eclectic / eccentric

Book Review: Seraphina

2013-03-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman came to my attention through *insert trumpet here* book blogs. Specifically, Steph Su Reads, Raging Bibliomania, Eve's Alexandria, things mean a lot, and Rhapsody in Books. It's quite possible there were others too....

I feel like most already know the premise of the book. In short, dragon-human alliance threatened, dragon-logic and human-emotion, secrets and politics, little bit of love.

Instead of repeating what others have said, I've copied here some of the quotes from the reviews I've read which I think say what I would say if I were more articulate right now:

Plot and Setting:
"I was totally ensnared in this story and found that the blend between the very specific politics of Goredd and the personal trials of the heroine kept me enthralled every step of the way. As more and more is revealed, the danger becomes potent and universal. Nothing is safe. Everyone is a suspect." ~Raging Bibliomania

"Seraphina holds its breath at a very important moment in Goredd, the moment when a younger generation of humans and dragons starts to break down the species barrier. Starts to wonder what the real differences, aside from the obvious physical ones, are." ~Eve's Alexandria

"You sense that both the humans and the dragons in this world have a long, rich, fascinating history; that the people of Goredd and the neighbouring kingdoms have their own culture, art and philosophy; that there are interesting details to be uncovered at every corner." ~things mean a lot

Characters and characterization:
"Supporting characters are allowed a full range of thoughts and reactions, so that where we think we’ll find potentially stereotypical character roles—in the spoiled princess, or the love triangle—we instead find refreshment." ~Steph Su Reads

"The characters are uniformly complex: by turns heart-warming, amusing, heart-breaking, fragile, stronger than they know, full of hurt, but full of hope." ~Rhapsody in Books

Themes:
"In SERAPHINA, dragons and humans have made an uneasy peace treaty, but the social tensions are still apparent and painfully recognizable in its similarities to the prejudices that minority groups in our world still suffer. I love that “real” aspect of the book, and feel that the countless instances of anti-dragon sentiment in SERAPHINA are authentic as a result." ~Steph Su Reads

"Although the world-building involving the dragons is stellar and downright spell-binding, I tended to see the divide between dragonkind and humankind as metaphorical. The prejudice, misinformation, fear, rumor-mongering, and acts of intimidation and terrorism were reminiscent of – well, humankind all by itself!" ~Rhapsody in Books

"The exciting thing about Seraphina as a character is that she integrates these two modes of thinking, experiencing, and making sense of the world – the cold and logical and the emotional and artistic. Seraphina’s dual nature makes her hyperware of her emotional responses, and this gives the narrative room to explore how emotions affect our perception of and responses to different contexts and situations." ~things mean a lot

"This is a book about states of mind, about the perceptions people and dragons have of their thoughts and feelings, and the different ways they find of coping or not coping with them. Essentially, the question it poses is: what makes anyone what they are - a soul, their feelings, their body? And if so, how do we locate or define these things?" ~Eve's Alexandria

Praise:
"You might think that this one is not for you because it’s fantasy, or science fiction, or because it has dragons in it, but trust me, this book transcends genres and is a heart pumping delight." ~Raging Bibliomania

"I loved Seraphina because of the way it restored me to 'my childhood's faith, with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints'." ~Eve's Alexandria

My thoughts in short: perfect for active reading, complex themes, realistic and evocative characters, and finally damn good story.

So there you have it. Now go read.

Snack Reading

2013-03-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how I read. I went from reading about 125 books a year to reading about 50 last year and it looks like it will be even less this year. This is a major lifestyle change, and one I am not entirely sure about.

For most of my adult life, I was a glutton: binge reading, hoarding, massively consuming. I would read most every day for an hour or so, and then every other week, I would spend one or two days binge reading for hours and hours. Large quantities of time and money were spent in the obsessive collection of books. And I loved it. And I miss it.

Now, I am an anorexic reader, going days and days, if not weeks and weeks, without reading, and then catching a bite here and there, mere snacks instead of full on meals. I think part of the reason I am not reading often is that I don't enjoy reading in bits as much as I do reading in giant bites. When reading, I want to lose myself in the story, not worry about the clock, and that is just not possible anymore. Since I don't like reading this way, I tend to not bother picking up the books which means even less reading than I could do.

In other words, I think I need to change my thinking about reading in order to read more. I am curious to know how you guys read. Do you sit down and read for 10-20 minutes at a time? Do you enjoy this? For those who listen to audiobooks in the car: do you listen even when your drive is only going to take 15 minutes? Does this drive you crazy? Do you have a hard time getting into the story when you can't spend a large chunk of time within it?

Will I be able to train my brain to read in tiny chunks like this?

Book Review: The Red Pyramid

2013-03-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid is one of those books that had been sitting on the shelves for years, and I finally picked it up back in January. I sort of ran out of time on writing a review of it then, so this is one of those reviews where I've had plenty of time to ruminate and forget.

I read this book in large part because of how much I loved the Percy Jackson series. Seriously adored it, and read it twice. So I went into this with very high expectations.

This series brings Egyptian gods to the forefront as siblings Carter and Sadie discover they are legacies in a secret society of magicians who have been dealing with the temperamental and dangerous gods for ages. When their father accidentally sets Set, the god of chaos, free, Carter and Sadie find themselves hurled pellmell into the thick of things.

Carter and Sadie take turns narrating the story, and I found their voices unique, funny, and engaging. As primary characters, they seem genuine and relatable. The complicated relationship between the two - they were raised apart after the death of their mother - was fun. Each one envies the other's life: Sadie, raised in a "normal" home, wishes she could have the adventures of Carter. And Carter, raised on the road with his Egyptologist father, wishes he could have the stability of Sadie.

The story isn't really character-based for me though; it is action-based, and the events unfold quickly. One of the things I loved was the continuous setting changes as the siblings are moved from one area of the globe to another, from the mysterious and magical to the mundane. Riordan does a good job of including numerous settings and making the reader feel that setting without getting bogged down in description and blahblah.

Altogether, I didn't enjoy this as much as the Percy Jackson books, but I think that has more to do with me than with the book itself. I love Greek mythology; I know it. Egyptian mythology, not so much. The book did, however, make me want to know more. From what I gathered from this book, the stories of the Egyptian gods are just as interesting and inter-relationally complex as the Greeks. Any suggestions for books I should read on Egyptian mythology?

Despite my ambivalent feelings about this book, I do plan on reading the rest of the series eventually. It's a good bet that my enjoyment will increase both with the series and with a bit of study.

Book Review: Promised

2013-03-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

The final installment in the Birthmarked series, Promised brings Gaia stone back to the Enclave as she tries to bring three societies together and save them all.

