book-a-rama

Chris vs Martha: Molasses Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:08:00 +0000

These Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies from Martha Stewart are the best I've ever made. Not only are they buttery and delicious, the bake up beautifully. The recipe makes up quite a few but there are none left now. We eated them all up! Nom-nom!

Looking at Martha's photo on her site, mine look a lot thicker. That's okay with me. I like a fat cookie. They were so good right out of the oven but still had their chewiness a day later.

They're also fun to make with kids. My daughter enjoyed rolling them into balls and dipping them in the sugar.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:12:00 +0000

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I've been watching Canada Reads online all week. I don't think I've ever been as interested in the debates as I am this year. It might be because of social media. People can Twitter their thoughts before and after the show. It makes me, at least, feel involved in the process. Both Generation X and Fall On Your Knees are out of the competition. Roland and Perdita did a terrific job defending them but it was not to be. Can't wait to see who goes next.

*I want to live in California and not just for the weather: Largest Vintage Paperback Show and Sale.

*Hilary Duff to write YA novels. Well, at least it isn't another tell-all.

*Another Jane Austen biography, Jane's Fame. I did find the interview in the Globe and Mail interesting.

*Two Atlantic Canadian writers named as contenders for the Commonwealth Writers Prize.

*Arielle Ford tells authors what not to say when they're on national TV.

*With all the talk about book cover designs, take a look at how they do it.

*A "funner" way to learn grammar. Visit Grammaropolis.

*Aw, sweet! A bookstore proposal.

*Just when you thought they were out, it appears they are back in. Ottawa might give in to Amazon.

*Etsy Love: So cute! From Trafalgars Square's Shop, sweet prints called Book Buddies or My Favorite Book is Blue.

Finally with New Moon out on DVD on March 20, the Twilight folks have offered up the Eclipse Trailer for your entertainment.

Have a great weekend!

Looky-Looky! New Booky!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:37:00 +0000

See what I bought? Isn't it purdy? And it's lavender! I wasn't intending to buy a book yesterday but when I saw this edition of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte I couldn't resist. My own copy is a 30+ year old paperback so I thought it might be time for a new one. This one was $9.99 at Coles bookstore (Chapters-Indigo) and published by Prospero Books.

The only problem is I don't want to read it and get it dirty.

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: Review

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:48:00 +0000

With all the Alice in Wonderland talk as of late, I decided to read the original by Lewis Carroll. I chose to listen to it via audiobook while I was doing other things around the house. There are several free online versions so it's not hard to find.

If you don't know, and I think you do, Alice falls down a rabbit hole and encounters many strange creatures. The story is of her adventures there and how she interacts with those creatures. It's pretty weird. I read the tea party part to my daughter and she said, "What are they talking about?" which is about how I felt as I listened to it. It was especially disconcerting to hear a grown woman singing a nonsense song in a silly voice.

So, I don't know. It's a silly story full of nonsense and some clever word play. I thought some of it was fun and sympathized with Alice. What a crazy place to end up.

I became interested in Alice in Wonderland recently after reading Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (click for my thoughts). Benjamin tells the story of the real Alice, Alice Liddell, and her relationship with Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll). I recommend reading it.

Of course, there are numerous films adaptations. I remember the Disney version from my childhood and now there is the Tim Burton version, which I plan on seeing. But one of my favorite versions, believe it or not, my daughter got free in a box of cereal! It's from 1999 and has some pretty big stars in it. Take a look at the trailer:

I don't know how I couldn't recommend this classic story. Just know that it's totally ridiculous.

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens: Review

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:26:00 +0000

Whew!I finished it. All 826 pages of Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. I didn't give up even when I wanted to. Why? Because this was a book club selection and I've bee terrible at quitting book club books lately. I used to be so good at finishing all the book club books but somewhere along the way I fell off the wagon. I'm happy to say I conquered Little Dorrit.

