Something to Brighten Your Day...

Quote Wednesday - Twain

Shut the door -- not that it lets in the cold, but that it lets out the coziness. -- Mark Twain

To be honest, I'm kind of missing the cold and snow.  (I said kind of)  Wearing a light jacket with short sleeves, just isn't the same as snuggling up in a cozy sweater with a mug of hot tea.  I may be missing it a bit, but I am grateful for feeling comfortable consistently.  I'll be back in Indiana for Christmas where I'm sure I'll get my fill of cold.

Readathon Day #3

Pages read today: 213 (Chocolate) and 259 (Social Q's)

Pages read total: 1338

Time read today: 1 hour 34 minutes

Time read total: 9 hours 51 minutes

Comments: I got a bit distracted today.  First I was greeted with the maintenance man to finally fix the water bubbles in our ceiling.  He created too much noise and nonsense to get any proper reading done.  And he was here for at least 4 hours (and he has to come back tomorrow).  After he left, the paint fumes were giving me a headache.  Finally I say down to read properly, but then I remembered that I was intending to do my Book of Lists post today.  So I scrambled around and finished that.

Hours later, I actually sat down and picked up two books: Chocolate and Social Q's.  Quick reads.  One good, the other not so much.  Tomorrow I'll probably go back to fiction for awhile.

Social Q's by Philip Galanes

Title: Social Q's: How to Survive the Quirks, Quandaries, and Quagmires of Today

Author: Philip Galanes

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 2011

Genre: Nonfiction -- Etiquette

Pages: 259

Rating:  2 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Dewey -- 390s; Fall into Reading; A to Z -- Q

How I Got It: Library loan

A cornerstone of The New York Times’s Styles section, Philip Galanes confronts today’s most awkward and pressing questions with laugh-out-loud dish and practical wisdom. Not only about the new ways to thank a friend for throwing you a bridal shower, or how to deal with a noisy neighbor, but also how to navigate a new age crowded with Tweets, twits, OMGs, and WTFs, Social Q’s is a knockout book that will guide you swiftly through the treacherous terrain of modern etiquette—and keep you laughing for days.

I've decided that after reading this book, I am just not a fan of etiquette/advice books or columns.  I found most of his methods silly and most of the questions ridiculous.  Not a fan at all.

Chocolate by Shara Aaron and Monica Bearden

Title: Chocolate: A Healthy Passion

Author: Shara Aaron and Monica Bearden

Publisher: Prometheus Books 2008

Genre: Nonfiction -- Food

Pages: 213

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mixing It Up -- Food; Fall into Reading; Color Coded -- Brown

How I Got It: Library Loan

The world loves chocolate and chances are, with the majority of the population saying their favorite flavor is chocolate, you do too. This enjoyable book will serve to deepen, not only your love, but also your understanding of chocolate.Some may think that chocolate is simply a treat, something that satisfies a sweet tooth. After reading this truly pleasurable and educational account by two leading nutritionists, you will agree that chocolate is much more than that. You will discover it encompasses a culture, a cuisine, a treatment, and much more!

I went to the library to grab some food related book to finish my challenge.  At first I was thinking food travel memoir or a bio of a great chef, but then I spied this gem on the shelf.  A book about chocolate?  How could I resist?  While it does contain a fair amount of recipes involving chocolate, by favorite sections was all about the history and spread of chocolate.  I knew about the Aztecs and Mayans enjoying an ancient version of hot chocolate, but loved hearing more about its place in their cultures.  Although less enjoyable, I still found the detailed process of making chocolate interesting.  If I was a better and more patient cook, I would totally try these recipes.  As it is, I did enjoy a nice cup of raspberry hot chocolate while reading.

And with this book, I have now completed the Mixing It Up Reading Challenge!  Woohoo!

Top Ten Tuesday -- Santa Please Bring

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We’d love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

Here's my Christmas wish list this year:

1. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

2. Reached by Ally Condie

3. City of Lost Souls, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

4. The Twelve by Justin Cronin

5. The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

6. Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

7. Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire

8. Empress of Rome by Kate Quinn

9. A Lady Most Willing by Julia Quinn

10. Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Readathon Day #2

Pages read today: 526 (Arthurian Romances) and 243 (Not Quite What I was Planning)

Pages read total: 866

Time read today: 6 hours 40 minutes + 45 minutes

Time read total: 8 hours 17 minutes

Comments: By completing Arthurian Romances, I knocked out another 2012 Reading Challenge.  I am loving my prospects this year.  And It was even a good book...  Plus a great slim volume of life and writing.  This might have been my crazy day of reading for the week, but I am really happy with my progress so far.

