A Few New Things for 2013

A few new things around here:

1. New eats.  Jarod and I have committed to 60 days of the Paleo Diet!  WHOA.  We are on Day 8 and really enjoying it (and I say that honestly-- I threw quite a fit before we started this endeavor, but I gave in and am now loving eating this way).

For those of you not familiar with the Paleo Diet, think caveman and hunter/gatherer.  It is basically eating anything you could hunt or pick or gather... all pre-agriculture era.  So, in other words, we are eating only veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds and meat.  This also means we are NOT eating sugar, gluten, legumes (even peanuts!) or dairy.  At this point, we are eating 85% Paleo and the other 15% of the time accounts for the occasional coffee and milk or honey in my tea. Let's be serious.  I could give up a lot of things, but not my coffee!

2. New health.  I have also started back to working out on a daily basis.  It's been a LONG time coming :)  And I have to get pretty creative with workouts, etc. due to snow and freezing temps.  It's not like I can just jump out for a quick jog around the block here.  (These are the times when I definitely miss Southern California and being able to be outside year round).   But between the climbing wall in the basement, workout DVDs and Jarod's coaching.. I get something in everyday.  I had been having trouble sleeping at night and was just feeling lethargic all in all.  This, in combination with the eating changes, has really improved my overall demeanor and energy levels so far.

3. New do.  Among other new things, I chopped off my hair.

4. New read.  I started a new book, A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans and am discussing it with a group of women.

I am only about a third of the way through, but she is challenging my thinking!  I am not sure that I can say I wholeheartedly agree with all that she writes, but it is sparking some great conversation.

Cheers to the new!

Recent Reads

I have been reading quite a few books these past few months.  This is partially due to terrible, awful morning sickness in the late Spring, partially due to summer vacation and road trips, partially due to my love of reading, and partially due to personal determination to read what is already on my shelves, and therefore, hopefully condensing my number of books by chucking all but the keepers.  

So here we go.  My journey of books the past three months:

I finally finished the Harry Potter books this past spring...  I went hard core on the first five, then got a little burnt out.  I took a six month hiatus to rekindle my Potter love.  I am glad to say, however, that these last two were VERY good and ended the series strong.  They both get 4 stars.

Next up, "Let the Great World Spin", by Colum McCann.  Ehh, good character development, well written and interesting.  But, I was not that excited about the actual content of the story.  I can handle reading about the depravity of mankind, however, I need some redemption or some hope or SOME sort of saving quality at the close.  And I was left lacking when I read the last page.  This author reminds me of another, Frank McCourt, who is also Irish; both writers tend to be melancholy and borderline depressing.  I gave it 3 stars. 

Ahhh, sweet little "Anne, with an "e", of Green Gables."  I would just like to know how in the world I missed this book growing up?!  It's such a classic and such a delight to read.  I give it 4 stars.

{And then, the best part, was that I wanted Jarod to watch ALL the movies with me.  He easily agreed, stating that he had watched the movies as a kid and liked them.  About 30 minutes into the first movie, Jarod said, "Wow, I must have been a real loser of kid to like these."  Haha.}



 

"The Bridges of Madison County" is a short book and a very fast read.  I think I read it in one setting, maybe two.  It's a captivating love story that quickly swallows the reader into the throngs of hidden and forbidden love.  (Perhaps why I read it one setting).  While I was totally engrossed in the story, I kept wondering, why is all steamy, passionate love always taking place OUTSIDE of the husband and wife's relationship?  Shame.  No hope for us ol' married people.  Anyway, it's a sappy love story, and a well written one nonetheless.  3 1/2 stars.

"Stones from the River", BLEH.  I gave it a good, hard run.. honest, I did.  But finally at page 138, I couldn't handle it anymore.  Midgets?! Nazi's?! Psychotic, institutionalized mothers?!  It was too much.  And it started making me wonder if I was going to have a midget baby.  It's in my give-away pile.  2 stars.

"The Soloist".  Well, I thought it was the book that spawned the movie (with the same title) starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx... WRONG.  A totally different book, however, creepily similar to the movie.  The book I read was also based in LA, also had a famous cello player and also involved a schizophrenic.  Hmm, makes me wonder if this book had a "borrowed plot", which was tossed in the blender and called his own.  Anyway, a decent book, but, not all that life changing.  3 stars.

