Book: The River Between Us
Author: Richard Peck
Like/Don't Like: I hugged it at the end so you know I loved it.
This is exactly the type of book that I love the most. A great story, beautifully told, simple and thoughtful, not too long, and it very much carries you away.
It's about Tilly, a girl from southern Illinois, who meets two mysterious women from New Orleans just as her brother is about to leave for the Civil War. Ugh, war books, am I right? But no, give this a chance. Because it's so lovely.
Anyone who has read Richard Peck (A Year Down Yonder, A Long Way to Chicago) will know what a powerful writer he is without being show-offy. He's not grand in anyway, but his words and phrases and pacing have such a way of putting your right there. There were many times while reading that I forgot that it wasn't real. This book is meant for people who love to read.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Bitterblue
Book: Bitterblue
Author: Kristen Cashore
Like/Don't Like: Liked. A pretty fitting end.
This is the last of the Graceling series and it finished pretty well. Although not as strong as Fire, it fit with the series perfectly.
The last time we saw Bitterblue she was a kid hiding from her murderous father in Graceling. In the 9 years between then and this book she has been crowned the queen and is trying to come to terms with what that means - a very common theme throughout the series. Each of the women in the three books have unique positions and powers and are fearful of using them to their full capacity because they are all easily abused. I loved this idea of emboldening young women to be conscientious of their powers and to use them. I think that's what the series is so strong.
But as a finale I thought Bitterblue could have been stronger. It carried over the theme beautifully and most of my favorite characters were back but the story kind of plodded along at times. There were a lot of extra characters that you didn't know what they were there for until the very end so they seemed to get in the way. But the end did clear everything up nicely. And I love these characters and places a lot. I think I would love it a second time around.
Author: Kristen Cashore
Like/Don't Like: Liked. A pretty fitting end.
This is the last of the Graceling series and it finished pretty well. Although not as strong as Fire, it fit with the series perfectly.
The last time we saw Bitterblue she was a kid hiding from her murderous father in Graceling. In the 9 years between then and this book she has been crowned the queen and is trying to come to terms with what that means - a very common theme throughout the series. Each of the women in the three books have unique positions and powers and are fearful of using them to their full capacity because they are all easily abused. I loved this idea of emboldening young women to be conscientious of their powers and to use them. I think that's what the series is so strong.
But as a finale I thought Bitterblue could have been stronger. It carried over the theme beautifully and most of my favorite characters were back but the story kind of plodded along at times. There were a lot of extra characters that you didn't know what they were there for until the very end so they seemed to get in the way. But the end did clear everything up nicely. And I love these characters and places a lot. I think I would love it a second time around.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Thai Peanut Sauce
I'm going to give you this recipe for Thai peanut sauce because I love you. I think you're wonderful and you're a hard worker and you deserve something delicious in your life. I've made a few different recipes in the past and all of them have been unsatisfactory. Too peanuty or too spicy or too sweet or too thick or not thick enough. So when I came across this one through Pinterest (on this site) I was skeptical but willing. You guys, it's so good that when I took my first taste I jumped up and down for joy. And then I dipped a cucumber in it and passed out. And then I made chicken tacos with this slathered all over it and I licked the plate clean of any that dripped out.
Here. Enjoy.
Here. Enjoy.
- One 13.5-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk (I used the light coconut milk because they were mysteriously out of full-fat. It turned out great.)
- 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
- ¾ cup unsweetened (natural) creamy peanut butter (if you have to use regular peanut butter cut back on the sugar)
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- ½ cup water
Throw everything into a pot. Bring it to a boil then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 3-5 minutes and then let cool. Pour it on everything. Brush your teeth with it. Just stick a straw in a big vat of it and go to town. (While you're shopping for these ingredients you should also get some shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, scallions, cilantro, and cucumbers as you will need these to go with anything that you're putting it on.
Last night at book club I had some out with a bunch of sliced cucumbers and near the end I just took the whole tray and put it on my lap and finished them off. It makes a lot so I just keep it the fridge in glass jars and supposedly it will keep for weeks but I promise you I will not find that out. Tonight I'm going to make Thai pizza with it. Tomorrow it will probably be Thai noodles. I think it would be great on a salad.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Fire
Book: Fire
Author: Kristen Cashore
Like/Don't Like: Wow! Loved!
