Monday, April 30, 2012

Quiet

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain is an amazing look at the world of introverts.  While being an extrovert is considered the ideal in America, at least one third of the population are introverts.
Cain, instead of trying to change these introverts, goes on to show how this large group of people impacts our world. She is also able to show that the complexities that  make each person unique may also allow them to be extroverts in certain situations and introverts in others.
I especially enjoyed the portion of this book dealing with education. Classrooms are set up to teach students in groups, designed to educate the extroverts.  As an educator and self professed introvert I could understand Cain's research and how introverts feel in this situation.  Introverts may have great ideas, but hesitate to share them in a group setting.  They are often overpowered by their extroverted counterparts, who are not necessarily smarter, but more able to share their ideas freely.
Cain gives good advice to parents of introverts, providing ideas on how to raise this type of child. And Cain has done her research, sharing tidbits about famous introverts throughout history.
While it is true that at times I may seem to be extroverted, I am truly an introvert who has learned to cope and function in an extroverted world.  What I would most appreciate is not only an awareness that not everyone needs to be an extrovert, but also an appreciation for introverts and all they offer.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Sunday Salon

I can now officially say that there are less than 20 days of school left!  Amazing! I have two more weeks of scheduled library classes and then two weeks of inventory to do. 
I started jotting down the different activities we have going on this week, and after composing my list I can see why so little reading is getting done.  There is a lot of running around to get people to soccer practices and games and softball practice. Add in gymnastics, piano lessons, a dental appointment for me, an early morning breakfast meeting for me along with an after school meeting, this week ahead is already making me tired.
I had a personal day this past Tuesday and did very little aside from running 7 miles.  I have been working on getting back to running like I used to. It is not much fun to be out of shape.
Big Sister had her States Night at school.  All the fourth graders had to present on the state they researched and decorate a parade float on a Radio Flyer wagon.  Despite saying she was nervous, she did a great job! However, we are happy to have this done with.  Some of the floats were amazing, but I am happy to report that Big Sister did hers by herself and her parents did not do the whole project for her. I am fine with helping, but the teacher in me knows that this project is not meant for the parents to do entirely. 
Last night our family watched We Bought a Zoo and enjoyed it a lot. The girls want to watch it again today before I take the DVD back to the library.
Exercise this past week: 4 morning workouts, 19.2 miles run as well as Saturday and a 3 mile walk with a friend
Books Read: Quiet by Susan Cain, Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson, Schooled by Gordon Korman
Latest Addiction: Rice Krispie treats. We have eaten two pans in the past 4 days which means I won't be making these anytime soon.
Looking forward to: our Disney Trip in June!  Bought our airline tickets this week! 

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Books Are NOT For Eating


I'm a little disgusted with my dog. Today, while I was at work at the library, my husband called to ask me if I spent a lot of money on a book about the presidents.  I had ordered The Presidents Club by Michael Gibbs and Nancy Duffy from Amazon and was looking forward to reading it.  Unfortunately my dog was either very upset about being outside in the rain or very bored and the package left by our mailman was the source of his entertainment.  While my husband called it unidentifiable and it does look pretty bad, I am still going to try to read it.  I am sure my sister is chuckling to herself since back when we were kids I made my sister sign a contract to even touch one of the books I owned.  Fingerprints seem like nothing at this point. 

Friday, April 27, 2012

Heaven Is Here

Maybe 2012 is the year of inspirational stories for me.  I have read a good number of this kind of book already in 2012, and I continue to find more and more that I am enjoying.
Recently I came across a blog, nieniedialogues.blogspot.com, that had me in awe.  Stephanie Nielson was in a horrible plane crash in 2008, resulting in burns on over 80% of her body.  Her husband, Christian, was burned on 40% of his body, and the two faced months of rehabilitation and surgeries.  Now four years later Stephanie has written Heaven Is Here, an account of her accident and the events and feelings she experienced after her life was changed forever.
Stephanie was just twenty-eight, the mother of four young children, when she and her husband took a day-long trip with Christian's flight instructor.  On their way home the unthinkable happened.  Four months later Stephanie awoke from her coma to discover burns that covered much of her body.  In her writing she makes clear the desperation and sorrow she felt during this time. She didn't have a desire to see her children - the most important people in her life - and even her husband was at first turned away by her.  Over time Stephanie was able to see her husband's love and commitment to her even though she no longer looked like the woman he fell in love with. 
Her strong Mormon faith and the love of her family continued to give Stephanie strength as she prepared to enter the real world again.  Despite the stares of strangers, Stephanie eventually embraces her life again, taking charge of her children and their care.
This story doesn't have any surprises in it, but just hearing Stephanie's voice and how she was able to persevere and overcome the obstacles set before her is inspiring.  For everyone who at one time or another has struggled with their appearance should take not of what Stephanie struggles with on a daily basis - and now smiles about. 
My oldest daughter read Heaven Is Here right along with me.  We fought over this book and who would get to spend time reading Nielson's story.  While both of us are sad the book is done, we continue to check in on Stephanie and her family on her blog, http://www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Author Visits

