So…What Did You Think of Twilight?

I finally bit the bullet this weekend.

photo from http://www.stepheniemeyer.com

I picked up a copy of Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I’ll admit, it’s been on my TBR list for quite some time. Everyone at work has been telling me to read it. I just wasn’t sure if I wanted to commit myself to reading it.
It’s not that I’ve never read books with that many pages before. After all, I’ve visited Harry Potter in all of his years at Hogwarts ( more than once, I might add).

So why did I finally cave?

Book Club.

Thanks ladies, for making this our May read.

Now, to answer your question: “How did I like it?”

I’ll agree with Julie on two points.

1.Great storyline. Wondering where things were going is what kept me turning the pages. I was convinced for awhile that Bella was actually some mutant form of a vampire, and it was for that reason that her mother left town with her years ago. I thought it was a possibility because of her  acceptance of the Cullen family. And the description of her made me think so as well.

2. I found Bella annoying ( at times). Now  for all you die hard Twilight fans out there, there’s no need to flame me. I think maybe a part of it is that I am no longer a teenage girl. The pining for Edward, the brooding, the feeling of not fitting in. (insert “old lady some day you’ll look back on this…” eye rolling here)

That being said, I CAN remember when I was that age and crazily attracted to a guy, wanting to be with him 24/7, sitting as close as possible, loving the smell of his cologne and memorizing the color of his eyes.

But he wasn’t a vampire.

I think.

So Bella served to transport me back to that time to remember that first exhilarating feeling of new love. It also caused me to think about that brooding phase of my life.

I had my moments, but I never wallowed in it the way Bella tends to do.

That’s the part of Bella that drove me nuts.

But fear not, vampire fans. I did enjoy the book. I even went out and got this:

photo from http://www.stepheniemeyer.com

And for those of you who have been prodding me to read these and cheering me on…

I finished BOTH books in under 24 hours.

And for awhile in New Moon, I began to think Bella might be part werewolf. Or maybe a distant relative.

Maybe.

See what you people are doing to me?!

Broadening My Horizons

I’ve been on a spiritual quest of sorts lately.

Not satisfied with just accepting everything I’d been taught over the years, I’ve been trying to learn about other faiths to find something, somewhere, that resonates with who I am and what I’ve come to believe over the years.

Anna over at Hatchette Books sent me an audio book last month that sounded enlightening.

photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Life is a Test: How to Meet Life’s Challenges Successfully by Rebbitzen Esther Jungreis is a great audio book! It is read by Mare Winningham (remember St Elmo’s Fire?). with commentary by the author as well.

Rebbitzen is a word that I had never heard before, so I had to look it up. A Rebbetzen is the wife of a Rabbi within (if I understand correctly) Orthodox Jewish communities. A Rebbetzen has a high place in the community and is often looked to for her knowledge and direction.

Click here to visit the website for the organization that Rebbetzen Jungreis founded. I found it very informative.

Back to the audio book. For someone like myself  having no experience with the Jewish faith, this was an excellent jump into what the Torah is an how it can be applied to all aspects of one’s life. The book is divided into three areas: tests of self discovery, interpersonal relationships, and perceiving Divine Design in relation to global events, such as 9-11.

While listening to this book didn’t make me want to convert, it did give me the opportunity to learn about a faith I knew little about, and respect the history and culture of the people who follow the Torah and its teachings.

Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis is a speaker who travels the world and counsels many on their journey to a spiritual connection to their Maker. I enjoyed listening to her words and wisdom, and would recommend this book to anyone.

Teen Series Alert

I came across this series in the Young Adult section while working at the bookstore. I was pulling books to be sent back to the publisher and…(as usual) the covers caught my eye.

photo courtesy of www.theluxebooks.com

So I flipped through the first in the series (pink dress) and decided to check them out at the local library.

For those of you (like myself) who watch Gossip Girl and love it, or enjoyed Age of Innocence, give these books a try. Think Gossip Girl: the cattiness, fashion, drama and hormones and love triangles of teenagers, and throw it back to the year 1899.

This is The Luxe series.

The series follows sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland and their social set in New York society. Readers are given a glimpse of New York society and “Old Money” in this time period from the viewpoint of more than one character. Each chapter starts with a quote from various ladies’ books, society pages, personal letters of the characters, that give a peek into what the coming chapter holds.

For example:

“Newly engaged couples will always find ways to flirt with one another, but it is imperative to the health and well-being of society that they not be encouraged to do so in public…”

-Mrs. L.A.M. Breckinridge, the Laws of Being in Well-Mannered Circles. (The Luxe ch 15)

There is a website devoted to the books in this series, with blog postings by the author, Anna Godbersen. Check it out here.

I picked up the first two books, Luxe and Rumors last Thursday, and they were read by Easter. I got sucked into them. granted, there were parts that dragged on a bit for me, but the overall story kept me hooked. I understand that the fourth book in the series, Splendor, is due out in October of 2009. I am half way through with book three, Envy, and am looking forward to the next installment.

