Paris ...

Venice...

Rome...

and Egypt!

And all without our child (who will be lovingly and responsibly taken care of by his beloved aunts)!!!

(Romeo will also be taken care of by the aunts. He just doesn’t know it yet.)

Mr. Jenners and I thought we’d celebrate our 10 year anniversary in style, so we planned a trip that would make both of us very happy. (We’ve been planning it since last year.) We decided to treat ourselves all the way—flying first class there and back, getting picked up in a stretch limousine, and staying in a luxurious hotel. “Whhhaaaatttt?” you’re probably thinking. “Did Jenners win the lottery and not tell us about it?” Well, perhaps I gave the impression that we’re going on a far-flung and exotic trip. In fact, we’re actually going no more than a 5-hour plane ride away. Have you guessed where we’re actually going yet? If you guessed…

Las Vegas

 …then you are smarter than I gave you credit for! We’ll be staying in Caesar’s Palace, visiting Paris (the casino), the Venetian, the Luxor and all the rest of the delightfully fun places that dot the Strip. We’ve got tickets to the Cirque Du Soleil and we plan on making the most of this rare opportunity to be by ourselves by treating ourselves and not cheaping out (as I tend to do). (The regret will come when the credit card bill arrives next month. Until then, I’ll just adopt Scarlett O’Hara’s attitude: “Well I won’t think about this now. I’ll think about it tomorrow.”)

This will be our third Vegas Cirque Du Soleil show. Anyone see it? I hope it rocks!

I can think of no better way to celebrate 10 years of marriage together. (Our actual anniversary is May 19th.) Obviously, I’ll be taking a blogging break during this time (sorry … I’ve got to devote myself to relaxing and napping and reading and eating Mr. Jenners during this romantic getaway). I’ll be back (sadly) before you know it so be good and I’ll catch up with you upon my return!

So how did my day begin. With breakfast in bed of course!

Breakfast made as a school project. To be honest, the only part I ate were the two Hershey Kisses (see wrappers at the top).

The absolute best part of this gift (because, trust me, it wasn’t the food) was the drawing of me that BB put on the bag. Check it out!

A portrait of me by BB. Mr. Jenners says I look like Peter Griffin from Family Guy.

After this, I was given a card and some chocolates from my fur-child, Romeo—the Havanese. Check out the card!

The card was in Spanish because Romeo is (in the far distant past) from Cuba. (By the way, only one truffle is left. I

I was then treated to a scavenger hunt (which was handled quite creatively even though I misinterpreted almost every single clue given to me and needed Mr. Jenners to “cough” the answers in a sneaky way).

Some of the clues to my scavenger hunt.

Look at what goodies I found along the way (cleaning out almost half my Amazon wish list).

I’m about halfway through The Lifeboat already and just loving it!!! “But Jenners,” you say, “how could you be halfway through a book you just got this morning?” Why, I was given glorious free time to read and nap! (Perhaps the best gift of all!!!!!!)

We also went to the movies this morning, and (for once) I got to see my own movie choice instead of the kid’s movie. While Mr. Jenners took BB to see Pirates: Band of Misfits, I got to enjoy Dark Shadows. (Totally fun!! Another great collaboration between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. Also, yesterday BB and I saw The Avengers, which was total popcorn movie fun. The scene where the Hulk hits Thor near the end had the entire theatre breaking into laughter. It was marvelous!) We also ate lunch out at Don Pablo’s where I got to indulge in my latest obsession—sopapillas.

Airy crisp warm dough triangles sprinkled with powdered sugar and drenched in honey butter sauce. Click on image for directions to make your own

In all, it was the most delightful day. A perfect day in many ways. And the best part? Waiting for me in the freezer is my beloved Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream to end my day! To wrap up, I just want to have my Havana hottie (that would be Romeo) wish all of you a wondrous Mother’s Day. I hope your day was as lovely as mine.

Muchas Bendiciones En el Dia de las Madres, Mamacitas! Grrrrrooooowwwl!