If you haven't read the prior books in this series, be warned: spoilers ahead.

Gaia and Leon are in full-on couple mode in this one; although that is, thankfully, nowhere near the focus of the book. The inattention to romance is one of the things I most enjoyed about this series. While the second book disappointed me by throwing in a love triangle, I have to say that the uniqueness of said love triangle and the non-flowery-ness of all romantic entanglements really impressed me. Gaia and Leon's relationship is just there. They play off each other, disagree, talk about the future. They are a fact. A normal, not-all-tragic-and-dramatic, relationship.

The real focus of this installment is the melding of three cultures: the privileged inside the Enclave, the neglected outside the Enclave, and the newcomers with Gaia. Gaia wants peace, and she tries hard to negotiate with the powers that be, albeit a bit naively and impetuously. Leon and many others view outright war as the only option. The play between these two views and the ultimate decision rather fascinated me.

Now for a problem I had with the story. Some quick exposition: The Enclave has a baby problem and as such implemented a program where they took babies born to those outside the Enclave as a sort of payment for water and the such not. When that was no longer an option, they initiated a surrogacy program where women were paid to bear children for those not able to have kids inside. Surrogacy, in my opinion, is awesome. Thank whatever powers that be that there are women out there willing to do this for others. Gaia definitely does not agree with me, and she makes a big stink throughout the book about it, seemingly stuck on the issue of "how could a 'mother' give up her child like that?". While there are other issues present here, primarily that of poor women being co-opted as incubators for the rich, that is not what Gaia focuses on. Instead it is the misplaced sentimentality of a woman being heartless if she gives birth to a baby and then gives it away - even if it is to the baby's biological parents. This mentality really disturbed me.

Overall though, this is a good story and a good series. I highly recommend checking it out if you are in to dystopian YA where the romance is secondary.

Book Review: Tortured and Prized

2013-03-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

"Tortured" is a bridge story between Birthmarked and Prized, the second book in the Birthmarked series by Caragh O'Brien. When we last left Gaia Stone, she was embarking on a journey to the Dead Forest in the hope of starting a new life for herself and her baby sister, a journey only possible because Leon sacrificed himself so she could escape the Enclave. "Tortured" is Leon's story after Gaia's escape. Extremely short, "Tortured" doesn't really add anything to the series; nothing really happens here that you don't find out about in Prized. But it's free - or at least it was - so why not, right?

Prized is where the action actually continues as Gaia finds the community she was seeking. And quite the community it is. What I loved about Birthmarked, I also loved about Prized. O'Brien does a remarkable job with world-building. The Enclave and Sylum are distinct cultures, each given the requisite detail and backstory to make them real to the reader. In Sylum, the women run the show. Utterly. Men vastly outnumber the women, so women are "prized", special commodities if you will, and as such they are in charge - to the point where men are not even allowed to vote. The gender dynamics of this town fascinated me, and I found my geeky side hoping someone writes an analysis of this community focusing on gender.

As to the romance...If you read my review of Birthmarked, you know I was thrilled that there wasn't a love triangle. So what happens in Prized? You were going to say love triangle, weren't you? But no. It's a love square people. Gaia, Leon, Will, and Peter. This makes sense considering the male-female ratio in Sylum. And I must admit, that while I have yet to find a love triangle - or square - I actually believe and enjoy, this comes closest. Gaia's emotions felt real to me; she's not using one man to get at or over another; she's not confusing friendship with romantic love; and she's not playing with any of them. Good for her.

Wondering when I'm going to talk about plot here? Well honestly, what happened didn't really stick with me as much as the community and the love square. Basically the plot revolves around Gaia discovering the culture, figuring out the oddities, solving the mystery of the lack of female babies, and clashing, yet again, with the dictatorial leader of an inequal society. The story kept me hooked just like Birthmarked did, and I can't wait to read the final book, Promised.

Book Review: Tales from Lovecraft Middle School

2013-03-13T05:30:00.000-05:00

The first in the Tales From Lovecraft Middle School series, Professor Gargoyle quickly introduces readers to Lovecraft, a newly constructed middle school which houses some secrets. The protagonist, a book-loving 11 year old named Robert, has been isolated from his friends by redistricting, and sent to a new school where the only person he knows is the bully from his old school. Oh the joys of youth. He doesn't even get one day in Lovecraft before the strange is slapping him in the face, and to his credit, he takes the strange in stride. The Slither Sisters is the second book in the series, continuing Robert's adventures as he gathers allies and meets new enemies in his fight against a sinister master of an alternate universe.

Many times, when I read middle grade fiction, I feel the lack of depth deep in my bones. The stories feel like outlines rather than fleshed out novels. Things move too fast with too little explanation and characters feel flat. That was not the case with these stories. Events move quickly but without seeming forced or overly coincidental. The characters are not truly developed, but we get a good taste with more to come in following books. I think what I'm getting at here is that this series will read, when complete, like one adult novel, with each installment as a chapter. And I think if you read the series that way as an adult you will enjoy it more. Hopefully that makes sense. This is what happens when I try writing reviews late at night. Decent ideas, bad articulation.

On a side note, how much do I love the lenticular covers for this series! I won't lie; I spent quite a bit of time turning the covers this way and that, enjoying the shift from horned dude to professor dude and ginger twins to medusa twins.

What it comes down to is this: I can't wait for Madison to be old enough to read these with me. Absolutely perfect for a quick late night read.

Me, Lately

2013-03-10T11:23:00.003-05:00

After reading Trish and Kim's posts today, I decided to blend their formats together (which I believe they borrowed from other bloggers) and make my own post.

Time // 10:50 - which is actually more like 9:50 because of the time change

Place // My couch in the upstairs living room

Eating // Nada. I'm not a breakfast person.

Drinking // French Vanilla coffee with a whole bunch of creamer in it. Not healthy, but quite tasty.

Listening // Charlie Musselwhite.

Blues music is just so evocative, as is the harmonica. Hence Musselwhite is a go-to guy suggested by my Uncle Mark, who plays the harmonica and the drums. On a side note, my daughter Madison has decided to play the harmonica as well.

Watching // I haven't had much time for TV lately, but I try very hard to make time for Elementary and White Collar (although White Collar may be getting too overly dramatic for me).

Reading // I just finished the first two books in Charles Gilman's Lovecraft Middle School series and the final installment of the Birthmarked series by Caragh O'Brian. I am trying to decide what to read next, and I can't seem to decide between Seraphina and Sever. Seraphina sounds like a better read, but finishing Sever means I finish a series. Decisions, decisions. What do you think I should read?

