Bookwormom

2010-01-30T10:41:00.002-05:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Semester Hiatus

Due to my chronic inability to be organized enough to both post on the blog, take classes and maintain my sanity, posting here will be sporadic at best until the end of the semester, which is early May. I will post occasionally but generally I anticipate greatly reduced activity here until late spring. I'm sorry to do this but it's inevitable I'm afraid. See you then!

2010-01-15T22:33:00.000-05:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Therefore today's post will come tomorrow! :p

Best of 2009

2010-01-13T11:59:00.000-05:00

All of the authors and titles are hyperlinked to reviews I've written or author's pages. In the case of Georgette Heyer I've linked to pages that detail her work or the specific title I'm referring to. I hope 2009 was an enjoyable reading year for you too!

Best Book of 2009~

The Risen Empire and The Killing of Worlds; Scott Westerfeld

Best New to Me Authors~

1. Ariana Franklin
2. Georgette Heyer
3. Linnea Sinclair

Best Mystery~
Contemporary~ The Midnight Choir; Gene Kerrigan
Historical~ Mistress of the Art of Death; Ariana Franklin

Best Fantasy~ Scar Night, Alan Campbell

Best Science Fiction~

1. The Risen Empire, Scott Westerfeld (duology)
2. The Moon's Shadow; Catherine Asaro
3. The Ruby Dice; Catherine Asaro

Best Romance~ Hope's Folly- Linnea Sinclair

Best of the Rest~

1. Death Wore White; Jim Kelly
2. In Defense of Food; Michael Pollan
3. The War of the Flowers; Tad Williams
4. Devil's Cub; Georgette Heyer
5. Frederica; Georgette Heyer
6. These Old Shades; Georgette Heyer

2009 Annual Statistics

2010-01-11T19:04:00.000-05:00

And the grand total for the year is......65! Not too bad considering going back to school totally sank both my reading statistics and my blog. Not reading much romance these last few months, and these next few aren't looking great either, at least for romance reading. Vampires, though, are totally on the upswing.

2005~ 102 2006~ 104 2007~ 64 2008~ 88

General Fiction~

Chick Lit- 1
Children's Fantasy- 1
Christian Thriller- 1
Christian Women's Fiction- 1
Diet & Health- 0
Erotica- 1
Fantasies- 11
Fictionalized Memoir- 2
Historical Fiction- 1
Historical Mysteries- 2
Horror- 1
Humor-0
Literary Criticism- 1
Literature- 0
Manga- 2
Metaphysics- 1
Mystery, Contemporary- 5
Mystery, Historical- 4
Science Fiction- 4
Sociology- 2
Thrillers- 0
Travelogue/ex-pat adventure- 0
Women's Fiction- 2

Romances~

Contemporary Suspense- 0
Fantasy- 1
Historical- 13
Medieval- 1
Mythology- 0
Paranormal Vampire- 3
Science Fiction- 1
Time Travel- 0
Traditional Regencies- 2

YA Paranormal/fantasy- 1
YA romance- 0
YA Chicklet- 0

DNF- 6

I Heard a Bird Sing; Oliver Herford

2010-01-03T23:07:00.001-05:00

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December

A magical thing

And sweet to remember:

"We are nearer to Spring

Than we were in September,"

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December

December Monthly Synopsis

2009-12-31T16:39:00.004-05:00

This month I read:

1. Devil's Cub~ Georgette Heyer

2. Frederica~ Georgette Heyer

3. The Untamed Bride~ Stephanie Laurens

4. Quatrain~ Sharon Shinn.

5. Divine Misdemeanors~ Laurell K. Hamilton

6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo~ Steig Larsson

ETA: 7. These Old Shades~ Georgette Heyer

Notes:

I can't believe it has taken me so long to read Georgette Heyer, as much as I love traditional regencies. She's wonderful & I'm rapidly glomming the new Sourcebooks Casablanca qp size releases. Untamed Bride is a wonderful Laurens, kind of a historical romantic suspense. I plan to read the rest of the series. Sharon Shinn's book is a collection of short stories, each one set in one of her worlds. They're all quite good. The one set in Samaria finally convinced me to read that group. I've bought them all at the UBS. The LKH is fine, as far as it goes. It's an episode in Los Angeles, wherein Merry & her crew must solve a mystery & Merry must learn a little more the role of a ruler, as opposed to simply being the heir. Less carefree and more responsability and more choices between what she personally wants and what id best for the group or for Faerie as a whole. I read the Steig Larsson book earlier this fall, but forgot to list it.