I cannot even tell you how absorbed I got in this book … how difficult it was to tear myself away to prepare dinner or get my son from the bus stop. This is simply the most fascinating, compelling, intense travel memoir I’ve ever read. It has everything you look for in a travel memoir: exotic locales, excellent writing, insight and a compelling narrative. Let’s take a look at these elements one by one.

Exotic Locales

In 1986, Gilman and her college friend Claire embarked on an “around the world” backpacking trip that starts in China, which (as Gilman puts it) “had been open to independent backpackers for roughly ten minutes.” This is a very Communist China that, at the time, was not yet very modernized. It is also, as Gilman finds out on a return visit 20 years later, a China that no longer exists. Gilman’s account of the difficulty of travel, the incredible bureaucracy, the food, the sights, and the people (often generous to a fault) brings to life a country and a culture that may be a mystery to many Westerners.

Excellent Writing

Gilman has a sharp wit and a way with words that make this book—which is, at times, as harrowing as any thriller—a pleasure to read. Her self-depreciating and wicked sense of humor grounds the book, and her creative use of metaphors delighted me time and time again. Consider this self-description:

Most of my time at Brown, I’d felt like geometry: a collection of unlovely, isolated parts that needed to be proven over and over.

Seriously, how awesome is that metaphor? The book is full of this type of wonderful writing—making the book flow like a stream of crystal clear water. (As you can tell by my seriously lame metaphor just now, it isn’t the easiest thing in the world to come up with apt and creative metaphors.) In addition, Gilman’s personality comes shining through on every page, and I found her to be winning, hilarious, down-to-earth and just plain awesome. (I’d love to hang out with her some time. I bet she is a hoot.)

Insight

I’m thankful that Gilman waited before attempting to write this memoir. The events in the book require a certain type of maturity and hindsight to fully understand and view properly. Had she written this book shortly after the events described, I don’t think it would have been nearly as effective. With the benefit of 20 years to ponder the events of the trip, Gilman is able to analyze her younger self and the decisions she made with a wisdom that would have been lacking had she written the book in “real-time.” Thus, we have two Gilmans writing this memoir: the 22-year-old Gilman who experienced the events and brings them to life and the grown-up Gilman who has the wisdom and maturity to understand and comment on her younger self and her experiences. I’ve read memoirs that lack the introspection and commentary that time can bring, and I think this book benefited tremendously from Gilman’s choice to write the memoir as an adult versus a young adult.

Compelling Narrative

Although this could have been a “two naive American girls traveling in China” travel narrative (and you almost wish it could have been), Gilman and Claire’s journey takes a bizarre and riveting turn when Claire begins to unravel psychologically. As little oddities begin to crop up (such as Claire’s insistence that she is writing a “world curriculum” and must go by herself to do research and make contacts), both the reader and the grown-up Gilman can see that the warning signs were there from the start. But Gilman’s analysis and reasoning on why these warning signs don’t register until it is too late are compelling and reasonable. I could totally see my 20-year-old self making the same decisions and getting into the same harrowing situations in which Gilman finds herself at the end of the book. The last third of the book was as suspenseful, harrowing and riveting as any thriller I’ve ever read. My pulse and anxiety level were rising with each new development, and I couldn’t imagine experiencing this kind of nightmare myself. Yet, as Gilman writes in the epilogue, it was this experience that helped shape her into the woman she is today.

The bottom line is that this book is simply the best memoir and travel narrative I’ve ever read. I simply can’t recommend it enough. I’m usually pretty stingy with my stars, but I’m giving this one 5 stars without hesitation. Make time for it … you’ll be glad you did. It is an excellent piece of writing that tells a riveting and compelling story that has something important to say about life, love, and being a citizen of the world. Despite Gilman’s often nightmarish experiences, it will make you wish you’d taken that backpacking trip you always said you would but never quite got around to doing.

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Brief Description: This book has been reviewed on just about every book blog I’ve seen so I’m not sure I even have to tell you that much about it. However, just in case you aren’t familiar with the basics, here they are: A magical circus appears out of blue, only at night. Its colors are always black, white and red. The circus is created and maintained by two magicians, who are in competition with each other. The competition is vague in its goals and ending, even to the two magicians.