I love spring in the Cedar Valley for a variety of reasons. Aside from it being the end of winter and the beginning of nice weather, it is also the time of year when I have an opportunity to hear a few childrens authors speak.  This past week I was able to listen to Sarah Weeks and Gordon Korman. 
Sarah Weeks is the author of many books - more than I even knew- including one of my favorites, So B. It.  Her presentation consisted of slides from her personal life, experiences she had, and humor.  I have yet to read her Oggie Cooder series, but will soon.  Oggie, the character in her book, is a master at charving (chewing and carving) things out of cheese.  As Weeks showed slides of children charving states out of cheese, an idea began to hatch in my own brain.  As my fourth graders finish up the Power Points they are working on and researching their states, I am planning on challenging them to charve their own state out of a piece of cheese. I predict they will enjoy this tremendously.
I was able to hear Gordon Korman yesterday along with my fifth grade students.  It is always exciting to meet an author and to watch students get their first opportunity to meet an author, too.  Korman spoke for almost an hour, taking time to answer students' questions at the end of his presentation.  Remarkable to me is that Korman was first published at the age of thirteen!  He continues to write books for middle grade students. I am in the middle of Schooled right now, a novel about a home-schooled student, Capricorn, who finds himself flung into the regular school scene when his grandma is injured and cannot take care of him. 
Both of these authors were interesting and funny. 

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick: Shunning Sarah by Julie Kramer

Due out August 7, 2012



Product Description taken from Amazon:

The latest thriller in Julie Kramer’s bestselling crime fiction series, featuring the smart, funny, and compulsively entertaining television reporter, Riley Spartz.
A young boy’s freak accident leads Riley to investigate a homicide in the closed religious society of the Amish.
No women near the small Minnesota tourist town have been reported missing and because the victim’s face is damaged, she can’t be identified without the help of a forensic artist. When she finally is recognized as Sarah Yoder, a young Amish woman, the police have difficulty investigating the case because the Amish believe in forgiveness rather than prosecution, and no one in the community is talking. Because of the biblical ban on graven images, Sarah’s family objects to her picture being used by the media even though the police believe the publicity might lead to tips. But when Riley finds a clue the cops miss, she uncovers a dark web of fraud and deception in the community—driven by motives as old as the Bible: sex and money.
Shunning Sarah, the fifth installment in Julie Kramer’s bestselling series, which includes Killing Kate and Silencing Sam, will keep readers turning pages while they wonder what will happen next…

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Newlyweds

I spent most of last week reading The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger, one of my Amazon Vine picks of the month. While the cover wasn't very appealing to me, the story within was.
George and Amina are technically newlweds. How they came to be married is slightly different than most couples.  Amina, originally from Bangladesh, uses an online dating service where she meets George, an American.  The two correspond for a while, and George eventually comes to Bangladesh to meet Amina, and then proposes.  The two barely know each other, but when Amina comes to America she moves in with George before the wedding since she needs him to take care of her in a strange country.  Both George and Amina have a few secrets that they haven't told each other.  As these are revealed, the two cope with them as best they can. What I found interesting is that in today's world many married couples would have immediately decided to end their marriage, while George and Amina struggle through.  Both have opportunities to end their marriage, or choose a different path, but opt to stay together for a variety of reasons. Even as Amina arrives in the US, she secretly plans to bring her parents over and move them in with her, a custom in her native land.  While she doesn't reveal this to George, his own secret (found out by Amina in a timely way) causes him to agree to this plan.  Both George and Amina have past loves that they are not honest about. 
In some ways I felt sorry for this couple who appear to be less than happy and appear to be willing to "settle" with each other. But another part finds their commitment admirable along with their ability to accept the imperfections they both have.
I have continued to think about George and Amina ever since I stopped reading.  Freudenberger's book will make a great book club selection - there is much to discuss and enjoy.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Curveball

