Summer Reading List

Books. Books. More books. A big part of summer is the reading, don't you think? It seems like so many more books come out in the spring and summer--at least the one's that are on my list. My summer reading list this year is long, somewhat beachy (as in, nothing too high brow or intellectual. Because sometimes you just don't have time for that, you know?).

So here's my list in case you need any ideas...some of these I've read, some are sitting in a pile waiting to be read, and others will be coming as soon as I move my way up the library waiting list for them. Yep, that's how cool I am--I am on waiting lists at the library for a bunch of books :)

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

I started this one a few days ago and so far so good. It follows a group of six characters from the age of fifteen, when they meet at a summer camp, all the way through middle age. The characters are all brilliant and clever--traits that they are terribly aware of as teenagers and makes them endearing but obnoxious. Some of them lose their belief in their own "interestingness" over time while others hold onto it too tightly, and yet others were never quite aware of it in the first place. I'm eager to see how they all turn out.

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham
This was written by Lauren Graham the actress--as in the one who was on Gilmore Girls and Parenthood. At first I was skeptical, which was admittedly judgmental to assume that an actress wouldn't be a very good writer (but let's consider other actresses who have penned books and admit that you probably had the same hang-ups. Tori Spelling, anyone?). But after reading several good reviews I decided to give it a shot and was glad I did. I finished it quickly and it was absolutely worth my time. Reinventing the wheel of fiction it does not, but it's everything that a good summer read ought to be.

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
I just picked this one up and while I've heard nothing but fantastic reviews about it I'm having a hard time getting motivated to read it. The subject matter is pretty intense, as the story centers around a mother trying to find out what happened after her daughter Amelia allegedly commits suicide. The mother is consumed by grief and soon after received an anonymous message that tells her Amelia didn't die the way everyone has been led to believe, which starts the mother on a journey to figure out the truth. I will read it, I just know I'll need something lighter to read immediately after.

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
This is another title that I can't get away from--the reviews are everywhere and they're all telling me that this is the "must read" book of the summer. This is one of those books that seems hard to summarize in a way that would make you want to read it, so just check out the summary for yourself here. They did a better job than I could. If I tried to explain it the woman upstairs would probably just sound straight up crazy.

The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan
J. Courtney Sullivan has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I read her first two books, Commencement and Maine, which came out in the summers of 2010 and 2012, respectively. Both of those books were excellent--I highly recommend if you haven't already read them. I haven't started this one yet but it's already gotten great reviews. The book spans 100 years, telling four separate stories of couples who are all connected by the hopes, failures, and expectations of marriage and symbolic stones that come with them.

No One Could Have Guessed the Weather by Anne-Marie Casey
I stumbled upon this one accidentally when I read a review that started with "If you loved The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing you'll love this." Since I am supposed to love this book, based on that description, I have it in my "to read" pile. This would fall into the more "beach read" category, but it's basically a coming of age story for women who aren't really in the right decade to be coming of age.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I've actually had this one my list for almost a year now. My sister-in-law read it and then found it at a library book sale and bought it for me last summer but I have yet to pick it up, despite it's almost unanimous glow of reviews and the fact that it's being made into a movie right now. I typically stay away from all titles in the "popular young adult" category (I'm looking at you, Twilight and Hunger Games). But this one sounds much more intriguing and there are no vampires. So there's that. My problem is again the heavy subject matter and the fact that I know this is going to make me sad--the story centers around Hazel, a terminal cancer patient (See? How could this possibly be uplifting at all??) and her unexpected romance with Augustus, a boy she meets in a cancer support group. That's all I know, because I've avoided reading any kind of spoilers or in depth summaries. After I read it and finish crying I'll let you know how it was.

The Potty Mouth at the Table by Laurie Notaro

I discovered Laurie Notaro a few years ago when I picked up one of her books on a whim at the library. It was hysterical, so I ended up requesting just about everything she's ever written. She writes non-fiction stories about her life and the situations she finds herself in--kind of like a female David Sedaris but much less reserved. Her stories are laugh out loud funny and if you need a pick-me-up read anything by her. A good starting place is It Looked Different on the Model or We Thought You Would Be Prettier: True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive.

Exploring Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris
And speaking of David Sedaris, here's a new one from the man himself. It had been awhile since he wrote anything new and this one does not disappoint. It's not as collectively funny as some of his other stuff, but still worth a read. If you're new to David Sedaris, start with Me Talk Pretty One Day or When You Are Engulfed in Flames.