My Thoughts: OK … that description sounded a bit flat, but the book itself is not. The main character is really the circus itself, which Morgenstern describes in exquisite and wondrous detail. I love how she described the circus using the second person: “You walk through the gates. You see the acrobat.” When reading these sections, I felt like I really was walking in the circus and seeing these amazing and mysterious creations. It makes sense that the circus is called the Cirque de Reves (The Circus of Dreams) because it feels like a dream. You know how you have amazingly weird dreams but you can’t quite describe them? Morgenstern has somehow figured out how to put the language of dreams onto paper and share it with others. Although I wasn’t as rapturous about this book as many others (I’ll admit that I almost wanted to dislike it out of a weird sense of contrariness), I have to admit that it captured me in its spell. It really was a magical and otherworldly read that lets you escape into another person’s fully realized imagination in the best possible way. If they ever make a movie of this (and it cries out to be made into one), they’ve got quite a challenge, and it would be a shoo-in for Best Oscar in Art Direction if they get it right.

Brief Description: Chloe Pinter works for the domestic program for the Chosen Child adoption center. Her job? Convincing pregnant women to give their child up for adoption and then facilitating the process from beginning to end. A challenging job filled with heartbreak, uncertainty and elements of danger, things become especially complicated when a couple who gave their baby up for adoption begin to have second thoughts and take matters into their own hands.

My Thoughts: The main reason I read this book was to learn more about the process of adoption. I’ve not read many books that dealt with adoption, and I imagine it is a difficult process. The strength of this book is that Hoffman (who worked in Romanian orphanages and as a director of a U.S. adoption program) knows this world inside and out. (FYI: The book is set in Portland, Oregon, which allows for open adoption, which means the birth parents get to pick the adopted parents and keep in touch if they want.) We get to see things from all different angles: the adoption center worker tasked with ensuring that adoptions go through; the couple considering giving up their baby; the couples who want to receive a baby of their own. It is gut-wrenching stuff—filled with emotions ranging from selflessness to desperation to greed and almost every emotion in between. Hoffman uses the plot to look at two basic questions: What if the parents who gave a baby up for adoption changed their mind afterward? What if a couple desperate for a baby for years finally got what they wanted … and found it wasn’t as amazing imagined? These are two interesting questions, and I think Hoffman does a good job of exploring all the different angles associated with adoption. The plot gets a little wonky and unbelievable at times, but the details felt true and I was willing to overlook the plotting issues to learn more about the world of adoption.

Brief Description: At the start of the book, we meet Toru the businessman on an airplane. As he is getting ready to deplane, he hears the Beatle’s song, Norwegian Wood, and it transports him back to the past—to the late 1960s when Toru was a quiet and serious college student who kept mostly to himself. However, a chance encounter with a girl from his hometown, Naoko, leads to a strange and unclassifiable relationship. The two are bound together by the suicide of a mutual friend years before, whose death continues to haunt their lives. Although Toru is doing his best to adapt and fit in with the world, Naoko struggles and eventually seeks help at an asylum. Toru, who finds himself bound to Naoko in ways he doesn’t fully understand, is confused when he also finds himself drawn to a sexually liberated and outspoken fellow student, Midori. As Toru attempts to balance his commitment to Naoko and his attraction to Midori, he finds that he can only be free when (as the song says) “This bird has flown.”

My Thoughts: OK … I’ll be upfront about why this book didn’t work for me as much as it could have or I wanted it to. The main problem is that I was super-excited to try one of Murakami’s fiction books and was prepared and pumped up for weirdness and alternate universes and talking animals and, unknowingly, managed to pick the one fairly straightforward book that Murakami wrote. (I only found this out afterwards. If only I’d read the blurb that said this book was “a complete stylistic departure” from his mysterious and surreal novels!)  So, I was hoping for surrealism and found, instead, realism. Not to say this was a bad book, but it wasn’t what I was expecting or hoping for. (Apparently, I should have chosen The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles or A Wild Sheep Chase instead.) The writing is graceful and fluid, and the story was accessible. Although tinged with melancholy and surprisingly graphic sex scenes/talk, Norwegian Wood ended up being a memorable and haunting coming of age story. It also evokes the strangeness and melancholy of the titular song.

