getting through

The other night Andy came into our room to find me singing along to this video in the dark.


Before that, I had sung along to these:






And laughed through this:


The next day I popped "Center Stage" into the DVD player and moved my shoulders and hips along to the music, remembering the times I stood in front of the TV in my parent's bedroom as a teenager, mimicking as many moves in this scene as I was physically able:



Let me tell you a theory I have: watching "Band of Brothers" will make you want to watch at least one other movie or show (if not five), because you'll recognize an actor and then think of something else they've been in. It is truly impossible for someone like me, who has a rolodex of actors in her mind, to watch "Band of Brothers" without shouting "ah! that's so and so from such and such" every five minutes. (I couldn't believe Andy put up with this, but he did.) The first time I saw "Band of Brothers" was in 2009, and I could hardly pay attention to anyone else because I was freaked out that I recognized Lieutenant Speirs as Rufus from Gossip Girl. Come on! That is upsetting (for several reasons... including the simple fact that I know who is on Gossip Girl). This time around I was able to focus on recognizing everyone else, including the actor who plays Private Webster (and Jim in "Center Stage"), James McAvoy and a verrrrry skinny Tom Hardy.

In between watching clips from musicals and blowing Andy's mind with actor references, I've been reading "Wild" for book club and eating fruit snacks and talking to the dog. I water flower arrangements and move them around to different tables and rooms. I read cards with heartbreakingly sweet messages and occasionally rip open a package (one of which held an entire pound cake). I look at pictures of John. I accuse of Andy of making me laugh too hard. I get through each day, hour by hour... sometimes laughing, sometimes singing, sometimes arguing, sometimes crying.

Sometimes writing silly, jumbled up blog posts.

reading list

I finished our book club book (Little Princes by Conor Greenan) and now I'm about a hundred pages in book 5 of the Harry Potter series. I bought a bunch of books at Goodwill recently and can't wait to get started on them, but that hasn't stopped me from eyeballing some titles I've been hearing of. Have you read any of these?

I'm hosting our first book club discussion and I toyed with the idea of making some Nepalese dishes to share, but I quickly dismissed that as being too much work and settled on pies and coffee. Any ideas for future book club books?

"To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark."

^ quote from Victor Hugo

[Photo from the collection of The Boat Lullabies]

Books read in 2011
As you can see, I read a lot more in 2009 and 2010! This list is short due to two things - Anna Karenina took me ages to read, and I borrowed books from the library to read at the beach and can't remember what they were. 

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

The Elegance of a Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Tara Road by Maeve Binchy

The Ha-ha by Dave King

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Bed and Breakfast by Lois Battle

The Known World by Edward P. Jones

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

A Mercy by Toni Morrison

Currently in the middle of Love Walked In by Marisa De los Santos, and I plan to read Great House by Nicole Krauss on Saturday.

Favorite book of 2009: Tie! The Reader by Bernhard Schlink and Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner

Favorite book of 2010: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Favorite book of 2011: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

Kick-off book for 2012: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (eek!)

beach reads

When someone asks for a book recommendation from me, my first reaction is joy - my friend is going to read a book! People DO still read books! Wahoo!
My second reaction is hesitation and fear - ohmygosh what if I tell them to read a certain book and they do and then they hate it and think I'm insane and they'll never want to read a book again?


Lately a few friends have been asking for beach read recommendations. Aren't beach reads the best? I personally mostly read memoirs, literary fiction and general fiction. Most of these are books I read in 2010 (here) and the books I read in 2009 (here). I don't have Nicholas Sparks or Jodi Picoult on here but both authors provide good beach reads-- though you might need to bring tissues in your beach bag.

women's fiction and my two favorite memoirs
The Help
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Coming Home (or any Rosamunde Pilcher book-- they are old school but they're beautiful and sweet)
Belong to Me
The Girls
If You Lived Here
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Courtyard
Don't Let's Go To the Dogs Tonight (memoir)
The Glass Castle (memoir)

if you want to laugh:
The Nanny Diaries 
A Year of Living Biblically
It Sucked and Then I Cried

if you want to be inspired:
An Ordinary Man
The Same Kind of Different As Me
Girl Meets God


books for both guys and girls:
The Kite Runner
The Hot Zone
AJ Jacob's books
Bill Bryson's books

children's books

Children's books are magical. I get just as captivated and content in the children's section as any other section of a bookstore. When I nannied, I always tried to be in control of what I read the kids. I had strong opinions about which books were best! (Don't worry, I was a nice nanny.)
Here are some of the ones I read over and over as a child.