Life After Life by Jill McCorkle
This one popped up on my Amazon list of recommendations so I requested it from the library. I haven't started it yet, but it is set in a retirement center and, as the summary puts it, "illuminates the possibilities of second chances, hope, and rediscovering life right up to the very end. She has conjured an entire community that reminds us that grace and magic can—and do—appear when we least expect it." (quote taken here, click for full summary).


So that's my list...what are you reading this summer?

~Stacy

Blog Updates and a Book List

I have a few quick blog updates to mention: the blog now has its own Facebook page. I experimented with deactivating my personal account, which was a nice break. I've recently made several contacts with people who do similar work (art, photography, sewing, blogging, etc.) and I have learned a few things about how to make Facebook a useful tool, rather than just a place where I read about who ate sushi for dinner or who hates Mondays. So I reactivated my personal account and created a separate page just for the blog that you can find by clicking here.  I would love it if you'd go to the Facebook page and click the "Like" button!

Another change: I've started watermarking my photos. I don't do it to every single one, but from now on I will be including the watermark on any photo that I spend any editing time on and any photo that includes my child. To my knowledge, I haven't been the victim of any copyright or theft issues but I also can see from my Google stats that my page views are increasing and there are a few sources that seem a little questionable (places that sound spammy) and I want to make sure my work stays mine. Also, while Pinterest is a great way to share photos and blog ideas, it is very easy for the original source to get lost along the way. Watermarks help ensure credit is given to the correct source if that should happen to anything pinned from my site.

Whew, enough shop talk, let's move on to something else.

Have you got any Valentine's Day plans? We're celebrating on Saturday, but we don't actually have a plan in place yet--other than dropping Charlotte off at my parents' for the night. I'm thinking Little Italy sounds good. Our favorite place there is Trattoria on the Hill. I'm in the mood for some serious Italian food and Trattoria is soooo good (and cheap!). A few doors down is a fantastic bakery called Presti's. You haven't tried a cannoli until you've tried theirs--chocolate covered, no less.

I've been reading a lot lately...more than usual (when I'm not fiendishly making makeup bags, that is). Chad bought me a subscription to a new service our library offers called Book Bundle. Each subscriber fills out a detailed profile about their reading preferences (favorite authors, recently read books, books they loved, books they hated, etc.) and a bundle of three books arrives on their doorstep every month. The library Book Bundle team has access to each subscriber's checkout history, so no worries about getting something that I've already read. So far I love it. It's a great way to try out new books and authors, and it's really fun to get a box of books on my doorstep every month (wrapped up in paper and bound with twine, by the way).

Here are some of the things I've read recently that I enjoyed, in case you need some ideas:

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

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Wild is one of those books that's super interesting and addictive, but one you must walk away from periodically because it's intense. The author, Cheryl Strayed, tells the true story of when she was in her mid-20s and had already lived a life of enough grief, heartache, and questionable decisions as someone four times her age. She embarks on a solo hike through the Pacific Crest Trail (without any previous hiking experience, mind you) and learns a lot about herself and her future along the way. She weaves her past in with her hiking journey so you get snippets at a time, which makes it all the more addictive. I read it in two days, and not because it's short (it isn't).

The Last Letter from Your Lover by JoJo Moyes

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I had never heard of this author, JoJo Moyes, until about a month ago when I read a review of her newest book (the next one on this list, actually). It turns out she's a magnificent story teller and this book was an excellent mix of history, love story, and suspense. The author tells two stories--one from the 1960s and another from 2003, and uses letters exchanged between different characters to guide the stories and ultimately link them together. I think this was one of the best books I've read in the past year!

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

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Me Before You, also by JoJo Moyes, was just as good as the last but in completely different ways. This story is part friendship, part love story, but with a much heavier subject matter and will leave the reader emotionally spent by the end. I'm not spoiling anything by saying that--the book is about a young woman who is desperately searching for a job that will help provide funds to her financially struggling family. That job ends up being as the caregiver and companion to a young man who was recently severely injured in a vehicle accident and is now a quadriplegic. She comes to realize that the job is much more than what she signed up for, and I guarantee the book will hook you and render you helpless until you're finished. This is definitely not a light and frothy beach read, but don't let that deter you. Just know what you're getting yourself into :)

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

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This book just arrived in my newest book bundle and I haven't started it yet--but I've heard tons of good things about it. And it has almost a 5/5 star rating on Amazon (out of almost 600 reviews) which is pretty impressive.