The books are good for ages 14 and up. Due to the hint (but never detailed) of sexual promiscuity of its teenage characters, I wouldn’t recommend the books for younger than 14. Moms and daughters might enjoy reading it together.

April Notes

For those of you who check in here on a somewhat regular basis, I apologize.

The month of March became incredibly hectic with a new job, and my reading and blogging fell by the wayside.

So did my Throw Out 40 Things goal. I ended at 20 for the month, which isn’t bad, really. And I plan on continuing until I am satisfied with the way things look around here.

Even if it takes me all summer.

I have jump started the reading again, as you will see if you take a look at my April reading list. A couple titles are re-reads due to being book club group picks for the month. But that’s okay, because they were both great books the first time around.

Happy Reading! Happy Spring!

My Little Red Book Tour

March is Women’s History month.

To celebrate women, I am sharing with you all a book that I’ve had the opportunity to read and review.

My Little Red Book by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff is a book that explores what happens when a girl “becomes a woman” for the first time.

I was interested in reading this book because it sounded like something along the lines of Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues. Becoming a woman is one of those mysterious rites of passage that we know happens, but rarely discuss. Nalebuff has broken the lock of secrecy on first periods by interviewing women from a variety of backgrounds on their first periods and compiling these wonderful stories in one place.

Here’s a little explanation of My Little Red Book’s genesis:

MY LITTLE RED BOOK is an anthology of stories about first periods, collected from women of all ages from around the world. The accounts range from light-hearted (the editor got hers while water skiing in a yellow bathing suit) to heart-stopping (a first period discovered just as one girl was about to be strip-searched by the Nazis). The contributors include well-known women writers (Meg Cabot, Erica Jong, Gloria Steinem, Cecily von Ziegesar), alongside today’s teens. And while the authors differ in race, faith, or cultural background, their stories share a common bond: they are all accessible, deeply honest, and highly informative. Whatever a girl experiences or expects, she’ll find stories that speak to her thoughts and feelings.

“Ultimately, MY LITTLE RED BOOK is more than a collection of stories. It is a call for a change in attitude, for a new way of seeing periods. In a time when the taboo around menstruation seems to be one of the few left standing, it makes a difficult subject easier to talk about, and helps girls feel proud instead of embarrassed or ashamed. By revealing what it feels like to undergo this experience first hand, and giving women the chance to explain their feelings in their own words, it aims to provide support, entertainment, and a starting point for discussion for mothers and daughters everywhere. It is a book every girl should have. Period.”

I enjoyed reading the personal stories of the women who contributed to this book. Some are sad, others had me laughing out loud. What impressed me along with the personal accounts was the fact that the stories in this book were compiled by Nalebuff beginning when she was thirteen, and was completed when she was sixteen. Quite a feat for a teenager. I thought this would be  a great book to include in a Women’s Studies class, or as a mother/daughter book club read. Menstruation is a part of every women’s life, and it should be celebrated as a passage into a new phase of life, not veiled in secrecy or shame.

Please visit the following bloggers to read their reviews, and enter to win a copy of the book for yourself or someone you know.

http://www.writeforareader.blogspot.com
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com/
http://confessionsofaromancebookaddict.wordpress.com/
http://athomewithbooks.blogspot.com/
http://shereadsandreads.blogspot.com/
http://www.ReadingWithMonie.com
www.marjoleinbookblog.blogspot.com
http://worducopia.blogspot.com
http://thereviewfromhere.wordpress.com/
http://zensanity.blogspot.com/
http://scribevibe.blogspot.com/
http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/
http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com
http://msbookish.com
http://exlibrisbb.blogspot.com/
http://www.brimfulcuriosities.com
http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://38thavedivareaders.blogspot.com
http://bookthoughtsbylisa.blogspot.com
http://bookopolis.blogspot.com -
www.myreadingroom.net
www.bookbargainsandpreviews.com
http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
http://epicrat.blogspot.com

A big thank you to Anna at Hachette Books for the opportunity to read My Little Red Book and participate in this tour!

Throw Out Fifty Things Update

The last post I have about this has today’s date, but I actually started writing it last week. This got a little hectic around here, so I abandoned my purging goals for Fri-Sun.

This week I haven’t focused on a specific room. I have been busy with a personal issue, and have taken somewhat of a sabbatical.

But never fear, I am getting back to the purging.

I have decided to set a mini goal in relation to “that closet.” One item thrown out every other day until I am satisfied with how things are looking in there. Trying to focus all my energy on that one space for an entire day (or two…) is a bit much.

Today I had a bit of time, so I am adding the following items to the thrown out list:

1.  1 bag of trash              1

2. 1 box of books (donated)      1

Total            2

Running Total    20

Not bad for only being 11 days into the month.

Throw Out Fifty Things: Days 3 & 4

I’m still plugging along over here.

Throwing things out.

