Good-strange, though. 

Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson:  Speaking of strange...  This one didn't do it for me.  Managed to finish it, but just barely.

The Faithful Place by Tana French: I picked this up when I felt like I needed an easy read, and it fit the bill.  I got a kick out of the dialogue, as it's very Irish, with plenty of colorful expressions!

Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos:  Couldn't wait for this to come out, as I usually like her books.  Very disappointing.  Had a hard time finishing. 

French Leave by Anna Gavalda: I was trying to think of how to describe this.  Instead of it being like reading a book, it was like reading a piece of writing.  I don't know if that makes any sense, but it's the best I can do!  Not unpleasant, just nothing to sink into.

Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays by Joel Waldfogel: This isn't a funny, lighthearted book about consumption.  It's very economics assignment, so beware!  The premise is that the utility of presents received is never going to approach the utility of things you buy for yourself, thus presents are ineffecient.  I agree, but it makes for a boring book!

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan: Hillary Jordan is the author of the amazing Mudbound, so when I heard she had a new book out I was excited.  Then I read about the book and thought it sounded way too science fiction-y for my tastes.  I finally gave in and tried it and loved it. 

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris:  On the other hand, I am not much for vampire books, and this did nothing to change my mind.  I read it purely for the sake of doing readers' advisory at the library, and I hated every page.

Perfect Tens

I'm here! I'm here! I haven't been swallowed up by a massive pile of tee shirts! It's been a busy week, but I've been squeezing in some closet clearing when I have a chance.

The last time I blogged, I was getting ready to tackle the towering pile of tee shirts. I began with 71 tees (I found two more after I started) which is a scandalous amount no matter how you look at it. Yes, I wear tees a lot, year round, but surely there was room for improvement.

For some extra help, I turned to yet another book. This time it was I Have Nothing to Wear by Jill Martin and Dana Ravich. I had seen a video clip of them helping a woman to clear the clutter from her closet, and their goal was to cut what was in there by...ready for this...SEVENTY FIVE PER CENT! In fact, here's a link to the video.

The book makes no mention of 75% or even 50% or any percentage of all. What it does is guide you through a process of culling the duds from your wardrobe based on asking yourself if each piece is a "ten." A big part of this is being honest about who you are and defining your style. We all have things in our closets that aren't really who we are. For example, I am not a fan of denim, unless it's a pair of jeans, so out went a denim jacket and a denim shirtdress. I also feel a lot better in clothes with a defined shape, so many of the items I'm culling are the less fitted ones.

And then you try things on. Just as the Practical Princess book advised, try on one category of things at a time. I was working on tees, so I put on a plain black skirt and attacked the pile. The book suggests some questions you can ask yourself when deciding if something is a keeper: Does it flatter your figure? Does it show your personality? Is it in keeping with your style? Does it make you feel confident? Is it in perfect condition? Does it feel comfortable on your skin?

Results? After starting with 71 tees, I got rid of twenty outright. Of the 51 I had left, I moved twelve into another category, leaving me with a total of 39. That's not too bad!

---sound of screeching brakes--- Wait, what is this new category I'm suddenly adding into the mix? Well, this is where I diverge from the book's philosophy. They believe you should never wear a single thing that is less than a perfect ten. I agree with wearing the tens to work or to dinner with friends, but for grocery shopping or hanging out at home, I think a seven or eight is fine. So I picked out the twelve nicest tees from the cull pile and substituted them for the printed and/or oversized and/or worn out tees I had for casual wear. Everything isn't a ten, but it's an improvement over threes and fours! (And now I'm just laughing, because this all sounds like some kind of demented math class!)

So what did I get rid of? Besides issues with condition and fit, anything green or with yellowish undertones was out. Trying things on in rapid succession made it very obvious how terrible I look in those colors. Also, anything that felt too short. Tees are being cut longer now, so some of the older ones looked dated due to the length.

How did I do? I think I get about a B in this category. I could shave things down some more, but space isn't an issue anymore, and I do feel good in all the tees I kept. Hey, if nothing else, it's a start!

Closet Questions

Using this post as a guide, I've been attacking my closet again this morning armed with a few questions:

Is it in style? The short, boxy sweater with crochet trim? Out. The pull-on knit skirt with the floral pattern? Out. If I'm honest with myself, I'd feel dowdy and dated wearing some of these things. It may be a "perfectly good" black sweater, but it will drag me down. Out!

