the one that reminded me of Harvard

Granted, I am a college counselor . . . but this book (Crazy U) by Andrew Ferguson was AWESOME.  Everything I learned at the Harvard Institute on College Admissions two summers ago was detailed in this book.  I wish I could put this book in the hands of every junior parent preparing for an empty nest.  I wish I would have written the book.  Part research, part memoir.  Better than your average prep book.

College admissions is (for lack of a better term) insane.  It's an industry and there is deception and drama and so much money.  I get nervous when I think how expensive college will be for Maren someday and then I realize that education is changing and fast.  It's just too hard to predict what lies ahead.

Is college the next bubble to burst?  Hmmmm . . . makes for an interesting read.

p.s. yes, I'm very sad that I will be starting a "book diet" next week when I head back to work. boo.  hoo.

the one that has me moving to Paris.

I know, I know . . . . another Paris book.  So cliche.

But there really is something about French culture that appeals and (at times) repels.  I love how French girls consider their skin to be so pristine and "enjoy the physical and emotional value of unfettered, ritualized body care."  I love how they eat cheese as dessert, never the appetizer.  I love how birthdays are simple, at-home affairs with little old cakes and a single present.

They're serious those French gals though.  They know their current events and they would never get caught watching Real Housewives.  Too many museums to hit & ballets to attend.

Here's the thing.  I didn't even like being in Paris.  It scared me a little.  But it also inspired me.  I aspire to "bien dans sa peau" or "to feel good in one's skin." At ease in body and soul.  One day I'll get there . . .

 

the one about Cinderella.

Peggy Orenstein's book "Cinderella Ate My Daughter" was good but a little fluffy & preachy.


Packaging Girlhood comes more highly recommended.  


 I like this JK Rowling quote better. 
"I’ve got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don’t want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I’d rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny - a thousand things, before ‘thin’. And frankly, I’d rather they didn’t give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons. Let them never be Stupid Girls."

the one that hit home.

i'm not sure why I read "the long goodbye" this weekend.  it wasn't intentional.

you see, my mom died three years ago today.  and here i am writing a blog post on a grief book.  i'd like to think reading mom w/cancer books will be a phase for me but it's unlikely.  losing your mom is not a phase you grow through.  it sticks.

this book is reminiscent of Joan Didion's "the year of magical thinking" and Romm's "the mercy papers".  If these books irritate you, then don't plan to lose someone you love.  They are raw.  So is the experience.

the long goodbye is less about the dying, more about the grief.  The notion that: "I am becoming someone whose mother is dead."  O'Rourke explains that you don't just mourn the dead person, you mourn the person you got to be when the lost one was alive.  a daughter knows what it is like to be "unmothered."

i've made huge steps forward in my grieving.  but have yet to go through all the plates and the scarves and the teaching memorabilia that i just can't bear to part with.  and i still believe that my mom is alive in butterflies and fireflies.  the magic of this, the comfort . . . is slowing wearing away.

o'rourke is a poet and "the long goodbye" a poem.  maybe i have a poem to write too.

the one that made me nostalgic about books.

I was just at the small town Newport library today and learned it was going to close.  Sad, sad, sad.  I have overly fond memories of getting book suggestions in the library of Westview Elementary and weekly trips to the public library in Burnsville and reading among the pillows and nooks at Normandale Hills.

Don't even get me started on the Scholastic book order that came every month.

It kills me that they are taking books out of schools.

The Reading Promise was such a wonderfully sweet book about the relationship between a girl, her dad and books.  I thought this was yet another memoir that didn't need to be written but was pleasantly surprised.  Alice Ozma is precocious and unique and smart.  Her dad taught her to exclaim over thunder strikes and make friends with spiders.  I laughed out loud several times when reading and almost cried.

Such a surprise this book.  LOVED.  IT.

the one that felt extreme.

I love that Amy Chua wrote her Battle Hymn b/c it made me react and then really think.

I.E. when she rejected her daughters' birthday cards and tried forcing Lulu to eat caviar.  And it really creeped me out when she kept talking about OUR violin or took her daughter out of recess and art class to get in more practicing.  But it wasn't so much the actions she took that caused me alarm but the tone.  And one sentence the author stated really stuck out:  "the truth is I'm not good at enjoying life."

I'm hearing (MPR) that Americans are over concerned with being Happy. Happy. Happy and thus creating a generation of kids that can't deal with unhappy or plain old mediocre.

So many perspectives.  Where will I fall as a mom?

Easy book to read and would be an excellent book club discussion.  We all have childhoods to dig through.

the mysterious one.

I'm not funny and I don't like mysteries.  But I was and I did, Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie would be an incredibly good book.  The heroine is a plucky little British girl who has a passion for chemistry and rides around on a bike named Gladys.  I really liked Flavia.  She reminded me SO much of Harriet the Spy from way back.  I just wasn't that interested in the plot and stamps, unfortunately.

But do read this book (and the de Luce series) if you want a light, interesting read.

the one that is causing anxiety.

And in sharp contrast to the lovely tennis memoir I read over the 4th weekend.
A perfectly fine book with a few parenting gems that I ought not gloss over.

You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Dancy
written by a wise, old Waldorf midwife
(who lost me when she encouraged not to push reading.  get it, got it Heidi.)

I REALLY need to stop reading books that emphasize how you will irrevocably screw up your kid if you send them to daycare during the first three years.

the one that brought me back.

I really loved reading Andre Agassi's Open.  He took me by surprise.  I celebrated his victories and bemoaned all his losses.  As always, Sampras :) But what I liked most was the feeling of nostalgia hearing names like Chang & Courier & Edberg (my love!) & Wheaton & Krickstein.

And remembering that Agassi married Brooke Shields for like a day and was rumored to date Babs.  I think he'd be a hard guy to live with, yes? But how perfectly perfect that he ends up with Graf.

At times I felt like I was reading a gossip column.  But I have to say, there was really a lot of meat to this book.  I got a true sense for how Andre's life and psyche have evolved over time.  What a wonderfully complicated person he is.

It was fun reading this during Wimbledon.  Which sadly, I only watched for a few minutes.  They just don't make tennis stars like they used to.

the one I regret.

I grew up with Elizabeth & Jessica Wakefield, the creepy blonde twins from Sweet Valley.  And just finished Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later.  I feel old.

Jessica is still as mean spirited and shallow as before and Elizabeth seriously needs to get a clue and then a backbone (in that order).  Jessica steals Todd Wilkins (Elizabeth's fiancee) and Elizabeth's LIKE "oh whatever, they're in love."  This book is JUST terrible and not only because LIKE is used every other sentence.  The characters were truly awful back then and they ALL come back.

If you want to read a poorly written, poorly edited soap opera, go for it!  I regret reading this but I really couldn't help myself.  And yes, I'm going to read the Sisterhood 10 years later book too.

the one by Pema.

i don't think i'm the enlightened type.  although I'd really like to fashion myself a Buddhist yogi.  i really can't sustain it though.

i just finished Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears.  if you're reading the kindle edition and it's dragging, know that it finishes at 75%.  what a surprise!

the book mostly taught me about pausing.  "pausing becomes something that nurtures you; you begin to prefer it to being all caught up."  i used to be VERY bad at pausing.  i'm learning now . . .

and some practical advice: "the next time you're getting worked up, experiment with looking at the sky."

Chodron likens nasty thoughts to getting a "poison ivy" of the brain.  you just keep scratching and scratching to no avail.  that made sense to me and for awhile when i thought about work or Matt's work or crying babies or money or cloudy skies . . . i thought of poison ivy and how i was just adding aggression to the world.

and then i got bored with all that thought and went back to my worry.

i liked this book.  i wish i liked it more.

and for a change of pace, I'm reading Sweet Valley Confidential next.  Love those Wakefield twins!

the one by the Latina author

i have never read an Isabel Allende book and I felt a little left out as I read The Sum of Our Days (a memoir).

two cool things about Isabel Allende:
1) she starts all her books on January 8th, a most auspicious day
2) since she fled Chile in 1973, she has worked to establish her "tribe" in Marin County

I want a tribe.  And I want to live in Marin County.  Because then I might just "run into" Anne Lamott and Isabel Allende when they hang out at the Book Passage.

This memoir made me want to pick up Daughter of Fortune sooner rather than later.  What an interesting, feisty, mystical woman . . .

i'm still here.

the reading has slowed down a bit as Maren speeds up.  she's crawling and standing and all kinds of good tricks. and I'm spending more time in the garden and less between the pages.

but it's raining outside today and because rain = books in my mind . . . i got a little nutty and actually started a goodreads account for Maren.  i want to keep track of our reading together. 

we'll be starting a Baby Storytime class at Red Balloon this week.  i know i'll have all kinds of books i want to shop for.  and favorite aunts might want to buy.  hint.  hint.  hopefully her account will help us keep track.

anyways, feel free to friend Maren Prestegaard if you want to follow our literary journey!

the one about rebirth.

I know there are many Barbara Kingsolver fans out there.  And I am now hopping on the bandwagon.  She may sit next to Anna Quindlen at my imaginary dinner party.  I loved Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  Next up, The Bean Trees.

I just finished Prodigal Summer and absolutely delighted in the strong, female characters.  But, I loved all the characters really.  The coyotes even and the snakes too.  So much to glean here.  This was a book to relish. 

I hope I will read it again and again . . .

the one I never would have read.

I love book clubs.  Peer pressure is generally not good.  But when applied in book clubs, it's a beautiful thing.  Never in a million years would I have finished Jayber Crow without a reason, a purpose.

Jayber Crow is a very, very slow read people.  Like swimming in molasses.  And I really don't like molasses.  But there are little silver linings sprinkled all throughout the book. 

It's a great book to read if you're disillusioned with modern life or need a reminder that we each have a calling or purpose.  Jayber lives by the less is more philosophy and is a cure for what ails if you are moving too fast in life.  I can't quite imagine Port William but I relate a bit when I head North and take residence on my parent's couch.  Or drink blueberry lemonade on a friend's back porch on the first lovely night of the summer.

Only 9 ratings on this book on BN.  I feel like I should get a prize for finishing this one.

the one that screams Wimbledon.

I finished Crooked Little Heart by Anne Lamott some time ago. 

Quick thoughts:
I used to love playing tennis.  I remember how stressful it was sometimes to announce line calls.  And I remember how awful it was to cheat like Rosie did at times.

Anne Lamott writes so deliciously.  I just want to sink into every one of her novels, no matter how dreary the subject or lackluster the writing.  This was not her BEST book but it was SO comfortable.

I like how Elizabeth takes her daughter away to the tide pools when she needs a safe place to talk.  I hope (above all) that I allow Maren a quiet place of her own to think and be centered.  My quiet place was sitting on the dock at our cabin.  I would never have escaped middle school if not for my alone time watching the waves come in.

the one where Laura really grows up.

I'll be honest.  I finished this book weeks, possibly months ago.  I'm not reading Little House to Maren anymore before she goes to bed.  She now likes her own board books (which all revolve around the topic of sleep typically) before I put her down.  I moved the chair out of her room and into our bedroom.  And while this seems like a teeny weeny change we're talking a major shift here.

Little Town on the Prairie makes me sad b/c Laura is all grown up and has lost some of her spirit.  She's obsessed with autograph books and the town's new literary society.  Mary has gone off to school and Almonzo is now on the scene as a romantic suitor. 

Maybe it's the prospect of Laura becoming a cynical old teacher.  Or the fact that I'm just SO into these Goodnight everything books.  But I just cannot pick up These Happy Golden Years.

the one about nothing.

I finished the book I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron at the lake this weekend.  I was gifted the book by a fellow book club member. 

It's hard to be overly enthusiastic about this book.  It's barely 100 pages and (without being too cliche) I honestly remember nothing about the read.   I loved You Got Mail but feel like Nora is writing for another audience.  One that doesn't blog and is not a personal friend of Arianna Huffington.

Maybe a good audio book? or something to hold on to while floating in a pool?  Moving on . . .

the one about the holocaust set in Mpls.

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

haunting book about the German resistance in World War II.  switches between Buchenwald in the 1940s and current day professor of German history with Jewish ties.  found myself skimming through the present day story except for when i-94 and Lake of the Isles were mentioned.

good book but really nothing can compete (in my mind) with The Book Thief. 

the one that made me chuckle.

Here's the thing.  I'm not particularly funny.  It takes a lot to make me laugh.  Commercials are dumb and I don't really get the Onion.  I really have to be in the mood.

I quite liked Tina Fey's Bossypants.  But I didn't love it.  The parts I DID love were the serious/intriguing parts.  i.e. reading about the Sarah Palin sketches.  The humor about growing old and women's bodies?  Been there, done that.  But at least I know what crotch biscuits are now.  Gross.

That said, A Mother's Prayer is pure genius.  Oh Lord, break the internet forever.


My favorite quote (and yes, this says something about me): "My ability to turn good news into anxiety is rivaled only by my ability to turn anxiety into chin acne."  I get it.  And that's funny.

the one that reminds me of the Armistice Blizzard.

Could there BE a more appropriate book to read this month than The Long Winter?
No, I think not.

This is the book where Laura & the children almost get lost on the Big Slough (how is that word pronounced anyways?) and Almanzo goes on a wild goose chase for the wheat.  Pa & Laura twist hay and the Christmas barrel comes in May.

Reading the Little House series is a good reminder of wants vs. needs and reminds me of the word constitution.  As in, "she has a Strong Constitution and had no trouble getting up the hill."  I lack constitution, especially in the cold.

This has been a rough winter.  Is summer ever going to come?

A Poll.

I'm nearing the end of the Little House series . . . and am excited for what comes next.

Possibilities:
The Boxcar Children
The first 10 novels of Nancy Drew
Winnie the Pooh
Betsy Tacy
the shoes series
Ramona and Beezus

Nap time reading is the most precious part of my day.  And what I will miss most next year.  Any suggestions for what to read little Miss Maren as she drifts off to sweet slumber?

another anna quote.

 Momfilter interviews Anna!

 












I should probably just re-name this blog "the I dig Anna" blog.  I love every word that comes out of this woman's mouth.  Mostly because it speaks of humanity, making mistakes, being real.

Especially what she says about parenting below.  And about being B+ . . . . 

"But I wish I had been better able to combine that with letting things go a little bit.  Nobody really needs a bath every night.  Nobody really needs a balanced meal for every meal.  I should have let the freak flag fly a bit more. It’s hard to be a Type A mom.  I wish I could have been a bit more B plus, for my sake and their own."

An awesome interview with Anna at the link above.

the one where Jack dies.

By the Shores of Silver Lake is where it's at.  So much happens in this book.
 - the family dog Jack dies.  Boo-hoo.
 - Mary becomes blind after scarlet fever runs through the house.
 - the Wilder boys come to De Smet.
 - short reappearance of Mr. Edwards.
 - Laura finds out that she has to become a teacher.
 - Reverend Alden returns and encourages Mary to attend the college for the blind.

Also, there was a lot of boring talk about geese.


"I wanted the children now to understand more about the beginnings of things, to know what is behind the things they see -- what it is that made America as they know it," Laura Ingalls Wilder once said.

Laura Ingalls was born in 1867.  She didn't write her autobiography until almost sixty years later.  Her first attempt, Pioneer Girl, was not picked up by a publisher.  Talk about an incredible second act.

Makes you kinda think it's not too late for anything.

On to The Long Winter.  Feels sadly appropriate right now.

the ones that have piled up.

More books about parenting headed back to the library.
They are overdue.  Skimmed through and wanted to absorb more.  But no time, no time . . .
Heaven on Earth is another book about finding rhythms and celebrating the home.
Child of Mine and Secrets are more about changing my unhealthy eating, setting an example.  I'm not a terrible eater but I have been a grazer.  O. V. E. R.  according to Satter, a nutritionist.
All three are very fine resources!

Heaven on Earth by Sharifa Oppenheimer

Child of Mine by Ellyn Satter

Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family

the one with many aha moments.

I have a habit of being too verbose.  It's hereditary.  My mom told "green bean" stories.

I'm going to let this book speak for itself.  81 little vignettes that gave me pause.
The Parent's Tao Te Ching
William Martin

I read one chapter each time I set Maren down for a nap.
One of my favorites:

Be Happy

If you have vast wealth,
it will be useless in teaching your children.
If you have great power,
it will be of no avail in securing their happiness.
If you have succeeded admirably in ife,
it will not help you keep your children safe.

Remember that you cannot teach
by preaching.
Try to live with peace, contentment,
love and compassion.
This will be your lecture.
This will be your lesson.

The happier I have allowed myself to be,
the happier my children have become.
The more I have become myself,
the more they have done the same.
This has occurred later in my life.
Don't wait.

eat, pray, love without the eat

My good friend Jordan gave me Poser: My Life in Twenty Three Yoga Poses for my birthday.  She fondly remembered my former life as a yoga junkie.  I'm still trying to find yoga as part of my life now.

I liked this book.  You would too.  That is, if you liked the middle section of Eat, Pray, Love.  This is basically the memoir Elizabeth Gilbert would have written had she stayed home, got pregnant and brought up kids in left leaning North Seattle.

Claire Dederer made me laugh at times.  Esp when she talked about the quest for perfection in motherhood.  The wood toys, the dansko clogs, the ultimate nap schedule.  I liked reading about the yoga too.  But the memoir part just didn't come together for me.

That said, I can really, REALLY get behind the ultimate message of the book:  We need less goodness in life, more joy.

p.s. I know my bookshelf needs some editing when I had to put this book (alphabetically) next to Great Expectations by Dickens.  Egads!

the one with the REALLY bad title.

I read this.  Against my very better judgment.
My excuse: I was inspired by her recipes lately.
And Matt's out of town so he can't make fun.
I know it's a lot of sour cream but seriously, dinner has been a delight.
Drummond can't really write but she sure can write a recipe.
Kinda hard to imagine being a cowboy's wife.
Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond




Sour Cream Enchiladas

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

the one that felt like candy.

Some people read Picoult, others Patterson, and then Evanovich.  And we judge those people.  Although we really, really shouldn't.  Reading the cereal box is still reading.  And reading is good.

Maeve Binchy's books are like cotton candy to me.  It's a little Irish soap opera that I love.  I turn green with envy when I read about the characters in St. Jarlath's Crescent.  Hardly anyone lives in an ACTUAL neighborhood anymore.  At least I can read about one.

That said, I'm starting to embrace my little Newport.  I've been going to some women's organizing meetings lately.  Our first project is a community garden.  And I've been walking with my 59 yo neighbor who (gasp) brought me over cookies the other day.  So I could identify when I read this book - a bit.

I'm almost approaching a Maeve Binchy shelf in my library.
I'm happy to add Minding Frankie to it.  I smiled when I read it.
I don't care if Maeve is Ireland's Jan Karon or Lorna Landvik, I think she's just grand.

the one with nellie oleson

nellie oleson.  those two words bring up almost as many childhood memories as kraft mac n cheese.  what a little stinker.

maren and i just finished On the Banks of Plum Creek.  laura and the ingalls family have relocated to MN and contend with grasshoppers, crazy blizzards and long walks to school.

for me, this is the book where laura's personality starts to emerge.  i love her indignant, adventurous side.  the side that just hates nellie oleson.  and cries when her doll charlotte is taken away.

really makes me want to turn on the Hallmark Channel and watch a little house marathon.
that is, until some of the weird episodes start in.  clowns in walnut creek?  no thanks.

does anyone remember Nancy Oleson?  What was the story with her again?

the one about a smart girl.

I love books about smart women.  And I really liked this one.

I have to save some of my thoughts for book club but here are are few snippets:


I'm so glad that being a woman now doesn't mean making compromises.
And yet, it some very different but still significant ways, it does?
I'm glad that the church doesn't do such dastardly things anymore.
And yet, some terrible awful things happen in its name, hmmm?
I'm glad that the poor are not quite so deplored or ignored.
Well actually . . .

I smile that the theme of this book is that education is the one, the only way to better ourselves.

I don't know that this was the best historical fiction. 
Others have turned to Tracy Chevalier and Ken Follett instead. 
But it was a great read. 
Now has anyone seen the movie (2009)?

On a less serious note, I think it's funny that the Karolingian line ended with Charles the Fat.  What a horrible name.

the one I think my sister would like.

Just finished A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley.

This book is NOT a happy, smiley read.  It can be very dark at times.
Apparently based on King Lear by Shakespeare.  Which I will NOT be reading.
About a family dynasty in Iowa. 
Everyone either dies of cancer, suicide or farm accident.

I thought of my mother several times as she grew up outside Mason City. 
This book does NOT resemble her life whatsoever but helped me imagine her farm. 
Yes, me.  I am one generation removed from farmers!

Happy to have read another Pulitzer Prize. 
People are ALL over the map with this book so read with care. 
Honestly, I don't know what I thought of this one. 

I'm going to watch the movie . . . even though grandma P thought it scandalous.
They filmed A Thousand Acres outside Dekalb.

Anyone been there, done this book?

the one about farmers.

Maren and I just finished up Farmer Boy.  This used to be my LEAST favorite of the Little House series.  I just like a female protagonist.

That said, I really enjoyed this reading.   There was something about the seasonality of the book, the rhythm of family life, the yummy treats.  My favorite chapter is where Father and Mother leave on vacation for a week and the kids use up all the sugar and sit in the parlor.  Can't you just remember what it was like to be home alone for the first time?

Farmer Boy is kinda neat because the family really works together to make life happen.  Every individual has a role and kids are expected to contribute.  A nice perspective . . .

the two about parenting.

Here we go.  More "timely" books on how to be a parent.  Skip, if you wish.


How to Raise An Amazing Child: The Montessori Way

I figured this was a must as we are sending little M to Macdonald Montessori in 5 short months.  I plan to borrow this book from Macdonald's library sometime next winter when we'll need it more.  She'll be going through more of the "sensitive periods" then (as they call them).  In the meantime, I was encouraged me to take nature hikes, keep things accessible to little M and continue shopping at Peapods :)

I love this picture of Maria Montessori who started it all.

And then there was this book.  Recommended by the new parent educator.
Your Child's Weight: Helping Without Harming by Ellyn Satter MS RD LCSW BCD

Basically, she encourages a division of responsibility with kids.  You provide the food.  They choose what they eat.  No short order cooking.  No playing around at the table.  If they're done, let them know when the next meal/snack will be. 

Plan meals with 4-5 foods (protein, 2 grains or starchy, fruit and/or vegetable, milk & fat (butter).  Cripes, I can barely get 1 food on the table much less 4-5. 

Any good baby food/nutrition manuals for parents out there?

the one Matt made me read.

Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to.  Like take medicine or shovel the walk or wake up early on a Saturday morning.  I had to read Ron Paul. 

I'm sort of in a place where I'm learning to understand and explain my own politics.  And (although this book is not one I was eager to read) I always want to be the kind of person that doesn't close off and curiously listens.  This does NOT mean, however, that I will be reading Sarah Palin's bio anytime soon.

Ron has a point of view that is unique and radical.  We probably don't agree on health care, right to choose, taxes (in general) and education.  But, I was surprised at how much we do agree on.  Particularly, our foreign policy and military spending.  The use of torture in the war on terror.  And the draft.


I tried, TRIED to read the section on the Fed and care.  Honest to god.  But Econ 21 and Micro Econ were god awful in college and turned me off from all ideas of inflation and interest rates, etc. etc.  And that's a cop-out but one that I can live with for now.

This book confused and clarified.  And I'm glad I read it.  I may not vote for him but I will listen with interest to a point of view that is different if nothing else.

And now, Matt MUST read either Henrietta Lacks or Slow Death by Rubber Duck.  Because I think he'll like them and because turnabout is fair play.

my french life.

this may be the most beautiful book ever produced.  i don't so much want to read it as keep it on my coffee table and play pretend.  the photos are too die for . . .

i don't have a french life.  but if I did I would cherish table linens and stop for baguette on my way home from work and give two kisses.  i gave two kisses with my parisienne friends when i visited in 09.  i was awful clumsy at it.  i was much better at eating macaroons and ice cream.

paris - the city- was hard to personally embrace.  but I love la mode francaise.   Archer states la mode francaise "is all about a people in love with the pleasure of life, passionate and not afraid to show it, where individuality is revered and creativity much encouraged".

life should sparkle, yes?

my husband is going to paris on april 1-2 for work.  maren and i will be celebrating Paris week on our own.  making crepes, visiting Salut, wearing stripes and giving two kisses.

i'm starting to get bored.

I'm starting to get bored with book blogging.  I'm starting to get bored with books.
I read The Cheapskate Next Door.  And it was good.  Ho-hum.
I was inspired for awhile to save money and embrace simplicity.  Then it passed. 
I have a pile of non-fiction from the library just stacking up.

I'd rather just watch Bethenny Ever After.  I'm having a moment.  That's all.

and in other news.

Two major developments at read52books.blogspot.com

1)  I discovered I can (IN FACT) get a St. Paul library card as a resident of Washington Cty.  This is good and bad news all at once.  I have a stack of books from here to November that I will never get to read.

2) Maren's new naptime routine involves: gently putting her in the crib & reading her a chapter book.  This is ALL good news.  No more Jewel lullaby.  No more jiggling or rocking.  Just the nice rhythmic read of Little House and perhaps Boxcar Children or Ramona in the near future.

We're midway through Farmer Boy right now and the teacher just whipped the boys from Hardscrabble Settlement.  That Almonzo sure eats a LOT of doughnuts!

he had me at "Mary Pipher"

This is the best non-fiction parenting book I have read in a long time.  I don't even know what to say other than I.  Loved.  It. 

Kim John Payne's book called Simplicity Parenting just makes sense.  I'm ordering a copy for home and school.  Turns out he was a school counselor.  I can definitely see using this book in my counseling practice when I return to work.

And now, I'm going to critique the book.  I researched Kim John Payne and he's on TWITTER.  And he has a blog.  Okay, now I'm confused.  Where does he find time in the rhythm of his day for tweeting ???

Is there NO END to the information overload that floods our homes? 

But he did reference my favorite therapist and author Mary Pipher several times in the book.  All is forgiven.  In the end, this book may impact me just as strongly as Reviving Ophelia did years ago.  It sees the world clearly and offers another option.

I loved this book.  And yes, I added his website to my blog roll.

the one that is FREE on Kindle!

Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim is the most JOYFUL book that I have read in a long time. 

Essentially:
"Four women rent a chateau on a remote Italian island to try to come to grips with their lives and relationships. They explore the differences in their personalities, reassess their goals, and reexamine their relationships in a sisterly fashion."

But that description really does NOT do the book justice.  It's quite lovely.

Lotty was my favorite character.  Her perspective essentially is: if you believe that life (and people) are good, it will become so.  Expect good things.


Not only is Enchanted April free on Kindle, you can instant play the movie adaptation on Netflix!

Now who doesn't want to spend this April in Italy amidst the blooming wisteria?  Sign me up.

the one that is a classic.

Pride and Prejudice.  Finished.  This already feels like my best year of reading EVER and now.

What I like about the book: I learned so many new words.  The Kindle is incredible if you are curious about definitions and such.  My brain felt like it was expanding at every click.  Also, the characters are delectable.  That nasty Wickham and insipid Lydia made me cranky.

What I don't care for:  how incredibly boring life was - balls and drawing rooms and parasols.  It's hard to imagine such idle days and it was difficult to delight in their idleness and catty talk during the first few chapters.





p.s.  I plan to watch the movie version. 
I never have.  Aghast.  I understand the Colin Firth adaptation is supreme.  Thoughts?

the one I had a very visceral reaction to.

Room is narrated by a 5 yo boy, Jack, born and raised with his captive mother in a 12 foot square room. 

This book is loosely based off the true story of Josef Fritzl.  If haven't heard about Fritzl, look here:
Fritzl case 

Once I understood the plot of Room, I put off reading the book.  I've had enough intensity lately with Little Bee, the stupid Stieg Larsson books and the Hunger Games series.  Despite the fact that Room has been talked about all over the internet and was short listed for the Booker Prize, I really didn't want to read it.  But my sister RAVED about the book so I had to give it a try.

The book literally made me queasy.  I had to put the book down for a bit to take a break.  And then I COULD. NOT. STOP.  reading it.  As in reading past midnight, reading in the bathroom, reading when I really should be paying the bills and making dinner. 

I don't know what to say about this book.  There really isn't another book quite like it.   

p.s. Don't read too much about the book before you dive in.  Just dive in. 


p.p.s  I'm not necessarily recommending the book.  I'm just saying I had a visceral rx to it.


p.p.p.s  You needn't send me to a treatment program for book addiction.  I know I'm reading A LOT these days.  My baby has finally learned to nap & sleep and I have learned to embrace both January and a new found Type B personality.  I'm bound to hit a book rut eventually.

the precocious one.

Matt asked me what in the WORLD I was reading the other day.  I held a borrowed book that was torn, had a funky smell and a 80's style author bio on the back.  I told him "Rosie" and that I needed to HURRY it up because there's a long waiting list at the library for this book.

Anne Lamott is beloved by so many.  I love her too.  For living in Marin County, for creating such exquisite characters and for not shying away from the tough stuff (in this case, alcoholism and pedophilia).  She balances the subject matter well with kid hijinks & adult squabbling.

Rosie is the cutest, most devilish little child to grace the page in awhile.  I loved her temper tantrums.  I liked this book! but the ending caught me off guard.  It came on too fast and was a little too neat for my liking.   That said, I will totally read Crooked Little Heart and Imperfect Birds.

Is there a better way to spend a cold January day, really?

my kindle strategy!

aka: how I will support my book habit without completely breaking the bank.

When I hear about a book I want to read, I add it to my good reads "to be read" list. 
(I need to update this list!)
After reviewing (if I want to start collecting that author) then I add the novel to my half.com list.When I'm in a book buying mood or for holidays, I will buy books online for $1.00 or less.

When I'm done with my latest Kindle acquisition and my stack at home is low, I will purchase another.
Typically, on sale or non-fiction or an author I haven't met yet.

Let the Great World Spin is a perfect example.Haven't yet read Colum McCann, couldn't get at the library and on sale for 6 Kindle bucks.
I liked it, I really liked.  On to the half.com list it goes.

There are no brainer purchases for me.  Don't ever buy a Quindlen or a Mary Pipher or a Julia Glass book for me as a gift.  I know the release date and it's been pre-ordered.  Trust.  I've also purchased the latest Pulitzer and Caldecott and possibly the National Book Award.  I have special spots in my home for them all.

I realize I have an unhealthy addiction to books.  But, I can live with that.  I wear crappy shoes and I only care about the diamond on my hand.  Books are another story.

the one that gave me pause.

I love Kate Braestrup. She's a Unitarian law enforcement chaplain who lives in Maine. Her book about grief, Here If You Need Me, was balm to the soul a few years back. Back when I was reading a lot of books about cancer and death. I go in spurts. What can I say?

Her latest book (Beginner's Grace) is about bringing prayer into your life. I picked it up a few months ago when I was largely overwhelmed by my little infant's cries. It was making me a bit crazy. If an acid reflux baby doesn't make you find God, I don't know what will.

I'm not very good about religion. It's like a shoe that fits too tight on the toe. But, I believe that something is brewing in the universe and I long to be part of a community that will sustain my faith.

"Faith is the confidence that no matter what happens, love is always available - as action, as memory, as a gift from others, as a capacity in myself."  Kate Braestrup

This book is filled with prayers and an instruction manual on how to use them. For the last few months, I have been doing an impromptu prayer. When I notice the clock has turned the same number (2:22, 4:44, etc.) I say a prayer. It's always the same. "God help me to not complain, be patient with this moment and look for the joy swimming in my life." It's a call to attention for me. I take a deep breath and I move on with my day.

the one that helped me define my relationship with my Kindle.

Let The Great World Spin.  I turned the last page and was eager to place the book on my shelf.  Alas, all I could do was click the button and go back to my Kindle menu.  Tragic.

I'm on a book run lately but this novel made me stop in my tracks for a moment.  I wondered if the book was only about heroin addicts and hookers.  There is a depth to this book that I may or may not have grasped.

And beautiful words (clipped by my Kindle)
"This is not my life.  These are not my cobwebs.  This is not the darkness I was designed for."

"I guess this is what marriage is, or was, or could be.  You drop the mask.  You allow the fatigue in.  You lean across and kiss the years because they're the things that matter."

"Afterward, Gloria said to her that it was necessary to love silence, but before you could love silence you had to have noise."

I need this book.  And the Kindle doesn't count.

the one Heidi recommended.

I liked this book.  Although I feel funny putting it next to Wuthering Heights on my bookshelf.

More chapters to add: the daycare dilemma.  when to start solid foods?  to sippy cup or NOT to sippy cup?  Am I depriving my child the "exersaucer experience" by not buying her one?  Perhaps I am such a klutz in the kitchen because I didn't get that Easybake Oven I so dearly wanted?

So much controversy.  And now for cripes sake, the "tiger mother" declares that Chinese parenting is superior.  No sleepovers for Maren, I guess.

Amy Chua article

Will it never end?  This is the last parenting book I'm reading for awhile.  With the extra time, I'm going to start a daily yoga routine with Maren at home.  AND we'll be heading to Red Balloon storytime now that we've graduated from the New Parent group at Woodwinds Hospital. 

That's what my instincts are telling me anyways . . .