Note, pt.2

These Old Shades is paired with Devil's Cub, I read them in reverse order (which I don't recommend, as subtle interactions are lost if you are unfamiliar with the characters). They do stand alone though, if you're interested in reading them. TOS made me cry & therefore earns an automatic place on my keeper shelves.

2010 Releases

2009-12-30T21:15:00.015-05:00

Below are a few books I'm looking forward to hunting down next year. I'm quite sure the to be bought list will grow significantly as the year progresses, but as of now this is it. List is linked to author's sites.

1. Rebels and Lovers~ Linnea Sinclair February

2. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms~ N.K. Jesmin March

3. Except the Queen~ Jane Yolen & Midori Snyder February

4. Shalador's Lady~ Anne Bishop March

5. Foiled~ Jane Yolen April Graphic novel about a teenage girl fencer!! How cool is that?!!

6. Naamah's Curse~ Jacqueline Carey June

7. Dark Peril~ Christine Feehan September

8. Cryoburn~ Lois McMaster Bujold No date available yet, possibly November This is a Miles book.

9. A Kiss at Midnight~ Eloisa James No month listed Described as a Cinderella theme

10-12. The Black Cobra Quartet~ Stephanie Laurens February, July & end of the year First title is The Elusive Bride

13. The Chalice of Blood~ Peter Tremayne July, UK release

Other News

Both Scott Westerfeld and Juliet Marillier are writing new books. Marillier's title is said to be Seer of Sevenwaters formerly Song of the Island, I couldn't find a pub date for it though. Westerfeld's new book is supposed to be titled Behemoth, second in the trilogy that began with Leviathan, and is currently being worked on.

October and November Synopsis

2009-12-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

Listed below are what I've managed to read between 1 October and November 30, none of which are reviewed or listed in the archives. I hope to slowly work my way through them and review them, but am not overly hopeful that I will be able to achieve this in any timely fashion.

1. What Remains of Heaven~ C.S. Harris

2. The Taming of the Duke~ Eloisa James

3. Kiss Me Annabel~ Eloisa James

4. On the Way to the Wedding~ Julia Quinn

5. Desperate Duchesses~ Eloisa James

6. The Disdainful Marquis~ Edith Layton

7. The Abandoned Bride~ Edith Layton

8. The Untamed Bride~ Edith Layton

2009-12-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

The angel Gabriel from heaven came, his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
"All hail," said he, "thou lowly maiden Mary, mostly highly favored lady", gloria!

"For know a blessed Mother thou shalt be, all generations laud and honor thee, thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,most highly favored lady," gloria!

Then gently Mary meekly bowed her head, "To me be as it pleaseth God," she said, "my soul shall laud and magnify his holy name." Most highly favored ,lady, gloria!

Of her Emmanuel, the Christ, was born in Behtlehem, all on a Christmas morn, "Most highly favored lady," gloria!

This is the text of a Basque hymn, one of my favorites, that our church plays during Advent although it is also appropriate for the Annunciation (March 25th). The painting is La Vierge au Lys by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. I love to hear it at this time of year.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T00:01:00.003-05:00

May God grant you the light in Christmas,
Which is Faith;
The warmth of Christmas,
Which is Love;
The radiance of Christmas,
Which is Purity;
The righteousness of Christmas,
Which is Justice;
The belief in Christmas,
Which is Truth;
The all of Christmas,
Which is Christ.

~Wilda English~

Found on the website of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn Photo is from an album posted by fwz on Webshots

Dear Author's Top 100 Romances

2009-12-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

Click the link in the title above to go to the Dear Author page with the list on it. Often the discussions are well worth reading, no matter how long they are. Below I copied & pasted the list, bolded titles I've read, italicized titles I own but haven't read yet. I almost never read contemporaries, so that always colors my numbers. If my tallies are correct, I've read 17 and own another 12. What are your numbers?