After hearing Janssen rave about Jordan Sonnenblick's books, I finally decided to try one myself.  Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip is Sonnenblick's latest - the story of Peter Friedman, a boy with great talent as a pitcher.  That is, until an injury ends his career.  Now a freshman in high school, Peter has to find new things to think about besides baseball.  His best friend, AJ, is sure that Peter will go out in the spring, but Peter knows the truth. When he signs up for a photography class and meets a nice girl, things seem to be looking up.  Except that Peter's grandfather doesn't act like himself anymore. He leaves himself notes all over his house and has a hard time remembering things.  Although Peter tries to tell his mother of his concerns, she doesn't act like her father's behavior is alarming. So, Pete keeps it to himself and helps his grandfather the best he can.
Although the plot is not anything amazing (I have read other books on these topics), Sonnenblick's writing was instantly engaging.  Peter is a great character, someone that male readers could use as a role model. He finds a way to move on in his life, despite some tough news.  The love he has for his grandfather and desire to help him is also heartwarming. 
While this is the first book I have read by Sonnenblick, it certainly won't be my last. Curveball was a great realistic fiction read.
Visit Jordan Sonnenblick's website.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Sunday Salon

5 more weeks of school until summer vacation! You will probably be notified often of the countdown; the 80 degree weather we had in March was such a tease that I think most of the teachers are anxiously anticipating having a break.
Tomorrow night we will be attending Big Sister's State Night at her school. All year she has done research on the state of Massachusetts.  Tomorrow night each student will showcase their "float" - a Radio Flyer wagon decorated like a parade float and do a short presentation.  She has told me several times today how nervous she is.
Middle Sister has soccer practice and a game this week. There's the usual gymnastics class, and Little Sister needs to have her glasses fixed.  The highlight for me is my personal day on Tuesday. Not sure what I have lined up for the day, but I'm excited to report that it will be relaxing, whatever it ends up being.
Yesterday I got up early, drove to the health club and ran nearly 7 miles.  I used to run much further, but have had some different breaks from running over the winter and a broken treadmill.  Seven miles is a fairly nice run.  I am reading Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson while running. Even though  my arch hurts today I would love to sneak in a little run to get further in this book.  I have a lot of books coming due at the library - sigh- and no way to read them all. I am trying to prioritize and plan on re-reserving them once they are returned.
This weekend we attended an area swing show.  I would have to say that swing shows seem to be a dying event. I remember attending several in my childhood and always enjoyed the music and short skits.  This was the first time my girls have had a chance to go to one. Although we had to wait for quite a while between when we arrived (in order to get good seats) and when it began, they have already asked if we can attend next year's event.  Today we watched a local Children's Theater production of Alice in Wonderland.  The set and costumes were amazing.  This is not a favorite of mine - I simply don't enjoy fantastical stories like that, but the actors were all good.
The rest of this past week at a glance:
Exercise: 16 miles ran, work-outs 4 out of 5 mornings and both days of the weekend
Food: an entire enormous bag of Peanut Butter M&Ms (no amount of running can make that OK)
Books Read: The Newleyweds by Nell Freudenberger, Curveball by Jordan Sonnenblink, and Love's Unending Legacy by Janette Oke (reviews to come)
How about you? How was your week?

Friday, April 20, 2012

Paris In Love



Last weekend I took my girls to see The Lorax at the local dollar theatre. I am just not a big fan of Dr. Seuss (yes, I know I'm in the minority). I was not the excited about the movie, and since my brother helpfully downloaded the kindle app onto my phone and I always have tons of book waiting to be read on it, I spent the entire movie happily reading away. It did help that I was in the back row of the theatre so the lit up screen on my phone didn't bother anyone else.

Paris in Love by Eloisa James is a memoir I was waiting to read; I continue to see positive reviews of it wherever it is mentioned. Having just finished Bringing up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman, a non-fiction look at French parenting, I was still in the mood for a little more of France.

James and her family move to Paris for a year after her breast cancer treatment is finished. She and her husband are both able to take time away from work, although James, a romance novelist (think bodice rippers)has a career she can still engage in from afar. Her children adjust to life in France, making new friends, adjusting to French school, and learning a new language. Paris in Love is a memoir extolling the virtues of the City of Light. James visits various restaurants, shops, and areas of the country that the only regret I have about this book is my lack of personal experience in France. Reading about her experiences makes me wish that I, too, could spend a year in a different country learning firsthand about the things that make it enjoyable and unique.

James is an entertaining writer. She pokes a bit of fun at herself and comes across as a reliable narrator- able to share her children's strengths and a few flaws.