Is it MY style? A linen blouse in a dusky blue is just not me. And I could see the sack-dress on someone else, paired with leggings, but not me! I need more tailoring, sharper colors, and what on earth was I doing with that short, denim mini?

Does it fit? This was an eye opener for me. Even though I weigh exactly what I've weighed for the past several years, things fit differently. Some things fit better than I remembered, and some fit worse. If it's something I really like, and it can be altered, it's going in a separate pile. That pile also includes a piece or two with a missing button, slack elastic, etc. Now the trick is to FIX the things in the pile, not just let them sit there!

Do I need it? Ay, there is the rub. This is my problem area. I know I have an excess of black skirts, but each one is different. I don't favor one over the others, they just fill different needs. But I can be more aware of what I aleady have so I don't keep bringing home more. In fact, I found two things in my closet with the tags still attached and decided I don't need either of them. I'm glad I save my receipts!

Is it in good condition? Because I have such a huge volume of clothes, most don't show a lot of wear. But once I get into my pajama drawer, underwear, gym gear, tees, etc. condition will be a factor.

This is how my closet looks right now. It's progress, but not enough. I'm going to give it another run through, after I read the "Wardrobe" chapter in The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Living Guide and the wardrobe posts on Francine Jay's blog, Miss Minimalist . I'm not going to get to the point of a "capsule wardrobe," but I need a jolt of something stronger to get me to pare down further. And I haven't even touched any of the other areas where I keep clothes!

Reminder! The Guess the Number of Skirts contest is open for as long as I'm working on my closet!

So Many Books...

Once again, I've left it so long the list is unwieldy. Let me break this down into categories to simplify things!

--Breaking in here to vent: What the heck is it with Blogger and spacing? Does ANYONE know why spacing goes all wackadoo when you hit PUBLISH? There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Anyway, I know this post is all messed up, but I am not going to mess with it any longer. Excuse the interruption!--

Random Books from the New Books Shelves:

Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: I really wanted to like this. It's a non-fiction book about a young woman who starts a dressmaking business in Afghanistan. It was a brave and admirable thing to do, but it didn't make for a great book.

The Civilized World by Susi Wyss: This was a complete surprise. I haven't read about it in any book review papers or magazines, but it deserves some attention. Now, granted, I have a fascination with Africa lately and that could be clouding my judgement, but I really enjoyed this. I agree with the comparisons that have been made to The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and Olive Kitteredge. I don't usually succumb to this sort of book-review-ese, but there is a real gentleness to her writing and a nice, gradual unfolding of the story.

The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure: Hey, I wanted to be Laura Ingalls as much as the next girl when I was a kid. I did my cross stitch by the light of an oil lamp and longed to churn butter. But aside from a few observations that really hit home, this was a snooze.

The Bride's House by Sandra Dallas: Love Sandra Dallas. Liked the book. I'm trying to think how to explain it...it's like there's a certain atmosphere in some of my favorite SD books, and it's lacking here. It felt a little thin.

The Old Standbys (the authors I've been reading for months):

Summerhills by D.E. Stevenson: I think has been my least favorite Stevenson so far, because I got (dare I say it) a little bored with it. I wonder, though, if I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read it in proper order, after Amberwell. It just seemed to lack the wit I've enjoyed in other DES books.

The House on the Cliff by D.E. Stevenson: Loved it, and I read this right after Summerhills, so I guess I'm not tired of Stevenson after all!

Excellent Women by Barbara Pym: So good! Excellent even! Said to be the quintessential Pym, and this is available as a reprint, so you should be able to find a copy pretty easily.
The Fledgling by Elizabeth Cadell: This was a darling book. Just look at that cover! :)

Home for the Wedding by Elizabeth Cadell: Wasn't my favorite. It felt like there was simultaneously too much and too little going on at the same time. Does that make any sense? It's like there was a lot of coming and going, but to no end. But, you know, not bad.

The Search for a New Mystery Series:

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters: This is the first Amelia Peabody book, and I think I could read more of these. I didn't like it quite as much as Maisie Dobbs, but I liked it a lot more than some of the other series I've sampled! An aside: Holy cow, Elizabeth Peters is a lot of people! Check out her website!

Say It with Poison by Ann Granger: This was the result of searching for English village mysteries. It was okay, but I'm not eager to read more.