This is the second book in the Graceling series, even though it has very little to do with Graceling. It's more of a companion piece than a sequel. It's set in a different land with different people (except for one carry-over character) but it has the same feel. Mostly because, I'm pretty sure that Kristen Cashore is a genius. There is something about her writing style that I really appreciate and respond to. She tells a great story without a lot of fluff. And she thinks you're smart. I've read too many books where the author thinks you're an idiot and you won't pick up on anything so they tell you everything. Cashore does not do that. She expects you to go along for the ride and I love that about her.
First, a brief synopsis. Fire is a human monster, the last of her kind in a land that is filled with other monsters. So there are humans and human monsters, and mice and mice monsters, etc. Her monster powers include having really awesome hair and the ability to connect to other creature's minds. She can reach out and read other's thoughts and insert thoughts of her own. Handy. But it she sees the potential for abuse and tries very hard to not let anyone use it for evil, including herself. She has to come to understand what it means to be a monster and a human, and you know, help save the kingdom. It was a fantastic story.
I was really struck by how womanly it was. Fire isn't just a monster she is also a young woman with all the emotions (she's a big crier. I loved her for it.), problems (periods, cramps, leering eyes), and power (motherhood, sisterhood, intuition, nurturing) that comes with being a woman. I didn't really even pick up on it until about halfway through so it's not so in your face about it. But it deals with being a woman in a very refreshing and honest way.
And Fire is just really great. She's seems like such a real character; she thinks and acts like an 18 year old woman probably would, even with her supernatural abilities.
The story takes a lot of twists and turns and there's a lot of coming and going but it's well worth the effort of keeping up.
Author: Kristen Cashore
Like/Don't Like: Wow! Loved!
This is the second book in the Graceling series, even though it has very little to do with Graceling. It's more of a companion piece than a sequel. It's set in a different land with different people (except for one carry-over character) but it has the same feel. Mostly because, I'm pretty sure that Kristen Cashore is a genius. There is something about her writing style that I really appreciate and respond to. She tells a great story without a lot of fluff. And she thinks you're smart. I've read too many books where the author thinks you're an idiot and you won't pick up on anything so they tell you everything. Cashore does not do that. She expects you to go along for the ride and I love that about her.
First, a brief synopsis. Fire is a human monster, the last of her kind in a land that is filled with other monsters. So there are humans and human monsters, and mice and mice monsters, etc. Her monster powers include having really awesome hair and the ability to connect to other creature's minds. She can reach out and read other's thoughts and insert thoughts of her own. Handy. But it she sees the potential for abuse and tries very hard to not let anyone use it for evil, including herself. She has to come to understand what it means to be a monster and a human, and you know, help save the kingdom. It was a fantastic story.
I was really struck by how womanly it was. Fire isn't just a monster she is also a young woman with all the emotions (she's a big crier. I loved her for it.), problems (periods, cramps, leering eyes), and power (motherhood, sisterhood, intuition, nurturing) that comes with being a woman. I didn't really even pick up on it until about halfway through so it's not so in your face about it. But it deals with being a woman in a very refreshing and honest way.
And Fire is just really great. She's seems like such a real character; she thinks and acts like an 18 year old woman probably would, even with her supernatural abilities.
The story takes a lot of twists and turns and there's a lot of coming and going but it's well worth the effort of keeping up.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Graceling
Book: Graceling
Author: Kristin Cashore
Like/Don't Like: Loved! I couldn't put it down. Hooray!
This was what I needed. It's been a lackluster year of reading for me. I just haven't been taken with a book in a long time. So this book was the perfect thing to read at the end of the year to leave me with the Blue Bird of Happiness in my literary heart.
Katsa lives in a land where a small percentage of the people are born with special talents or skills - graced. Hers happens to be that she can kill people. She doesn't relish in it. In the course of the book she meets another graceling who helps her understand her skill better and they go off and save a few people. The writing is fantastic. It zips along and keeps you wanting more. The characters seem believable enough - especially for a fantasy novel, which I often times find hard to stomach. And it was a great story told well, which all I ever want from a book.
Author: Kristin Cashore
Like/Don't Like: Loved! I couldn't put it down. Hooray!
This was what I needed. It's been a lackluster year of reading for me. I just haven't been taken with a book in a long time. So this book was the perfect thing to read at the end of the year to leave me with the Blue Bird of Happiness in my literary heart.