Oh.  My.  Gosh.  "Belly Laughs" is absolutely hysterical if you are, or recently were, pregnant.  Jarod and I read it out loud to each other on our recent road trip to Colorado.  We were crying, we were laughing SO hard.  Now, keep in mind, it's Jenny McCarthy.  SOOO, if you're offended by foul language or body fluids or vulgarity and indecent topics... then this book is not for you.  Clearly, I'm not too bothered by those things and found this book 100% accurate of my personal pregnancy experience.  4 stars.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.  This book was AMAZING.  "The Glass Castle" was the best book I have read this year.  I could NOT put it down, therefore finishing it in two days.  It is a jaw-dropping autobiography (as in TRUE STORY) of a girl's growing up in a transient, dysfunctional, bizarre family.  I loved this book and just heard the author recently wrote her grandmother's story, titled "Brokeback Horses".  I will purchase that book. But, sigh, I loved this book.  And I find myself thinking about it all the time.  5 stars!!!

"The Joy Luck Club",  hmm.   It was good.  It was insightful.  It was well written.  Yet, I was not engaged.  All I could think about was Jeanette and her crazy family!!!  (See entry above).  Some books you get at just the right time, and it makes the read.  And others, well...  you get the point.  I really do think this is a good book, but it just came at an unfortunate moment.  Perhaps I'll give it another chance, another day.  Honestly, it was an interesting book about the clashes of cultures amongst Chinese mothers and their American born, Chinese daughters; really, it was interesting.  I promise.  3 1/2 stars.

And here is what I am currently reading, "The Life and Times of Michael K."  Ahhh, can't go wrong with a South African story set during Apartheid.  I am about a third of the way into it, and it's wonderfully written.  So far, there has yet to be a book about South Africa that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed.  Well, maybe I'm biased.  Stars TBA.

I did it!

I finally finished the The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas this afternoon, all unabridged 1,462 pages.  Phew!  What an accomplishment!  I think it took me about two months, not exactly record speed.  But I am feeling good about being on track with one of my New Year's Resolutions, reading more classics.   The Count of Monte Cristo was definitely my "classics" start with a big bang.

The first 350 pages are riveting-- getting all caught up in the middle of an exceptional jail break story..

But then, there is a dramatic change starting in Chapter 31, "Italy: Sinbad the Sailor."  A whole new cast of characters appear on the scene, each with a half a dozen back stories.. and well, this reader was a bit lost.   I should have paid a bit more attention to these lines at the end of Chapter 30, "The Fifth of September":

"And now," said the unknown, "farewell kindness, humanity, and gratitude! Farewell to all the feelings that expand the heart! I have been Heaven's substitute to recompense the good- now the God of Vengeance yields to me his power to punish the wicked!"

Around page 500, I was seriously doubting my ability to continue another thousand pages to the finish.  But my friends encouraged me.  Luckily, around page 800, the story again gained steam.  At a dinner party scene, the various characters and back stories began overlapping and explaining each other.. and I kept muttering, "oh! aha! yes!"  And I was glad I had stuck things out.

All in all, I was thoroughly impressed with Dumas' story telling ability.  He wove a web of characters, plot lines and French history... successfully culminating into a satisfying ending of righted wrongs, lovers reunited, vengeance delivered and hope restored.  I like these endings!!

If you read this book, I encourage you to
1]keep the dictionary app on your phone open the whole time!
2]find a list of characters online and tape it to the inside of your book cover
3]download the movie to your iTunes and watch it AFTER you finish the book

So to Edmond Dantes, Sinbad the Sailor, Lord Wilmore, Abbe Busoni and the Count of Monte Cristo, thank you for entertaining me (and growing my vocabulary) the past two months.