1. To Have and to Hold by Patricia Gaffney
2. For My Lady’s Heart by Laura Kinsale
3. Black Silk by Judith Ivory
4. Naked in Death by J.D Robb
5. My Reckless Heart by Jo Goodman
5. The Dream Hunter by Laura Kinsale
5. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
8. The Windflower by Laura London/Tom and Sharon Curtis
8. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
10. Delicious by Sherry Thomas
10. Forbidden by Susan Johnson
10. The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale
10. Wild at Heart by Patricia Gaffney
14. Beast by Judith Ivory
14. False Colors by Alex Beecroft
14. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
14. The Changeling Bride by Lisa Cach
14. Dance by Judy Cuevas
19. Heart Of The West by Penelope Williamson
19. Practice to Deceive by Patricia Veryan
19. Reforming Lord Ragsdale by Carla Kelly
19. Tatiana And Alexander by Paulina Simons
19. The Bride Fair by Cheryl Reavis
19. The Outsider by Penelope Williamson
19. Uneven by Anah Crow
19. Bad Girl by Michelle Jaffe
19. Archangel by Sharon Shinn
19. The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe
29. As You Desire by Connie Brockway
29. Night in Eden by Candice Proctor
29. Fallen from Grace by Laura Leone
29. Seize the Fire by Laura Kinsale
29. Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie
29. Crooked Hearts by Patricia Gaffney
35. Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran
35. Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
35. The Duke’s Wager by Edith Layton
35. Dream Man by Linda Howard
35. Ember by Bettie Sharpe
35. Mirrors and Mistakes by Kathleen Gilles Seidel
35. The Dream Thief by Shana Abe
35. It Had To Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
35. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
35. Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer
35. Spring Fancy by LaVyrle Spencer
35. A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh
35. Again by Kathleen Gilles Seidel
35. Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught
35. Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson
35. His Lordship’s Mistress by Joan Wolf
35. One Good Turn by Carla Kelly
35. Shattered Rainbows by Mary Jo Putney
35. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
35. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
55. Lady’s Choice by Jayne Ann Krentz
55. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
55. Natural Law by Joey Hill
55. Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
55. Out of the Blue by Sally Mandel
55. The Passions of Emma by Penelope Williamson
55. Written on Your Skin by Meredith Duran
55. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
55. A Man to Slay Dragons by Meagan McKinney
55. Beloved Lord by Mallory Burgess
55. Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight
55. Dearly Beloved by Mary Jo Putney
55. Devonshire by Lynne Connolly
55. Don’t Forget to Smile by Kathleen Gilles Seidel
55. Dream A Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
55. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
55. Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran
55. Fireflower by Edith Layton
55. George and the Virgin by Lisa Cach
55. Jovah’s Angel by Sharon Shinn
55. Lady Gallant by Suzanne Robinson
55. Lily by Patricia Gaffney
55. Lion’s Bride by Iris Johanson
55. Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase
55. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
55. Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann
55. Pure Sin by Susan Johnson
55. Scandal by Amanda Quick
55. Scandal by Carolyn Jewel
55. The Dominant Blonde by Alisa Kwitney
55. The Slightest Provocation by Pam Rosenthal
55. To Love a Dark Lord by Anne Stuart
55. Untie My Heart by Judith Ivory
55. Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan
55. Wild Sweet Ecstasy by Jo Goodman
55. Wildest Hearts by Jayne Ann Krentz
55. The Reluctant Heiress/Magic Flutes by Eva Ibbotson
55. “A House East of Regent Street” by Pam Rosenthal (novella in the anthology Strangers in the Night)
55. A Place to Call Home by Deborah Smith
55. Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens
55. Heart Throb by Suzanne Brockmann
55. If Wishes Were Horses by Curtiss Ann Matlock
55. Lady Elizabeth’s Comet by Sheila Simonson
55. Rejar by Dara Joy
55. Weaver Takes a Wife by Sheri Cobb South
100. Beyond Breathless by Kathleen O’Reilly

Book Related News

2009-12-22T13:34:00.001-05:00

According to the Guardian newspaper, Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit series is being released with all new animation in 2011. The article says the new cartoons will be released around the world & all new merchandise will accompany it. Read all about it here.