"Eloise" by Kay Thompson

This is a book every little girl should own. Eloise is an imaginative six-year-old who lives

in the Plaza Hotel in NYC. There's an entire "Eloise" series, but the first book is my favorite.

 It's a LONG children's book and kept me

occupied for long lengths of time. Eloise is strange and fascinating. Really, who else

would think to braid a turtle's ears? 

My Grandma Jean took me to the Plaza when I was in middle school and gave me

her copy of Eloise to keep for my own. It is red and tattered like the one in the picture above,

and I treasure it much more than my own (newer) Eloise book.

"Noisy Nora" by Rosemary Wells

Wells is known for her "Max and Ruby" series (which I also love), but this book

was the most popular Wells book in our house. It's about a middle child who

desperately seeks the attention of her mom and dad. The happy ending last line,

"But I'm back again! cried Nora, with a monumental crash" was often recited

at our house when I was growing up.

"Madeline" by Ludwig Bemelmans

 "In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines ..."

I had the pop-up Madeline, and I looooved the page where Madeline was

in the hospital with appendicitis. What young reader doesn't enjoy a deliciously

naughty character?

"The Berenstain Bears No Girls Allowed" by Stan and Jan Berenstain

This is one book on my list of favorite Berenstain's... really, they're all amazing.

I was fascinated by the inner workings of the forts and got hungry

every time I read about the snacks Mama and Papa Bear made for Sister and her friends.

"Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein

This book will turn any child's frown upside down. Silverstein makes bedtime

a delight for both the reader and the one being read to.

"I Was So Mad" by Mercer Mayer

Poor Little Critter. You can't put frogs in the bathtub.

"Corduroy" by Don Freeman

I thought the little girl in this book was the prettiest little girl

ever.

"Frog and Toad Are Friends" by Arnold Lobel

What a wonderful book. I think my favorite short story was

the one where they were looking for a missing button.

I want to read it again. 

I want to read all of these again!!!

where is your treasure?

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21


I struggle with this verse. As a daughter of God who loves her Father, I desperately want to obey Him and store up treasures in heaven. As a wife, daughter, sister, friend, and lover of books/fashion/home decor/etc... I also delight in my earthly treasures. It's hard for me to find the line within my heart that separates my selfish desires from my genuine joy and delight in the Lord when it comes to those things I've listed above (earthly treasures). Does that make any sense? For example-- my books. If I view anything in my life as a tangible treasure (not including people), I think of my books. I would be heartbroken if anything happened to them. Most of them were gifts or cost me less than $5 (Green Valley Book Fair, holler), but they are still precious to me. Anyone who knows me well would say that my love for reading comes from God. My parents never had to pay me a dime to read a book (if they did I would be rich). I devoured books as a child, and I still do when I have a good chunk of time.


I don't believe it bothers God that I love to read or that I love my library. In fact, I think it brings Him joy. BUT, by buying books and lining bookshelves with them, how am I not storing up treasures on earth? In fact, translated in the Greek, the verse is really saying "Don't accumulate / heap up treasures" (as in stockpile). I do accumulate books. My love for books is within my heart! I can't deny that. And not to at all take the spotlight off of myself, but I don't think I know a single person who isn't homeless who doesn't have knick-knacks or gadgets or something that they own more than one of.


OK-- I know it's all about the condition of our heart and where our priorities lie. I know that it would be bad if I were buying books to look smart. It wouldn't be right to spend my whole life reading and not spending time with God and family and working. I guess the struggle for me is that  this passage doesn't include the middle ground of having treasures on earth AND in heaven.


Later in chapter 6 the Word tells us we cannot love both God and money (which, if you look up in the Greek, translates to treasures/riches/wealth). At Bible study last night we talked about how to make wise decisions concerning our income and how we can do so in a way that is accordance with scripture. 


I'll admit something- there's quite a list of things I want for our house right now. We legit NEED a new shade or curtain for our guest room because the shades broke and too many overnight guests have had to change in the bathroom... but that isn't the end of the world. I want:: more frames, linens, lipsticks (lame, I know)... while I can't think of anything else right now I know there's a much longer list than that! It's easy for me to get carried away when I'm shopping, especially when the items I'm buying aren't expensive. The thing is, stuff always adds up. It stinks. 