Want to try and win my copy of Norwegian Wood? Just enter the giveaway form below:

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Just me hanging out with some of the books I need to give away*

As usual, I spaced out the part of the giveaway where I actually pick the winners and announce them. So, without further ado, here are the winners from my April giveaway:

• Emmy from Emmy Mom won Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
• Vicki from I’d Rather Be Reading At the Beach  won Skipping A Beat by Sarah Pekkanen
• Anne B. won Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole.

All winners have been notified via e-mail, and I hope to get the books in the mail by the end of the week. I’ve decided not to do monthly giveaways any more. Instead, when I have a book I’m going to give away, I’ll add the giveaway form into the review post. I’m also going to limit the giveaway timeframe to a week or so instead of a month. Stay tuned … I expect to have the next book I’m giving away up soon.

* Why yes … that is my real body. Thank you for asking.**

** If you believe that, I have a bridge I want to sell you in Texas. (Or something like that. I never remember how that goes.)***

*** Do you think I could attract more male readers if I used the photo above in my blog header? I think I have about 5 male readers now. If you are a male reader, please identify yourself in the comment section. I’m just curious as I think my female to male readership is something like 75 to 1.

Book Description

Set in the small Mississippi town of Chabot, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter tells the story of two boys turned men—Larry Ott and Silas Jones. On the surface, there seems to be nothing linking the two … but a long history binds the two together in ways that even they don’t fully understand.

Larry—a white boy from a middle class family that owns 500 acres of land and runs the local auto repair shop—has always been a bit of a misfit. With his nose always stuck in a book (usually Stephen King), Larry has never fit in with his peers. His outsider status is solidified in high school  when a girl he was on a date with disappeared and was never seen again. This event earned him the nickname “Scary Larry,” and he now lives a solitary existence—ostracized by everyone in the town of Chabot.

Silas—known locally as 32 (the number from his baseball playing days)—is a black boy being raised by a single mother in a shack located on the Ott’s land. After moving to Chabot from Chicago, Silas manages to do what Larry has never managed to do in his whole life—achieve a status and a place within the town, first as a star baseball player and now as the Chabot constable.

Years ago, Silas and Larry were secret friends, until a pivotal moment destroyed their friendship. Although Larry has reached out to Silas on occasion, he has always been rebuffed. When another young girl goes missing, Larry is the first and only suspect. Yet Silas knows that Larry couldn’t be involved … but he can’t quite explain why. As the case of the missing girl and Larry Ott’s fate become more entwined, Silas realizes that he must get involved … even it means dredging up long-buried secrets.

My Thoughts

There is a good reason everyone raves about this book. Full of small-town atmosphere and tightly drawn characters, the book manages to create a portrait of two men who, in many ways, are each other’s foil. I loved how Franklin managed to invert the truth of both men in a way that was utterly satisfying. The story moves back and forth between the present day and the past—slowly revealing the truth of each character’s past and present. It seemed like the book was always moving inevitably in the direction it ends up … but the journey was rich and fully developed. I don’t really want to say too much more as I already may have said too much in my description. Just know that you’re getting a richly atmospheric, multi-layered mystery that is as much about the masks we wear in public and who we really are deep down.

About the Narration: Kevin Kenerly did a fantastic job with the narration—creating two fully realized and distinct voices for both Larry and Silas. He made the story come alive, and I found his narration compelling and interesting. When he was reading, I was able to conjure up the images of Chabot, the characters and the events of the story. His narration was top-notch, and I could see that listening to this book on audio might actually enhance the experience.

Recommended for: Mystery fans who enjoy multi-layered and character-driven mysteries with plenty of Southern atmosphere

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• Should a calendar start on a Sunday or a Monday? Monday. (Duh.) As we all know, Saturday and Sunday are known as the weekEND. Therefore, they should go at the END of the week.

• Which is the more likely new wave in cosmetic surgery: the application of freckles or the removal and replacement of perfectly healthy teeth? Application of girlish freckles will sweep the world by 2015. You heard it here first.