Katsa lives in a land where a small percentage of the people are born with special talents or skills - graced. Hers happens to be that she can kill people. She doesn't relish in it. In the course of the book she meets another graceling who helps her understand her skill better and they go off and save a few people. The writing is fantastic. It zips along and keeps you wanting more. The characters seem believable enough - especially for a fantasy novel, which I often times find hard to stomach. And it was a great story told well, which all I ever want from a book.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Les Miserables
Movie: Les Miserables
Like/Don't Like: Really liked, with just a few exceptions
Like just about everyone else on the planet, I love this musical. I've seen it on the stage 3 times. I grew up listening to the soundtrack over and over and over again. I once went to a show tunes singalong and the moment of belting out I Dreamed a Dream with a few hundred other nerds holds a very special place in my memory. I also love the book a lot. I think it's a perfect story. So I was excited for this movie to come out and naturally I have a lot to say. To the list!
1.) I didn't hate Anne Hathaway. Everybody knows that she's not my favorite actress, and when I found out that she was playing Fantine my initial reaction was, "Ugh. Of course she is! I'd like to spit now, please." but I went in with an open mind because I genuinely wanted to like her so that I could like the movie on a whole. So I think that it shows real growth that there were only a few moments when I thought, "Oh, GIVE ME A BREAK ANNE HATHAWAY!" She sang her song, and all in one long shot and on key, which you have to give her props for, and then she died and we all moved on. Side note: I think the short hair suits her. It has turned her into the edgy waife she's always wanted to be.
2.) Do not see this with expectations of awesome singing. These are not trained singers who can act, like you would see on the stage. These are trained actors who can sing. Nearly all of them are outmatched by the songs. So just be prepared for Marius to sound like Kermit the Frog at times. And Javert to be so understated that you wonder if someone should check for a pulse. That being said - they all sang well. And live. They were not recorded in the studio and then dubbed in but actually recorded live as they were filming, and that takes a lot of skill. And what they lack in vocal power they make up for in performance. Except for Russell Crowe. They could have put epaulets on an animatron and you would have seen the same performance.
3.) Be prepared to see a lot of pores because this was shot almost entirely in close-up. Which was great for the really intimate songs but dreadful for the big numbers when all you want to see are waving flags and rifles being thrust in the air and not actors with their mouths wide open sustaining a note. I mean, I love Hugh Jackman but I don't need to see how many freckles he has on his nose.
4.) So I would have made different casting and directorial decisions. But I can't complain too much because it's Les Miserables. The story is so powerful and the music is so breathtaking that even if it was nothing but close-ups of Anne Hathaway's nostrils (which sometimes it was) I still would have loved it. What I'm saying is it's hard to go wrong with this. And it's hard to not get swept up in the whole thing. I wept like a baby at the end. And at the beginning. And parts in the middle. And I had to stop myself from singing along with Do You Hear the People Sing. I really appreciated the authenticity they were going for and I felt like they captured the drama grandness of the stage production while still giving us an intimate film.
Like/Don't Like: Really liked, with just a few exceptions
Like just about everyone else on the planet, I love this musical. I've seen it on the stage 3 times. I grew up listening to the soundtrack over and over and over again. I once went to a show tunes singalong and the moment of belting out I Dreamed a Dream with a few hundred other nerds holds a very special place in my memory. I also love the book a lot. I think it's a perfect story. So I was excited for this movie to come out and naturally I have a lot to say. To the list!
1.) I didn't hate Anne Hathaway. Everybody knows that she's not my favorite actress, and when I found out that she was playing Fantine my initial reaction was, "Ugh. Of course she is! I'd like to spit now, please." but I went in with an open mind because I genuinely wanted to like her so that I could like the movie on a whole. So I think that it shows real growth that there were only a few moments when I thought, "Oh, GIVE ME A BREAK ANNE HATHAWAY!" She sang her song, and all in one long shot and on key, which you have to give her props for, and then she died and we all moved on. Side note: I think the short hair suits her. It has turned her into the edgy waife she's always wanted to be.
2.) Do not see this with expectations of awesome singing. These are not trained singers who can act, like you would see on the stage. These are trained actors who can sing. Nearly all of them are outmatched by the songs. So just be prepared for Marius to sound like Kermit the Frog at times. And Javert to be so understated that you wonder if someone should check for a pulse. That being said - they all sang well. And live. They were not recorded in the studio and then dubbed in but actually recorded live as they were filming, and that takes a lot of skill. And what they lack in vocal power they make up for in performance. Except for Russell Crowe. They could have put epaulets on an animatron and you would have seen the same performance.
3.) Be prepared to see a lot of pores because this was shot almost entirely in close-up. Which was great for the really intimate songs but dreadful for the big numbers when all you want to see are waving flags and rifles being thrust in the air and not actors with their mouths wide open sustaining a note. I mean, I love Hugh Jackman but I don't need to see how many freckles he has on his nose.