Planning // Planning has been what's keeping me busy lately as I try to figure out what I'm going to teach for the second half of this semester. I'm still wavering on my Intro to Lit class. We are reading A Doll's House, and any ideas on what I should do or focus on would be very very welcome!

Thinking // I need to better organize my life so that I have time for everything I love including Madison, work, tv, books, and blogging. So far, no good ideas.

Feeling // As I think is normal with a young child and a full-time job, I've been feeling overwhelmed lately, especially as my Spring Break, which was supposed to be spent getting ahead in work, was taken over by a sick baby. Madison had RSV, bronchiolitis (bronchitis but worse), and pneumonia (still has actually), so much of my time has been spent with medication, breathing treatments, and holding a sleeping baby who can't breathe when laying flat on her back.

Wanting // A nanny, a cook, a cleaning person, and coca-cola. The first probably make sense, but the fourth is because I used to drink two cans of coke a day and have now stopped buying coke altogether at home. Now I only get to drink it when I go out to dinner which is all too rare.

Promoting // I read a post today that really moved me, so I want to share it with any who haven't read it yet. Jill over at Rhapsody in Books posted about Sexual Abuse of Women in the Military and the post was enlightening, disheartening, and emotional.

Okay, I have to say that was rather fun to do, so whenever I have time, I hope to continue posting like this.

What have you guys been doing lately?

Book Review: The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow

2013-03-07T10:22:00.001-06:00

First, I must apologize. I thought my scheduled date was March 8, but I just realized it was the sixth. So, this is a day late - despite the fact that I had the review ready to go like a week ago.

The Story: Conceived in love and possibility, Bonaventure Arrow didn’t make a peep when he was born, and the doctor nearly took him for dead. No one knows that Bonaventure’s silence is filled with resonance—a miraculous gift of rarified hearing that encompasses the Universe of Every Single Sound. Growing up in the big house on Christopher Street in Bayou Cymbaline, Bonaventure can hear flowers grow, a thousand shades of blue, and the miniature tempests that rage inside raindrops. He can also hear the gentle voice of his father, William Arrow, shot dead before Bonaventure was born by a mysterious stranger known only as the Wanderer.

Bonaventure’s remarkable gift of listening promises salvation to the souls who love him: his beautiful young mother, Dancy, haunted by the death of her husband; his Grand-mère Letice, plagued by grief and a long-buried guilt she locks away in a chapel; and his father, William, whose roaming spirit must fix the wreckage of the past. With the help of Trinidad Prefontaine, a Creole housekeeper endowed with her own special gifts, Bonaventure will find the key to long-buried mysteries and soothe a chorus of family secrets clamoring to be healed.

My Thoughts: The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski is like Benjamin Button, haunting and curious and magical and fantastic. I was immediately taken in by the quiet majesty of Bonaventure, which is wonderfully mirrored in the language of the book. The emotions, both universal and personal, portrayed in the novel feel raw and honest.

Many times, especially today with my harried schedule, I speed through books. I can read rather fast and still manage to catch every word and feel satisfied when I have finished. This book, however, I savored, reading slowly and many times re-reading a particularly moving passage. Perhaps it was just the profound difference between this writing and the writing of the books I have recently been reading (primarily books focused more on action than style) but I was very much drawn to the way Leganski crafts the story.

Magical realism is quite the draw for me, and this book really delivers. Even though the novel is infused with southern spirituality, voodoo, ghosts, christianity, extraordinary abilities, and the such not, I never felt like we were in a different world; the characters, the setting, it all felt very real and possible.

On a side note, Leganski has a facebook page which is currently rather dedicated to this book, and I have to admit I was kind of fascinated by the updates about who's reading it, where it's at, and the such not.

A big thank you to TLC Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to read this one. And a big apology for getting it up late!

Ft. Myer's Beach aka The Sunniest Sick Bed

2013-02-12T04:00:00.000-06:00

Last week - or is it two weeks ago now? - I went to Ft. Myer's Beach with the nutter, the husband, the mom, the aunt, the uncle, the grandma, and the grandpa. The 8 of us packed into a two bedroom condo and prepared to enjoy our vacation. Only one day in, the nutter gets sick. Violent, massive, horribly disgusting vomiting commences as does five nights of minimal sleep because sick baby = needy baby = baby in bed with mommy and daddy = mommy no sleepy sleepy.

The same night Madison got sick, my mother got sick. The two of them were totally off their game from Sunday night through well, through Saturday's flight back home. Wednesday, my aunt and uncle were sick all day, and Thursday, my husband was sick all day. Oh, the joys. While all of us got to spend some time on the beach or by the pool, we never really got to spend our time their together. And despite the fact that I never got sick, a sick baby means no tan for mommy. Not that I really tan, I just, you know, look less pasty and sick.

As is the way with most people, I will not be reflecting the sicknesses in any of my pictures from the vacation. Actually, looking at my pictures would suggest a fun and sun filled happy adventure:

See, it doesn't look like anyone was sick, right? :)

Beautiful Creatures v. Birthmarked...oh and Timeless

2013-02-10T04:00:00.000-06:00

While on vacation in Ft. Myer's Beach (more on that later) I read the first books in two series. The first, Beautiful Creatures, I have had on my shelves since BEA 2010, but kept bypassing for some other book. Finally, I figured I'd better read it before I go and see the movie, right? So what do I do? I purchase the damn thing on my nook. Hey, I didn't want to lug that giant book with me on the plane..and I had a gift card....okay so it was a spendy sort of move....

Anyway, for the maybe two of you out there who haven't read this yet, Beautiful Creatures is a young adult paranormal romance novel about Ethan, a small town boy with dreams of a bigger life, and Lena, a magical girl dreading her 16th birthday. Only one week after reading this novel, all I can really remember are two things: 1) small town idiocy and bigotry and 2) when normal humans and paranormal humans mate, the normal humans may die (this is oddly prevalent in YAL; it's like we aren't sure if we want to be kissed or killed...or maybe both as long as it is intense and passionate). Anywhos, my big problem with the book was the lack of action - I am still trying to figure out what's going to happen in the film. The majority of the book feels like a focus on the narrow-mindedness of small towns. The bulk of the action in the book revolved around high school kids being mean to Lena, the outsider. At least, that's what it felt like to me.

That is not to say I didn't enjoy the book; it just didn't live up to my expectations. While I have the next two installments of the series on my shelves, I'm going to hold off on reading them.

Birthmarked, on the other hand, knocked me out of the water. I loved it. A dystopian novel, Birthmarked reveals a society in which the population is divided into two groups - inside and outside the wall. Those inside are privileged, those out, not so much (the reason behind this is fascinating to me). The story starts with a bang as our protagonist, Gaia, delivers a baby and promptly hands it over to the Enclave. The first three babies she delivers every month have to be turned over for adoption to those inside the wall. Holy crap, right?