I Gave My Heart to Know This by Ellen Baker

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I'd never heard of Ellen Baker, but checked this book out of the library on a whim because I liked the shoes on the cover. Don't judge me. Anyhow, this story is set in 1944 and is based around a group of women working on a shipyard for the war effort. Their stories are woven together and fascinating, and this was overall a good read. The only downside was the ending...I wasn't crazy about it, but the rest of the story up until the very end was great.

What have you read recently? I'd love some more recommendations!!

Happy Reading!

~Stacy

Book List: Childhood & Young Adult Classics

Yeah yeah, this is another post on books. I can't help myself, plus I'm stuck in the middle of a new project that isn't blog ready yet and the ones I've just finished are all Christmas presents for people who read this blog, so can't post those either. I don't have any fun pictures to share since I haven't charged my camera battery in almost a week. Even if I had it wouldn't be put to great use since Charlotte is teething and unless you want pictures of a baby who's ticked off and tired, no photos today.

Howard, on the other hand? Always photo ready:

In this particular shot, he was both tired and ashamed. The tiredness was from his new favorite activity: football. He has a semi-deflated football (from somewhere, as I do not recall purchasing a football ever in my life) that he plays fetch with and loves almost as much as Frisbee. The shame came from the scolding he'd just gotten for barking his head off at the neighbors who were hanging their Christmas lights. I don't know what it was about the sight of a lit wreath and some twinkly garland that upset him so intensely (and loudly), but it did. He has since calmed down and decided that Christmas decor is not, after all, the root of all evil.

Anyhow, books. I haven't gone to the library recently and was on a bit of a book drought. Now that we have the built-ins I am constantly looking at all of the books I own and haven't read in a long time, so I thought it might be a good idea to reread some old favorites. I narrowed it down to books I liked when I was younger and haven't read in forever, ones that I kept because they're great (classics, in my mind) but also because I want Charlotte to have them when she's older. Here's my list:

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (the whole series)

My mom gave me the first few books in this series when I was younger, around 8 or 9 years old. I read them all and enjoyed them but wanted to revisit the series as an adult since I know I didn't appreciate learning about the history and pioneer way of life at that age. The books are fascinating, especially given that they are a real account of Laura Ingalls Wilder's life from the time she was five years old until she was a grown woman, married with a family of her own. 

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (whole series)

I finally joined the modern world and read this series for the first time last winter. I loved them. Every single one of the 4,224 pages (no, I didn't count. Google it.) was fantastic. This type of story is normally not my thing, so I was surprised that I enjoyed these books as much as I did. There are so many characters and all of them are so richly developed that I think I'll get even more from the books by reading them again. And this time around I'll know what happens to Voldemort so I won't be as anxious to fly through them :)

Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards

I don't remember how old I was when I got this book, but I loved it and read it at least once a year until I was a teenager. It's about a 10-year old girl named Mandy, who lives in an orphanage and dreams of finding a family. Near the orphanage, she finds an abandoned cottage that she begins visiting everyday, turning it into her very own "home." It's a wonderful story with a happy ending that I never get tired of reading.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I think everyone has read Little Women or at least has a general idea of the story. This is one that I read when I was about 10 or 11 and was, by far, the longest book I had read to that point. It seemed like it took forever, and I know I missed out on a lot of the history and details in the story. It's also one that I've never reread, so I would like to revisit it soon. Hopefully it won't take so long to read this time around :)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I first read this in 11th grade as part of an assignment for my English Lit class. I liked it so much that I ended up doing my final report on the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald and ended up reading a few of his other  books. This Side of Paradise comes in at a close second, but Gatsby is the best. I want to reread this one before the movie comes out this summer (which I hope Hollywood doesn't screw up...).


Now, off to get some other things accomplished before my tiny teething monster wakes up.

Happy December!

~Stacy

Reading List

It seems fitting to do a post on book recommendations after all the talk lately of our bookshelves. It also gives me a reason to stop updating the weather map on weather.com every 12 minutes to check on Hurricane Sandy's latest antics. I know I shouldn't be all crazy lady about this storm, especially since I live in Cleveland and not the Jersey shore or NYC, where things are really bad. But still. I hate storms, and more specifically, I hate super windy storms. I can handle thunder and lighting and buckets of rain (though my basement may disagree on the rain part). But wind means two things I really don't like: losing power and trees falling down.

We live on a cute, tree-lined street. I like this about our street. Except in cases of strong, 60+ mile per hour wind gusts (as Sandy is supposed to bless us with tomorrow). Then those pretty trees become giant death traps, threatening to launch themselves on top of my garage or directly through my living room window. We have a huge, old maple tree in our front yard. I hope that since it's withstood some nasty weather for the last 100 years or so it can handle a little more abuse. The pine tree in the backyard makes me so nervous I can't even look at it. It's verrrry tall and skinny and moves back and forth more than any tree should have a right to. One move too far and it could easily split our garage in half.