Books Getting Lots of Attention:

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett: I have such a girl crush on Ann Patchett and could not WAIT for a new book from her, but I was disappointed. I really liked the Amazon setting, and it started out well, but I felt it start to lag in the middle, and it seemed to limp to the end. I'm sad now. I didn't want to say anything bad about my girl.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher: I didn't like this at all. It's supposed to be so compelling and moving and thought-provoking and it even has its own website, but it didn't work for me. Maybe I'm too far removed from all the teenage angsty stuff.

One More School Reading List Book:

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix: I was DREADING this one, because it's science fiction, but it wasn't all that bad. I thought it got a bit ridiculous towards the end, but it was a lot more readable than I expected.

How 'bout you? Read anything good lately? Always taking suggestions!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Doin' My Homework

I'm still plugging away at the school summer reading lists! There have been some disappointments and some nice surprises. As always, the title is a link to the Amazon page where you can read a proper summary of each book (and buy it if you'd like, but I'd recommend the library), and the author's name is a link to their personal website, if one exists. Some of the author websites are rudimentary, others are quite elaborate and a lot of fun!

Middle school titles:

Peeled by Joan Bauer: Another Joan Bauer book, yawn. I really don't like these, but the teachers seem to love them. Other books for kids and young adults manage to teach a lesson without being so obvious about it. There doesn't seem to be any spark to the writing. Nothing new.

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko: So-so. Overall, it struck me as too contrived, but that may be because I'm not a kid in middle school!

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick: Finally! I liked this one unequivocally! Believable story and well-drawn characters.

Savvy by Ingrid Law: This book has gotten all sorts of attention, but I thought it was a dud. I actually had trouble sticking with it to the end.

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer: This is one of the books I was avoiding, because it sounded all science-fictiony and post-apocalyptic, and that just isn't my thing. Surprise! It was one of the books I liked best! Turns out it's the final book in the Last Survivors trilogy, so I can read more too!

Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen: It's short. It's about the Civil War. It's gory. I can't exactly say I enjoyed it, but it does a good job depicting the horrors of war.

From the high school reading lists:

Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg: I'm not always in the mood for an Elizabeth Berg book, but this one certainly came along at the right time! A great book made even better (and that's not always the case) by listening to the audio version. The reader does an awesome job bringing this book to life!

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: This book has been on every high school reading list I've ever seen, and I didn't like it at all. Sure, I can see why teachers put it on the list--the lesson plan practically writes itself--but I thought the writing was sloppy and the book could have been edited to half its size. Blech.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford: I knew this was going to be popular with book clubs the minute I saw it, but I didn't expect to see it on school summer reading lists too! That said, I can see why the teacher chose it, as it focuses on a relatively forgotten aspect of American history: Japanese internment in World War 2. I thought it was a good book, though I preferred Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas. Here's a big surprise: I thought the author was a woman!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Old Fashioned and from the UK

I'm calling this the old-fashioned-and-from-the-UK category. You'll recognize a few of the authors as favorites from previous posts.

By Ruby Ferguson (1899-1966) we have Lady Rose and Mrs. Memmary. Every so often I look through the titles at Persephone Books and choose a title to request through interlibrary loan. This was described as "a great favourite of Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother," so I thought it would be fun to see what it was all about. The book I received was not the Persephone reprint, but an old copy, all petite and fragile. At first I had a hard time getting into it, but once I got the gist of it, I really enjoyed it. As is typical of Persephone reprints, there are tons of reviews out there, most more thorough than mine. See here and here or this review which includes photos of some of the illustrations.

I've read two more books by D.E. Stevenson (1892-1973). She was quite a prolific author, so it will be a while 'til I run out of titles! Mrs. Tim Carries On is the second of the Mrs. Tim Christie books and is very much of its time, published in 1941. I think I'm learning more about World War 2 from the little glimpses I get through these books than I have in any history class! The Four Graces, also set during WW2, was one of my favorite Stevensons so far.

Next, onto Barbara Pym (1913-1980). Quartet in Autumn is about four aging office mates, two men and two women, and how their lives weave in and out together as they reach retirement age. Loved it. The Sweet Dove Died, though written in the 1960s, was not published until 1978. I have to say, I was a little scandalized by this one! Not that it's racy by today's standards, but compared to the Pyms and Stevensons I'm used to, it was a little shocking. Much more modern, but still very good. If the title sounds familiar, see John Keats' poem which will give you an idea of what the book's about.