While Andy and I do work, have a budget, tithe and pray about big purchases, I want to do more than that. I want to ask God about little purchases too. I want to align my heart to His will. I want to find more delight in what's in store for me after death than what I have here on earth. 


What treasures on earth are you holding on to?

"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance."

^quote by Confucius

Books read in 2010:

click here for books read in 2009

The Guinea Pig Diaries by AJ Jacobs

Wild Mountain Thyme by Rosamunde Pilcher (re-read)

The Empty House by Rosamunde Pilcher (re-read)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (re-read)
The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger

The Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

Blessings by Anna Quindlen

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Twenty Chickens for a Saddle by Robyn Scott

Lost in the City by Edward P. Jones

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

The Return Journey by Maeve Binchy

It Sucked and Then I Cried by Heather Armstrong

Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
The Legend of Colton H. Bryant by Alexandra Fuller

Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

The Condition by Jennifer Haigh

The Poet of Baghdad by Jo Tatchell

Belong to Me by Marisa De Los Santos

The Beach House by Jane Green

Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haigh

If You Lived Here by Dana Sachs

In the Fall by Jeffrey Lent

The Carousel by Rosamunde Pilcher

Voices in Summer by Rosamunde Pilcher

Gods and Generals by Jeffrey Shaara

Abide With Me by Elizabeth Strout

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Currently in the middle of Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

Favorite book of 2009: Tie! The Reader by Bernhard Schlink and Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner

Favorite book of 2010: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Kick-off book for 2011: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

"The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books."

^by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Last January I compiled this list of the 27 books I read in 2009. One of my New Year's resolutions for 2010 was to read a book every 2 weeks. I've read 30 so far, which means I have met and exceeded my goal already!

One book that I could not finish was "The Manny" by Holly Peterson. It was awful. Don't waste your time. I regret wasting my time trying to read it.

I look forward to sharing my 2010 list with you, but I'm even more excited about the 49 books sitting on my shelves that I have yet to read. Maybe next year my goal should be to read all 49...ha. I think I need to stay away from The Green Valley Book Fair in 2011.

What books should I put on my birthday/Christmas list?

not so busy at home

I guess you could say I took the day off of not working, but I got all but one thing done on my to-do list for the day. My tasks took about 1/4 of the time I thought they would. I wanted to get my glasses prescription figured out at Costco (my new ones give me a headache), take some clothes to Plato's Closet and Goodwill, go to the gym and read. I thought the Costco errand would take ages because the Harrisonburg Costco's optical center isn't directly affiliated with the one in Springfield, which is where I had my prescription made. It's all very confusing.

Well, I figured my errands+the gym would take all afternoon and that I could have the morning to do my reading. I woke up around nine thirty, called the dog to get up on the bed, snuggled and day-dreamed for a while and then decided to read a book. I had started The Carousel by Rosamunde Pilcher last night but only got a few pages in. It's only two hundred some pages and I wanted to see if I could finish the whole thing by 11am. I finished at 10:52! It was a good story to read in bed.

Then I did pretty much nothing for a solid hour and a half, which is rather depressing. Oh wait, I did the dishes. Whoopee. My errands took all of half an hour (the lady at Costco said I should make myself wear my glasses for a week because I'm used to my old/bad prescription and I just need to adjust, I got $3.30 from Plato's Closet for two shirts that were worth over $80, went to Goodwill to donate for the first time and realized it's as easy as dumping items in a box) so I went to Barnes and Noble and browsed and read some of Gods and Generals and sipped cinnamon tea for an hour and a half. It was marvelous. I put in 3 miles at the gym, 1.7 on the the elliptical and 1.3 on the treadmill. After my shower I trimmed my nails, plucked my eyebrows and went to Bible study with DRY hair and NOT wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt and looking like a hot mess. That was marvelous too.

As unproductive as this day was compared to yesterday, indulging in reading was lovely. Today was restful, which I am glad for. Tomorrow will be busy, which I am also glad for.

What really made my day, though, was a card in the mail from my friend Amy. She wrote the sweetest note of encouragement for me as I try to figure out a job situation and what God's plan is for me right now. Snail mail has got to be one of my top five favorite things to receive. The rest? Hm. Affection, gifts, phone calls from close friends and forgiveness.

eat pray love

If you haven't read the book, "Eat Pray Love" is the true story of a woman (Elizabeth Gilbert) who spends four months each in Italy, India and Indonesia after a divorce and another relationship left her broken and unsure of herself.