Losing power is something that bothers me a ton and I really don't know why. Even if it's during the day and I don't need lights on or anything I feel really uncomfortable when the power is out. There's also the issue of losing all the food in the fridge/freezer, losing access to my ability to work on the computer or sew, and the biggest issue of having milk for the baby.

I guess what I'm saying is that I would have been a really crappy pioneer woman.

**Side note: Charlotte is going all Little House on the Prairie for Halloween and dressing as a pioneer girl. Unfortunately, if the weather predications are accurate, the only people who will see her adorable costume are Chad and I.

Ok, enough about the storm and back to how I'm attempting to distract myself from it: by reading. I've been reading a lot lately--some new, some old(ish), all good. I am lucky to live in a county with a wonderful library system. Anytime something new comes out that sounds good I request it right away and they ship it to my local branch for me to pick up. I don't think I've ever requested something they didn't have. My newest request:

I haven't started it yet but my sister-in-law read it already and said it was really good. Ever since reading the Harry Potter books I am of the belief that J.K. Rowling can do no wrong, so I'm sure this won't disappoint.

I just finished reading this book, and it was truly one of the best books I've read in awhile:

This book was so, so good. It was one of those books where you slow down toward the end because you don't want the story to end, and the fact that the whole story is true made it even better. To read more about the book and see the author's blog, click here.

Maeve Binchy. As with many authors and series I've come to love, I thank my sister-in-law again for introducing me to Maeve Binchy. I haven't read all of her books yet, but of the ones I have read so far they've all been great. Binchy is from Ireland and all of her books are set there as well. Her characters are well-rounded, believable and relatable--the markings of a good novel. Sadly, she passed away several months ago and I'm very much looking forward to reading her final book that will be published in the U.S. in March. Right now I'm reading this...:

...and just finished this:

And lastly, this book that just came out (and another one that I requested from the library):

To check out Luisa Weiss' blog, click here. It's a wonderful blog; you won't be disappointed. I haven't started this book yet either, but I like books that follow this formula of story interspersed with recipes. Some similar ones that I've read (and loved) are:

and my favorite:

Alright, time to go back to reading. And refreshing the weather map just one more time...

~Stacy

Best Books: Children's Edition

Even though she's only a year old, Charlotte already has a bookcase in her room that's almost full.  She had a healthy head start when, around the 10th week or so of my pregnancy, my sister-in-law Sondra arrived on my doorstep with a huge box full of books she'd been collecting for her future niece/nephew.    She is a wonderful resource for all things kid related since she's a preschool teacher.  Since she's also an avid reader, she knew all the books to get that kids love that aren't as well known as some as well as which classics to have.  Our library does a book sale four times a year and we've found tons of barely used books that way--for only 25 cents a pop, even for hardcovers.  Just last week I found The Polar Express in hardcover!  When Chad and I were young we both liked the Franklin series (the cute little turtle) and The Berenstain Bears, so I was thrilled to find a bundle of 12 Franklin books and 15 BB books for $15 on Ebay last year.

Not all childrens' books were created equal, which is something I've learned quickly since we read a lot of them.  Even though Charlotte doesn't have much of an attention span yet for stories, we've read at least one book per night to her since her first night home from the hospital.  While she's free to pursue her own interests, reading is one that is a must.  Some books (which will remain nameless) are simply terrible.  Some are so bad we can't even get through them, and thankfully she's young enough that she doesn't notice or have any favorites that we hate but she insists on reading every night.  In the relatively short time we've been reading to her, we've definitely developed a list of favorites that we keep going back to:

1)  Olivia by Ian Falconer

All of the books in the Olivia series are wonderful (there are also many other Olivia titles based off of the Nickleodeon show by the same name.  These are cute, but the Falconer ones are by far the best).  Oliva is the perfect mix of girly and strong, silly and smart, and is one creative and imaginative little pig.  We have several Olivia books and never get tired of her!

2) All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon (illustrations by Marla Frazee)

This book is stunning.  The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the story is even more so.  It sends a subtle yet important message about how humans are an important yet small piece in this great wide world.