Also found on the Guardian, for those of you who like to follow authors behaving badly, there has apparently been a huge troll fest over on Amazon involving an author named Candace Sams- who is apparently so upset she threatened to involve the FBI. Seriously. LOL I just can't imagine. Read all about it here.

On a personal note, I'll be posting more now that finals are over & grades are in. Updates coming soon, both family & reading lists.

Advent Blog Tour '09

2009-12-11T17:17:00.009-05:00

I thought I'd participated more years than 2006, but the only other Advent post I can find is this one. Click link in the title above to go to Marg & Kailana's Advent blog. You'll find lots of other folks who're writing. The Tour is a great way to find other book blogs, often from all around the world. Head on over there & check it out. This year I find myself in a more contemplative frame of mind than usual. There has been a lot going on behind the scenes here Chez Bookwormom, other than the absolute dearth of posting here, and it has affected my mood.

In an effort to cheer myself up I decided that I would decorate using a snowman theme. I already have several acrylic snowmen cavorting across the top of Pianist's new piano. A skiier, a caroler, a nurse (to tend the skiier who always falls over), a penguin riding an ice cube, a couple of glass Christmas trees. Silly, fun little charms, really. I found glass snowmen ornaments with glittery orange carrot noses (cheap, too!) and one that has a long striped hat streaming above his head. I dug out some old snowflake placemats. I bought a large package of hard Christmas candies & poured them in a bowl, the Hubby was surprised- I rarely buy candy to keep in the house.

What else? I wrapped the back door in bright red Christmas paper & ribbons, now it looks like a giant present. I'd not done that for a few years. I put a new purple cloth under my advent wreath. I think I need a cinnamon broom, I saw one the other day in the craft store but skipped it. There's nothing like scent to cheer you up and bring back memories. I put a giant pink-freckled poinsettia on the dining room table. I made the kids hunt down the giant pinecone wreath buried up in the attic & its on the front door now.

I don't normally like to associate Christmas with more shopping, more stuff, more more more!!! but somehow this year a little retail therapy goes a long way towards lightening my mood. Sorry this post is a little down, but I can't help it. This is the only place I can 'let my hair down a little' so to speak & you guys just have to listen. I'm glad I stocked up on romances last month, maybe subconsciously I knew I was going to need a surefire pick me up this month.

1,000th Post Giveaway is Here

2009-11-23T22:03:00.008-05:00

This is the 1,000th post! Remember?? From ages & ages ago? Whoever posted comments between August 7th and the 1,000th post would get to pick two titles from a list of books. Never did I think it would take me so long to get to 1,000 posts, but here we are at last!

If anyone still wants them here's the deal: I'll mail them to you, including overseas. There are 10 titles so let's say three winners? Email me your list of two titles & your address & I'll mail them to you. In the event of duplicate choices, the email with the earliest date & timestamp gets top pick, runners up can email back and forth with me as to which ones you want.

Email me at: bookwormomsterATgmailDOTcom no later than Sunday 29 November 2009 at midnight Eastern time US.

I think they've all been reviewed and can be found in my archives.

The choices are:

1. Cybele's Secret- Juliet Marillier

2. Ruby's Slippers- Leanna Ellis

3. Certain Jeopardy- Struecker & Gansky

4. Rooftops of Tehran- Mahbod Seraji

5. Dirt: An American Campaign- Mark LaFlamme

6. Twenties Girl- Sophie Kinsella

7. Four Wives- Wendy Walker

8. Make Ahead Meals- Jane Doiron

9. The Book of Unholy Mischief- Elle Newmark

10. The Prince of Midnight- Laura Kinsale
This is a 1990 hardcover edition complete with Fabio. If you're a romance lover who admires Ms. Kinsale & you posted this one is in nearly pristine condition.

Newest Treasures

2009-11-11T06:00:00.002-05:00

On Sunday I mentioned the last few romances I've read & mentioned that I've bought some new books. Almost all were found at my UBS & unfortunately they'll have to wait until the end of the semester before I can read most of them. Still, I love seeing them on my shelves & am anticipating some light and delicious reading in December.