I spotted a vintage 1970s Elizabeth Cadell (1903-1989) on one of the library's return carts and knew I'd found another author to explore. Why? Go here to see a collection of dust jackets. How could I resist? I started with her final book, Out of the Rain, and was not disappointed. Easy, gentle, entertaining.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Finally Fiction

The Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia by Mary Helen Stefaniak: Stefaniak started out with great characters and a quirky story, but then she seemed to lose her way. The book felt very aimless toward the middle, and it was hard to push through the lull.

Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress: I honestly don't even know why I finished this book. The main character is just horrible. I was expecting a Southern belle and got a prostitute. Yuck--waste of time.

So Much for That by Lionel Shriver: Despite it's depressing subject matter and some heavy handed criticism of our health care system, I liked it. Go figure.

Minding Ben by Victoria Brown: Another one I almost didn't finish. I thought the subject (an 18 year old leaves Trinidad to become a nanny in New York) sounded like it could be interesting, but I felt like it wasn't fleshed out enough to be believable.

Still Missing by Beth Gutcheon: Originally published in 1981, this is now available as a Persephone Books reprint. I thought there must be something really special about it to warrant its place on the Persephone list, but I just thought it was a very dated book about a missing child. I'm not ready for Eighties nostalgia, I guess.

Love In Complete Sentences by Mary E. Mitchell: Finally something I liked unequivocally! It isn't a fluffy piece of chick lit like the cover might lead you to believe.

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith: Ah, my No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency fix. Recently, I've been surprised to hear how many people are NOT fans of Alexander McCall Smith. True, there isn't a lot of action in them, but I think they are wonderfully contemplative and seem effortless.

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom: A good book, but very similar to many I have read before. If you aren't already saturated by books about slavery and the South, you may well enjoy it more than I did!

Friday, June 3, 2011

Books: Non-Fiction Edition

In case you haven't caught on, I got behind on book posts (again) and felt overwhelmed (again) so I'm splitting them up into genres (again). So, this time, just non-fiction books. Non-fiction tends to go more slowly for me. I hear a lot of people at the library say they only read non-fiction, but I do a lot of my reading right before bed, and it has to be a fiction book or I'll never fall asleep!

Possum Living: How to Live Well Without a Job and (Almost) No Money by Dolly Freed: I've heard about this book for YEARS, but it was out of print and hard to find until it was reprinted last year. It makes a great companion read to The Moneyless Man which I wrote about in April. They are basically about the same thing, living without cash flow, but Dolly Freed talks about it all so matter-of-factly you almost wonder why you're not doing it!

A typical sentiment from Possum Living:

It's easier to learn to do without some of the things that money can buy than to earn the money to buy them.

You can also watch the film version of Possum Living on You Tube.

The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back by Hannah and Kevin Salwen: Motivated by the inequities they saw around them, the Salwen family decided to downsize to a smaller house, sell their large house, and give half the proceeds to charity. This could have really gone wrong and turned into a 200 page, self-congratulatory pat on the back, but it managed to avoid that. Even if you aren't about to give away hundreds of thousands of dollars, it offers good perspective on recognizing what you really need (they had to pare down their possessions considerably to fit into a smaller house). Another thing I really liked about this book was it's discussion of how they chose the charity. It offered good insights into what kind of help really works.

29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life by Cami Walker: I didn't expect this book to be as "woo woo" as it turned out to be. I'm not into spiritual advisors and altars and such, but the idea at the core of the book, which is basically the benefit of focusing on the positive, is solid. Check out the 29 Gifts website for more information.

Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life by Judith Orloff: This book drove me crazy, because it seemed to have a split personality. Sometimes I would be thinking how sensible it was. I had quite a few a-ha moments when something she said shed a new light on my usual thought patterns. But then the new-agey stuff would come on strong, and I'd wonder what the heck I was listening to. Overall, I think I benefited from listening to this book, but--be warned--there is quite a bit of "alternative" content!

Fiction books up next!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Summer Reading--Really!

One of my projects this summer is to read through the junior high and high school reading lists for the local schools. I've done this before, but moving to a new library means new schools and new lists! These are all books from the seventh grade list. As you'd expect from reading list books, they all carry A Very Important Message of one kind or another, but some are better at getting the point across with subtlety and finesse!

The Maze by Will Hobbs: I like this choice, because it will appeal to both boys and girls. It's an easy read, with enough action to keep kids interested.

Boy by Roald Dahl: As much as I love Roald Dahl, I think this book could be problematic. It is, after all, about his childhood, which occurred many years ago and in a foreign country. I'm not sure kids today are going to be charmed by tales of an English boarding school.

