book club : what we read this year!

I am completely obsessed with books.  I used to come home from school, grab a plateful of food, and then spend hours holed up in my room with a novel.  I was notorious as a pre-teen for stealing my older sister's boyfriend's books when he would come to take her out on a date and proceed to finish the entire book while they were out romancing.  (Thank you, Brian, for introducing me to various Paulsen and Krakauer titles!  It was a much-needed break from Sweet Valley High, Christopher Pike, RL Stine and re-reading the Anne of Green Gables series for the millionth time.)

I chose to be an English major in college (like most English majors) just because my two favorite things were reading and writing.  I gave very little thought to what you can actually "do" in life with this degree. English majors are creative and thoughtful...but not always super practical.

Here is one thing I am qualified to do : start a book club.  One year ago I decided enough was enough -- I needed to discuss good books on a regular basis with other bookish folks!  I had finally been invited to join one, but I didn't know anyone in it very well, and I strongly desired an intimate group of women that I knew were as in love with books as I was.  So I grabbed a friend, fellow English degree holder + a high school English teacher, and we each invited a couple female friends to join the group.

There are lots of creative ways to hold a book club.  Some groups choose books from a jar of choices that everyone contributes to.  In ours we simply take turns choosing (can be any genre) and the person picking the book that month gets to also choose where we meet for discussion.  I encourage a place that sort of fits with the theme of the book (I am a theme-nerd) but really any location is fair game.  We meet at bars, restaurants, and even at home.

I thought I would share what our group has read over the past year, since we are coming up on our one-year anniversary in October!  We've done six books, as it worked out to be around every eight weeks we could meet.  There are six of us, so we each got a pick!

1) Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie

I loved this book...because it is completely fantastical and even as an adult I can vibe with that.  Most of what is in my head is pretty fantastical and illogical.  I was unfamiliar with this author hitherto, but loved his writing style and was hooked the whole way.  I even enjoyed recapping every day what I had read to my five-year-old son, who enjoys when I tell him in detail about the plots of books I read.  The kid just loves story-telling in general, so I can't wait for him to read this book someday!  The rest of the ladies seemed to like this book as well, but no one else seemed quite as enamoured as me.

2) The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

This memoir was one we all really enjoyed!  Super dark, but pretty gripping all the way through. Memoirs are my favorite genre, and I gravitate towards strong female characters...so this one I highly recommend -  maybe my most favorite pick this year.  Lots of grit and great conversation starters.

3) Eligible by Curtis Sittenfield 

This "modern re-telling of Pride and Prejudice" was a quick read but sort of disappointing for a few of us hard-core Jane Austen fans.  If you end up reading it, don't expect any of the sweet and clean romance that Austen provides.  "Modern" here means sexting, vulgarity, and (in my opinion) actually the removal of true romance in the relationship.  I approached the novel as a farce, much like how I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,  so it made me chuckle a lot.  So ridiculous. But if you read it wanting or for modern-day Elizabeth Bennet to be likable, you will be sorely disappointed.  Or maybe not.  Just my opinion.

4) The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

This super popular book was an easy, beach read that I think everyone loved.  Highly recommend for a book club, as it generates a lot of conversation and was a quick read.  (Hubby loved it, too!)

5) Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

This was my pick, and probably the most obscure.  It was recommended by another friend who read it in her book club and said it was a favorite that generated a lot of discussion.  I loved Franz Kafka in college, the dark weirdness of it all, so I jumped on board.  Probably the most difficult read...and I'm pretty sure only two of us actually finished the book.  Of course, everyone else in our book club is a teacher, so they've all been pretty busy with the start of school.  All that being said : a really good book!   Especially if you like fantastical, bizarre, mysterious, heavily-metaphorical, modern retellings of Greek tragedy.  The characters are so intricate and oddly beautiful, and the story is woven together expertly.  Gets a little "out there" and long in the second half, but still left me desperate for explanations...so I couldn't stop reading.  I definitely want to try other Murakami books.

6) The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

The latest pick!  I have never heard of this novel, but apparently it has been around, has been made into a movie, and has a huge waiting list at my local library.  Amazon it is! :)

Did I love all the books?  No.  I don't think any of us did.  Some were easy to read, others a bit of a struggle.  Everyone has their own preferences.  It is fun to get to know other authors and genres than you are used to and expand your horizons, though!  

Other stuff I read in the meantime...A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway (loved) Me Before You by Jojo Reyes (eh) Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham (fabulous) and Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by JK Rowling (of course, loved.)  I also did two really great Bible studies that honestly were pretty life-changing for me : The Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer and Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby.  If you are looking for a study to help you grow in your walk with Christ and perhaps better understand his plan for your life, I would recommend both of these!
Currently reading : The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Click on any of the images to get a better sense of the books or purchase!

Are you in a book club?  Have you read any of the above books?  What are you reading right now?  
I would love to hear!  

book review: one thousand gifts by ann voskamp

The book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp was given to me as a Christmas gift from my sis-in-law Jen.  {not sure if she had read it but told me various friends had highly recommended it.}

The very night I was given the book I read about ten pages and, after several bouts of tears,  I had to put it down.   It started slow...and it was depressing, particularly for a new mama.  {spoiler alert: stories of children dying tragically.}  I didn't like it.