• What is your most idiotic fear? Perhaps my deep-rooted fear of worms, courtesy of my brothers who masterminded the Great Wormball Attack of ’78. I know they can’t actually hurt me but that doesn’t stop the screaming.

Welcome to my worst nightmare! (Click on image for source)

• What is the worst show on television today? Oh oh oh oh … I know this one. Keeping Up With The Kardashians! Ooooh ooooh wait … Jersey Shore! Oh, no, I know …  Toddlers and Tiaras! (I’d just like to add that I’ve never actually seen any of these shows. I’m just guessing.) Oh, wait … Celebrity Apprentice. (This could go on for awhile so I’ll quit now.)

• Sweater vests on women: dork, chic, sexy androgyny, or what? As with anything, it all depends who is doing the wearing. See below for examples of each.

Dork (This might not be a woman. Click on image for source)

Chic (click on image for source)

Sexy Androgyny (click on imagine for source)

Or What (click on image for source)

Me In A Sweater Vest. You get one guess what category I fit into.

• Would you rather: Eat all the chocolate you wanted without taking in any calories or run as far as you wanted without getting winded? Why are you asking me this question? Don’t you know me at all? I’m actually offended you asked this. Chocolate. Double Duh.

• Graffiti: Art or Vandalism? Vandalism. If it is done well, I’d call it a mural. Of course, there is the following example that definitely makes the case for it being art.

Graffiti art I support. (Click on image for source and other examples of graffiti art)

• If you absolutely had to choose one, is it more crucial for YAL to have more positive portrayals of : gay characters, female characters, or characters of color? Given who reads most YAL (according to my non-existent research), perhaps female characters. Let’s see some independent, smart, non-beautiful, well-adjusted females who wear glasses and read books.

• What is the sexiest part of a man? The upper arms.

• What is the worst thing you can call a person? The word that rhymes with “punt” and starts with a c always strikes me as very very very awful. If I ever hear it, it is like getting punched in the stomach.

• Is our obsession with this little game of tag indicative of deep-seated emotional problems? Not at all. It is indicative of our deep-seated stubbornness and ability to beat a horse long past its death.

With that out of the way, it is time to give Trisha her next 11 questions. Tag!

• Who is your celebrity crush?
• Who is your literary crush (author or character)?
• What was the last song that you couldn’t get out of your head? (And I curse you in advance for putting it in mine.)
• What percentage of your wardrobe is composed of novelty t-shirts?
• Which came first — the chicken or the egg? (You knew this was coming. I just got to it first.)
• Would your rather have a job you love that only pays minimum wage or a job you hate that pays millions of dollars a year?
• Do you suspect, as I do, that Ryan Seacrest is planning to take over the world?
• What are five words that rhyme with “kumquat”?
• What is the first full sentence on p. 16 of the book you are currently reading?
• If a train leaves Pittsburgh traveling 45 mph at 10:00 am on May 14th and another train leaves Cleveland traveling 35 mph at 9:52 am on May 13th, what size coffee did the conductor order at Starbucks on his way to work on May 11th?
• What are the titles of any books on your shelves that you skip over every single time you go to choose your next read?

Book Description

Tom Violet is having a midlife crisis. Besides suffering from erectile dysfunction, he thinks his wife Anna might be having an affair. His dog Hank suffers from anxiety. Although the manuscript he’s been secretly working on for years is finally finished, his father Curtis has just been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. (In addition, Curtis seems to have left his latest wife and moved in with Tom and his family.) His job at a soul-killing corporation writing copy filled with meaningless buzzwords bores him to tears. He makes work bearable by needling his arch-nemesis Gregory. The only good thing? His relationship with his cute young coworker Katie … who seems like she might reciprocate his inappropriate feelings towards her. What’s a sarcastic, frustrated writer with a larger-than-life father and a hot wife who doesn’t seem to need him anymore do to get his life back on track?