King of Shadows by Susan Cooper: This book is marked as a more challenging read on the list, and I'd agree with that. It was one of my favorites, but it includes a lot of references to Shakespeare and his plays which might bog down a younger or less skillful reader.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli: I listened to this one in the car, and it was read by John Ritter, who did a great job. Year after year, this is a popular choice for summer reading among the girls, and I can see why as it's very engaging and fun, and Stargirl is a free spirit we'd all like to be friends with. Even though it's written by a guy and from the perspective of a boy, it comes off as a pretty girly book, and I don't think I've ever had a boy come in and request it.

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen: Speaking of the boy/girl thing, this story is told from dueling perspectives, with chapters alternating between the girl's version and the boy's--a he said/she said type of thing. Whatever you do, do NOT listen to this on cd. The narrators are horrible. Despite half the book being told in a guy's voice, this came across as a book girls would love and guys would roll their eyes at.

The Transall Saga by Gary Paulsen: Science fiction and definitely not my thing, but it was a quick and easy read with plenty of action, and I think it would make a good choice for a reluctant reader.

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer: Joan Bauer enjoys a lot of popularity with teachers making summer reading lists, but this was my least favorite book of the group. I thought it was boring and obvious and had a hard time slogging through it.

I still have a few left on the seventh grade list, and then I'll move up a grade! Hopefully this will help me provide guidance to the kids who come in looking for one of their assigned titles. It's definitely exposed me to a few books I wouldn't have read otherwise!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The Bad and the Good

So I'm finally settling down to talk about The 100 Thing Challenge. On his blog, the author provides a summary of the challenge. You can click the link to read it and see what you think. Now, I don't know about you, but what I expected from a challenge like this was a guy trying to decide if he needs both a fork and a spoon. I expected to read about him waking up one day and realizing he didn't have a clean pair of underwear for work, because all three pairs were in the wash, and having to go commando for the day. I expected a bit of humor, a few epiphanies, and some motivation for paring down my possessions.

But it wasn't like that at all. Instead, there was a whole lot of qualifying (This is MY challenge with MY rules, so don't you dare critcize it.), a buttload of brand-name-dropping (Patagonia, anyone?) and the epiphanies were so faint as to be lost. It's admirable to broach the subject of consumerism, but as a book, as a living experiment, it didn't go far enough.

For example, Bruno counts his library as one thing. Hey, can I count my wardrobe as one thing? My sewing supplies? How about my Christmas decorations? And I share everything else with Gerry, so those things certainly don't count. Where are the hard choices? The improvisation?



On the other hand, if you really want to read about challenging consumerism, read The Moneyless Man. Mark Boyle challenged himself to live for a year without spending any money, and he did it without bending the rules into a pretzel to make it easier on himself. If anything, when faced with interpreting the rules, he erred on the conservative side. I know, I know, the 100 Thing Challenge guy can do anything he wants, but it just wasn't that interesting compared to this book.

I don't know how many things Mark Boyle used during the course of his moneyless year-- he might have been wallowing in a shocking 300 things-- but his approach to breaking away from consumerism led to some real breakthroughs. Staying under the magic 100 things number by substituting one expensive piece of outdoor gear for another just doesn't lead to the kind of introspection that you get from buying nothing.

One thing in the book that really made an impression on me was the idea that giving should be done freely, without consideration for what you're getting in return. Just give and it will eventually come back to you. You can read more about this "Philosofree" here. From the website:

This is our point - if somebody needs help, why do we need to get anything in return? Is the fact that another human being needs your help not excuse enough?

I can't say enough good things about The Moneyless Man. Sure it was extreme. No it isn't for everyone. I'm not about to go off the grid and start riding my bike 18 miles to work. But it has given me a lot to think about.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Make Time for Books

With all the upheaval of home improvement (update on that coming soon) I've been falling asleep a little sooner every night when I get into bed, so I haven't been finishing as many books as I'd like. But I always find at least a little room in the day for reading!

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin: At the library, the waiting list for this book was a mile long, so I had high hopes. The premise is that the author embarks on a new scheme to enhance her happiness in each of the twelve months of a year. I thought it started strong, but after the first few months, it fizzled. It seemed to me like once she started a blog, the comments on her posts had too great an effect on her writing.

Howard's End is On the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home by Susan Hill: Another year-long experiment! In this one, the author vows to read only books from her own bookshelves for a year. I was unfamiliar with many of the authors, so much of it was lost on me, but it did introduce me to Barbara Pym!

Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons: Tales of Redemption from an Irish Mailbox by Greg Fitzsimmons: I picked this up thinking it was about Ireland, but it isn't. That was disappointing, but the book was pretty good. If nothing else, it's worth reading for the line about pubic hair!

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin: I have a crush on Steve Martin, so I'm biased, but I enjoyed it. See an interview with my lovely Steve here.

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris: This has been on my to-be-read list for years. I finally downloaded it (for FREE from the library!) to my e-reader. Ferris really captures the relationships between a group of coworkers. You'll probably recognize one or two of your own coworkers here!

American Idol: the Untold Story by Richard Rushfield: My secret shame.

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels and Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond: Didn't like it. Great blog, boring book.

Talking to Girls About Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield: Tiresome. And that's coming from someone who graduated high school in 1985. I'm no stranger to Duran Duran.

Room by Emma Donoghue: Flew through this one. Donoghue wrote another book I liked very much, Slammerkin. Couldn't have been more different, but also very interesting!

Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin: Despite my apathy towards cooking, I decided to give this a try. Many bloggers have had many good things to say about it, and I will not be the exception. I loved it.

Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy: Another comfy, cozy, Irish book from Maeve Binchy. No surprises, but always an enjoyable read.

Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog by Lisa Scottoline: A series of short essays. Some good laughs, but I always feel sort of agitated when I read a book filled with short bits. Good for the gym, but not good for curling up with in bed.

Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing by Kathy Cano-Murillo: Kathy Cano-Murillo is the woman behind the Crafty Chica blog, which is one of the first crafting blogs I ever saw. Her projects just aren't exactly my style, and the same goes for the book.

Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym: You've heard me go on about how much I like D.E. Stevenson, now you'll have to listen to me bang on about Barbara Pym, who is very similar. Loved it.

The English Air by D.E. Stevenson: I wish I had a picture of the dust jacket on the edition I read. It's downright embarrassing to be seen with some of these books, but they are worth it!

The Last Child by John Hart: The mystery book discussion group at my library needed a title, so I suggested this, the winner of the Edgar Award for best novel in 2010. My husband, who is a member of the group, seemed to really like it, so I read it too. I can't say it was the trickiest mystery I've ever read or the most innovative, but there is some good writing in it. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the group felt about it!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Shaping Up

Busy times around here! I have a LOT to say about that book I was reading, The 100 Thing Challenge, none of it good, but I'm leaving that for another day. Anyway, I can't write about bucking the consuming trend and simplifying quite yet. I still have a few things to buy for the kitchen! hahaha Seriously though, folks, one of the goals for our kitchen is to make it more functional. I know the answer to getting organized isn't supposed to be running out to buy MORE! NEW! THINGS! but it sure is going to help in this case! So without further ado...

Although we've been paring down our kitchenware, we still need some additional storage. The Flytta cart is replacing a cheap, stand alone cabinet we added to our kitchen several years ago. The cabinet had seen better days, and had a drawer that was so shallow as to be nearly useless. We're also telling ourselves that that wheels will come in handy for when we clean. No laughing.

A stroll through Ikea's kitchen set-ups sold us on the functionality of the Grundtal range of rails and shelves. We bought an assortment of things to play with which will hopefully get essentials up off the counters but still easily within reach. The backsplash will be classic subway tile. It was a bit of a trick to find a tile which was both affordable and included the trim pieces we wanted, but a VERY helpful woman in the tile department at Lowe's called American Olean and found a product they could order for us. I had found a few other options online, but the shipping costs were prohibitive. Lowe's was also the source for the Leadco pendant lights we'll be installing at either end of the kitchen. We wanted something very clean and simple. Under $30, too!

Home Depot was the source of our new faucet, the Avalon from Price Pfister. I originally thought I wanted a bridge faucet, but the only one in our price range was a little too ornate. This one is a little cleaner, a little more functional with the single handle, and the soap dispenser will get one more thing off the counter. Finally, we're going with all new knobs due to sheer laziness! We were planning to use the white porcelain knobs which were already there, but the screws were brass, we wanted silver, and previous experience had taught us how hard it is to find just the right screw for the job. These also come in a ten-pack for a little over $2 per knob, so we're going to go ahead and change them. The one we tried as an example looks pretty spiffy, so I think they'll be a nice touch.

I haven't even shared my favorite new purchase for the kitchen. What do you think that might be?

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