The world building is exceptional, the characters are unique and fascinating, and the action is non-stop. And to top off my happiness, there is no love triangle, the two main characters do not fall hopelessly and passionately in love at first sight, and real tragedy and loss are dealt with without sugar-coating. Yippee! I cannot wait to read the rest of this series which I promptly bought on my nook approximately 20 seconds after finishing the book. Unfortunately, I forgot to download the freaking books to my iPad, and hence, was unable to start reading on the plane as I would not pay for Wi-Fi. Idiot me.

On a different note, I also managed to read Timeless on vacation, the fifth book in the Parasol Protectorate series, and as with all of those books - adore. Alexia, the protagonist, is one of my favorite people ever...I mean character, favorite character, I know she's not a real person - and I have a strong desire to live in the world Gail Carriger has created.

Now then, off to scrap together some more time for reading and blogging.

Book Tour: Beyond the Possible

2013-02-07T04:00:00.000-06:00

With admirers ranging from the Clintons, Warren Buffett, Maya Angelou, and Dianne Feinstein, Glide Memorial Methodist Church in San Francisco has been inspiring, infuriating, welcoming, and changing the world for fifty years.

Now in Beyond the Possible, the two founders, Reverend Cecil Williams and Janice Mirikitani, show how Glide transformed a dwindling all-white congregation into a diverse and energetic community of the poor, the disenfranchised, the homeless, the addicted, the mentally ill, the newly immigrated, and the politically passionate.

A vivid storyteller, Cecil describes removing the trappings of conventional religion to make way for a new spirituality—one that embraces gay rights, jazz in the sanctuary, the antiwar movement, and Celebrations that fill the church to this day. In prose as gripping as her acclaimed poetry, Janice recalls starting out at Glide as a nonbeliever in the 1960s who found herself drawn to Cecil’s vision for social justice.

Soon we see how Cecil’s charismatic power, combined with Janice’s organizing genius, created a model for wraparound health care, a million free meals for the hungry each year, apartments for the homeless, and a stand-up pride that confronted police brutality, riots, racism, and institutional bigotry. And we discover that Glide’s insistence on inviting rather than avoiding controversy has revolutionized approaches to drug addiction, racial conflict, and domestic violence.

Both a personal love story and a riveting view of American history, Beyond the Possible demonstrates what is truly possible for all of us. Here is Obamacare with a human face. Here is Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of “the beloved community” come to life at last. And here is a courageous couple facing impossible odds—and discovering the power of unconditional love time and time again.

The above description is from the inside cover. I chose to do this in part because I am (gasp) not finished with the book quite yet. The publisher ran a bit behind on getting the books out, and then I was on vacation when the book arrived, leaving me only three days before my scheduled post. Back in the old days, I could have rolled my sleeves up - errr...thrown on some lazy pants - and had a reading marathon, but these days that just isn't possible.

I have gotten about half-way through though, and I am loving it. The book is episodic and jumps back and forth in time - both of which are conventions I adore, for some unknown reason, in memoirs. I am also enjoying both Cecil's and Janice's voice. The tone is conversational and intimate for both. To add to the sense of intimacy, there are two sections of pictures in the book with images ranging from Cecil's and Janice's childhood through the present. For me, being able to see them grow, to see them work, really adds to my enjoyment of the book.

More than anything though, I am enjoying reading about two people with big ideas who actually followed through. They knew something was wrong - a lot of somethings - and instead of just talking about it, they went out and did something, something amazing. One day I would like to visit Glide and see this church in action.

I highly recommend reading this book, not just for the inspiring content but also for the artful construction. Yeah, I require both content and form in my reading. :)

Tag Chicken

2013-01-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

Jenners awesomely created this image, and I shall now shamelessly use it to begin my belated round of Tag Chicken. Did you think I'd given up? HA! I'm just a horrible procrastinator. I shall never relent....

Which celebrity would you rather smack some sense into: Kim Kardashian (now pregnant by Kanye West … did she learn nothing from her 72-day marriage?) or Taylor Swift (who falls in and out love so fast and publicly that I cringe on her behalf)? I think I shall have to go with Kim for this one; although this is due in large part to my absolute disgust of Kanye West. I seriously hate that dude and by default, I hate those who would willingly lay with him all biblically.

Which books coming out in 2013 are you most excited about reading? I fear I am not knowledgeable enough about upcoming books to give a genuine answer here. The only books coming out this year that I can even remember right now are Sever by Lauren DeStefano and Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (and I'm not even up to date on the Clare books). I suppose I could do some research and find out what's coming, but since I'm like two years behind, it would probably just depress me.

If you had to dress from head to toe in one color for the rest of your life, what color would you choose? Black. Most definitely black. It's slimming, and I need slimming. If I were already slimmed, I would say red though. Just cuz it would be awesome.

What are three things on your bucket list and are you doing anything to get them crossed off? 1. Read Lolita. I now own the print version and the audio version, but alas I have not started reading. 2. Learn (basic) sign language. Well, I downloaded an app to teach sign language to children, and I can now sign Twinkle, Twinkle little star... 3. Be Healthy. Yeah, that's just an on-going headache but I am trying.

If you had to pick one word to guide you during this new year, what word would you choose? Focused. I'm generally an off-the-cuff, spontaneous, do what I want when I want, bounce from one activity to the next without completion, random sort of person, and that personality is not practical when one has a child. My lack of focus and scheduling means I constantly feel stressed, I rarely get things done, and I spend more time thinking about everything I have to do (and don't want to do) than actually doing anything.

And now for my questions to Jenners:

Would you rather have a love song or a rock song written about you? And give me a few lyrics you think should be included in the song?
What is the most effective way to vent your anger (you know, when you can't actually bitch slap the person you are mad at)?
Are ghosts or aliens more believable? And which would you rather encounter?
What is the key to a successful marriage?
What do you think Satan's last name is or should be?

Book Review: Wither and Fever

2013-01-23T19:48:00.002-06:00

I started reading the Chemical Garden trilogy based on the recommendation of my cousin Krista who has suddenly and wonderfully become quite the reader! Yay for new readers! I am very glad she recommended the series to me, and now, like her, I am awaiting the third installment, Sever, which comes out February 12.

The series follows Rhine, 16 and kidnapped to become a rich man's wife...well, one of his wives. The young age and return to polygamy are due to a strange freak of science. Genetic manipulation resulted in age-determined mortality with males only living to 25 and females to 20. I find this concept intriguing, and I think a closer, psychological look at the cultural consequences of this would be greatly fascinating especially like in this novel where the older generation is still around. But I digress....