Paris in Love was just as enjoyable as I have been told. A great memoir for armchair travelers as well as memoir readers.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Running and Reading

Before I had children I was not a runner. This is always news to some of my friends that I have made after having kids. They have always thought of me as a runner - although if they ever saw me run, it would be easier for them to think of me as a non-runner. I am not fast, but I am consistent and can go for a long time. Most runners, at least the ones I know, enjoy running outside. I especially hear that as we have warm weather after a winter of snow. Not me. I love running on the treadmill. I know it is technically harder to run outside (my college professor would be proud that I still remember the formula for work. Since actual distance is not displaced on a treadmill, you are therefore doing less work. Therefore your work out is easier. That does not account for the mental aspect of treadmill running), but I love the time spent on the treadmill. Part of that is because I can read and run at the same time. I often feel like I will never get my TBR stack under control. That means that I don't watch much TV. I have put knitting projects on hold for years. I read at every possible moment. One of those moments is while I'm running. Four years ago we bought a new treadmill. While I did care about how the new treadmill "felt," what concerned me more was the lack of a book rack. My husband became very frustrated with the criteria for a new treadmill including the type of book rack it came with. We discussed/argued about this for a while. I just would not back down. I knew that if there was no book rack, I would not run. The salesperson knew that this was a big deal to me and found a portable book rack that I can use on this treadmill and any other. I have been taking it with me to the gym to use as I run there. I know that the college kids who work out at the gym probably wonder why I'm not reading something on an iPad, or an iPhone or a Kindle. However, there is also a mental aspect to my book reading while running. I like a book that takes a few minutes to read before I have to turn a page. That makes the time go faster. I like how the book covers up the screen that displays the time elapsed. Then I can be surprised when I finally lift up the book. I like getting to read a great book while doing something that I would normally find not so fun and how that activity is now something I look forward to.


Not every book rack will work on the treadmill. A book rack that will work to hold books is different than one that you can use to read a magazine. If you are interested in getting yourself a book rack, you will need to make sure there is a lip on it in order to hold your book open.



This trivial little invention has yielded many hours of pleasure. Who knew I would have so much to say on the topic of book racks?

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.



This week's pick: The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian


Due out July 17, 2012





Product Information taken from Amazon:


The Sandcastle Girls is a sweeping historical love story steeped in Chris Bohjalian's Armenian heritage.When Elizabeth Endicott arrives in Aleppo, Syria she has a diploma from Mount Holyoke, a crash course in nursing, and only the most basic grasp of the Armenian language. The year is 1915 and she has volunteered on behalf of the Boston-based Friends of Armenia to help deliver food and medical aid to refugees of the Armenian genocide. There Elizabeth becomes friendly with Armen, a young Armenian engineer who has already lost his wife and infant daughter. When Armen leaves Aleppo and travels south into Egypt to join the British army, he begins to write Elizabeth letters, and comes to realize that he has fallen in love with the wealthy, young American woman who is so different from the wife he lost.Fast forward to the present day, where we meet Laura Petrosian, a novelist living in suburban New York. Although her grandparents' ornate Pelham home was affectionately nicknamed "The Ottoman Annex," Laura has never really given her Armenian heritage much thought. But when an old friend calls, claiming to have seen a newspaper photo of Laura's grandmother promoting an exhibit at a Boston museum, Laura embarks on a journey back through her family's history that reveals love, loss - and a wrenching secret that has been buried for generations.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The Chaperone



I have long been a fan of Laura Moriarty's books, and her newest, The Chaperone is one I am raving about. This latest from Moriarty is a bit different than her other books - set in 1922, this is Moriarty's first foray into historical fiction and it is amazing.

Much like the Paris Wife by Paula McLain captured Ernest and Hadley Hemingway's lives, and Loving Frank by Nancy Horan chronicles a clandestine affair between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney, The Chaperone features Louise Brooks, a young actress going to New York City for the first time. Her chaperone, nearly middle aged Cora Carlisle, is intrigued by this opportunity to visit New York City, her birthplace, and where she spent her younger years at an orphanage. Louise is quite the handful - upsetting every idea of propriety that Cora has come to know and believe in. From sneaking out at night to getting drunk, Cora's job trying to control Louise is hard work. However, her initial goal of finding her birth mother takes up any free time she has and has Cora reflecting on her childhood in the orphanage, her adoption to a family in Wichita, and her naive marriage to Alan, her husband.

Although this book begins in 1922, Cora's life unfolds over the pages and through the decades. She reflects at one point how happy she is that life is long and things that once devastated her are now met with understanding and acceptance. Louise Brooks is not the central character in this novel, but I enjoyed learning more about this actress and her troubled path to fame. Cora is a remarkable woman, a character that I enjoyed watching develop.

This is a book I will be recommending to many - fans of Laura Moriarty's won't be disappointed.

Monday, April 16, 2012

The Miseducation of Cameron Post



I'm not sure where I first heard about The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth, but I recently reserved a copy at the library. In my usual perpetually behind fashion, I did't start this novel until the day before it was due. At 470 pages, this wasn't the best option, but once I began reading I knew I couldn't give the book back without finishing it.