Not Quite What I was Planning edited by Smith Magazine

Title: Not Quite What I was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure

Edited by: Smith Magazine

Publisher: Smith Magazine 2008

Genre: Nonfiction -- Memoirs

Pages: 243

Rating:  5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Dewey -- 920s; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: Library loan

One Life. Six Words. What's Yours?

When Hemingway famously wrote, "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn," he proved that an entire story can be told using a half dozen words. When the online storytelling magazine SMITH asked readers to submit six-word memoirs, they proved a whole, real life can be told this way too. The results are fascinating, hilarious, shocking, and moving.  From small sagas of bittersweet romance to proud achievements and stinging regrets, these terse true tales relate the diversity of human experience in tasty bite-sized pieces.

Such a slim volume filled with great and not-so-great lives.  I sped through this, but loved every minute of it.  Upon finishing, I went back and reread some of my favorites.  Some of this are great expressions of joy, some are tragedies in few words.  I didn't initially understand the power six words could have, but I am now a convert.  This is an amazing project.  One I will be revisiting in the future.  Here are my top ten choices (in no particular order):

• Fourteen years old, story still untold. -- David Gidwani
• Time heals all wounds?  Not quite. -- Jonathan Miles
• Now I blog and drink wine. -- Peter Bartlett
• I take photographs.  I see life. -- Daniel James
• Hiding in apartment knitting against depression. -- Laurie White
• Oh sweet nectar of life, coffee. -- Daniel Axenty
• I colored out of the lines. -- Jacob Thomas
• Woman with man's name--thanks, parents. -- Curtis Sittenfeld
• Well, I thought it was funny.  -- Stephen Colbert
• Can't read all the time.  Bummer. -- Rina Bander

And after much debate, here's mine:  Still grieving for a lost life.

Check out more at the website Six Word Memoirs.

Arthurian Romances by Chretien de Troyes

Title: Arthurian Romances

Author: Chretien de Troyes

Genre: Classics

Pages: 526

Rating:  4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Classics - Translated; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I own it

Chrétien de Troyes was a French poet and trouvère who flourished in the late 12th century. His work on Arthurian subjects represents some of the best regarded of medieval literature. His use of structure, particular in Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, has been seen as a step towards the modern novel. Chrétien's five romances together form the most complete expression from a single author of the ideals of French chivalry.

I have read various retellings of the stories of ancient Britain, but I never read the definitive source.  All that changed today.  Reading the introduction, I learned that de Troyes seems to have had ties to the Marie, the Countess of Champagne (daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine) and King Philip.  Of course he had such royal patronage.  It explains his writings' survival to this day.  I finally dug in and completed de Troyes work of five tales of romance and chivalry.

• Erec and Enide -- This story of bravery and romance felt very flat to me.  I just couldn't get behind Erec and Enide's love story.  To me, he didn't sacrifice anything for his love.  Hmmm... on to the next.
• Cliges -- A tale of adultery that ends well.  Not the most romantic story of all time.  I did enjoy the discussions of the adventures by both Cliges and his father, Alexander.
• Lancelot -- Ah Lancelot.  The beloved of Guinevere and best friend of King Arthur.  According to Wikipedia, this is the first story that mentions Camelot and the affair between Guinevere and Lancelot.  Growing up I always thought these two were idiots for sneaking around the betraying Arthur who did nothing but support and love them.  Reading the "original" story, I still have issues with the "love" depicted.  It just doesn't sit well with me.
• Yvain -- After stupidity forgetting his wife, Laudine, Yvain must prove himself and his love to her.  I do like the motif of redemption in this story.  Worth a read.
• Perceval -- This one was left unfinished by de Troyes.  Supposedly he died before finishing the poem.  At any rate, the first story of the quest for the Holy Grail was a great start.  Unfortunately we don't get de Troyes version of an ending, although there are many out there.

Overall, I am really glad that I finally picked up this volume of stories.  It renewed my interest in myths and fairy tales after some disastrous previous reads.  I might even have to read Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur next year.  We'll see...

Music Monday -- Favorite Christmas Carols Part 1

It's December.  Time to pull out the holiday music.  I thought I would share my all-time favorite Christmas carols.  I've even pinpointed my favorite versions of my favorite carols.  Part 1 of 3.

"White Christmas" by Bing Crosby -- The classic song sung by the classic singer.  While I prefer Holiday Inn over White Christmas, I prefer this song.

"Blue Christmas" by Elvis -- Another classic song by a classic singer.  There are many other versions of Blue Christmas, but I always go back to Elvis.

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings"  by Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan -- A fun uptempo mash-up for you.  This is so upbeat I can't help but feel better after listening.

"The Chanukah Song" by Adam Sandler -- A funny song to enjoy.