While I found the world building a bit less detailed than I would like, the character building is fantastic. Multiple characters are given deep backstories and rich personalities, and their uniqueness and depth is what kept me coming back for more. And to top off my character-love, this may be the first YA love triangle that doesn't annoy me to death. Linden, the rather naive husband, and Gabriel, the not-much-less-naive servant, are not set up as equal love interests; what I mean is, Rhine is in love with Gabriel and doesn't waver back and forth between the two. Linden, however, is not chopped liver and while she may not be in love with him, she does love him.

One problem I have with the series is the unbelievability of Rhine's escape from the more unsavory parts of her society. MINOR PLOT SPOILERS The reasons Rhine is not forced/coerced/etc. to have sex with her husband are weak; the fact that she repeatedly escapes rape later on is unlikely. A small part of me felt like this reluctance to "despoil" Rhine was not organic to the world DeStefano created. END SPOILER

Another problem I have - which I have quite often with romantic literature - is the refusal of Rhine to tell Linden the truth. MINOR PLOT SPOILER In the first book, Rhine finds out that Linden is completely ignorant of, well, reality. He has no clue Rhine and his other wives were kidnapped and forced to be with him. He doesn't know much about the real world at all, but instead of telling him, Rhine leaves him to his ignorance. Why? I actually put the book down at this point because I was so freaking annoyed. Then in the second book, she tells him but not as forcefully or as fully as she should. I'm convinced that many a problem could have been solved by some more honest communication. END SPOILER

All that being said, I recommend getting into this series if you are looking for unique, disturbing, and quick.

Madison Monthly: Turning 11 Months

2013-01-03T05:00:00.000-06:00

The Basics

A Quick Report because 1) I am very late getting this up; 2) Not as much is changing month to month as it used to; and 3) I am tired. :)

Eating and Sleeping.
All of a sudden Madison figured out how to pick up food and eat it herself. Now she won't stop. I swear that girl would keep stuffing her face as long as you put food in front of her. She also had pizza for the first time; well, little bites ripped off my pieces. Like anyone with a brain, she loved it. We've also started giving her these little ready made meals - which are technically for 2+ to learn how to use forks and spoons. I like to keep them handy just in case I don't have a healthy meal ready to go.

Madison is doing a much better job sleeping through the night, so mommy and daddy are much happier. She still needs quite a bit of TLC to fall asleep, but she very very rarely wakes up in the middle of the night anymore. Thank the powers that be!

Behavior and Development
Madison and mommy took a bath together for the first time this month - and in the big jacuzzi tub. We had tons of fun, but what a freaking hassle. She's slippery, the tub is slippery, the bathroom floor is slippery. Yeah, all around slippery. Getting out of the tub felt downright dangerous. I'm sure I'll figure something out though.

Social Stuff
Madison went to work with me for the first time. I had a Gay Straight Alliance meeting on a Friday, and since that was my only responsibility that day, I brought her along. She met everyone, insisted on being held by everyone, and loved every minute.

Madison's favorite people are the characters on Jack's Big Music Show. It is the only program she will actually watch, and the only time she will sit and relax on your lap. I love that show. Love it.

I still call her Nutter and Nutterlicious quite often, but I've also started calling her Goose for some unknown reason.

The Pictures

You're goofy mom. Why do you keep trying to get a picture of us? You know I'm not going to cooperate...

I see you peeking around the corner to take a picture Mom...

Where's Jack?

2012 Reading Report

2013-01-01T12:38:00.000-06:00

My reading changed rather drastically this year with the arrival of the one and only (and totally beautiful and awesome) Madison. Finding time to read - especially to the extent I used to - became quite impossible.

THE BIGGIES

Books Read	81	Pages Read	16082
New Books	65	Re-reads	15
Fiction	70	Non-Fiction	10

I am certainly not reading as much as I used to - approximately 40 books less per year. That doesn't really bother me or surprise me.

THE AUTHORS

Male	35	Female	43
Alive	68	Dead	12
New To Me	42

Yet again, my male-female ratio is pretty evenly split despite the fact that I make absolutely no effort in this area. And as always, I am reminded that I need to read more Dead Authors. I tracked publishing dates this year - excluding the children's books, and I found that I read books primarily published in the 2000s. Since this year included more contemporary young adult literature than I normally read, that makes sense. YAL is just so easy and fast to read; I tended to pick one up whenever I had time because I knew that time was limited.

THE BOOKS

Age	Adult	33	YA	22	Middle/Children	24
Format	Novels	41	Short Stories	25	Plays	3
	Graphic Novels	2	Misc.	8	eBooks	19
Source	Bought	35	TBR Shelves	17	Borrowed	2
	Free	26

I've never read this many children's books, but then again, I've never had a child to read them to. I think this will be the last year I count children's books towards my total; it skews the results too much. I did a much better job this year reading books I already owned. Yay me! This could still be much, much better though as I have enough unread books on my shelves to last me the rest of my life.

Overall I am pretty satisfied with my reading stats this year. Next year I will not be tracking near as much; I'm trying to cut back on the businessy portion of blogging (minimal tracking, no challenges) so that I can have more time to just read. :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Years Eve and a great New Year.

Book Review: Shadow and Bone

2012-12-27T05:00:00.000-06:00

Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher/Year: Henry Holt / 2012
Source/Format: Bought / ebook
Date Finished: 23 December 2012
Book # 71

Series Reviews: First of the Grisha trilogy

Buy | Borrow | Accept | Avoid

The Short and Sweet of It (from Amazon)
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

A Bit of a Ramble
I bought this after reading Amanda's review over at Reading and Running, and I'm very, very glad I gave in to temptation. Except for one thing: I have to wait for-freaking-ever before book 2 comes out and then it's a whole other long wait until the third book releases. I keep forgetting how much I hate waiting. I'm an impatient little bugger I tell you.

The story is fast-paced without losing world-building or character development (although I could have used a bit more development of secondary characters) and I found the action unique. But what is really sticking out to me here is the "love triangle". As I'm sure some of you know, I find YA love triangles completely unbelievable. I am never unsure of who our heroine will choose, and I feel nothing but pity for the third wheel (or sometimes even the winning love interest as in the case of Twilight where I felt Bella really just need to be on her own until she grew up and developed some b..uh, maturity).