I don't love books tackling issues of sexuality, in general. However, I did love this book almost as soon as I began reading. Set in Montana in the early 1990s, I could have changed the setting of this book to my rural Iowa hometown without altering things too much.

Cameron Post is orphaned at the age of twelve- the death of her parents occurring on the same day she kisses a girl for the first time. Cameron believes that her parents death is her payment for this sin, yet is unable to stop her attraction to other girls. Eventually her best friend in high school (and object of Cameron's crush), Coley Taylor gives Cameron a reason to believe that their relationship may also be physical someday. Cameron's aunt Ruth finds out about her niece's attraction to other girls and quickly decides to "fix" her.

Reading this book made me reminisce about my own high school years now twenty years ago. A lot has changed in the past two decades in terms of attitude and acceptance toward homosexuality. This book is set in a small Montana town, as I mentioned a town much like my hometown. One note of unbelievability - I was amazed at the number of girls Cameron is able to experiment with sexually in this very limited environment.

Danforth grew up in Montana in the early 1990s; her biographical information does not give much information about her personal life. However, there is a mention of a person named Erica in the acknowledgements that makes me wonder if this book is somewhat autobiographical.

This is Danforth's debut novel, a book I spent most of last week reading. I loved being transported back in time to Cameron's life as she tackled growing up and finding out who she was.

This book is a sort of cross-over YA/adult novel, dealing with a topic that many teens can identify with. I finished this book on Friday, and haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I will be recommending this to many friends as a must read, and a great book to discuss.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Sunday Salon



Another week of school can be Xed off the calendar - just 6 weeks until summer vacation! What did I get accomplished this past week?

Books read: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth (review to come), Shelter by Frances Greenslade, and Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman

Attended Middle Sister's first soccer game on Tuesday

Went and saw The Lorax yesterday - although I read nearly half of a book (Paris in Love by Eloisa James) on my phone.

Exercise- remarkably pathetic. Only exercised three mornings before school. Ran 5 miles yesterday.
My plans today consist of running again, finishing off The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty, and getting things lined up for a busy week ahead.

How about you? What's your week looking like?

Friday, April 13, 2012

Books Galore

This week I received three big boxes of books from Baker and Taylor. I love, love, love this part of my job. Some of the titles are ones I have already read or received ARCs of, while others are new to me, too. Here are four of the books making a trip home with me this weekend:











Thursday, April 12, 2012

Shelter




Frances Greenslade's debut novel is set in the early 1970s in Canada, a tale of two sisters who lose their father and then their mother.

Maggie, the narrator of their story, depicts their life as happy up until the death of their father, Patrick, a logger in an accident at work. Life in the 1970s for Maggie and Jenny is somewhat different than for most in the 1970s - they live with little money in a cabin in the woods and seem to be of an earlier time. There is no electricity or modern conveniences and the landscape of British Columbia is lush and wild. After their dad's death, their mother tries to find a way for them to eke out their existence, moving them in with friends, and eventually leaving them with a couple to care for them as she tries to find work.
Years pass and although their mother wrote to them at first, Maggie and Jenny have not heard anything from her in a long time. Although Bea and Tom, the couple Maggie and Jenny are sent to stay with, do provide them with the essentials, they are not loving or nurturing to the girls. When Jenny finds herself in trouble, Maggie sets out to uncover her mother's secrets and rescue her sister.

Greenslade's depiction of life in the wilds of Canada transported me to this place and time. Although what became of Jenny and Maggie's mother did not surprise me, Greenslade's ending provides closure while still allowing Maggie and Jenny to continue with their lives.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Product Description taken from Amazon:

Objects of My Affection by Jill Smolinski

Due out May 1, 2012




In the humorous, heartfelt new novel by the author of The Next Thing on My List, a personal organizer must somehow convince a reclusive artist to give up her hoarding ways and let go of the stuff she’s hung on to for decades.
Lucy Bloom is broke, freshly dumped by her boyfriend, and forced to sell her house to send her nineteen-year-old son to drug rehab. Although she’s lost it all, she’s determined to start over. So when she’s offered a high-paying gig helping clear the clutter from the home of reclusive and eccentric painter Marva Meier Rios, Lucy grabs it. Armed with the organizing expertise she gained while writing her book, Things Are Not People, and fueled by a burning desire to get her life back on track, Lucy rolls up her sleeves to take on the mess that fills every room of Marva’s huge home. Lucy soon learns that the real challenge may be taking on Marva, who seems to love the objects in her home too much to let go of any of them.
While trying to stay on course toward a strict deadline—and with an ex-boyfriend back in the picture, a new romance on the scene, and her son’s rehab not going as planned—Lucy discovers that Marva isn’t just hoarding, she is also hiding a big secret. The two form an unlikely bond, as each learns from the other that there are those things in life we keep, those we need to let go—but it’s not always easy to know the difference.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Bringing up Bebe



A little over a year ago I read and reviewed Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua, a book I enjoyed immensely, even though I wouldn't necessarily employ all of Chua's parenting methods myself.