3)  Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond (illustrations by Diane deGroat)

Oh Charlie.  If you've ever read Ree Drummond's wildly popular blog The Pioneer Woman, then you know about Charlie.  He's a large and in charge Bassett Hound who prefers sleeping and snacking to pretty much everything else, despite his "job" on a working cattle ranch.  He's sweet, lazy, and completely lovable (reminds me of my old Henry), and our copy is even signed from when we got to meet Ree and her husband at at book signing earlier this year!  You can read about that here.  I was super excited to find out today that Charlie has a new book coming out on September 25th called Charlie and the Christmas Kitty, which I'm sure will end up on our bookshelf as soon as it's available.

4)  The Ladybug Girl by David Soman and Jacky Davis

Another book that features a Bassett Hound as part of its main cast of characters, Ladybug Girl is about a little girl named LuLu with a huge imagination.  She spends her time exploring the world around her and always has her faithful companion Bingo at her side.  This is the first book in a series of Ladybug Girl books, also by the same authors, and they're all equally good reads.


5)  Duck & Goose by Tad Hills

Also a series, Duck and Goose are two adorable little birds who learn to be friends and go on to have wonderful adventures together.  This series is probably the most age appropriate for Charlotte right now, since they're large board books with more emphasis on cute pictures than text.

6)  The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson (illustrations by Beth Krommes)

We just discovered this book last weekend when we were browsing around the bookstore.  It's very different from many of the books on this list in that it tells its story with detailed pictures and very few words.  There's something really peaceful and comforting about this book and it has become an almost nightly read.


7)  A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker (illustrations by Kady MacDonald Denton)

This book is the first in another series (I believe there are currently four) about a crotchety old bear who befriends a sweet little mouse, despite the rocky start to their friendship.  The stories are fun and the watercolor illustrations are even better.


8)  Curious George by H.A. Rey

No "favorite book" list could ever be complete without Curious George.  I absolutely loved these books as a kid, even earning myself the nickname "George" (that is still used today).  I used to memorize the words before I could read and could recite Curious George and the Pizza by heart.  Naturally, I had to have plenty of the Curious George collection for Charlotte.  These books never get old :)


9)  The Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle (illustrations by Jill McElmurry)

The Little Blue Truck is about a tenacious, talking, blue pickup truck who manages to overcome every obstacle in his way by sticking to doing what's right.  It doesn't hurt that he has a whole farm of animal friends on his side to help get where he needs to go.

10)  How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

There are quite a few books in this series (also by the same authors) and we like them all, but this is my favorite.  In each book, an array of large and lovable dinosaurs (who live with humans) are taught important lessons about how to (and not to) behave.  It sends a message without beating readers over the head with it or taking itself too seriously.

I could go on and add many more to this list, but I'll leave it at this tonight.  I'm sure in another year I'll have a whole new list!

Happy Reading.

~Stacy

Distracted

It's 3 days before Christmas and I think I'm ready.  The house is still clean(ish), the tables and chairs are set up, and the menu is planned.  I'm not responsible for much in the way of cooking, which is a nice bonus to hosting--I can have everyone else bring food!  It's a good thing everything is coming together because I've been finding myself waaay to distracted with this:



My Grandma gave this to me for Christmas at our get together last weekend.  Let me back up by saying I have never read a single Harry Potter book or watched any of the movies.  I think this means I should be an exhibit in a museum somewhere as the only person in the world who has never experienced anything Harry Potter.  I knew the basic idea, but honestly I never thought I'd be able to get in to the books.  I'm not typically a fan of anything even remotely sci-fi, magical, or wizard-y.  My sister-in-law finally convinced me to try it out.  She and I have similar taste in books and movies (we both shun The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and anything Hobbit-centric) so I trust her judgment if she inists I will like something.  Turns out I did not need to worry about having a hard time getting into the story because I love it so far!  I'm almost done with the first book and find myself sneaking in chapters in between Charlotte's naps.  So, if my house ends up a mess before Sunday and my laundry is taking over the second floor, blame Harry.

I've been keeping the cooking simple this week.  So far we've eaten this twice:





YUM.

Howard is keeping an eye on the neighborhood.



He's been especially busy patrolling the porch and sidewalks this week, with all the UPS and FedEx deliveries.  Speaking of UPS, I received a package today from my brother-in-law, who will be visiting this weekend.  I may or may not have peeked inside, and if I did, I may have seen what appeared to be a big stack of 5" precuts of Amy Butler's Soul Blossoms fabric.  Maybe.  I won't know for sure until we formally exchange gifts this weekend.  In the meantime, my sewing machine cries quietly in the corner.

This may be it before Christmas, unless I remember to blog the recipe and pictures for the Baked Mac & Cheese with Bacon that I'm making Saturday.  It might be devoured before this happens.  Either way, Merry Christmas to all!

~Stacy