This Duchess of Mine~ Eloisa James Desperate Duchesses group

Duchess by Night~ Eloisa James Desperate Duchesses group

When the Duke Returns~ Eloisa James Desperate Duchesses group

A Duke of Her Own~ Eloisa James Desperate Duchesses group

The Taming of the Duke~ Eloisa James Essex Sisters group: Imogen's book

Pleasure for Pleasure~ Eloisa James Essex Sisters group: Josie's book

An Affair Before Christmas~ Eloisa James Desperate Duchesses group

Broken Wing~ Judith James A book I decided I wouldn't buy unless it came to the UBS. The reviews really put me on the fence, but it finally showed up so I bought it. *shrug*

Bride Enchanted~ Edith Layton Starting to collect backlist

To Love A Wicked Lord~Edith Layton See above

A Rogue's Proposal~ Stephanie Laurens A Cynster family member, it has been ages since I've read their books.

A Rake's Vow~ Stephanie Laurens See comment above. I stopped reading this series once Laurens was finished with the original family tree.

The Frenchman's Plain Jane Project~ Myrna MacKenzie HQN Romance #4123 October; I love the 'plain Jane' plotline

Picture Perfect Christmas~Melanie Schuster HQN/Kimani Love the plot- very unusual & the smile on the cover model?? Delicious

I'm intrigued by the Duke Of Villiers in the Desperate Duchesses group, but his character thread runs through the entire group so I bought most of them so I could learn just what a rogue he is! He sounds yummy & delicious & in need of the love of a good wooman, I must say. LOL :) I needed Imogen's book because Rafe & Imogen both needed to straighten up. Josie I don't really give a damn about but Mayne needed his own book & this is it. Soooo...I still read the original Cynsters by Laurens. After Traditional Regencies died I needed something to take their place, but starting on HQNs has taken me a very long time. I'm dipping my toes in the water with these.

Access Romance

2009-11-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

My monthly post is up over at Access Romance. I'm talking about playing games as a method of courtship, especially in historicals. Come on over and say hi!

Glomming

2009-11-08T23:12:00.004-05:00

Sort of. I've spent the last week devouring romances. Avoiding homework and papers due in favor of going on a book buying and reading binge. I've read the following:

1.The Untamed Bride~ Stephanie Laurens her newest book, will write it up in a day or two

2. On the Way to the Wedding~ Julia Quinn

3. Desperate Duchesses~ Eloisa James

4. Kiss Me Annabel~ Eloisa James

5. The Disdainful Marquis~ Edith Layton

6. The Abandoned Bride~ Edith Layton

Five and six are a Signet traditional Regency double. Ms. Layton is one of the classic, standard setting founders of the genre. Until this week I'd never read anything of hers & now I'm planning a raid on the UBS for her backlist.

Impromptu Road Trip

2009-10-26T10:42:00.009-04:00

Last Monday (or Tuesday, I can't quite remember) Anime Queen, our teenage daughter, asked, "Which one of you is going out to Tiny College that Offers Japanese with me on Friday and Saturday?" Uh, what was that?? How long have you known about this road trip & not mentioned it to anyone?? Er.. since October 5th. Several dozen phone calls and a few last minute arrangements later, the trip was a go.

Also last week, more great news! Joy of joys, the Pianist has been given a new piano. A gift from a friend at church who is seriously ill and will be unable to play anymore. Can you guess what the only compatible day to pick up our new gift? Why Friday of course. The day daughter and I will be on the road. The older son called in sick and the younger one was exempted from school so they could help dad put the old piano in storage and the new one into the house.

I guess it all went well. I didn't hear any horror stories about moving the pianos or the joys of driving a small moving truck in heavy Friday traffic. No fingers or toes were accidentally crushed. The old one will be given away via Craigslist soon. I hope. At least it would be if one of us could remember to put the listing up.

Thursday night Anime Queen and I made it 'down the valley' to the tiny, picturesque town where her potential college is. Kids and parents have traveled from up and down the East Coast to be there so I feel less put out about AQ's lack of advance warning. I guess. She has totally fallen in love with it. I kind of wonder how much of a fit it'll be, but she can be stubborn and persistent when she wants to be, so we'll see.