But back to Shadow and Bone. The not-quite-a-sort-of-maybe-a love triangle felt believable. PLOT SPOILERISH Alina loves Mal, her best friend and the person she grew up with and loved her whole life, but they have never been together. So no burning-passionate-illogical love at first sight crapola here. When she is torn from Mal, she doesn't wither into a state of non-being and pine for her lost love. She gets all sexy-sexy with the Darkling (whose bones I would have jumped). She's not playing kissy face with him to get back at Mal, nor is she experimenting or "settling" or doing anything other than what she wants. Her relationship(ish) with the Darkling has nothing to do with Mal. That's a girl. This really impressed me. END SPOILERISH

As I said earlier, I would have liked a bit more development of some characters other than Alina. I am very interested based on the teasing glimpses I get of the Darkling, Mal, Genya, Ivan, Fedyor, and even Zoya. Hopefully the next installments will dig a bit deeper into these characters.

And now I shall sit and wait impatiently for the second book Siege and Storm to come out.

Merry Christmas!

2012-12-25T05:00:00.000-06:00

Book Review: The Panem Companion

2012-12-24T05:00:00.000-06:00

Title: The Panem Companion
Author: V. Arrow
Publisher/Year: BenBella / 2012
Source/Format: Publisher / Print
Date Finished: 17 December 2012
Book # 70

Buy | Borrow | Accept | Avoid

The Short and Sweet of It
An unofficial reflection on The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, The Panem Companion combines academic analysis with fan response to further explore the world and characters of Panem.

A Bit of a Ramble
I rarely read companion pieces to books, but I may have to change my mind about that after reading this. While there is nothing in the book that is particularly mind-bending, I very much enjoyed learning more about Katniss and the rest, and even beyond "learning" I adored the reasoned conjecture throughout.

The book discusses the origins of Panem, the socioeconomics of Tesserae, gender roles and sexuality in Panem, and more, each in its own chapter and each with some obvious, textual claims and some extrapolation that is both reasonable and fun. In each chapter, what I really found interesting was the comparison to our society. In some ways, the world of Panem is an exaggeration of our own. As the book states: Part of the "reason for [The Hunger Games] popularity in our own world is that it is the most effective mirror of our own culture that has been produced since the advent of reality television and celebrity social media." This is not newsbreaking for anyone who has read it, but seeing the individual ideologies pieced out and discussed was interesting.

Definitely a fun read that I would recommend for those who read and loved the trilogy.

Book Review: The City and the City

2012-12-21T05:00:00.000-06:00

Title: The City and the City
Author: China Mieville
Publisher/Year: Ballantine / 2010
Source/Format: Bought / Print
Date Finished: 14 December 2012
Book # 69

Buy | Borrow | Accept | Avoid

The Short and Sweet of It
"When a murdered woman is found in the city of Beszel, somewhere at the edge of Europe, it looks to be a routine case for Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad. To investigate, Borlú must travel from the decaying Beszel to its equal, rival, and intimate neighbor, the vibrant city of Ul Qoma. But this is a border crossing like no other, a journey as psychic as it is physical, a seeing of the unseen. With Ul Qoman detective Qussim Dhatt, Borlú is enmeshed in a sordid underworld of nationalists intent on destroying their neighboring city, and unificationists who dream of dissolving the two into one. As the detectives uncover the dead woman’s secrets, they begin to suspect a truth that could cost them more than their lives. What stands against them are murderous powers in Beszel and in Ul Qoma: and, most terrifying of all, that which lies between these two cities."

A Bit of a Ramble
As I'm sure you noticed, I used the Amazon description of the book. This plain and simply because to summarize this book is a task I can't quite wrap my mind around. Technically this is what's happening: There are two distinct nations occupying the same geographical space - or rather partitioning out the same area so that the two countries are cross-hatched. For example, a park bench in a town square can be in one city and the tree next to the bench can be in the other. The two groups of people grow up learning how to "unsee" the other country and its inhabitants. Entering the other country, or even paying attention to it can get you in big big trouble. Like disappearing kind of trouble.

Wrapping my mind around this setting was not easy for me. I found it very unbelievable at first. How can you not see something that is right in front of you? The concept is psychologically fascinating, and over time - and with a great deal of thought - I found myself not only believing it possible, but also seeing less dramatic parallels in our own society. How many Chicagoans don't see the homeless people that populate the streets? How many people walk by and completely ignore certain buildings in their own hometowns? I guarantee there are buildings in my town which I could in no way describe for you. This is an intriguing reflection on ideology, and on the permission given by ordinary citizens for certain cultural norms to exist.

From the beginning, I was hooked. Very rarely do I read a book in which the setting is so tantamount to the story, and when done well this addition of setting as character captures me and lends an air of realness or permanence. The story is, at its core, a crime mystery, but damned if that wasn't really overshadowed for me by the setting. The language is direct, sparse, an interesting and necessary(?) contrast to the complexity of the setting. I will definitely be reading more Mieville.

Book Review: Married Love

2012-12-17T05:00:00.000-06:00

Title: Married Love and Other Stories
Author: Tessa Hadley
Publisher/Year: Harper Perennial / 2012
Source/Format: TLC Book Tours / Print
Date Finished: 16 December 2012
Book # 69

Buy | Borrow | Accept | Avoid

The Short and Sweet of It
Because I am incapable of summarizing a short story collection: "Married Love is a masterful collection of short fiction from one of today’s most accomplished storytellers. These tales showcase the qualities for which Tessa Hadley has long been praised: her humor, warmth, and psychological acuity; her powerful, precise, and emotionally dense prose; her unflinching examinations of family relationships. Here are stories that range widely across generations and classes, exploring the private and public lives of unforgettable characters: a young girl who haunts the edges of her parents’ party; a wife released by the sudden death of her film-director husband; an eighteen-year-old who insists on marrying her music professor, only to find herself shut out from his secrets. In this stunning collection, Hadley evokes worlds that expand in the imagination far beyond the pages, capturing domestic dramas, generational sagas, wrenching love affairs and epiphanies, and distilling them to remarkable effect."

A Bit of a Ramble
I was struck by the quiet reserve of most of these stories. These are tiny portraits of relationships, most of which are not perfect, some of which are perfectly ambivalent, a state of being rather than a value judgment on that state of being.

As with many short stories I have read, plots seem unfinished, characters not quite fully developed; in this instance, however, this feels intentional and effective. Readers are given snapshots of everyday life, or sketches of people, that may not give the whole picture but do offer just enough for a truth to appear. These tiny moments in the characters' lives are a microcosm through which readers can derive a more universal reflection (and possibly an evaluation) of reality.

Many people, when reviewing a short story collection, discuss individual stories, their favorites or the ones they feel are most representative; however, I cannot do that this time around. I started scribbling down some notes about individual stories but found that I wanted to say so much about each one that this would be the longest review ever.