Six months later I picked it up again.   This time I gave it more than ten pages.  I gave it fifty - and that was all it took to get me hooked.  To move me.  She is a mother of six, on a farm, present day, homeschooling, tired, searching for meaning.

She finds it - in thankfulness.  The secret to a full life?  Being thank-full.

She writes a lot about the 'hurry' of life.  Rushing through and missing the little things that God wants us to notice and praise Him for.

The gifts.  Not the big ones - health, home, loved ones, car...

...the little things like the iridescent rainbow on a soap bubble while doing dishes.

So she is challenged to slow down.  To notice these little things and write them down in a notebook.

I have started lists like this several times - inspired by my dad, who has kept a list for years of things he is thankful for.  He calls it his arranain list.  {Sorry if I spelled that wrong, Dad!}

However, I always get frustrated while writing the list, because I always want to start with the "big things," and then get so caught up in describing why I am thankful for them that I tend to abandon because it seems so overwhelming.

The list Voskamp shares in One Thousand Gifts sets up a different kind of arranain.  It is the simple things that you would only notice if you slowed down long enough to see and truly appreciate them.   The way she writes them is beautiful.  In fact, the way she writes the entire book is beautiful.  You can hear the joy in her words.   She is poetic without being pretentious.

Following her example made it easy to start my list, not worrying about the obvious "big blessings" but focusing rather on the little, lovely things that make up every single day.

Here are a few from my list:

- warm, sweaty snuggles with arms wrapped around my neck, breathing steady and even.
- the vibrance of the center of a coneflower, orange quills reaching towards the sun
- an extra fifteen minutes of quiet in the morning with a steaming cup of coffee.

I could write for hours, but, like Voskamp, it is easier just to keep a notebook nearby and write them down as I notice them.  Reading over my list, especially when feeling particularly "ungrateful," fills my heart and makes me remember.

I recommend One Thousand Gifts, and making your own list.  You'll be amazed at how easily the words will flow from your pen...or fingertips. :)

PS - Another on my list...house sold!

g

busy, busy, busy

This week is busy.  Therefore, this post is really random.

The kitchen backsplash is in progress...however, Hubby is out of town for several days so it will have to wait.  Believe me, you don't want me tiling anything.  When it comes to home projects, please refer to me as "bright idea girl" and Hubby as "detail guy/actual do-er."   We know our roles.

Here is a teaser of the backsplash, still in pieces, from a food post I probably won't ever get to:

Meanwhile, I've been staining our privacy fence {okay, that I can do} and, of course, planting things in the garden at both houses.  The people at the Lowe's Garden Center know me and my baby by name at this point.  Sad?  No, awesome.

These shots are not from my garden...but snagged then on one of our many walks through the neighborhood:

Halfway through reading the racy bestselling novel Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James.  Um...I can't decide if it is a good book, or if I just keep reading it because it is just one big naughty sex scene.  Has anyone else out there dared to read this novel?  I need a book club now to discuss this one!

{source}

Speaking of 'shades of gray,' The house we are renovating is in the midst of having the exterior painted {reveal to come!}  This is not the shade of gray we chose.  We actually painted a huge part of the front of the house this color, before deciding on something else.  The painter was loving us, let me tell you.

I'm growing herbs...and they are actually growing!  This is a first for me.  Well, an herb, I should say.  

Meanwhile, Baby Cormac continues in his journey toward walking.  Yesterday he stood unassisted for five full seconds.  Then he fell on his butt and burst into tears.  But it was pretty cool while it was happening!

doesn't my dog look kind of like an angel here?  :)

Yay for almost-walking babies and 

busy, busy, busy 

weeks! 

g

14 days of loves: day 13 {runaway bunny}

My valentine's gift to Cormac. 

{for his true love should be the written word, right?}

'If you are a gardener and find me,' said the little bunny, 'then I will become a bird and fly away from you.'  

 If you become a bird and fly away from me,' said his mother, 'then I will be a tree that you come home to.'

Yet another children's book to make a mama cry...

these books should come with warnings.

g

14 days of loves: day 7 {wine lover's healthy weight loss plan}

While roaming through the cookbook section of Half Price Books the other day I came across this little gem: The Wine Lover's Healthy Weight Loss Plan.  

I was intrigued. A diet consisting of wine!  Lose weight while drinking lots and lots of wine!  Okay, not really.

Written by a cardiologist and wine lover, the book gives a lot of background on the history of wine in the human diet, the amazing health benefits {only when in moderation...which is one glass at dinner for women, two for men} and the French Paradox -- basically extensive research done in regions where there is a high percentage of the population drinking wine in moderation their entire lives.  Oddly, or maybe not oddly, this research shows that moderate wine drinkers live longer than non-drinkers.  Some vino-for-thought, eh?