Recent Book Fails

Swing... and a miss!  Swing... and another miss!  This has seriously been my luck with books recently.  Striking out!  Apparently my internal-book-picker is off, very off.  Here are my recent misses:

Most recently, (just finished this last weekend):

I suppose... with a title like "Wicked", you should expect a dark book.  And, quite dumbly, I was caught off guard by it's darkness.  I was actually grossed out a bit in a few parts.  BUT, what most irked me in this book (and I had similar feelings regarding "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand) was, that it is really a Philosophy book, cleverly disguised as a novel.  I'm all for Philosophy books, and I have to be, my husband is one of those Philosophers, BUT please don't try to package that in a story form!  When I opened this book, I wanted a story, a story from Oz.  But really it was a debate on the nature of evil.  And this book was filled with animal rights agendas and just entirely too political for me.  Hmph.  I was thoroughly disappointed.  

Ball 2:

A classic!, I had heard.  Every person should read this book!, I had also heard.  Life changing!  Translated in hundreds of languages! Read by millions!  Whelp, personally, I was bored.  I am just not a fantasy, mystical-ly kind of girl.  I had a hard time not laughing at this boy's encounters with the sun and the wind and desert and his sheep.  All his dreams and destiny, bleh.  It seems, if anything, this story would best be told outloud, at night, around a campfire, by an Indian smoking a pipe or by an African with a thick accent.  THEN, I might buy into it.  But for now, I'm just not drinkin' Coelho's kool-aid.

Does anyone have a good book they could toss my way?

"Suite Francaise" by Irene Nemirovsky

I just finished a beautiful, touching book this morning and can't sing enough of it's praises. I whole heartedly rank it a five star novel. It's riveting (the tension between coexisting German soldiers on French homeland), moving (the reality of war and peace) and refreshing (NOT a pop culture, written to the masses on a Junior High reading level, page turner). Written by a Ukrainian Jew living in Paris during the 1940's, "Suite Française" is historical fiction about the German occupation of France; it is 2 books in one plus 50 pages of Appendix. Her original manuscript called for 4-5 books, but she only finished the first two, before being deported to Auschwitz' concentration camp. The Appendix are her plans and notes for the remaining story, as well as a journal/diary as to what was currently taking place in the history of the war. The book went hidden and unpublished for 64 years, before being found, edited and printed. It's wonderful and HIGHLY recommend it.

I have been somewhat disappointed with our books we have chosen for book club, until THIS ONE. It was so refreshing to read something beautifully written, instead of a page turner with no real redemptive quality. I guess I had been searching for a book with a deeper, immaterial value, rather than just a good story line, and I found it!

On a side note, if "Suite Française" is on the upcoming, 'to-read' book shelf, be sure to keep a little running notebook of the characters {there are many!} and their French titles and French family lines can get some what confusing -- all the madammes and monsiours! Happy, happy reading :)

GoodReads.com

I am just now discovering this very cool site, GoodReads. It is basically a facebook-type set up for readers. It includes reviews, groups, friends, ratings, etc. But my favorite part is being able to post what books I have read and to be able to look at other people's "bookshelves." I am always on the prowl for another good book. And now I have a little more direction :) Feel free to take a look at My Books on my bookshelf. I would also love suggestions for fabulous ones missing from my list!

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

I finished "The Help" this past week and I have nothing but THUMBS UP for this book. It was a super fun and easy page turner; one of those few books that would actually keep me awake at night to read.

"The Help" is set during the Civil Rights Movement (1960's) in Jackson, Mississippi. The chapters switch voices between the black 'help' and a white, determined woman who sees that things are not as they are supposed to be. The character developments are memorable and very believable. Mrs. Stockett, the author, captures the feel of black women, including their views and voices and the fear during the 60's. While reading this book, it seemed as if I could really overhear the help talking in the kitchen and see the obstinate white women demanding more tea.

I had just a few drawbacks to this book (definitely not enough to give it a thumbs down, just a few critiques). After living in South Africa and seeing what Apartheid segregation was like, I have less compassion/understanding for the segregation and in the integration struggle here in the States. As bad as it was here, it just seems strangely overshadowed by the horrors I witnessed and have read about during Apartheid. So perhaps this is not a critique of the book, but rather a desensitization on my part. I also thought that the big picture ending was a bit cliche. No more details, as I do not want to give anything away... but I felt that the end could have pulled through a bit stronger. However, minus the two thoughts, I totally LOVED "The Help" and would definitely recommend it as a fun, easy-read, beach/vacation book :)