I'm a different movie watcher than most people...or at least, many of the people I know. I get fully absorbed by the beauty of the actors, the costumes, the music, the scenery, everything. Here's a good example: I like the movie "Marie Antoinette." I think it's sad, funny, absolutely gorgeous and ironically, watching it feels like eating cake. I don't know many people who like the movie "Marie Antoinette."

That being said, "Eat Pray Love" was also sad, funny and gorgeous, though instead of making me feel like I was eating gelato and pizza and pasta, it just made me want to be eating them!  

Julia Roberts was beautiful, James Franco, Billy Crudup and Richard Jenkins were surprisingly tender and Javier Bardem was simply delicious. Every character was astounding. The soundtrack was glorious-- take note of the song that plays when Elizabeth (Julia R) is eating a plate of spaghetti. Genius. 

I think many women will be able to relate to the desire to know, to discover one's self. I think it's important to know who you are and to like that person. I think it's important to surround ourselves with people who enjoy who we are and who bring us up instead of down. I think it's important to not get caught up in the travel aspect of "Eat Pray Love." When I saw the movie "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" I ached for Greece. I thought that if I could only get away, then I would be able to discover myself. Granted, I did end up going away to Ireland for six weeks and I did end up discovering a lot about myself there. But the thing is, I'm still discovering myself. Most of my discovering has happened right here in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I'm thankful that I have moments to myself where I can just be me and just do "me" things and find comfort and beauty and pleasure in being in my skin. I like my thoughts, I like how I can make myself laugh, I like the way I eat cheesecake veeery slowly because I fork tiny slivers into my mouth and hold each bite on my tongue. I like that I like the movie Marie Antoinette, gosh darn it! 

Now, was it as good as the book? I wish I could remember the book better. In my opinion, if you read the book first, it's almost always better then the movie. If you see the movie first, though, it can be hard to pay attention to the book. So read it, watch it, whatever- I think you'll enjoy it either way.

two dinners, a book review and a political debate

Last night I made linguine with spicy Italian sausage in a cream sauce. I cooked the sausage in one pot, the pasta in another, and in a final pot I sauteed peppers and onions in olive oil until done and then stirred in heavy cream, garlic, salt and pepper and a few pinches of cheese from a "fine Italian blend" bag. When the pasta and sausage were done I added them to the veggies and cream sauce and stirred until coated, then served. Rich, creamy, delicious.
Tonight I made what I'll call a southwestern chicken salad. I rubbed taco seasoning on three chicken breasts  and while they baked I heated black beans and corn. After the chicken was cooked I diced it and tossed it with more taco seasoning. To the lettuce I added the chicken, corn, beans, a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and a few crushed tortilla chips. We tried the salad without dressing but decided the lettuce tasted "dry" so we both added a small amount of dressing- he used parmesan peppercorn and I used three cheese ranch. I had intended to buy a chipotle dressing but forgot. It was delicious anyway, and we have plenty of leftovers! Note: if you are making a salad and know you'll have plenty leftover, store each ingredient separately so the lettuce won't get soggy. We had plenty of chicken, beans and corn left over.


Today I finished "The Poet of Baghdad" by Jo Tatchell. It's the true story of a famous Iraqi poet named Nabeel Yasin who became an Enemy of the State under Saddam and fled the country in 1979 with his wife and small son. I love books about the Middle East but had never read one that discussed Iraq during the rise of Saddam. It's a fascinating, shocking story that left me breathless. I absolutely recommend it, especially to those who fully believe in the importance of art and literature. "The Bookseller of Kabul" by Asne Seierstad is another powerful story about a man who is determined to keep culture alive in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. 


I never have the news on (oops), but I read about plans for a mosque to be built near Ground Zero in Newsweek. Apparently this issue has been in the news a lot lately, but today was the first I had heard about it. I've looked around online at more discussion on the topic and thought these opinion pieces from the Washington Post were interesting: Krauthammer and an opposing piece by Sargent. Read the comments left by readers. Also check out this pro-mosque piece written by two mothers who lost sons in 9/11.

july little pleasures

I won't be in town for a week and a half, so I'm dedicating today's post to the little pleasures of the month.

1. Girls Gone Child, one of my favorite blogs, featured this skateboarding video that completely captivated me. There is such delight in watching a skillful person at work (or in this case, play). I took my skateboard to college my freshman year and I miss skating up and down the hall and trying not to hit cars when I went down the hill in front of my dorm.