It is enough to say that I honestly believe you should read this one for its simple beauty.

NOTES: I received this for review from TLC Book Tours. Be sure to check out the other reviews.

Tagging the Turkey

2012-12-12T05:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I'm a little late to be using the whole Thanksgiving-Turkey thing, but alas, I have done it anyways. My new questions from Jenners:

What five things in your life are you most thankful for? My family definitely tops that list. My job is probably a close second since I (for the most part) adore it. Books would come in third, good ones in particular; although I'm not totally against "bad" ones either. I'm going to lump all of technology into number 4, particularly those that make life better such as air conditioning and indoor plumbing. And number five, I won't lie people, number five is going to be male eye candy. And for your viewing pleasure, here are some pictures of hot guys that I've put up on the blog over the years:

What is the best part of the Thanksgiving meal? Oh my god, the sweet potatoes with the little marshmallows on top. Thank the good lord for that one. I could just bury my face in a big pile of that yummy goodness and die happy.

Who is the biggest turkey in Hollywood? Well, there's some seriously fowl people in the Hollywood business, I think I have to give the award to Kanye West, the man is just a giant douche. Every time I have to hear him speak, a small part of world goodness dies.

When is the earliest acceptable date to decorate for Christmas? (Hint: I have rather strong feelings about this so BEWARE!) Okay, I may be really upsetting a lot of people here, but uh, I don't actually decorate for Christmas. Yeah, no tree, no tinsel, no lights, no santas lounging here and there, no mistletoe, no holly wreaths, nothing. I don't have anything like against it or anything; it's just not my thing. I will say, however, that I think those who do decorate should probably keep Santa in the box in the basement until like the end of the first week in December or so.

Pumpkin pie, apple pie or cherry pie? Cherry. Definitely cherry. This kid's got the right idea:

Now, five new questions for Jenners:

When is the earliest acceptable date to decorate for Christmas? (I just had to hear your "rather strong feelings")
What is the funniest book you've ever read and what made it funny?
Do you say Kleenex or tissue?
When hanging pictures on the wall, do you measure and level or just eyeball it?
If you could have anything you wanted for Christmas, what would it be? (And I'm not talking world peace or anything else a ditzy beauty pageant winner would say).

Book Review: Tiny Book of Tiny Stories Vols. I and II

2012-12-08T05:00:00.000-06:00

Title: The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories Vols. I and II
Author: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Publisher/Year: Harper Collins / 2011 and 2012
Source/Format: Publisher / Print
Date Finished: 4 December 2012
Book # 67 and 68

Buy | Borrow | Accept | Avoid

The Short and Sweet of It
Each volume contains dozens of very short stories from a variety of contributors. "To create The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 2 — "half short story collection, half communal poem" (Flavorwire) — Joseph Gordon-Levitt, known within the hitRECord.org community as RegularJOE, directs thousands of collaborators to tell tiny stories through words and art. With the help of the entire creative collective, Gordon-Levitt culls, edits, and curates the massive numbers of contributions into a finely tuned collection that is at once "ingeniously illustrated . . . witty [and] meaningful" (Entertainment Weekly). Once again, the "tiny" book, pocket-sized with a 4" x 6" trim, brings together art and voices from around the world to unite and tell stories that defy size."

A Bit of a Ramble
Delightful. Charming. Clever. Thought-provoking. Intelligent. Fun. Adorable. Profound. Cute. Simple. Witty. Adjectives such as these keep popping into my head as I think of the small but powerful stories in these two volumes. While a person could power through these two books in a matter of minutes, I found myself taking my time, exploring each story and image, thinking of the possibilities in such a few words and such beautiful images. I honestly believe I could spend hours ruminating and never feel I'd reached any sort of definitive decision about many of these stories.

The book's charm isn't relegated to just the words though. Each story comes with an accompanying image. Sometimes the image is necessary to the tale; sometimes complementary. Either way the images could stand on their own as works of art with inherent meaning.

Honestly they remind me of surrealist film - or David Lynch films - where I may not understand exactly what is happening, but I sure do get a very specific feeling after the experience. I love this. I love that feeling which is so specific and feels so honest and deep but is indescribable. It is a rare feeling and more precious because of this - at least to me. And since it's, you know, indescribable, I have no way to really relate it to you. But hopefully some of you get it. Many of the stories/images in these two books gave me that feeling.

I highly recommend getting your hands on these two volumes and keeping your eyes open for a third.

NOTES: Received for review from publisher

Madison Monthly: Turning 10 Months

2012-12-03T20:19:00.001-06:00

The Basics
This post is a bit late...bad mommy. The main thing you need to know about this month is that Madison rocked out her Uncle Dustin's halloween wig.....

Eating and Sleeping
Lots of new food for Madison this month. At the beginning of the month, she was eating her fruit out of the strange net thing pictured to the right. She quickly lost interest in that though and decided eating out of your hand was the better option. She is particularly fond of yogurt bites and it took me the entire month to get her to pick them up and put them in her mouth herself. The cutest part of this process was when I started putting them in the palm of my hand and holding them out to her - in the expectation she would use her fingers to pick them up. Not a chance. She merely leaned over and licked those suckers right off my hand. After yogurt bites, "adult food" is her favorite. She enjoys cooked carrots quite a bit - especially if made with a pot roast. Other foods I can remember: meatballs, potatoes (mashed and baked), wheat bread, scrambled eggs, eggs over easy, banana, pluot, wheat toast with jelly, whole wheat club crackers, pasta noodles in a mild broth, and uh...yeah, that's all I can think of right now. Getting her to eat her own food is near impossible these days.

Sleeping is still sucktastic. Some nights she only wakes up twice; other nights it's more like five or six times. She does, however, adore tubby time which happens most nights before bed. We still bathe her in the sink since our only bath is a jacuzzi-type tub which no one older than 16 can bend over to give a tubby without breaking his or her back. I am not 16. I am 32. Old. Infirm.

Behavior and Development
She can walk by herself now - if a bit wobbly. She still prefers to hold a hand though and she will walk across a room alone in order to con someone into taking her hand. Silly baby. I feel like a moron walking behind her, half hunched, arms well positioned to catch her if she falls. But I'm badass because I am awesome at catching her. :)

Talking is not coming along at all. She primarily hums and moans, mouth closed, and simply smiles at us while we try to get her to talk. Months ago she said mama and dada or rather mamamamama and dadadadada with no recognition of what she was saying, but still the sounds came out. Now, not so much.

Social Stuff
Halloween was quite the event. Madison was too cute in her spider costume, and she really got a kick out of seeing all the people in their costumes. We spent the holiday at my grandmother's with family, and we ended up getting 412 trick or treaters.

