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Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Thoughtful Thursday - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

How do I admit loving a book about Nazis, narrated by Death?  I've read many WWII and holocaust books, but most of them were stories of survivors who endured the horrors of concentration camps.  This book is from a different perspective.  It's from the point of view of the German people who didn't necessarily agree with the Nazi Party but were forced to comply to protect their livelihoods and families.  It's about the power of words and the power of love.   
The writing is beautiful and almost poetic, and while it may be a long book, I loved every word of it.  I found myself rereading several passages, not because I didn't understand them, but because I wanted to savor and remember them.   I experienced so many emotions while reading this book.  One minute I was laughing, the next I was crying.  There were also times that I was so angry that I had to put the book down and take a breather.
  A friend loaned me a copy of this book.  I will be buying a copy of my own because I know that The Book Thief is one that I will return to many times in years to come.  I won't be ordering this one on my Kindle.  I want this book sitting on my bookshelf. Considering the subject matter, this is a book that needs to be held in your hands and have its pages turned.  

Monday, January 23, 2012

Memory Monday - Card Carrying

Ever since I can remember, I have loved libraries and books.  It all started in a small basement library in Garland, Utah.  My mom would take me and my sister there often to check out stacks of books.  I remember how I loved the quiet, almost reverent, feeling and the smell of old, musty books.  Imagine my excitement when I first entered the Library of Congress in Washington DC.  Then, imagine my disappointment to find out that I was only allowed to look down on the reading room from a glass window above.  I have been wanting to get my reader card ever since I first walked into this building. 

Picture me sitting in this reading room, doing research.

It's going to happen now.  I am, finally, along with my friend Lynne, a card-carrying Library of Congress reader!  We did notice that our cards are only valid for 2 years.  Guess we'll have to make the trek back to DC next year to renew! 
 (Oh my, what a mug shot!)

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

GratiTuesday - A Year of Gratitude

I read this book last year and LOVED it. One of my goals this year is to express gratitude more often, both to my Heavenly Father for my many blessings and also to my friends and family for all of the wonderful things they do and what they mean to me. While I would love to make this a daily habit, I know myself better than that. I'll just do my best to write more thank you notes this year.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Miles To Go by Richard Paul Evans

I finished reading "Miles To Go" today, second book in "The Walk" series by Richard Paul Evans. I bought it the day it was released and devoured it ;-) I love tagging along on Alan Christoffersen's journey and find myself highlighting entries in the book that I don't want to forget. There's a lot of food for thought in this series. I can hardly wait for book #3. It won't be released until April 2012..... sigh.......

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

"The Walk" by Richard Paul Evans

I finished a wonderful book today. So many lessons to be learned by reading this story of a man's journey to find peace and happiness. Can't wait until the second book in this series is released next month!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

The Friday Night Knitting Club

I finished reading "The Friday Night Knitting Club" tonight. I have an urge to knit now ;-)

Friday, February 25, 2011

Bleary Eyes

I started reading this book this morning and didn't put it down until I had finished it. I don't remember EVER reading an entire book in one day. It was THAT good! What a sweet love story! I laughed, I cried, and I related to her most embarrassing, klutzy moments. I've been a follower of The Pioneer Woman for quite sometime, so it was fun to read about her love story with Marlboro Man. I can't wait to buy her cookbook now!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Another Amazing Book

Today I finished a book and immediately turned back to page one to read it again. This was definitely not a light read, or a fast read. I found I could only read one or two chapters a day and then take time to digest what I'd read. Written in a format that reads like a novel or parable, this is one of the most inspiring books that I have ever read. So many lessons to learn. It left me with a desire to be a better person and to make a few course corrections in my life. I highly recommend this book.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Another Good Book

Just finished another good book today. Don't know what it is, but I just can't seem to get enough when it comes to the Mennonite/Amish culture. This book's cover claimed that it was 'laugh out loud funny'. That it was. It was hilarious! I found I couldn't read this one in bed while Kurt was sleeping because I kept waking him up with my laughter.
Janzen shares her memoir in a funny and entertaining way. She pretty much got the bad end of the stick when her abusive husband leaves her for a man, throwing her into financial ruin, and to make things worse, she is seriously injured in a car accident. Talk about a bad week! She returns home to her Mennonite family to heal both her physical and emotional wounds. Her friends and family were hysterical (especially her mom) and her experiences back home help her realize how to move on. I highly recommend this book.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