So what is Little Dorrit about? Little Dorrit is actually Amy Dorrit the youngest daughter of a debtor imprisoned in the Marshalsea. She was born there and has known no other life. Her father, however, is a proud man who thinks himself better than he is. Amy sneaks away to work as a seamstress in order to feed her family. When the son of the woman she works for returns from China, he gets involved in Amy's life and changes it in surprising ways.

The reason I nearly gave up on Little Dorrit is because I could easily put it down and forget about it. Not much happens for much of the book that you can't see a mile away. In fact, the last 100 pages or so are the most exciting. Then there is a "Soylent Green is people!" moment and back to the predictable. It really felt as if Dickens was phoning it in.

There are the standard numerous characters: the humble heroine, the damaged hero, the badies, the goodies and the harpies. The rich and poor get entangled in each others' lives and by the end we see how it all plays out. But I wasn't all that interested. It was all a bit dull. What I came away with was that jerks are jerks whether they are rich or poor. Le yawn.

I guess you could say that this was not my favorite Dickens. I would recommend Bleak House over this one.

Bought this one from Bookcloseouts.

The Friday Bookish Buzz: Curiouser and Curiouser

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:55:00 +0000

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I had a really good birthday last week. We went out for dinner then had homemade cheesecake. My husband gave me an itouch and guess what the first app I downloaded was? An audiobook app. I'm listening to Alice in Wonderland this week. After her grandmother came over, the girl went to bed and husband and I went out to a movie: Shutter Island. It was freaky. When they say "an ending to keep you guessing," they weren't joking. My husband are still in disagreement over it.

*Darwinism and romance titles? 2 researchers here at home think they're onto something.

*Imagine. A bookshelf with no books. So sad.

*But fear not! Ikea creates the world's longest outdoor bookcase- on the beach!

*Could you go a week without books? Cold turkey?

*Amazon is coming! Amazon is coming! (to Canada)

*Place your vote for Canada Also Reads.

*More not-quite-so-true-stories: Is the Hiroshima book a sham?

*Here's a positive review of Alice in Wonderland. My girl really wants to see it.

*Etsy Love: Speaking of Alice, new Etsy seller Le French Circus creates her interpretation of Alice in Wonderland with a print of Sleepy Alice and Drink Me Alice. Beautiful work!

Any big plans for the weekend? What are you reading?

Pretty In Ink by Karen E Olson: Review

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:21:00 +0000

Things at The Painted Lady have gotten back to normal, or as normal as things can be at a Vegas tattoo shop. That is until Brett Kavanaugh and her crew take in a drag queen show that ends in one of the stars, Britney Brassieres, getting popped with a champagne cork.

Britney recovers only to die suddenly a day later. Brett's new employee Charlotte, a good friend of Britney, is on the run and she wants to know why. What was Britney involved in to make someone want her dead and what does Charlotte know about it? The answers may revolve around a tacky Queen of Hearts broach, a piece of jewelry everyone wants to get their hands on, especially the people with the matching tattoos.

It's hard for me to convey the plot of a Karen E Olson mystery to people and Pretty in Ink is no exception. Things start with an odd occurrence that ends up with someone dead and things just snowball from there. There are twists and turns that I never see coming.

I did have one problem with Pretty in Ink. I enjoyed getting to know Brett in The Missing Ink and I expected more from her in this book, I guess. She lost some of her oomph for me. There was another character (a potential mate?) I liked getting to know more of and hoped that he and Brett would get it on. Maybe next book? I hope Brett finds time for a little bit of romance.

Pretty in Ink is a lot of fun with a plot that keeps you guessing. I recommend it for a quick and entertaining read.

After reading the Tattoo Shop Mysteries, I end up thinking about the kind of tattoo I'd get if I were brave enough. Something literary, I think. How about you do you have a tattoo? If you don't, what would you get?

Once again the cover art is gorgeous!

Disclosure: Karen E Olson sent me Pretty in Ink for review.