"Little Drummer Boy" by Jars of Clay -- Another classic song done in a more modern version.

Readathon Day #1

Pages read today: 97 of Bridge of Scarlet Leaves

Pages read total: 97

Time read today: 52

Time read total: 52

Comments: I had such high hopes for today.  Then J convinced me to go out last night and get Lego Lord of the Rings.  And my idea for reading most of the day just went out the window.  I finished the book I started two days ago, so that's something.  Tomorrow should be a much better day for reading.

Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristina McMorris

Title: Bridge of Scarlet Leaves

Author: Kristina McMorris

Publisher: Kensington 2012

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 438

Rating:   5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading; What's in a Name - Topographical Map

How I Got It: I own it

Los Angeles. 1941. Violinist Maddie Kern's life seemed destined to unfold with the predictable elegance of a Bach concerto. Then she fell in love with Lane Moritomo. Her brother's best friend, Lane is the handsome, ambitious son of Japanese immigrants. Maddie was prepared for disapproval from their families, but when Pearl Harbor is bombed the day after she and Lane elope, the full force of their decision becomes apparent. In the eyes of a fearful nation, Lane is no longer just an outsider, but an enemy.

When her husband is interned at a war relocation camp, Maddie follows, sacrificing her Juilliard ambitions. Behind barbed wire, tension simmers and the line between patriot and traitor blurs. As Maddie strives for the hard-won acceptance of her new family, Lane risks everything to prove his allegiance to America, at tremendous cost.

This book killed me.  I was in tears by the end.  It's not that hard to see where the book is going, but I was still in tears by the end.  McMorris weaves a tragic story set in the tumultuous world of WWII.  I love how researched this book is.  I can tell that McMorris really delved deep into the various events and groups in WWII.  And that thought was verified in her acknowledgements sections.  A must read for history fans that don't mind a bit of fiction with their history.

The Sunday Salon #36

I didn't post last Sunday as I was visiting family back in Indiana.  I'm back home and ready to blog a bit more...

Listening To: Instead of music, I've been listening to podcasts these past two weeks.  Specifically I've been enjoying the archives of The Ood Cast.  All Doctor Who, All the Time!  They are the right mix of geek and weird.  The podcasts were especially nice during the plane rides when my eyes were too tired to read.

Books finished:

• Othello
• Pericles
• As You Like It
• Cymbeline
• The Martian Chronicles
• Poems of Emily Dickinson
•  Mythology
• A Wrinkle in Time
• The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott
• Bridge of Scarlet Leaves
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Reading: ????  Check back with me in 5 minutes

On the Nightstand: Suite Francaise by irene Nemirovsky, Arthurian Romances by Chretien de Troyes, The Firemaster's Mistress by Dickason, The Magician King by Lev Grossman

MakingLists: Grocery list.  There was a strange hodge podge of food in the house when I came back, so I had to eventually go to the grocery store.  Now we have stuff to actually make food.

Around the house: I came home to a very clean reorganized house thanks to J.  Amazing!  And thank goodness because we had people over on Wednesday night for a going away party.  After a lovely dinner out, we came back to play Ticket to Ride and Apples to Apples.  I do love me some board games!

Crafting: Nothing.  But I'm definitely ready to get back into it.

Watching: I finally finished Heroes after what seems like years.  I kept getting stuck in Season 3, but I've finally moved through.  It definitely picked up in the last season, so not all bad.  Coming back to California, we caught up on basically a month's worth of tv shows.  Next up: to finish Stargate Universe.

From Nature: I seem to have brought the gloom and rain back from Indiana.  But at least it's in the 60s.

Shopping Scores: I didn't go out on Black Friday but I did shop from the comfort of my couch.  I snapped up a few things for mom, J, and the boys.  Plus, I got penny prints from Snapfish and a Groupon for Toys R Us.  Very happy with my haul.

November 2012 Wrap-Up

Books Read and Reviewed (16 books)

1. The Girl from Junchow by Kate Furnivall
2. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
4. The Jewel of St. Petersburg by Kate Furnivall
5. An Offer You Can't Refuse by Jill Mansell
6. Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott
7. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
8. As You Like It by William Shakespeare
9. Pericles by William Shakespeare
10. Othello by William Shakespeare
11. Cymbeline by William Shakespeare
12. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
13. Poems of Emily Dickinson
14. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
15. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
16. Mythology by Edith Hamilton

1,000,000 Page Goal

Monthly Total: 4459 pages
Pages Remaining: 892,721 pages

Current Read

• The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
• The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees
• The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins

Books Won (3)

• A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano from Library Thing's Early Reviewers
• The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter from Cathy at Addicted to Books
• The Velveteen by Daniel Marks from Becky at Stories and Sweets

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Challenges Completed

• Shakespeare Reading Challenge -- 12 plays in a year.  3 histories, 3 tragedies, 3 comedies.  Overall I enjoyed the challenge, but at this point, I definitely need something else.
• Telling Tales -- This was a much more difficult challenge to finish, but I finally did it.
• Science Fiction -- Mixed results in my enjoyment, but some good reads.
• Books2Movies -- Twenty books made into movies.  This challenge will be on the list for next year.