Now, Pamela Druckerman has written a book about raising a child in France and the different parenting techniques and tendencies she has noticed as an American in Paris. Again, just as with Chua's book, I don't think I would want to practice everything that Druckerman writes about. However, neither does Druckerman. As an American in Paris she is able to see the difference between parenting in the American style with that of her French counterparts.

While American children (her own included) seem to whine a great deal, French children seem not to whine much at all. In fact, French parents can take young children to restaurants and not feel as though they are being tortured. Everyone appears to be having a good time. Druckerman begins to notice a few subtle differences between the way she is raising her children and how most French parents are raising theirs. First of all, parents don't appear to be sleep deprived in France. While American parents lament children who don't sleep through the night for years, French parents seem to have a different take on getting a child to stay asleep. They practice waiting to pick up their children who seem to be agitated during sleep. This philosophy of waiting produces children who are able to sleep through the night at an early age.

Overall the French children Druckerman knows seem to allow their parents to have an adult life- something most American parents find lacking. French parents have managed to create children with a great deal of autonomy and lives that are separate from their parents.

Bringing Up Bebe chronicles Druckerman's own parenting travails from her time as a new parent in France and her baby girl, Bean, to the arrival of twin boys and an acceptance for the expat life she has carved out with her husband, Simon. At first there is more about the baby years, which I didn't find as interesting since I am past that point with my own children. But, as I read I began to see how Druckerman's book is constructed to not only encompass the time of infancy, but also older children and the French philosophy to parenting.

I was sorry to finish this one last night, and am hopeful that after reading and enjoying Chua's book and now Druckerman's there will be another parenting book someday focusing on a different culture.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

My Contributions to Easter Dinner

Earlier this week my sister-in-law and I talked about what each of us would bring to my parents for Easter dinner. My mom has the ham, potatoes and green bean casserole covered. Anna and I were asked to come up with a few other things. And here it is, Saturday, and while I have thought about what I want to bring, I hadn't really made any firm plans as to what exactly that would be. I did know I would bring fruit, and had purchased a watermelon and grapes yesterday. But that just doesn't seem very exciting. So, I decided to look at the many Pinterest recipes I have pinned and start with some of those.




Unfortunately the first one I made is extremely yummy. So yummy that I can't have this in the house. Monster Cookie Dough Dip could turn into an addiction.


The recipe is extremely easy:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. peanut butter (at least)

Mix together until smooth

Add

1-2 c. powdered sugar

3 T brown sugar

3 T. flour

1 t. vanilla

Mix

Add 1 package M&Ms

1 c. chocolate chips

1 c. oatmeal

Mix.

Depending on how thick you like the dip, more powdered sugar can be added and the amount of peanut butter can also be adjusted.



I served this with pretzels, but graham crackers would taste yummy, too.

The Rivals



Daisy Whitney's first book, The Mockingbirds, was an interesting look at a boarding school where students meted out their own brand of justice to those who chose not to follow the rules. Now in The Rivals, Whitney resumes the story of life at Themis Academy with the same cast of characters and a few new ones thrown in.

Alex is still getting over being date raped. Now as the leader of the Mockingbirds she is thrust into another case - a drug ring at Themis that is dealing and taking drugs in order to enhance their performance. Alex is forced to examine who the victim in this crime is and whether this is something worthy of the Mockingbird's time. In addition, there are so many lies and twists to the story that Alex (and I) were often tricked.

While this is a novel about standing up for what is right, it is also a bit scary to think of the teachers and administrators at Themis were likely to turn their head to any crime committed at their school. This left the students to try and uphold justice themselves without any adult help.

Whitney's resolution to The Rivals is such that a third installment could easily follow.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Sweet



Lately I have been enjoying sweet potatoes. I say this with incredulity because as a child I avoided them at all costs. My mom and her sister would happily eat them during holiday get togethers, but my sister and I would nearly gag at the mention of them.

Lately I have been a little more adventurous in my cooking along with my goal of finding some different recipes for my family that are healthy.