Blogging for Book (Deals)

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:13:00 +0000

There's a trend in publishing that is starting to bug me. Blogs into books. It's kinda of like when reality shows were new. First, there was one or two and before you knew it every second program was a reality show. Does every popular blog have to become a book? Can't we just enjoy a blog as a blog?

It's not sour grapes because I do not believe my blog could ever be a book and that's okay with me. I actually love some of these blogs but I'm never going to buy the book. They are funny and entertaining. I just don't understand this jump to make blogs into books.And to be clear there are bloggers who write beautifully or are experts in their field and have information to share. I have no problem with their book deals. They just had an undiscovered talent. But if I decided I was going to photograph my dryer's lint trap leavings for a year and blog about it, should I get a book deal? It's especially irksome when I think of all the struggling authors out there writing spectacular prose getting passed over because the publisher resources went to the Lint Trap Blog book.

Also if you've done something for a year (like mooching gym passes), should you write a book about it? Just because you've done something for a year doesn't make it interesting enough to be a book.Who is buying these books? Is it you? (points finger at screen)

Anyway, I'm off the photograph my lint. Stay tuned.

Do you have a recent trend (book or not) that bugs you?

Challenge Roundup for February

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0000

I skipped Challenge Roundup last month. I had other posts planned, and let's face it, my challenges were abysmal. I did much better in February.

I'm flying along with The 3rd Canadian Books Challenge. In January, I read one book: Generation A, but in February I read 4. The most in one month yet! the four books were Grow Great Grub, I Never Liked You, The New Moon's Arms and Fish for Dinner. That brings me up to 10 out of 13 books read.

For the All About the Brontes Challenge, I've read 2 of my 4 picks: The Life of Charlotte Bronte and a graphic novel version of Jane Eyre. I have Agnes Grey for my online book club for March, so I'll have at least 3 read by the end of next month.

I've completed the Graphics Novel Challenge. I picked the entry level reader which required 3 books. I've read Jane Eyre, I Never Liked You and The Adventures of Blanche. That was a fun challenge. I'll continue playing along with it even though I'm finished.

Other than reading The Custom of the Country for the Women Unbound Challenge back in January, I haven't read anything else. I will pick up the pace for that one in March.

So not too shabby. I'm thinking of joining another challenge: The Classics Challenge. It's one I can handle.

How about you? Write your own Challenge Roundup post and leave a link in the comments.

Weekly Geeks: Commenting on Comments

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:34:00 +0000

Commenting has been on my mind lately, which is why I chose the topic for this week's Weekly Geeks. You may have noticed that I've installed Intense Debate as for my blog. Back when I participated in Bloggiesta, I began looking into a new system for comments. I looked at a few but ended up chickening out. Then a few other bloggers installed Intense Debate and I decided to take the plunge. I'm crossing my fingers that people will like it and use it.

Spam has been an awful problem for me the last month. Every night I'd go to bed with an empty inbox and wake up to a dozen messages- all of them spam. It's disheartening to see all those comments and realize they aren't legitimate commenters. And some of them are just bizarre or head-scratching. As much as I hate word verification, I had to enable it. I'm not the only blogger frustrated with spammers. Heather from The Library Ladder wrote a letter to her spammer this past week.

Other than spam, I haven't had many problems with commenters. Everyone who comments is polite, even when disagreeing. The couple of authors who've visited my blog have left lovely comments. So far all my experiences there have been positive (knock on wood).

I try to reply to my comments here on my blog. I'm much better at replying on the day I published the post. I tend to get lazy after that. I apologize for that.

If you have any comments on my commenting system, please comment!

100 Mile Fitness Challenge: Month 2

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:32:00 +0000

That's my cat. She really likes the Wii Fit board- not for exercising though.

The 100 Mile Fitness Challenge continues on. I was happy with my progress until this week. I don't know if I was fighting off a virus or if I hurt myself exercising, but I was achy all over for about 3 days. I seem to be over it now.