I ended up driving all the way home Friday evening. I couldn't face spending the night alone in an economy hotel at a tiny crossroad beside the highway, so I drove 3+ hours home in pouring rain to spend the night in my own bed with my own sheets and my own hubby. Then I got up at 6 am Saturday morning and did it all over again. I don't care, it was worth the stress to be home in my own bed. However, I might have felt differently if I was psychic and knew ahead of time that it'd pour cats and dogs all the way down the valley and back again Saturday morning.

Of course, never mind the fact that I had a midterm to study for or a paper to do research for or a blog that is being seriously neglected. You know, teenagers think it's perfectly acceptable to drop and/or rearrange your entire life to accomodate them. Hubby's theory is that she miscalculated and thought that we'd automatically tell her 'no way, we can't go' because of the ridiculous time frame and get her off the hook. I don't know which one of us is right, but she ended up loving the place- which she told me she didn't expect.

We're back now and so far all is pretty much right with the world- that is to say, completely crazy and a total soap opera from start to finish. This particular storyline has to do with Pianist, but I'm too tired to tell that one today.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

If You're on my Feed Reader

2009-10-21T20:40:00.002-04:00

Please be aware that as I now have well over 1,700 posts on my reader I am forced to delete them all and begin anew. At almost zero. :{ Am unhappy at the necessity of doing this but I've no time to physically sort through the posts.

Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Jane Doiron

2009-10-20T05:00:00.000-04:00

I guess the fact that I've posted all of three times in October versus roughly fourteen (which is still not great, BTW) in September qualifies me as a busy mom. So this was definitely the book for me to road test. Click the link in the title above to go to the book webpage. This review is part of a book tour sponsored by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours. I received an ARC for this review.

TBH, I most likely would've purchased one of these from a bricks and mortar bookstore. I try very hard to be organized, and one of the keys is good tools to help you become and remain organized. This book is one of those tools. Funny observation- the dessert section is pretty early on in this book. To my way of thinking placing it there matches up pretty closely with how my days go sometimes- I just want to start with dessert and skip the main course entirely. IIRC Garfield agrees with me!

On a slightly more serious note, I appreciated the tips pages in the very front of the book the most. They helped keep me on track and out of the woods several times. The recipes themselves are as advertised: quick, familiar, and easy. Even your fussiest appetite will find something to love in here. Most of all the recipes use mainly pantry staples, which means no buying an unfamiliar ingredient that will then sit on your shelves unused. Which is always a plus nowadays with the economy being what it is.

Around my house the earliest bus pick up is 6:15 am. Obviously that means sleeping in until 5:45, racing through a shower and running out the door at 6:10. If I'm lucky this child remembers to grab the premade lunch & a quick yogurt or piece of fruit for breakfast. I tried some of Ms. Doiron's breakfast recipes, some of which can be 'bus stop friendly' or carpool friendly or what have you. Now, I tried them over the weekends, so we've yet to try and incorporate them into the am frenzy, but we're going to give it a try.

Another child despises standard breakfast fare and is known to eat hot chili or tuna salad in the morning before school. Make Ahead Meals came to the rescue for this child too, because the recipes I tried hold up quite well for reheating any leftovers the next morning. If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, that is. I don't always have those. The hubby is on a supervised diet, which the side dish and soup sections accommodated with only a few changes here and there.

Overall, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms was a success for our house. The recipes are teen friendly (both to cook and to eat), fussy-eater friendly and sure to save your bacon in an emergency. Plan out a week's menu using this book, go to the grocery store and try it out. Ms. Doiron's book is a winner in the daily struggle to feed the kids and maintain some sanity.

Cover image found on Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours

Chemistry in the Rain

2009-10-17T20:26:00.011-04:00

Friday was spent standing on a pebbly spit beside a stream in the middle of the woods surrounded by twenty five high school seniors (17 years old). The kids were testing the stream water for: fecal choliform (eewwww!), organophosphates, nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, two temperature readings, turbidity (cloudiness) & some other stuff. The park ranger says the stream is the standard for purity in our area because it flows through both the park and the military base beside it, which means the land around it is protected from development & thus protected from pollution. The weather was chilly and drizzly, made worse by pouring rain the all the previous day.