4.) So I would have made different casting and directorial decisions. But I can't complain too much because it's Les Miserables. The story is so powerful and the music is so breathtaking that even if it was nothing but close-ups of Anne Hathaway's nostrils (which sometimes it was) I still would have loved it. What I'm saying is it's hard to go wrong with this. And it's hard to not get swept up in the whole thing. I wept like a baby at the end. And at the beginning. And parts in the middle. And I had to stop myself from singing along with Do You Hear the People Sing. I really appreciated the authenticity they were going for and I felt like they captured the drama grandness of the stage production while still giving us an intimate film.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Gone With The Wind
Book: Gone With The Wind
Author: Margaret Mitchell
Like/Don't Like: Like. Although I would have liked it more if were half the length.
Much like Sherman's march to Atlanta, reading this book was a long slog. But it in the end it was mostly worth it. There's always something rewarding in reading a grand and epic novel. Because it's so vast I'm going to need a list to capture most of my opinions:
1.) Scarlett O'Hara is a moron. And I spent 900 pages wishing she would just shut it because every time she opened her mouth she said something dumb. She was selfish and conniving and dumb as a box of nails. She was also spirited and brave and quick, which saved her a bit in my eyes. I wish that she had evolved a little throughout but she stayed the same almost the whole way through. It wasn't until the very end that I started feeling sympathy for her and that still wasn't enough to make me wish for a different ending. She got what she deserved.
2.) Rhett Butler is the best kind of anti-hero. Confident, unapologetic, roguish, handsome, mustachioed. If he weren't such a cad he'd be a dream.
3.) I thought the writing was effortless. Margaret Mitchell knew this world perfectly and it was fascinating to read about a time and place from such a insider point of view. I never got tired of reading about it, which is saying something. I especially loved how she treated her characters. She never blamed nor excused her characters flaws. Because of that she had some truly profound insights into human nature.
4.) Oh, those Yankees. Always coming around to burn something down. Like all wars, the Civil War was much more complicated than we think it was. So I appreciated getting the South's side of the story. However, the most tedious part of the book was all the history thrown in. It kind of got in the way of the story.
5.) I had to keep reminding myself that this was a book written by a southerner in the 1930s about the Civil War from a southerner's point of view. So I had to kind of gloss over the INCREDIBLY OFFENSIVE ideas about blacks and women. I cringed a lot.
6.) As far as an epic goes, this was a good one. When things were winding down I could think back to the glorious early days at Tara with fondness and see how far all the characters had come. It was a satisfying read.
Author: Margaret Mitchell
Like/Don't Like: Like. Although I would have liked it more if were half the length.
Much like Sherman's march to Atlanta, reading this book was a long slog. But it in the end it was mostly worth it. There's always something rewarding in reading a grand and epic novel. Because it's so vast I'm going to need a list to capture most of my opinions:
1.) Scarlett O'Hara is a moron. And I spent 900 pages wishing she would just shut it because every time she opened her mouth she said something dumb. She was selfish and conniving and dumb as a box of nails. She was also spirited and brave and quick, which saved her a bit in my eyes. I wish that she had evolved a little throughout but she stayed the same almost the whole way through. It wasn't until the very end that I started feeling sympathy for her and that still wasn't enough to make me wish for a different ending. She got what she deserved.
2.) Rhett Butler is the best kind of anti-hero. Confident, unapologetic, roguish, handsome, mustachioed. If he weren't such a cad he'd be a dream.
3.) I thought the writing was effortless. Margaret Mitchell knew this world perfectly and it was fascinating to read about a time and place from such a insider point of view. I never got tired of reading about it, which is saying something. I especially loved how she treated her characters. She never blamed nor excused her characters flaws. Because of that she had some truly profound insights into human nature.
4.) Oh, those Yankees. Always coming around to burn something down. Like all wars, the Civil War was much more complicated than we think it was. So I appreciated getting the South's side of the story. However, the most tedious part of the book was all the history thrown in. It kind of got in the way of the story.
5.) I had to keep reminding myself that this was a book written by a southerner in the 1930s about the Civil War from a southerner's point of view. So I had to kind of gloss over the INCREDIBLY OFFENSIVE ideas about blacks and women. I cringed a lot.
6.) As far as an epic goes, this was a good one. When things were winding down I could think back to the glorious early days at Tara with fondness and see how far all the characters had come. It was a satisfying read.
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