She absolutely loves new people, will actively seek out new arms to hold her, and has a smile for everyone she sees. Grocery shopping is one of her favorite activities, and not to like brag about my seriously cute baby or anything, but we never go anywhere without at least two people talking about how freaking adorable she is.

This month we went to my cousin Hannah's baby shower in Iowa, and Madison was awesome. She slept for most of the time in the car both going and returning. The time she wasn't sleeping, she was just fine playing with whoever was in the backseat with her. The hotel didn't faze her, the new people didn't faze her, the very late bedtime didn't faze her (in other words, she still woke up quite a few times during the night). Here she is in the middle of the action at the shower:

Mommy Notes
Every now and then I feel a bit guilty. While I only have to go on campus Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, my job is more like seven days a week, so Madison spends a few hours at grandma's or great-grandma's on Mondays and Fridays as well. And it's not strange for her to spend some time there on a weekend either, especially now towards the end of the semester. It's strange feeling like other people are raising your kid; I'm happy it's family, but still. At the same time, I would never want to quit my job. I love my job, I love working.

The Pictures
I know there are more pictures, but uh, I'm not sure where they are right now (umm..so really they are like still on my camera and my phone and I was too lazy to get them on the computer). I'll add the pics in later....maybe....

Book Review: Wild About You

2012-11-28T04:30:00.000-06:00

Title: Wild About You
Author: Kerrelyn Sparks
Publisher/Year: Avon / 2012
Source/Format: TLC Book Tours / Print
Date Finished: 12 November 2012
Book # 65

Buy | Borrow | Accept | Avoid

The Short and Sweet of It
Howard has two secrets: one he is a were-bear and two he is in love with a woman he has only seen on tv. When he finally gets to meet her thanks to the matchmaking of his vampire boss, he finds Elsa just as irresistible in person. Unfortunately an ancient curse may keep them apart.

A Bit of a Ramble
Paranormal steamy romance. Bring it on baby. Some good supernatural sex is just what a new mom needs to shake things up a bit. And the book delivers; although I could have handled a bit more in the sexy sexy department.

What I found rather interesting about the characters is their physical appearance and its importance. As a were-bear, Howard is rather large, and part of the reason he is attracted to Elsa is that she is no dainty flower. Over six foot tall and weighing in a 170ish, Elsa has always felt large - obviously, she doesn't next to Howard who quite charmingly carries her around and "makes her feel like a woman" for lack of a better description. On the one hand, its nice to read about a woman who isn't 5'9" and 110 pounds. On the other hand, her desire to feel small seemed to just perpetuate the stereotype of a female needing a larger male. Then again, I like big men, so what can I say?

As with many a romance novel, the plot does not just revolve around their romance. In this book, the fight between Howard and his arch-nemesis takes up quite a bit of space; unfortunately though, the plot line isn't as dramatic as it needs to be to justify so much time. The nemesis himself is barely in the book.

Overall though, I enjoyed the story and the characters. It was a nice, quick read. Apparently this is part of a rather large series, Love at Stake, but as this is the only one I've read, I can't comment on its place in the larger scheme of things. It is no problem, however, to read it as a stand alone.

Question: Has anyone read the other 12 books in this series? Is it worth looking into?

NOTES: Received for review as part of a book tour by TLC.

If anyone is interested in receiving this book to review on his/her blog, please let me know in the comments (including your email address). If you aren't comfortable leaving your email, you can email me at eclectic.eccentric@hotmail.com! After a few days, I'll randomly pick a number.

Healthy Cooking: Weeks 1 and 2

2012-11-24T05:00:00.000-06:00

Here are the recipes for our healthy homecooked meals over the past two weeks:

Meal #1 :: Roasted Chicken Breast with Herbs, Carrots, and Red Potatoes

1 lb stir fry chicken
2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, chopped
1 T poultry seasoning
4 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 T extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and set the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a 10x12 inch pan with aluminum foil.
Use the tip of a sharp boning or paring knife to cut 3 small slits into the side of each chicken breast; insert a slice of garlic into each slit.
Mix the rosemary and poultry seasoning together and sprinkle evenly over the chicken.
Arrange the breasts close together on the foil-lined pan. Place carrots and red potatoes in a bowl; toss with olive oil until evenly coated. Place in a single layer around chicken and fold up edges of foil approximately 1 inch.
Cover and cook in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and vegetables are fork tender. An instant-read thermometer should register 165 degrees.

The recipe actually called for chicken breast, but I'm not a fan of thick chicken and that's all I can find outside of Market Day; hence, I used stir fry chicken. Also, I think 1 tablespoon of olive oil is plenty; although you do run the risk of the vegetables burning.

Very tasty

Meal #2 :: Rainbow Trout with Yogurt Sauce and Broccoli Pasta

The Trout...okay, so I used Tilapia....

In a medium bowl combine 1 cup of plain yogurt, 1 shredded cucumber, 2 T chopped dill, 1 whole lemon juiced and zested, and 1 T extra virgin olive oil.. Mix well and set aside.
Turn oven broiler on. Coat a broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Broil for about 8 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. To serve spoon yogurt sauce over fish.

So, the husband and I are not a fan of the sauce. We are plain old tartar sauce kind of people. Fish, however, I always love.

The Broccoli Pasta

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the linguini pasta and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still al dente. Drain.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add 3 T extra virgin olive oil and 1 T unsalted butter. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds. Add 2 lbs. broccoli pieces and stir. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Toss gently with pasta and serve topped with grated parmesan.

Delicious. The hubby and I even ate this on its own the next night; and Brian never eats a meal without meat, so that's impressive.

Meal #3 :: Chicken Stir Fry and Rice

Slice (or dice) 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper, 1 stick of celery, 3 carrots, 1/2 onion, 10-15 edamame (no need to cut these, just remove the beans (or not)), and anything else you want.
Slice chicken breasts into strips.
Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the chicken and veggies.
Add in 2 T soy sauce, 3 T lemon juice, dash of pepper, and a dash of chili flakes.
Cook for about 14 minutes - or until veggies and chicken are done.

As for the rice, I just used Uncle Ben's Wild Rice which is beautifully contained in a microwavable bag, ready in 90 seconds....yeah, that counts as cooking....

Yet again, very tasty.

There was no meal #4 as Thanksgiving came up and slapped me in the stomach - right after the flu slapped me in the stomach for two days of no fun. But hey, I lost 9 pounds (yeah, that really doesn't count, does it).

I'm going to try to remember to take pictures of the meals - just to make these posts prettier.... :)