Here's an update

Week 5: 12 miles

Week 6: 11 miles

Week 7: 10 miles

Week 8: 8 miles

______________

Total This month: 41

Last Month: 32

__________________

Total: 73

27 to go! One month left. I can do it! I really kicked it up this month. I hope I can keep it up.

And I did finally get to go skating. It was so much fun. I really enjoyed myself.

Friday Bookish Buzz: The Birthday Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:23:00 +0000

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I'm shamelessly going to tell you all it's my birthday. I survived another year! I'm feeling pretty good about it too. To celebrate my husband made me a cheesecake. Yum!

*It's that time again. Time to choose the weirdest book titles of the year.

*Rushdie will tell the world about his time in hiding.

*So cute. Kids still love books. "People will always like reading books," says 8-year-old Kate Roberts.

*There is something to be said for browsing a real live bookstore.

*Watch your potty mouth. Authors, it is not good to go off on reviewers with the four letter words. It will get you banned from Goodreads.

*Another author who can't handle criticism.

*The Classics Challenge sign ups starting up again.

*JK Rowling is not impressed with plagiarism lawsuit.

*Etsy Love: With the Tim Burton movie coming out next month, how about some Alice in Wonderland Mini Cards from The Factory.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Fish for Dinner by Paul O'Neill: Review

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:51:00 +0000

Sometimes you need a book that makes you smile. I was lucky enough to find Fish for Dinner by Paul O'Neill on display in the library. Even though I had an armload of books already, I took this one out too. I just couldn't resist a book where the author is compared to the Brothers Grimm.

Fish for Dinner is a collection of stories written by Paul O'Neill but taken from the oral traditions and folklore from around the world. They are fables and fairy tales with a distinctive Newfoundland flavour. O'Neill has taken these tales peopled them with Newfoundland characters and placed them in Newfoundland settings. The result is magical and charming.

The stories reflect the numerous cultures that have lived in Newfoundland and Labrador over thousands of years from the Paleo-Eskimo and Beothuk to the Irish and French. Among the stories you will find a pretty Inuit girl kidnapped by water spirits, a French girl in love with a tree and a Viking with a bad temper. Then there are the animal tales: a Newfoundland dog outwits a fox and a weasel finds a human wife. All whimsical tales.

Although I was reminded of Hans Christian Andersen's stories as I read, O'Neill's tales are upbeat and happy. The good are rewarded and the bad are punished. That's not to say there is not some sadness, that's necessary in the some of the stories. I came away feeling that O'Neill succeeded in entertaining his audience in much the same way his father entertained him as a child. I did find that I enjoyed the stories at the beginning of the book more than the ones toward the end. I especially liked Fish for Dinner (of which the book takes it's title) where a captain turns into a fish and is nearly served up for dinner!

Each story is illustrated beautifully by Tara Fleming. They set the tone for the stories perfectly.

If you love fairy tales and folklore, I highly recommend Fish for Dinner.

Lessons Learned by a Volunteer School Librarian

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:02:00 +0000

I've been volunteering at my daughter's school as a parent librarian now for two years. I really enjoy it since I get to know the school, kids and teachers my daughter sees everyday a little more. She also loves it especially when her and my library day coincide.

The school serves a couple of small communities so the library isn't huge. We don't have a computerized system so there is often a lot of guess work involved. Since the library is organized by volunteers, they all have their own ideas about how things should be shelved. Some things are easy: books on horses go in the animal section but what do you do with a book about tanks? Military or machinery? Finding something for a student can be a bit challenging.

Then there's the kids. Here's a few things I've learned.

Kids Don't Know Authors

The older children have a fair sized novel section but it is alphabetized by author. Guess what? Kids never know the names of authors. They know the titles but names... forget about it. Unfortunately, neither do I. You think I would, doing what I do, but I have the worst memory for names. Most of the time I end up when a kid asks for a book I end up scanning the shelves for them. It's a good thing we don't have a lot.