I drink a glass of red every night at dinner.  Not only is it heart-healthy due to the antioxidants, but since I view it as my "treat" I tend to not feel like I need to eat any dessert.  Calorie saver!  100 instead of 400 - woo hoo!  :)

The book gives a compelling argument for enjoying a glass with dinner each night.  Also, after giving you a lot of really interesting information on why wine can enhance your life in many ways and help you live longer, it then has a whole slew of delicious, healthy recipes that are based on a Mediterranean diet - supposedly the healthiest way to eat.  In sum, instead of striving for a low-fat diet, rather choose foods that contain "healthy fats," lots of fruits and veggies, fish {rich in omega-3's,} whole grains, and only cooking with olive or canola oil.

Oh, and red wine.  Of course.

I strongly desire to introduce my children to very, very watered down wine when they are the right age.  I want them to grow up knowing the health benefits, and that wine should be a regular part of the dinner table.

It's okay if you think that sounds crazy.  I don't mind.  Neither do all the Europeans that do it.  The practice is probably not any crazier than a person letting their kiddo eat mac n cheese every night, or cereal for dinner, just because they don't like what you cooked.  Also, wine {again, in moderation!} has more health benefits than soda.  Yet many parents don't mind letting their kids chug that down like it's water.   Just sayin'.  To each his own when it comes to nutrition, values and parenting strategies.  :)

Especially to wine-drinkers, I recommend this book.  But even if you aren't, it is enlightening.  I loved the subject, the writing style, and can't wait to try the recipes!

Salud!

g

{to my 16-year-old self}

{post inspired by the book Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old-Self by Joseph Galliano}

dear 16-year-old me,

you are smack in the middle of your high-school-years, and yes, I know, these are not your favorite years.  please try to make the best of it by focusing on school and getting good grades.  believe me, each A will give you a feeling of success and self-worth that you can't get anywhere else.  don't wait until college to find this out.  stick it to mr. o in composition class and turn everything in "on time," so he has no excuse to take your A-quality writing to a C.

go to prom...even if it is with "just a friend." even if it sucks.  at least it will be a story to tell.

try out for every single play.  you love the stage, so just keep doing it.  even if you keep getting cast as forest animals or, in this case, as a dwarf.  someone has to be the goofy dwarf.

 please grow your hair out to it's natural, dark color...brunette looks best on you.  blonde is not your thing.  yikes. {ps: neither is long hair. double yikes.}

{"One of these things is not like the other..."}

I know you love your part time job...but don't work quite so much.  and save all your money...except what you spend on the trip to Europe.  that is worth it.

work on your friendships even more.  your love for solitude is good...but there are such benefits from female friendships.

{I still love these girls}

before choosing a college and major, evaluate what you love.  definitely live in St. Paul, though.  a part of your heart will always be there.

join the soccer team!  and the track team!  you are a strong runner.

speaking of strength...you are a strong woman, both in physical endurance and conviction.  remember it. don't let other females ever cut you down.  they will try your entire life.  maybe they are just mean.  maybe someone else said mean things to them.  maybe because of their own insecurity.  maybe because they may think that one body type is "better" than another.  it doesn't matter.  always stand up for yourself and other women, as you do now.  and keep working out.  you will need those strong arms when you are thirty.

don't cry about that breakup.  really, there is someone much better for you out there.  God is listening to all your prayers.  you will fall in love, and it will be every bit as romantic and beautiful and poetic and you imagine.

oh, and finally: don't waste time stressing about not being able to have babies someday.  you will.  after years of fun and adventures. with the right man.  at the right time.

love,
you...the older and wiser {and less blonde} version

:o)

are you {succulent}?

Are you a  

"succulent wild woman?"

This is one of my favorite inspirational books.  If you have never read Succulent Wild Woman by SARK - do so!  You will be inspired! 

Sometimes I forget I am succulent.  

Like when I eat fries from McDonalds and feel fat.

Like when I get so overwhelmed with all my projects that I throw my hands up in the air, bury myself in my bed, and get absolutely nothing done.

Like when I feel like I have no control over anything. 
Like when my hormones/life overwhelms me and for seemingly no reason at all I have to have an ugly cry in order to feel better.
{my husband loves that one}

I had to re-read Succulent Wild Woman recently to remind myself that being imperfect is all part of my succulence.  To remind myself that being authentic is more important than being every thing to every person.  That I might not be the best at something, but putting my best effort in will only make me do it better each time I hunker down and TRY.  That I can choose to be happy and I am capable of doing ANYTHING!  I can also choose to hide in bed for most of the day and that is OKAY.  :o)  That I should SAVOR everything - dessert, the sunshine, sleeping in with the one you love, uncontrollable laughter with a true friend.

"Don't power walk. Saunter slowly in the sun, eating chocolate, and carry a blanket so you can take a nap."
-SARK

What made you feel succulent today?  


For me?

Sleeping in...with my new full-body preggo pillow:

This Boppy makes me happy!

Finally bringing home a sprig of the plant I take care for at work...so I can grow my own at home:

{someday you'll have roots!}

{growing things makes me feel like I am a part of something bigger}

"Nourish your eye and spirit with inspiring things. They will bloom with your tending." 

-SARK

Hoping you had a wild, Succulent Saturday...

G