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Just read "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet," an incredibly sweet story about love and loyalty. It's a love story and a history lesson about the Japanese interments during WWII. The love story starts when Henry Lee and Keiko Okabe are barely ten years old. They develop a wonderful friendship despite circumstances that should keep them forever apart. I loved the "sweet" part of the book but was sad about the "bitter" part. I was so glad for the happy ending (I guess it was a happy ending - it ended pretty abuptly), but find myself wondering why there had to be so much bitter before the sweet part began. I'm left feeling that I wish Henry and Keiko had tried harder to be together. They had plenty of opportunities. Good read though. I would definitely recommend this book. I'm sure I'll read it again. It smells good ;-)

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Great Book

Finished the book Dolly gave me for Christmas today. Written from the perspective of an eleven year old boy, it was all about family, faith, love, commitment, fear, humor...I loved every word of this story and was sad when I was finished. I highly recommend this book.
Looking forward to the movie due to be released sometime this year.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

365 Thank Yous

A few weeks before Christmas, I saw an interview on ABC News with a man named John Kralik. He was having some difficulties in his life and was prompted to write a thank you note to someone every day for a year. His story inspired me. I started this challenge on January 1st. So far I am loving the challenge. My mind is racing with possibilities. I have SO much and so many people in my life to be grateful for. I picked up his book last night (Thank you Tyler for the Barnes and Noble gift card!) I just finished reading it. It was WONDERFUL! I highly recommend it. I have a feeling this is going to be so good for me!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

ALWAYS LOOKING UP

I'm reading an incredible book - "Always Looking Up - The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist" by Michael J. Fox. I first heard about this book after watching a Documentary on ABC
by the same name. It was SOOOOO good. #1 - I LOVE Michael J. Fox - #2 - I could use a few pointers on how to be more optimistic, and #3 - I know and love so many people who have dealt with or are dealing with Parkinson's Disease. If you didn't get a chance to see the special on ABC, I would highly recommend it (click on the above link). I'm halfway through the book and have learned so much about this devastating disease. I've also learned that I have a lot to be thankful for.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Dewey Readmore Books

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

- MARLEY AND ME

I just finished reading a really great book. No, I haven't seen the movie - not sure if I will. It always disappoints me to see the movie after reading the book. It never quite measures up. I laughed and cried myself all the way through "Marley & Me". I'm not really much of a dog person, but this one made me ALMOST think about being a dog owner (that's really saying something). It also prepared me to have empathy for my friend Karen who lost her dog Salsa this week. He was 12 years old and truly her baby. I had a good visit with Karen tonight. She shared her favorite memories of Salsa with me and we had a good cry. I left chocolate. Chocolate always makes things better.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

- FINALLY!


I finally finished reading "Breaking Dawn" tonight! It's the final book in the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. I don't really know why I started reading these books, except that Alyssa wanted me to and all of my friends have been reading them and talking about them. I am DEFINITELY not a fan of vampires, but there was something that sucked me in and kept me reading. This author, a graduate of BYU, is an amazing storyteller.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

- LAZY DAYS OF SUMMER

Tonight was Enrichment Night for Relief Society. The theme was "Lazy Days of Summer." It was so much fun! We had dinner (fried chicken, salads, corn-on-the-cob, yummy fresh fruit, and homemade rootbeer). Great job Brenda and Laurie!!!! We also had a presentation on summer reading by Carrie Christensen.

This was the "pie" that I entered tonight. Chocolate Chip Pie - a Paula Deen Recipe (more like a big chocolate chip cookie that you cut into pie-shaped wedges.) It was pretty good, if I do say so myself. RECIPE BELOW:


Brenda and Denise - the official pie judges. Lynne was the winner with her yummy peach pie. Can't wait for that recipe!


Judy, from work, came with me tonight. It was fun to have her there. We ate until we were sick and got some new ideas of books to read.

CHOCOLATE CHIP PIE
Pie:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (2-sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts, optional

Whipped cream:
2 pints (4-cups) heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) pie plates; set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix until fully combined. Fold in the 3 cups chocolate chips and, if desired, the walnuts. Divide the dough between the prepared pie plates and smooth the tops with a spatula.

Bake about 30 minutes or until pies are golden and slightly firm to the touch but still soft. If the pies begin to darken too much before they are baked through, cover with foil and continue baking. Let pies cool completely on a wire rack.

While the pies cool, whip the cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form (tips curl). Fold in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate whipped cream until ready to use. Spread the whipped cream over the pies and serve.