My Thoughts

This book was a hoot! Although this is his debut novel, Norman writes with self-assurance and gives Tom a blackly comic voice that tickled my funny bone and had me wondering just how he was going to work through all his problems. The book reminded me a bit of Jonathan Tropper’s This Is Where I Leave You, in that both deal with wacky, dysfunctional families with major issues to tackle. I mean this as a very high compliment, as I adored Tropper’s book.

Although most of us probably couldn’t relate to having a father who is one of the greatest living American writers when our secret aspiration is to be a writer, most of us can relate to soul-killing jobs in offices that are full of backstabbing, empty buzzwords and nebulous goals. The sections where Tom is at work were my favorites. They brought back memories from my own office experiences.

I also thought that the marriage between Tom and Anna felt true and lived in. Although both of them are seeking attention and validation outside of the marriage, they still love each other and are trying to find a way back to each other. I think most long-term marriages might go through patches like this—where the person we love is almost too familiar and trapped with us in the drudgery of daily life to be exciting and appealing. In addition, the relationship that Tom has with his coworker Katie seemed believable. I’ve observed several situations in my own life when the coworker relationship crossed some kind of line without straying all the way to affair. It is a curious dynamic that I haven’t seen addressed too often in fiction, and it was interesting to see how it developed.

The book is a fun, fast read, and I look forward to finding out what Norman writes next. Recommended for readers who enjoy narrators with a sarcastic sense of humor, flaws and messed-up lives just like most of us!

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On a happier note, check out my repurposed fountain! We’ve had this fountain in the backyard for about 2 years but it developed unpatchable leaks so I got the bright idea to turn it into a little flower garden. I think it came out wonderfully. If the plants don’t die, I think I’ve got a lovely little container garden on my hands.

Keeping fingers crossed the flowers don't die.

Book Description

Written over the course of several months in 2005 as Murakami prepared for the New York City Marathon, this memoir is about more than just running—though it is most certainly about the mindset of a long-distance runner and the type of commitment and life a dedicated runner leads. The book is just as much about aging, being a novelist and Murakami himself. Providing an insight into the kind of person Murakami is while also sharing his particular worldview, this memoir is a must-read for his fans and runners alike.

My Thoughts

After being unjustly accused of stealing this book from my brother, I downloaded the audio version from Audible, and I’m actually glad I did. I listened to it while walking my dog, and it was a perfect fit. The memoir unfolds in a meandering, stream of consciousness way that was fulfilling and gave me much food for thought as I walked. Listening to it while outside and active seemed like the ideal way to fully appreciate the book—giving me a view into the experience of running as I simulated it on a much slower and less punishing level.

I liked that the book wasn’t just focused on running. Many times, Murakami asserts that running and being a novelist are two similar activities. In fact, he began long-distance running when he decided to become a novelist, and the two have gone hand-in-hand ever since. As Murakami says, you have to be a certain type of person to be a novelist and a long-distance runner—one who has the stamina and endurance to go the distance, whether in a marathon or in a long-form novel. The process for both is often punishing and requires significant training and preparation. Both require a significant amount of pain.

In addition, since Murakami wrote the book later in life, it often muses on the process of aging—when you realize that no matter what you do, your body is just not going to respond as well as it once did. Coming to terms with this is one of the main themes of the book, and I think Murakami’s attitude of acceptance but unwillingness to stop pushing himself is one that we should all consider.

For people searching for a narrative about running, the memoir also provides detailed information about Murakami’s extensive running experiences—from his participation in an ultramarathon (which ended up becoming an almost out-of-body experience) to his recent decision to do triathalons. He also discusses the rhythms, pleasures, pain, and solitary nature of long-distance running.

About the Narration: Ray Porter was an excellent narrator. He read with a commitment that made it seem as if he had written these words himself. In fact, it felt like someone talking to you rather than someone reading another person’s book. The translation from Japanese must have been top-notch too as I found the language to be wonderfully lucid and flowing. After hearing so much about the strangeness  and weirdness of Murakami’s fiction, I feel relieved that he was so accessible in this book. Hopefully this is the start of a beautiful relationship between the two of us.

Recommended for: Murakami fans, runners and those who appreciate well-written memoirs.

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What I Talk about When I Talk about Running: A Memoir