Kids Are Curious

A couple of weeks ago, I had the grade ones in the library. There was a girl who was not at all shy. She walked right up to me. "You got a kid in this school, lady?" Yeeees. I told her who. "Oh yeah, I know her." I guess I checked out. She reminded me of Junie B Jones. It was so funny.

Kids Might Be Too Curious

Sometimes I get a request that surprises me. I'm not really surprised by young girls looking for Twilight books, even though it seems we do not have them in the library. The school has kids ages 5-12 so I imagine the school only gets books for that age group. Twilight might be a little old for them. What did surprise me was a request for The Lovely Bones. I can only assume that the girl asking for it was unaware of the brutal rape and murder scene at the beginning of the book.

No One Names Their Kids 'John' Anymore

Part of the check out process involves writing down what child took out what book for the teacher. This is always challenging. There is a healthy immigrant population and as expected they have names I've never heard before. However, there are the other kids with run of the mill names. That should be easy. It's not. I think I've spelled Kaylee about a dozen different ways now. Even when you think you got it, they'll throw in an extra letter or two to keep it interesting.

Kids Like Hamsters

I get many, many requests for the same books from kids. Spongebob and Pokemon are at the top of the list but they are second to the most requested book. It's a book on taking care of hamsters. Everybody wants it. It's always out. My daughter has had it out twice. We don't own a hamster! We have no plans to get one either.

When They Like Something, They Stick With It

I notice that some kids take out the same book several times, but one little guy takes the cake. He took the same book out (sports related) six times in a row.

Kids Are Adorable

Like this is a surprise. A while ago, a little red haired boy came up to me and whispered. "Miss?" I bent down, thinking he wanted me to find something for him, "Can I help you, Bud?" He looked at me. "Um, no, I just wanted to say I love the library." Aw! So cute.

I'm sure I'll learn a lot more as the year continues.

The New Moon's Arms by Nalo Hopkinson: Review

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:20:00 +0000

On Twitter, I happened to mention that I was thinking of reading Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson when Eva told me to read The New Moon's Arm. Why? Because it has (wait for it)...

Mermaidz!

I was sold.

In The New Moon's Arm, Calamity Lambkin has just buried her father after years of caring for him. Their relationship was strained. When Calamity was a teen, she got pregnant after an afternoon of experimentation with her gay best friend. Calamity raised Ifeoma on her own in Cayaba but she wasn't always a good mother. Now a grandmother, she just can't accept that she's getting older even though menopause is staring her in the face.

The recent hot flashes aren't just a precursor to the Change, they are bringing a past talent with them. Once when she was a little girl, Calamity could find anything that was lost. Now, once again she's finding things with a vengeance; lost childhood objects are falling from the sky. After a storm, she finds a little boy washed up on the shore. He's no ordinary boy though. Calamity suspects that he's one of the "sea people," creatures a part of the mythology of the island.

Calamity is determined to keep the little boy to herself which only causes more tension between herself and Ifeoma.

The New Moon's Arm is a layered story; it's partly fantasy, but Calamity's personal life feels quite real. Her life is pretty complicated without supernatural powers or creatures. There were times I just wanted to strangle her. She's prickly to say the least. At times, it's very hard to like her. She just can't stop herself from saying the most hurtful things. Mostly, what she says is to protect herself. She's had a very hard life. She's a much more fragile person than she let's on.

I didn't find the supernatural elements too odd, in fact, they fit in nicely with the Caribbean setting. You'd expect mermaids swimming around down there! It was the perfect blend of fantasy and reality. I was somewhat confused about a few things at the end and wished that those things were better explained. However, I enjoyed the writing style which made for easy and quick reading.

I'd definitely read more of Nalo Hopkinson. Recommended.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Review

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 10:10:00 +0000

It's not often I find a book so good that I think about it when I'm not reading it. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Heale Hurston is one of those books. I knew of the book because of Oprah and even watched the TV movie but until The Classics Circuit never considered reading the book. I'm so glad I finally did.

Janie had a fairly happy childhood being raised by her grandmother. However, after Janie is caught kissing a boy, her grandmother marries her off to a farmer out of fear that Janie needs protecting. For Janie this is an unhappy situation. She is looking for true love and life on a farm hauling manure isn't the place to find it. Then one day Joe Sparks walks down the road and offers her a better life. Janie takes the opportunity.

She soon discovers that she's just traded one life of drudgery for another. Joe sets himself up as the mayor of the new town of Eatonville and as an important man, he expects certain behaviour from his wife. That is to say Joe wants meekness and gentility. Janie finds the pressure to bend to his will crushing and over the years she loses a part of her soul.

When Joe dies, Janie feels free and at first attempts to hide her feelings from the judgmental townspeople. Suddenly single men from everywhere turn up at her door telling her, "Uh woman by herself is uh pitiful thing." But as Janie points out to her friend Pheoby, they just want to marry her bank account. Janie enjoys her freedom until a younger man named Tea Cake shows her how to live. Janie no longer hides behind a facade of false grief which shocks the whole town. They are even more disapproving when she runs off with Tea Cake.

Written in 1937 this is a surprisingly modern piece of women's fiction. Their Eyes Were Watching God was unappreciated, to say the least, by her contemporaries. To the black male writers Hurston's writing wasn't serious enough. They just didn't get it. Maybe this is because Hurston was a woman writing a woman's story and like it or not a woman's story is just not the same as a man's. It wasn't until Alice Walker wrote an article about Hurston in the 70s that the masses discovered just what a great writer she was.

The book opens, with Janie walking back into town and through telling Pheoby the story of her life, we find out what happened to her and just what the relationship is between her and Tea Cake. The narration is an interesting combination of southern vernacular and some of the most lyrical prose I've ever read. Here is just the first paragraph:

Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever in the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men.

It's the kind of writing you can sink right down into. Hurston creates an atmosphere where you feel that Florida is the only place in the world, that nowhere else exists. You see the pear tree, hear the bees, experience the hurricane.

What I liked the most about the book was how Janie finally starts to please herself after 20 years of marriage to a bully. She doesn't let the ideals of the townspeople, who think they know what's best for her, dictate her life. They think they know Janie but all they know is the person Joe wanted them to see. That wasn't the real Janie. I thought it was funny how they blamed this new behaviour on Tea Cake, like she couldn't make any decisions for herself. Afterall she was 'just a woman'.

Even though times have changed, some things stay the same. When Janie hooks up with Tea Cake, the people of Eatonville are shocked. "She's 'way too old for a boy like Tea Cake." People still make a big deal about an older woman with a younger man. They call them Cougars like they are predators and make fun of them on TV and in movies. Meanwhile, old Hugh Hefner prances around with girls old enough to be his granddaughters and everyone treats him like a stud.

I'm actually glad to have just read Their Eyes Are Watching God at this point in my life. Since Janie and I are near the same age. I wonder what I would have thought of it 10 or more years ago. I can appreciate Janie's desire to please herself and not let other people's opinions matter to her. I'm starting to care less about what other people think, although it is hard to let go of those old habits.

While Their Eyes Were Watching God might have been dismissed when it was written, it is certainly is being appreciated now. This would make an excellent selection for The Woman Unbound challenge or a book club pick. There is so much to discuss in this book. There is also a Zora Neale Hurston website.

Thank you to the Classics Circuit for the opportunity to review this book. Please visit the Classics Circuit blog for more books on the Harlem Renaissance.

What's in them Scones?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

I was in the mood for scones but wanted to make them on the healthy side. I used this recipe for Honey Whole Wheat Scones from Canadian Living but added 1/2 cup blueberries at the end of mixing. They were so crumbly and good.