Fortunately I was dressed warmly and I made sure I stayed dry so it was fun. I love the woods. One of the boys nearly fell face first off of a log into the water trying to take the upstream temperature. I have to be honest here and say I laughed, although it would've been a serious issue if he'd actually fallen in. Stupid kids are always afraid of not looking the part or whatever, so only one of them was dressed warmly- the rest of them were in t shirts or other thin shirts and sweatshirts, no warm jackets or (heaven forbid) raincoats. No hiking boots or wellies for their feet, sneakers all around. They all spent the entire morning whining about how cold it was & how they couldn't wait to get back to school because it was warm!!

Luckily the teachers ignored this & wandered around making sure they finished all of their experiments. She only had one parent chaperone (ie: me), so she had to ask one of the administrators to accompany us so she didn't have to cancel the whole thing. The park doesn't have the funding to support this type of event, so a nonprofit called The Alice Ferguson Foundation steps in to provide an extra resource teacher/biologist and all of the equipment the kids used for the experiment. It was really neat watching her lead the kids along to recognizing that all of the development they enjoy can damage the environment and thus the water they drink, bathe in and cook with.

It was a relaxing if chilly way to spend the morning watching the kids play in the water & realize that in science, as in many other things, one must follow the directions to get optimal results or else start all over. LOL :)

Back Again

2009-10-15T22:42:00.004-04:00

Somehow I managed to catch a serious chest cold. Two days in bed, low grade fever for three days, went through two jumbo boxes of tissues and two packages of cough drops all by myself. Managed to worry everyone in my family, since I barely remember the last time I was so sick. I think the last time I got pneumonia- which was on Christmas Day when I had thirty people over for dinner- was nearly ten years ago. I'm generally a healthy person, thank heavens.

Anyhow, I had to get out of bed before I felt better to take an exam from a prof who refuses to allow test retakes. Then two days later I had to to turn in a paper to another prof who doesn't allow papers to be submitted via email (!!!!) the first time. So I ended up getting worse again & spent a few more days in bed. The hubby made some of the best ever chicken soup, which I've no doubt made me stronger sooner than I would have been otherwise.

Of course, college courses wait for no one and nothing short of the end of the world. Homework piled higher and higher- I was assigned another paper. If you please, "write a Socratic discussion between two Nobel Peace Prize winners with appropriate citations." Yes, folks you can just imagine how thrilled I was when I found out about that one. President Obama hadn't won when this was assigned. I also have to write a paper about the indigenous people of Sweden- the Sami, nomadic reindeer herders. That one's not due for another five weeks or so. I need to do some food history research for an 'ethnic food night' next week. You know the drill, give a 5 minute presentation & contribute a dish.

What about books you ask? I managed to finish Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. That will be a buddy review with Kailana over at The Written World. A doorstopper, for sure. Worth the time though, especially if you like 'locked room' mysteries and can tolerate business and financial details.

Out sick

2009-10-05T22:31:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the temporary hiatus- been in bed sick since Thursday last. Am now behind in my homework on top of everything else. :( Missed the reread. Double :( Back soonest.

Banned Books #3

2009-09-28T11:42:00.007-04:00

Walter Dean Myers

In support of banned books week, I've decided to read A Mercy by Toni Morrison. Ms. Morrison has several titles that regularly show up on 'challenged' book lists. I've also decided to read one of the young adult titles, probably one that's shelved in my local branch since I need to go down there to pick up a title I ordered via ILL to do research on for a term paper. The branch is little, but I'm hoping to find a book by Walter Dean Myers, who has several titles that show up in challenge lists.

Audiobook image found at Barnes & Noble. Image of Walter Dean Myers found on Random House

Most Challenged Books by Authors of Color

2009-09-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

From the ALA list (link in title above):

3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

17. The Color Purple by Alice Walker

31. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane

34. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

36. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

45. Beloved by Toni Morrison

69. Native Son by Richard Wright

73. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende

78. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya

84. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

85. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez

Also written by authors of color & challenged frequently:

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

American Indian Myths and Legends by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz.