The Book Challenge: April Recap

First of all, I would like to thank all of you that expressed your good wishes regarding my last post. I appreciate every single one of those thoughts and virtual hugs and I appreicate having every single one of you in my life. A twinge of sadness still hits me at the most random moments, but I am starting to feel much better and more like myself again.

In light of everything that happened last weekend, I remembered one of the reasons I love to read: It's an escape. Whether it's a different time, a different place, or a different emotional landscape that you're seeking, a book can take you there. Most of what I ended up reading this month was lighthearted, which turned out to be exactly what I needed.

21. The Finishing Touches by Hester Browne -- Adopted daughter of owners of a finishing school in London tried to revitalize the family business by updating the curriculum to reflect what millenial women really need to know. Much of her motivation stems from hoping to find out the identity of her birth mom & of course there are love interests along the way.

22. I Will Always Love You by Cecily Von Ziegesar -- Gossip Girl goes off to college and repeats a cycle of incestuous dating between S, B, V, C, D, N & Little J for the next four years. Seriously. That is all there is to this book.

23. Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus -- Hmm. The sequel to The Nanny Diaries. I started off this book with high hopes and for a short time those hopes were fulfilled. But the more I read, the more I got frustrated with the protagonist. She seemed to have not grown up at all during the past ten years. As someone roughly the same age as her, I just could not buy it at all. She was ridiculous in her inability to have a grown-up conversation with anyone, including her husband. It got to be very annoying.

24. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella -- I have to admit that I had a hard time getting into this novel because I disliked the two main characters so strongly at the start. It did get better, sort of, but was still "meh" overall.

25. Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad -- Book number two in the L.A. Candy series, which was inspired by L.C.'s stint on The Hills. This book is as fluffy and lightweight as cotton candy. I read most of it while watching a marathon of The Hills. I probably should never have admitted that.

26. Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot -- I picked up this book for the sole purpose of getting it signed by Meg Cabot. You can read more details about the signing on Forever Young, but I just have to say that Meg Cabot is so awesome & funny. I would love to hang out with her at a happy hour. This book was so funny at times that I actually chuckled out loud and slapped my knee while reading it. The story was told through a collection of e-mails, journal entries, voice mail messages & photos. I thought it would be off-putting, but it wasn't at all. I really enjoyed reading this one and plan on trying some of the recipes from it.

The Book Challenge: February and March Recap

Thank goodness they don't deactivate Blogger accounts for inactivity. ;-)

Since I lost the post-it that had been pulling double duty as my bookmark and as my scratch paper for keeping track of what I've read, this list might be a little incomplete. Oh well.

12. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray -- This is the first book in a trilogy about British schoolgirl Gemma Doyle and the magical power that she possesses. I had a hard time getting into this one, but by the end I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.

13. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray -- The second book in the Gemma Doyle series, this was my favorite one.

14. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray -- The finale to Gemma Doyle's story. I wish I liked it more. The first half was so slow and plodding. While the second half picked up considerably, there was a twist that I just could not get on board with. I left the series feeling disappointed.

15. Love by the Glass: Tasting Notes on a Marriage by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher -- A memoir by two Wall St. Journal writers who fell in love with each other as well as wine. I loved this book. Just do yourself a favor and make sure you have some wine on hand while you read it. I didn't and it was torture!

16. The Help by Kathryn Stockett -- Set in the south, in the early to mid 1960s, this novel explores race relations and societal expectations from the perspective of maids and their employers. I couldn't put this book down once I started.

17. Glass by Ellen Hopkins -- This picks up where Crank left off. In this installment, Kristina relapses hard.

18. Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby -- I really wanted to like this book, but didn't. I haven't given up on reading Nick Hornby though.

19. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory -- This was another book I had a hard time getting into. Is there any point in reading Philippa Gregory's books if you can't picture Jonathan Rhys Myers as King Henry while you read? I need to cast my own eye candy in the royal roles before the next book is released.

20. A Fair Maiden by Joyce Carol Oates -- This was a seriously fucked up story. Like really, really fucked up. *shudder*

I know that I'm missing a couple. I hope my post-it will turn up eventually.

On a book-related note, I recently joined Goodreads. If you'd like to add me as a friend, you can search for me under starlily313@yahoo.com.

The Book Challenge: January Recap

Hmmm ... I think I promised to blog about more than just books and skating, but here we are with another book post. I actually do have a vacation recap post in progress, but sometimes all you have the energy for is something quick and easy. It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks.



I upped the ante and got off to a really good start this year. I always read more on vacation. :-)

1. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver -- This month's book club pick about an evangelical minister who drags his family to the Congo, and the lasting effect the experience has on them all.

2. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult -- The ending annoyed me. I hear the movie has a different ending, but I'm still not convinced that the movie won't annoy me as well.

3. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver -- A mother tries to understand what might have made her son a killer. Disturbing, but thought provoking.

4. Cleaving by Julie Powell -- One of the worst books I have read in a long. long time. I'm not bothered by the fact that Julie Powell (of Julie & Julia) had an affair. I am bothered by how whiny, self-absorbed and entitled she is. Plus she's in dire need of a copy of He's Just Not That Into You.

5. Skinny by Ibi Kaslick -- A rather disjointed novel about anorexia, its aftereffects and family secrets.

6. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson -- What Skinny hoped to accomplish in tackling the topic of eating disroders, Wintergirls actually did.

7. The Wild Things by Dave Eggers -- I don't have the sentimental attachment to Where The Wild Things Are that a lot of people my age do. So while this entertained me, I probably didn't appreciate as fully as others would.

8. Crank by Ellen Hopkins -- Realistic story of a teenage girl's addiction to meth. I'm torn about the ending. One the one hand, it seems a little preachy and too convenient. On the other hand. it is not uncommon among addicts.


9. Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-time Eater by Frank Bruni -- It's not too often you read about body image concerns and insecurities from a man's perspective, much less a man who makes his living as a food critic.

10. Falling Out of Fashion by Karen Yampolsky -- Standard chick lit fare, but holds a special place in my heart because it's a thinly veiled account of Jane magazine's demise. Jane had also been the editor of Sassy magazine, which I adored and which was the first magazine I ever subscribed to. Teenagers today totally missed out on that one. Jane wasn't as great as Sassy, but sometimes one has to take what one can get.

11. The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee -- A tale of ill-fated lovers in Hong Kong's expatriate community, both during WWII and the decade following.

The Book Challenge: December Recap

I missed my revised goal of 65 books, but that was out of sheer laziness on my part. I can't complain at all though. I finished out the book challenge with some great stories, especially the last book I read. Before going any further, I have to give a shout-out to Jessica, who has been an endless source of fantastic recommendations & reviews. Whenever I got stuck trying to decide what to read next, I always found an answer within her blog.

The final books of 2009:

58. The Luxe by Anna Godberson

59. Rumors by Anna Godberson

60. Envy by Anna Godberson

61. Splendor by Anna Godberson

62. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

My reading goals for 2010? To read at least 50 books again, but with a focus on some big books and classics that I've been meaning to tackle for a while.

The Book Challenge: November Recap

So I failed miserably at my November challenges (NaBloPoMo and 30 workouts in 30 days), but at least I kept reading!

53. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

54. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

55. Because I'm Worth It by Cecily von Ziegesar

56. The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory

57. The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

My revised goal of 65 by year end might be a little tough to meet, but I'm still going for it!

The Book Challenge: October Recap

45. Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen

46. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

47. The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

48. Cause Celeb by Helen Fielding [So the backstory here is that I had wanted to read this book years ago, when Ms. Fielding was in the midst of all her Bridget Jones glory. But parts of the storyline seemed a bit too close to my own life experiences at the time. Now, years later, I figured I could read it without cringing too much at some of the parallels. Then the ex-boyfriend who this book reminded me of e-mailed me out of the blue after six years. What timing.]

49. Time of My Life by Alison Winn Scotch [I had wanted to read this as soon as Y_L had posted about it on her blog. It sounded intriguing: What would and could you do if you found yourself in your past armed with knowledge from your future self? Of course my name came up on the hold list for this one right after I got that e-mail.]

50. The It Girl #8: Adored by Cecily von Ziegesar

51. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

52. The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham

Sound the horns! Drop the confetti! Pop the champagne! After a dreadfully slow start, I have reached my goal with two full months to spare. But the reading doesn't stop here. I have a full stack of books fresh from the library awaiting me. Let's see if I can make it to 65 by the end of the year.

The Book Challenge: September Recap

37. Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner

38. L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad (yes, that Lauren Conrad)

39. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

40. Sleeping Arrangements by Madeleine Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella)

41. The Towering World of Jimmy Choo: A Glamorous Story of Power, Profits, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Shoe by Lauren Goldstein Crowe & Sagra Maceira De Rosen

42. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Leviathan

43. The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham

44. Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier (a great read for ABCDs or even just ABDs)

I'm close to my goal! With six books from the library that I just checked out, I should easily hit 50 books this month. The question then becomes whether I should just continue my normal reading habits or whether I should embark on the longest book I have ever purchased.

The Book Challenge: August Recap

I did a lot more reading than usual this month. Maybe all that vacation time had something to do with it. ;-)

27. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

28. Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown

29. One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

30. The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory

31. Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison

32. The It Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

33. That Summer by Sarah Dessen

34. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

35. Skating Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

36. Thirteen by Candice F. Ransom

I read the last two books while I was up in S.F., visiting my parents. I have always been an avid reader, but I thought I had packed away or donated most of the books I read as a teen. It was a pleasant surprise to come across a stash of my old favorites in the guest room closet. Skating Shoes had actually been out of print for quite some time (it's being re-released this fall!) and I must have read Thirteen at least twice a year through junior high. It was interesting to see the similarity of themes in young adult fiction from twenty years ago (#35-36) to the present (#32-34). While today's stories feature a bit more sex, drugs & drinking, the underlying plots in both eras seem to focus on friendships, rivalries, body image and finding one's identity. Perhaps there is some truth to the saying, "The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same."

The Book Challenge: July Recap

22. Mommy Tracked by Whitney Gaskell

23. Fat Girl by Judith Moore

24. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

25. All I Want is Everything by Cecily von Zigesar

26. If I Am Missing or Dead by Janine Latus

I have to admit, most of these books (#23, 24 and 25) were rather depressing, covering topics such as physical & emotional abuse, sexual assault, co-dependency, etc. At times I felt as if I were reading just another case file from work. I think I need some lighthearted reads for August.

The Book Challenge: Spring Recap

I still have a few more skating posts to finish (insert your "yay!" or "boo!" here), but I figured I better update this little project in the meantime since I am old and forgetful.

April

12. Knit Two by Kate Jacobs

May

13. Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty

14. Dreams From My Father by President Barack Obama

15. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

June

16. Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar

17. You Know You Love Me by Cecily Von Ziegesar

18. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

19. The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

20. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

21. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield

With half a year to go I am slightly less than halfway towards meeting the challenge. I think the remainder of the Gossip Girl series will help me make up some lost ground. ;-)

Book Challenge: March Recap

Cutting for Stone; Abraham Verghese

The Friday Night Knitting Club; Kate Jacobs

The Adultery Diet; Eva Cassady

Charmed Thirds; Megan McCafferty

Fourth Comings; Megan McCafferty

11 down, 39 to go. I have to get back into my library habit.

In the Company of Greatness

Last week I met up with Weezermonkey for one of the lectures presented as part of the L.A. Library's ALOUD program. The evening was described as a conversation between actor Hector Elizondo and author Abraham Verghese. In addition to being an author, a physician and a professor, Abraham is also my sister-in-law's cousin. And his older brother is married to the daughter of a long-time family friend. Due to the broad, unique way that Indians define family, my parents and brother fully expected me to turn out for this event despite the fact I had never met Abraham before.

The lecture's topics were centered around the themes and concepts contained within Abraham's most recent release, Cutting for Stone. This is his third book, but first novel, which was eight years in the making. Abraham really amazes me with his intelligence, creativity and compassion. Not to mention that I think he is a total rock star for being able to balance medicine, writing and family life. Having read Cutting for Stone, as well as My Own Country, I feel like these personal qualities are carried over into his characters and descriptions. With regard to Cutting for Stone, I easily got swept away into the story and its characters. It is really a wonderful novel and I'm not just saying that because he is "family"!

After the lecture there was an opportunity to have books signed.

Dorkiness personifed: Here I am introducing myself and explaining to Abraham how I know him. I'm really not good at stuff like this.
After the event, Weezermonkey and I headed to the The Restaurant at The Standard. It was a dim for picture taking, although Weezermonkey did teach me how to change my ISO settings. It was a great evening all around, with great company!

More pictures and thoughts available here.

The Book Challenge: February Recap

February was much more successful that January. I think I'm still a little behind the pace, however, depsite the fact I did engage in some re-reads.

What I read:

1. Social Crimes by Jane Stanton Hitchcock
2. 4 Blondes by Candace Bushnell
3. Baby Proof by Emily Giffin (Note: This book is about a 30ish couple who views on having children brings them together, but also drives them apart. I was amazed at how many people actually asked me about the state of my own marriage after inquiring about what I was reading. Seriously?)
4. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
5. Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty

Six down, forty-four to go!

The Book Challenge -- January Recap

When the book club board on The Nest announced the 50 Books in 2009 challenge, I thought it would be a snap. I read a lot. I read quickly. I've been averaging almost fifty books a year anyways.

Cockiness can backfire 'yo.

I read only ONE book in January, Stephenie Meyer's The Host. It wasn't a terrible book, but clearly sci-fi is just not my thing. Hence why Eddie uses the time I'm away from home to watch the Sci-Fi channel to his heart's content.