Ingredients can make or break a recipe. This one uses a lot of baking powder. I once used baking powder that had previously gotten wet and then dried in a recipe. It didn't come out quite right. The baking powder had lost it's "magic". I didn't know at the time that moisture causes it to lose it's effectiveness.

I'd like to talk about a few of the ingredients I used in these scones.

Flour: The whole wheat flour I used was organic Red Fife flour which I discovered a few months ago. It's become a favorite of mine.

Butter: I'll use butter in just about any recipe. This one did call for butter but I use butter for margarine even though it might change the end result. I used to use hard margarine in everything but then all those reports came out about how really bad it is for you. I haven't been able to use It's Nearly Plastic since.

Honey: I try to buy local whenever I can and honey is something I can get year round. I get my Wild Flower Cape Breton Honey from the "Honey Man" at the Farmer's Market. I use it in my Chai tea all the time. It's so good!

Wild Blueberries: The last few years I've been too lazy to pick my own blueberries. When I was a kid, my brothers and I would pick them behind our house. We had the "one for the bucket, two for me" method down to an art. The trees have grown up around the old house quite a bit so the picking isn't as good as it once was. This year I bought a couple of liters at the Farmers' Market. It was worth every cent. Blueberries freeze very well so you can have them throughout the year.

Do you have a favorite ingredient (or two) that you love to bake with?

Friday Bookish Buzz:

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:48:00 +0000

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Don't you wish you were that kitten? Just stay inside and play this weekend. Will I be playing inside? No. More like driving my child to birthday parties.

*Big plagiarism story or is it a "mixing" story? Sounds fishy to me.

*The National Film Board will be creating a short based on a Maurice Sendak book.

*February 21-27, 2010 is Freedom to Read Week here in Canada. Read a challenged book or two.

*You freeloading library patrons, not paying a thing, you know, except taxes.

*Depardieu stars as Dumas and controversy follows.

*Speaking of the French, someone paid $4 million for Cassanova's diaries.

*Etsy Love: Fresh Studio has some sweet felt organizers for your books.

Have a great weekend!

Puntcuation Humour: Kicking the Habit

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:56:00 +0000

That lady is me. I know I have a problem with exclamation marks. It's an illness really. I'm especially bad for it in comments. For example, Great post! or Awesome job! This might give people the impression that if you met me, I'd be jumping up and down like an overexcited golden retriever. I'm quite calm in real life. So why the exclamation problem?

When I leave a comment, I try to stop myself from doing it but can't seem to stop. I guess I'll trying to tell the person, "I'm happy about this" or "I'm with you on that." It's very hard to express enthusiasm on the internet without them.

The first step in stopping an addiction is admitting you have a problem. Okay, I admitted it. Let's see if I can conquer it. Maybe I just have to go cold turkey.

Do you have a bad grammar habit? Want to talk about it? Grab a cup of coffee and pull up a chair.

The Adventures of Blanche by Rick Geary: Review

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:52:00 +0000

The Adventures of Blanche by Rick Geary is a trio of previously published stories in one graphic novel.

In the first, Blanche, a pianist from the west, heads to New York City to train with a prominent professor. She witnesses the building of the subway as she arrives and later finds there is more to the New York underground than just tunnels.

Blanche moves on to Hollywood and the movie business where she gets involved in the union movement and sabotage in the air.

Finally, Blanche sets sail for Paris and befriends an electrical engineer. He's working on a way to harness the power of the earth. However, his work attracts the wrong people and he ends up dead.

Rick Geary based The Adventures of Blanche on his grandmother who did play piano and did travel to New York. When I first started reading, I thought, "How sweet" but as I read further I got a feeling that this wasn't totally based on fact. Unless there are huge monsters living in the New York subway.

It turns out Geary used his grandmother's life as a jumping off point to tell fantastic, imaginative stories. Geary illustrates his grandmother's "letters" home to her parents during her travels. I loved Blanche's voice. A strong independent woman at the turn of the century. She keeps a level head in the face of all these odd goings on.