Comments

November was awesome!   I knocked out three reading challenges and over 4000 pages.  Traveling to Indiana for Thanksgiving allowed me a ton of time for reading on planes and in airports.  And I used my iPad to read most of those books.  I'm hoping to finish at least four more reading challenges in December and finish 2012 out with a bang!

Next Month's TBR -- Last chance to knock out those reading challenges

• The Magician King by Lev Grossman
• The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (about halfway through)
• The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
• The Firemaster's Mistress by Dickason
• Arthurian Romances by Chretien de Troyes
• Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
• The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees
• Some book about food...
• The Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristin McMorris
• More nonfiction?

Readathon -- Starting Line

From the Book Drunkard:

With the end of the year upon us (and coming too quickly, in my opinion!), I looked at my stack of books and decided that there is no better way to make a dent in my TBR pile than to host a read-a-thon!  I will admit, I’ve been a bit in a ‘reading funk’ lately, and I need something to jump start me.

So, it’s pretty simple.  Sign up on this post with the number of books you plan on reading during the week of December 2 – 8.  You can even leave a list of books you’re reading!  If enough people sign up, there will be a prize, so tell your friends!  Leave a link to your read-a-thon blog post (if you have one) but you don’t need one to participate.

The more the merrier!  Let’s get together, cheer each other on and try to read our reading goals before the end of 2012.

My goals:

• Read at least 5 books
• Review all books read
• Read at least 2 hours a day

My TBR pile (what I need to read to finish my 2012 challenges):

• Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
• The Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristin McMorris
• Arthurian Romances by Chretien de Troyes
• The Magician King by Lev Grossman
• The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (about halfway through)
• The Firemaster's Mistress by Dickason
• Living History by Hilary Rodham Clinton

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick / Blade Runnner

Title: Do Android Dream of Electric Sheep?

Author: Philip K. Dick

Publisher: Del Ray Books 1968

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 190

Rating:  5/5 stars  Movie:  5/5

Reading Challenges: Science Fiction; Book 2 Movie: Mount TBR; Fall into Reading; My Years -- 1982 (for the movie)

How I Got It: Own it

By 2021, the World War had killed millions, driving entire species into extinction and sending mankind off-planet. Those who remained coveted any living creature, and for people who couldn't afford one, companies built incredibly realistic simulacrae: horses, birds, cats, sheep. . . They even built humans.

Emigrées to Mars received androids so sophisticated it was impossible to tell them from true men or women. Fearful of the havoc these artificial humans could wreak, the government banned them from Earth. But when androids didn't want to be identified, they just blended in.

Rick Deckard was an officially sanctioned bounty hunter whose job was to find rogue androids, and to retire them. But cornered, androids tended to fight back, with deadly results.

Book

Another science fiction book that tempted me but with trepidations.  I haven't had the best luck with previous science fiction, but this one exceeded my expectations.  I immediately connected with the character of Rick and his struggles to be a success in this destroyed world.  This book was very character driven.  I loved the complexity involved.  Plus we get an interesting discussion on humanity and ethics.  The two Rachaels were a nice touch.  Definitely a must read for me.

Favorite quote:

“Empathy, he once had decided, must be limited to herbivores or anyhow omnivores who could depart from a meat diet. Because, ultimatley, the emphatic gift blurred the boundaries between hunter and victim, between the successful and the defeated. As in the fusion with Mercer, everyone ascended together or, when the cycle had come to an end, fell together into the trough of the tomb world. Oddly, it resembled a sort of biological insurance, but double-edged. As long as some creature experienced joy, then the condition for all other creatures included a fragment of joy. However, if any living being suffered, then for all the rest the shadow could not be entirely cast off. A herd animal such as man would acquire a higher survival factor through this; an owl or a cobra would be destroyed.” Page 27

Movie

I love the world building in this movie.  Everything is fantastical, but very lived in and run down.  The look just gets me.  And the special effects are still amazing even 30 years after.  While liberties are taken with the story, it makes sense in the world that Dick created.  The actors are all amazing and just perfect for their roles.  I especially love Sean Young's Rachael.  She was my favorite character from the book and she's my favorite character in the movie.  Overall, I just really enjoy this one.  And they got rid of Deckard's wife, which definitely livened up the pacing.