Blog Humbug

I'm still rather distressed about the events of last week involving Big Bad. It was really bad. Like walking out after five minutes because I didn't want to go further without a union rep bad. And having a $7K raise delayed for at least six months bad. And feeling totally singled out because other people have done a hell of a lot worse and never got reprimanded in this way type of bad. But I don't want to write post after post about his awfulness, especially during what should be a festive time of year. So indulge me in a bit of silliness. I promise it will give you great material with which to mock me for most of 2009.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of ice skating, both viewing it and participating myself. I'm also a fan of Twilight. Today my two hobbies became enmeshed after I purchased the Twilight soundtrack and listened to Bella's Lullaby.

That piece of music will totally be 'da bomb for my skating program next season!

I already have part of it plotted out in my head: use the first 30-40 seconds, cut out the next thirty, then edit in the final minute. One crescendo can be used for footwork into a really pretty spiral sequence. The final crescendo can lead into a jump or jump combination, followed by concluding in a scratch spin --- one of those dizzying, really fast, one-foot ones that get faster as the spin progresses. Like this:



It.will.be.awesome. :-)

I don't even have to worry about finding a costume since I have two skating dresses that will work for the music, both which have lots of silver (possible spoiler in the link if you haven't read the book or seen the movie) sparkles. However neither dress is the Twilight skating dress by Jerry's Skatewear. I haven't completely gone insane.

I'm A Vampire Lover

I first heard about the Twilight series at the beginning of summer. At the time I didn't plan on ever reading it, despite all the high praise it had been receiving. Vampires? Romance? YA Fiction? None of it sounded appealing. Besides I had been a devoted fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Been there, done that. Or so I thought.

Eventually curiosity and a lack of other reading material led me to check out Twilight from the library. (see, that's how much i doubted the lure of these books; i wouldn't even pay for them; well, at least not back then) And I got completely sucked in to the series. All four hardcover books are now on my very own bookshelves.

And that is how I ended up at brunch today with a bunch of other cougars obsessed with yummy vampires. (Peter Facinelli as Carlisle = SWOON!)

After brunch I took a drive down PCH from Long Beach to Corona del Mar. Yeah, the freeway probably would have been faster, but then I wouldn't have been able to enjoy lovely views of the ocean, the coastal breeze or the scent of the sea air.
The purpose of my little detour? Cupcakes from Sprinkles. For someone who doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, Eddie absolutely loves the carrot cake cupcakes. Since the past few days have been a little rough for him, I thought a cupcake or two might make him smile a little bit. I bought a chai latte and peanut butter chip for myself.When I got home I opened up the gift bag that CBB had thoughtfully put together for all of the cougars. Young_Love had also given us copies of the Midnight Sun playlist.
There was one other stop I had made on my way home. I had stopped at Henry's to pick up a few things for dinner and couldn't resist picking up the following items for no other reason than they reminded me of the books:

A Must Read For Dog Lovers

I think almost every person with a dog has looked at their pet at one time or another and thought, "I wonder what you would say if you could talk?" Well in this novel, Enzo, a labrador-terrier mix, is more than willing to share his thoughts with us.

Enzo is a cool, thoughtful dog. He is jealous of monkeys because they have thumbs. He plots messy revenge against certain people who were unkind to him. He loves watching television. He loves his family even more. Even as his owner Denny, an aspiring race car driver, goes through a painful period in his life, Enzo does everything he can to be supportive and caring, all the while wishing he could do more. He has interesting observations on human behavior, especially the way we treat one another.

One of the reasons Enzo pays such close attention to humans is because he is studying how to be good person. Sometime during the many years of his tv viewing, Enzo came across a documentary that stated dogs can be reincarnated as men. So in his old age, Enzo is not fearful of the inevitable. Instead he longs for the day that he can return as a human and hopefully find Denny again.

Yes, there are some cliched twists and turns to the story. There are also some passages about car racing that a non-race fan might be bored by (although Enzo's description of his first ride in a race car is fantastic!). Despite the book's minor flaws however, you will very likely be reaching for some tissue at the end. You will definitely be hugging your four-legged friend a little closer and a little tighter.

From the book's inside flap:

On the even of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three year battle over their daughter, Zoe, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, depsite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoe at his side. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man.

Oh Happy Day!

I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things at work & home post-vacation and have two more SF related posts to write, but at least there is bliss on the foodie front.

Anthony Bourdain has three books coming out!
Descriptions of each

And Gordon Ramsay's LA restaurant will be opening in a matter of weeks!
Menu and reservation info.