Now here's the hard part for me because "I don't know nothing about graphic novels", discussing the illustrations without sounding like an uneducated boob. I loved the old fashioned style, the way he drew the period backgrounds and Blanche's clothing. They're all so cheerful and a joy to look at.

If you are looking for great storytelling and charming illustrations, then I highly recommend The Adventures of Blanche.

Blog Luv Fest: Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 12:06:00 +0000

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I hope you have a Lovin' Sunday today. Hug your partner, your kids, your pets or give yourself some much needed "me time."

This last week of Bloggy Luv, I gave you a review of the romance novel Lessons in French, told you where to find Love Birds, made heart treat boxes and cookies with my kid.

Let's see what other people did.

Amanda from A Bookshelf Monstrosity gave us a list of some favorite love stories.

Feel like a romantic movie tonight? Writergal from Steele on Entertainment has a list of her favorites.

A romantic story is not always the main part of the plot. Andrea's Book Nook provides a list of unexpected love stories.

Valentine's is for the little ones too. Andi reviews a couple of sweet Valentine picture books.

And if you're looking to score points with your partner, how about reciting a little poetry? Naida posted a beautiful one.

Thanks to everyone who participated in my mini-carnival!

If you have a Blog Luv Fest link, please leave it in the comments.

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Valentine Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:37:00 +0000

For my daughter's class Valentine party, we made some sugar cookies. I used this recipe from Intimate Weddings. I don't like shortening so I doubled the butter. It might have made them spread out more.

After mixing up my icing recipe (mix butter, icing sugar and water until it resembles icing), my daughter decorated them. Smarties, pink sprinkles and dragees from my pantry helped make them look Valentine-ish.

Friday Bookish Buzz:

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:42:00 +0000

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

(Sorry Michelle.)

Any big weekend plans? The Olympics start this weekend. I'm not excited about it but will probably end up watching some of it. How about you?

Oh and Sunday is Valentine's Day. I don't think we'll be doing much and, honestly, going out to eat at a crowded, noisy restaurant and wait an hour for my food is not that appealing.

*Fellow Canadian blogger John from the Book Mine Set is a panelist for National Post's Canada Also Reads.

*"I Just Want You to Know" insert snarky ending here. Kate Gosselin to write book.

*New Hunger Games book Mockingjay cover revealed.

*Last Twilight book Breaking Dawn to be two movies. There you go Michelle.

*Wow! I want to shop here. Oh and the place is for sale.

*Etsy Love: I need one of these, an I'm reading pin from Bookity's shop.

Have a great weekend!

I Never Liked You by Chester Brown: Review

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:54:00 +0000

After reading Chester Brown's Louis Riel, I decided to give another of his graphic novels a try. I Never Liked You has a completely different tone as it's an autobiography of Brown's teen years in Quebec.

In the book, Chester deals with bullying from kids because he doesn't swear (though Chester the author has no problem writing swears about a million times), girls and his mother's mental illness. Chester has a number of female friends but only a couple he'd like to see naked. Still, he's awkward and even after he blurts out "I love you" to one of them, he can't get it together to form a kind of relationship with the girl. Then there's the wide eyed girl next door, oh dear lord, I think that was my doppelganger. Sad, sad girl.

If you've ever been a teenager I Never Liked You will make you squirm in sympathy. It's all angsty and awkward. No wonder I never understood boys in high school, they didn't even understand themselves.

Even though it's not an uplifting story, the upside is Brown survived it, like we all did.

Recommended.

Thank you local library.

Chris Vs Martha: Heart Treat Boxes

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:53:00 +0000

These are so easy to make. They can be made in about 5 minutes. Martha has the instructions on her website. I skipped a whole step by using double-sided printed cardstock. I also didn't use a craft knife because I like keeping my fingers.

The box holds a small amount of candy which is just fine if you are making treats for kids. You don't want them all hopped up on sugar.