The first recipe I tried was one that Janssen posted on her blog for Sweet Potato Foil Taco Packets that she found here. This one was such a winner that I actually would prefer to have tacos made with sweet potatoes every time I eat them. I enjoyed it so much that I served these for my daughters' family birthday party. And, my sister-in-law and brother (two non-sweet potato eaters) enjoyed them - or they at least told me they did.

Then, I found a great recipe for sweet potato burgers on pinterest. I will admit that part of the appeal is the avocado it's topped with.

Most recently, Janssen has come through yet again with a recipe for Vegetarian Black Bean and Sweet Potato soup. Most excellent.

I'm loving sweet potatoes so much that I am in the market for a few more go-to sweet potato recipes. What other things should I be making with my new favorite food?

Heft



Liz Moore's novel Heft intrigued me because of the protagonist, a 500+ pound man, confined to his house for a decade because of his weight. I thought that perhaps Arthur Opps would decide to lose weight but this is not what the story is about.

Arthur has shut himself off from people. He comes from an affluent family - his father is a well-known architect. And at one point Arthur was a professor at a college. This happens to be where he meets a student he develops a deep friendship with. When he is terminated because of the relationship he retreats to his home, and comforts himself with food.

Although he writes Charlene for decades, the two never meet up again, until unexpectedly Arthur receives a phone call from her asking him to contact her son.

Kel Keller, Charlene's son is a teen-age baseball star. He has a try-out for the Mets and the prospect of a beautiful girlfriend. Even though his mother is a mess - often drunk and passed out - Kel puts forth a lot of effort to hide his home life from the friends he has.

The lives of these two men intersect, but there is also little about that in Moore's story. Both Kel and Arthur struggle with friendships and being close to people. Both work hard at covering up their inner feelings and the things they feel others will find undesireable about them. And eventually both come to terms with this.

At first when I began reading I wasn't sure I would like Heft. Arthur is a bit eccentric and I didn't immediately like him, although I could picture him as Moore created him. And although I did end up loving this book things are not neatly resolved. I would like to check in on both Arthur and Kel at a point in the future since they seem to be making such good progress.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.



This week's pick: Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook

Due out June 5, 2012

Product Description taken from Amazon:




From the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of Must Love Dogs—a winning and witty novel about a woman who emerges from the shadow of her overbearing family and finds herself “dancing with the stars.”
Deirdre Griffin has a great life; it’s just not her own. She’s the round-the-clock personal assistant to her charismatic, high-maintenance, New Age guru brother, Tag. As the family wallflower, her only worth seems to be as gatekeeper to Tag at his New England seaside compound.
Then Deirdre’s sometime-boyfriend informs her that he is marrying another woman, who just happens to be having the baby he told Deirdre he never wanted. While drowning her sorrows with Tag’s vodka, Deirdre comes up with an idea. She’ll use his massive online following to get herself voted on as a last-minute replacement on Dancing with the Stars. It’ll get her back in shape, mentally and physically. It might even get her a life of her own. Deirdre Griffin’s fifteen minutes of fame has begun.
Irresistible, offbeat, yet with a thoroughly relatable and appealing heroine, this is an original and deeply satisfying story of one woman who’s ready to take a leap into the spotlight, no matter where she lands.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

The Dressmaker



Fourteen years ago I student taught a third grade group of students. I totally lucked out that the reading curriculum I was in charge of teaching contained a unit on disasters. The Titanic was one of the disasters. Pompei and the Great Molasses Flood in Boston were two others. Although I hadn't done any research on the Titanic prior to my teaching experience, I quickly fell in love with this unit, and the kids did, too. There was so much information available to us and we spent a great deal of time exploring this topic. (Sadly, we eventually had to move on to one of the other disasters lest we spend an entire year on just the Titanic). So, I have always had a bit of a soft spot in my heart for books on this topic. And, 2012 just happens to be the one hundredth anniversary of this tragedy, so books abound as the Titanic is explored once again. My own daughters don't appear to be quite as excited about the Titanic as I am, so I am left to read and learn on my own.

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott is an adult novel, set around the events of the Titanic. Although most people have a basic understanding of the disaster, Alcott takes it a step further by exploring Lucy Duff Gordon and the role she and her husband played in the deaths of so many passengers.

Tess is a last minute hire by Lucy Duff Gordon and is excited to embark on this journey to America where she hopes to make a life for herself. Getting to work with this famous designer is almost more than she can handle. However, despite Duff Gordon taking Tess under her wing, she is also controlling and self-centered. When the Titanic hits an iceberg and passengers make their way into lifeboats, Lucy and her husband Cosmo are lowered into the ocean in a lifeboat containing only twelve people, but with a capacity of sixty. Tess is able to get into a later lifeboat, but as survivors regroup on the Carpathia and in New York City, many are troubled by the Duff Gordons lack of concern for those left to die. Tess tries to give Lucy the benefit of the doubt, but also is interested in making her way in the fashion world, something Lucy is able to make happen. As bits and pieces of the story of Lifeboat 1 unfold, Tess needs to decide if she can live with the knowledge of what her boss has done.