2. Toy Story 3. I actually haven't seen it yet, but I'm going tomorrow with Andy! We have heard nothing but good things about it.

3. CORN ON THE COB. ohmygoodness. My favorite summer vegetable. I especially love it grilled.

4. Round Ireland With a Fridge by Tony Hawks. This guy hitchhiked around Ireland with a fridge to win a bet. The memoir was a quick read and made me laugh the whole way through. I'm dying to see the movie. I love a good indie flick.

5. 2010 is already halfway over. How are you doing on your New Year's Resolutions? I'm doing terribly on mine. I completely and totally forgot (honestly, I did) that I had written last December about spending $50 a week in groceries. Whoops! Thankfully we haven't been spending much on groceries lately because our schedules have been crazy and we do a LOT of eating whatever we already have in the freezer/pantry. I also didn't finish the diet, walk only a few miles per week, haven't been published this year...yikes. But I have been reading! I read all the time!

So, number 5 sounds like a downer, but here is where the little pleasure is found: we have more time! The year isn't over yet! Here is a revised list of resolutions: continue reading as often as possible, get published, exercise 30 min a day for at least four days/week, make healthful dinners and eat less in the evening, read my Bible daily, practice the fruits of the spirit, eat more local-grown foods and take a vacation with *just* Andy.

a tuesday, in true ramble style.

I finished "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls last night. All I can say is...wow. That woman had one heck of a childhood. Read it.

Today I kissed, held, fed and changed little ones, then came home and passed out for a few minutes before Bible study. We had an amazing dinner of "loaded" salad with brownies and ice cream for dessert and talked about conflict and confrontation within the church. I love these women and their hearts for the Lord.

I came back to an empty house (Andy works until 11pm) and read a document on Becker family history (Becker is my maiden name). I am so proud of my family's history and love to learn about the people who have influenced me and whose blood is inside me. My cousin Joe said at my grandpa's funeral earlier this year, "Becker's don't have an identity crisis." I love that! It is so true. I am so grateful to my uncle Jim for compiling family history and making it incredibly simple for everyone in the family to learn about our ancestors.

On a completely different note, Andy just got home and Casey, in her excitement, got caught up in his tie while giving him kisses and sniffing him all over.

:)

voices to learn from

Jeanette Walls and Alexandra Fuller are two authors I would love to meet. I recently read Half Broke Horses by Walls (incredible) and I finally got a copy of her memoir The Glass Castle, so I plan on starting that tonight. I've read all three of Fuller's books and loved each of them, but my favorite was Don't Let's Go To the Dog's Tonight- my top rated read of 2008. I've re-read it since then, but already want to read it for a third time.

Read their books. Tell me what you think.

Also, one thing that continually brings joy to my life: being a Barnes and Noble member has always been worth the money for me, but now they offer members FREE shipping. I just ordered three bargain books (total w/ tax was $8.37!!) which means I better read The Glass Castle and finish Let Me Be a Woman by Elizabeth Elliott before the start of next week! Life is hard.

mommy, guess what I did?

I read 3 books in the last week and a half, which means my eyes have glazed over in a drunken, happy stupor. It took me a week to read Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, one afternoon to read The Return Letter (a book of short stories by Maeve Binchy) and two days to read It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I had a Baby, a Breakdown and a Much Needed Margarita by Heather Armstrong.

Memoirs of a Geisha was a beautiful book that I don't regret picking up, but I didn't love it. I needed to put it down every few chapters, and I prefer a book that has to be pried from my fingers.

The Return Letter was funny, sad, sweet and comforting. I'm adding it to the other books of short stories that I take on vacation year after year.

It Sucked and Then I Cried was like one long blog post on Armstrong's blog, dooce.com, which I've mentioned before and love love love. If you read it, which I suggest you do, prepare yourself to both laugh and shudder at the truths about pregnancy, birth and life after baby.

overwhelmed

because my mind is going in all sorts of directions. e.g. ::

ummm our lease ends in May and that's only three months away AHH!

how do I prepare myself for cutting my hours and making a lot less per month?

I think I'll be happier, but... ?

do I have time to make another cup of hot chocolate before work?

my breath smells like hot chocolate.

ooo a commercial for Heather Armstrong's new show on HGTV! can't wait.

