Books

Last weekend I finished reading the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I enjoyed them. They were page-turners that definitely held my interest, despite the strange subject matter (vampires and werewolves). I have now moved on to some parenting titles. In just two days I read Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood, and now I'm reading Parenting with Purpose. Yes, I *am* suddenly feeling the need to read some parenting books, thank you for very much!

Books

Thanks to my friend Missy, I'm reading my way through the Twilight series of books. Count me among those who typically have no interest in vampire stories but still find themselves intrigued. I guess a well-written love story is a well-written love story, bloodsuckers be darned! It's definitely an easy, entertaining read.

Well baby visit, books, and a recipe

Sara had her one year well-baby visit today, and the doctor said she looks good! Her head circumference is now "only" in the 90th percentile, her length (29.5 inches) is in about the 60th or 65th percentile, and her weight (22 pounds, 10 oz) is in the 75th percentile. Dr. G asked me a few times about her belly and whether I feed her healthy foods. I promise I do!

In other news, I haven't written about my readings in quite some time. Right now I'm reading my way through the Little House series, which I'm really enjoying. After that, I'll be moving on to a couple of parenting books I've purchased of late to prepare me for the toddler years. After that, maybe I'll finally get around to Atonement but I can feel more Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum titles calling my name...

I haven't posted any recipes in ages, which doesn't mean I haven't made anything new. My most recent new favorite has been pumpkin risotto with prosciutto. Yum!

A mystery!

I read a lot of mysteries as a kid. I read a few Nancy Drews, but I was actually partial to the Bobbsey Twins. Anyway, for whatever reason, I have not read a lot of mysteries as an adult. In preparation for my Germany trip back in April/May, I had bought several "quick reads," and among them was the mystery One for the Money by Janet Evanovich, the first in her Stephanie Plum series, which I believe is now up to 13 titles. Reading this book was effortless: like watching a quick, clever movie. The writing is terse and direct and often quite funny. The main character is very likable, and I can easily see myself reading my way through the rest of the series. Thumbs up!

Brain candy

Today I finished reading The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. Now, this is part of the Chick Lit (Brit Chick Lit, actually) genre, but I can't say it's a great one. Mind you, I don't expect too much from chick lit, but they should be funny, quick reads, and get me caring about the characters. This one was pretty predictable and didn't really suck me in emotionally. That said, I did stay up late reading it, and it made me laugh aloud more than once. It's a good beach book but not one of the better books in its genre. I'd give it about a 6 out of 10.

Book review

This weekend I finally finished reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I really regret that it took me so long to finish, because I know that it greatly disrupted the flow of the book (duh). Despite my snail's pace in reading it, I ended up quite enjoying it. It reminded me a little of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's style. It was kind of melodramatic and whimsical and heavy all at the same time. It's definitely a book for people who love books. Thumbs up!

We're back!

...and I'm feeling a littler overwhelmed. I feel like I have so much I need to update here, so for now I'll just make a list of what's to come, and then I'll update with posts over the next few days.

Future posts will include:

-Sara's six-month update
-Our Germany trip
-Book and movie reviews
-My birthday
-Mother's Day

I *think* that's all.

Book and movie reviews

I might as well get this one out of the way as it requires no photos.

While on my trip I read The Pact by Jodi Picoult. Hmm. I enjoyed it, but not to the point of recommending it. It's too heavy to be a good mindless read, but not complex enough to be a great read. At the risk of sounding like Randy Jackson, for me it was just kind of okay.

I'm now reading The Shadow of the Wind. I'm really loving it so far, but I'm wondering if its melodrama and/or whimsy are going to start to wear on me after a while.

Movies... On the plane to Germany I saw August Rush. This was a very sweet little movie. It's not realistic, but it's not supposed to be. I liked it. On the way home I watched Grace is Gone with John Cusack. It was a very well-acted, slow-paced movie. It's depressing and not quite entertaining, but at the same time I'm glad I watched it. It's about a father finding out his wife has died in Iraq and how he deals with the first few days after. I also watched 27 Dresses. It was entertaining, but I'd say at best it's a rental. My life would have been just fine if I'd never seen this movie. :)

While I'm up...

I finished The Namesake a few days ago. Hmm. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Maybe it was built up too much by my friends' enthusiasm? I liked the story, and it was well-written, but it was too much narration for me. I mean, the narrator told just about everything and showed too little. I wanted more dialogue and a little less commentary. But that's just me.

I haven't decided yet what I'll read next. Any suggestions?

Books

Last night I finished reading Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I hadn't read a good ol' romance in a long time, but I enjoyed it! Like Susi told me when she passed it on, it's not Literature, but it's an entertaining read.

Next I'm going to read The Namesake. This is the book the city of Whittier has selected for Whittier Reads.

Another Sara update plus a book note

Baby Girl slept through the night last night! She went to bed at 6:20 and slept until 5:55 this morning! Since I was up until midnight finishing a book (more on that in a second), she could not have picked a better night to give her mommy some uninterrupted zzzzs. In case you're wondering, she sleeps more than average at night (11-12 hours vs. 9-10) and less than average during the day (3-4 hours vs. 5-6).

I finished reading The Kite Runner last night. Carla had given it to me during the summer, but I didn't start it until the very windy Superbowl Sunday out in Glamis. I read about 3/4 of it that day and finally picked it up again this week to finish it. There are a couple of things I really liked about it. First, I love books that allow me to travel to places I've never been. I now know way more about Afghanistan than I ever would have. Second, I loved the ending. Not everything about the book was perfect, but the ending was.