I could envision the opulence of the Titanic, and the amazing ship that Tess felt she was fortunate enough to be able to get on. I was amazed by the research Alcott did in order to accurately reflect the Duff Gordon's story. I spent many different occasions on Google looking up information about Lucy and Cosmo Duff Gordon and determining which parts of Alcott's story were fact and which were fiction. The Dressmaker certainly brings to light a portion of the Titanic's story that I had never heard before.

Although there are a lot of Titanic books being published now to commemorate the anniversary, The Dressmaker is a unique historical fiction take on the tragedy and the wealthy that were on this ship.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Blast From the Past

What was I reading a decade ago? Some really great books! The highlights are below:












What were you reading ten years ago? Last year? I love looking back and remembering some great books. The Dive From Clausen's Pier was one of my absolute favorites. It's hard to believe that a decade has passed since I read it. Although I rarely re-read, this is one title I would love to revisit. I still love Tomie de Paola's 26 Fairmount Avenue series, and wish he would add to it with more regularity. Sandra Dallas and Anita Shreve are favorite authors of mine. And as for Michael J. Fox, just yesterday I was reading an interview he did for Parade magazine (the insert in the Sunday paper). Seeing that I was reading about his Parkinson's diagnosis ten years ago and reading what he has to say about it now has been a good comparison.

March Recap

1. New Kids by Brooke Hauser
2. A Grown Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson
3. Black Boy White School by Brian Walker
4. Wonder by RJ Palacio
5. The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar
6. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
7. Once Upon a Secret by Mimi Alford
8. Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls by Mary Downing Hahn
9. Love's Abiding Joy by Janette Oke
10. Immortal Bird by Doron Weber
11. Notes From an Accidental Band Geek by Erin Dionne
12. Girls Don't Fly by Kristen Chandler
13. The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman
14. A Chance in the World by Steve Pemberton
15. My Mixed Up Berry Blue Summer by Jennifer Gennari
16. Carry the One by Carol Anshaw
17. The Expats by Chris Pavone
18. So Pretty It Hurts by Kate White
19. Another Piece of My Heart by Jane Green
20. A Diamond in the Desert by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

6 of these were my own, 14 were library books
7 were middle grade/YA books, 13 were adult
4 were written by males, 16 by females
4 books were non-fiction, 16 were fiction

I feel a bit better about my March reading. Things are work are slightly better right now, although the future of my job is still uncertain. Between spring break which gave me a bit of extra reading time and a better outlook about my job, I was actually able to focus and enjoy what I was reading.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Sunday Salon



Yesterday was cold and rainy - what a typical March day is like. We have become so used to beautiful spring weather, that is seemed totally out of place. While I wanted nothing more than to curl up with a good book, my husband was ready to tackle some cleaning that has been waiting for us for months.

The girls' bedrooms were deep cleaned, which is a huge job. Spring clothes were exchanged with winter clothes. The closets were emptied and cleaned. Hours- literally hours- were spent on this project. Their rooms look great now. However, there are piles in the living room to be delivered to a variety of places such as Goodwill. I went through their bookshelves as well and am donating two enormous Rubbermaid containers full of books to my school.

We have lots left to de-clutter, but it feels good to have two rooms (and the bathroom my husband cleaned) organized and under control.

On Tuesday of this past week we attended the pot luck wrestling banquet for my husband who is an assistant coach. I brought a pan of slutty brownies, a recipe I found on Pinterest, and loved. Only one brownie was gone from the pan when it was time to go home. Normally this would be a problem because Iwould gobble them all up myself. But I gave up sweets for Lent, so I also could not eat them. My husband doesn't really like the fact that I used mint oreos, so I took some to work and so did he. Despite the fact that the bars were not eaten at the banquet, the people we did share them with confirmed that they were quite tasty. This is turning in to my new "go to" recipe since they are super easy to make and also super yummy

Today I want to get in a run outside. I also want to finish up The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott, a book that is totally getting me in the mood for all the other Titanic books out there right now. I need to make a quick stop at the library and return some books, and I may even swing by Old Navy again and see if they have anything new. I bought a great pair of pants at Target this week. We are not allowed to wear jeans to school , but these slacks look rather like a dark denim, only they aren't. A few of us have now gone and purchased them and honestly, they are so comfortable I would happily buy a second pair.

What about you? What's up for your week?