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett is a MUST read- I finished it in three days and now I mope around the house feeling sorry for myself because it's over.

re-read "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood last week and it's still one of the most uniquely written book I've ever read. I kept noticing the motifs we identified in high school English class.

I have to make these fish and chips asap.

what am I going to wear for our Valentines Dinner tomorrow night?

I desperately need to convince Andy that he needs all new work clothes.

where are we going to live???

my tummy hurts.

no more hot chocolate.

finally, a day of rest.

In the past week I have often signed on to write a new post, but no words have been suitable for all that has been going on. My work didn't seem important enough to write about, and the biggest news- that my Grandpa died last Thursday morning- seemed too important to write about.

Now everything is over and I can try again.

A lot of anticipation and anxiety was spent over traveling to northern VA for the viewing and funeral. I have an absurdly large family, and to add to that friends and business associates and coworkers and even friends of friends...well, you can imagine overwhelming and exhausting it was. Wonderfully touching, but tiring.

A happy change has occured in our family as well. My parents adopted a dog on Saturday and she is the cutest thing. She is a one year old feist/lab mix and is 20-something pounds. We didn't name her until last night, but the decision is final:: Elinor Dashwood, aka "Ellie." We named her after one of our favorite Jane Austen characters. Ellie took to my dog Casey immediately and they are constantly rolling around and chewing on each other's legs and ears. Great entertainment!

I finished both of the Rosamunde Pilcher novels (Wild Mountain Thyme and The Empty House) that I set out to read for the week, and now I'm not sure what to read next. If I want to have read 4 books in 4 weeks then I need to hurry up and get one started!

Careful...

I Netflix'd the movie "Coming Home," which is based on one of my favorite novels by Rosamunde Pilcher. The acting is pretty lame, but I put up with it because I love the book and I'm sick so I have nothing else to do and Andy was completely zoned in on uploading music to his new ipod. The film is chugging along...two characters walk down to a private cove off the English coast... and BAM! the girl is completely naked and running around on the beach. I shrieked in horror/delight. What on earth?! What kind of a movie is this?! Then, a few scenes later, Emily Mortimer's boob fills up the lower half of the screen. More shrieking.

Our favorite role of Emily's is when she plays Phoebe on 30 Rock, who has avian bone syndrome and says, "Careful, my bones!" Only now we have decided to change the quote to "Careful, my boobs!"

"I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."

^ quote from Anna Quindlen

Books read in 2009:

The Girls by Lori Lansens
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
Scribbling the Cat by Alexandra Fuller

Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison

From Heaven Lake by Vikram Seth
Slow Man by J.M. Coetzee

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

They Poured Fire On Us From the Sky by Benson and Alephonsion

Deng + Benjamin Ajak

The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer

My Antonia by Willa Cather

The King's Rifle by Biyi Bandele

The Blue Bedroom by Rosamunde Pilcher

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Novel Without a Name by Duong Thu Huong

The Natural History of Uncas Metcalfe by Betsey Osborne

Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell

47 Roses by Peter Sheridan

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by

Mary Ann Shaffer + Annie Barrows

The Courtyard by Marcia Willett

An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina

What Remains by Carol Radziwill

Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner

The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein

The Groom to Have Been by Saher Alam

Real Sex by Lauren Winner

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

The Aquariums of Pyongyang by Chol-hwan Kang

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Favorite book of 2008:

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller

Favorite book of 2009:

Tie! The Reader by Bernhard Schlink and Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner.

Kick-off book for 2010:

The Guinea Pig Diaries by AJ Jacobs

Why I will never own a Kindle

The only reason anyone should buy a Kindle is if they are jet-setting around the globe and can't bear the weight of multiple books in their luggage.  All of us normal people who only fly once or twice a year have no excuse.  Why purchase a device that costs a couple of hundred dollars if it forces you to spend around ten bucks for every book you want to read?  

I cherish each book in my house.  I find immense satisfaction in placing a book on a shelf as if I'm tucking away an old friend.  I read books over and over until the characters and places are so real to me that I dream about them.

This blog is inspired by the heavenly children's bookshop in the film "You've Got Mail," a remake of the 1940's Jimmy Stewart film.  The movie celebrates life, love and of course, books.  The following is my favorite quote from the script:

"When you read a book as a child it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your life does." -- Kathleen, played by Meg Ryan.

Really, each book I own is a part of my identity.  

I'm currently reading The Aquariums of Pyongyang by Chol-hwan Yang and Pierre Rigoulot.