Today I wanted to share a thought from Gail Blanke’s book: Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear Your Clutter, Find Your Life.

It’s in the introduction, right on the first page. When I read it, it made perfect sense.

Ms. Blanke tells her readers about how she answers the question regarding her coaching methodology. She states that she uses the “Michaelangelo Method.” It’s not a method she devised, but it came from the artist himself.

According to Blanke:

“..a local patron of the arts [asked Michaelangelo]…’How did you know to sculpt David? I just don’t understand.’ Michaelangelo, being a straightforward, honest sort of fellow, allegedly responded, ‘Oh, well, David was always there in the marble. I just took away everything that was not David.”

So our “stuff,” our “junk,” is the extraneous marble covering up who we really are. And Blanke, with her book, is helping to chisel away at each of us so that we can find ourselves underneath.

I am certainly getting into the process.

Yesterday (Wednesday) I did some more in my son’s bedroom. I am sure that there is more I could have pitched in the trash, but I actually am satisfied with the results right now, and there are other areas that need more serious attention.

So after about an hour and 1/2, I decided to move on to hell.

But first, the bedroom tally for Wednesday:

1. Two bags of trash 1

2. One bag of clothing 1

3. One bag of toys 1

Total for the bedroom: 3

Running total: 12

Here’s a little mental visual of the next project.

It’s a small walk-in closet. It’s a small, walk-in closet in the second bedroom of an apartment in a city smaller than Chicago. When we found out we were pregnant, we set up the nursery in the bedroom, and proceeded to use this small, walk-in closet as a storage space.

You can’t even stand in it now.

So much for a walk-in closet, eh?

So I pulled everything out that was in the way of my standing inside this closet and went to town.

In two days I had gotten rid of the following things:

1. Two bags of toddler clothes that had been smashed down underneath something else. (And he outgrew before having a chance to wear them.)   (donated)                                    1

2. Three pillows       (donated)                                                1

3. Four bags of trash                                              1

4. Files of old college course notes                 1

5. Stack of professional magazines                  1

6. Assorted three-ring binders   (donated)                      1

7. Scads of gift bags that we’re never going to reuse    (donated)        1

8. Bag of women’s clothing    (donated)                     1

9. 3 pair old eyeglasses (donated to Lion’s Club)            1

Total for Days 3&4                                            9

Running Total for First Week:                 18

Throw Out 50 Things: Days 1 and 2

Sunday night I began reading Gail Blanke’s book, Throw Out Fifty Things.

I decided to dedicate the month of March to doing exactly that, throwing out fifty things.

I’ve finished reading Part One: Getting Rid of the Physical Stuff, with the exception of a couple of chapters. We have neither an attic nor a garage, so I did not bother reading Chapters 6 and 7.

Monday morning I decided to tackle the “easiest” room in the apartment, my four year old’s bedroom. I say easy not because it’s the smallest, but because I’m not emotionally tied to all of those darn toys everywhere.

The author suggests getting big dark trash bags (can’t see what you’re getting rid of) and labeling each with a post-it. One to “trash”, one to “donate” and one to “sell.” She also says that you can use ziplock bags of storing small items, like jewelry or small toys.

I didn’t have trash bags, so I grabbed whatever bags I had on hand and went to work.

Now before you start thinking that 50 things is easy, let me tell you, it takes a while to get there. We aren’t talking about 50 items. You may throw away fifty issues of an old magazine in one day, but that only counts as ONE THING.

So here’s what my fifty list looked like at the end of Monday:

1. Bag of sippy cups (donated to friend)      1

2. Bag of push cars (donated to friend)        1

3. Bag of stuffed animals (Goodwill)              1

4. Bag of clothes (Goodwill)                              1

5. Two bags of trash (they were small)         1

6. Miscellaneous crap                                          1

Total Items for Monday             6

Not bad for the first day. Tuesday was a little stretched for time, so I did what I could. I’m still in the same room. Here’s what I got rid of on Tuesday:

1. Another bag of clothes                            1

2. Bag of puzzles with missing pieces      1

3. Two stacks of old magazines                 1

Total for Tuesday                                   3

Running Total                                         9

I have one more day to make sure I’ve gotten rid of everything that doesn’t need to be there. Then I tackle his closet, which functions more like a “catch -all” for everything we don’t have room for. THAT is going to have a “before” and “after” photo. And it might take me the rest of the week. (you’ll see what I mean)

Yesterday my son came home from school, walked into his room and said, “Wow! It looks nice in here.”

March Challenge: Throw Out 50 Things

I live amid piles.

Clothes, books, magazines, toys, cds, etc.

Piles.

The stuff is taking has taken over our lives.

In a two bedroom apartment, there really isn’t need for all of this clutter.

There are times when I come home and feel suffocated by everything around me. My heart races, I feel boxed in, and I get the overwhelming desire to open the door to our balcony and start heaving things onto the grass below.

My husband is a “piler” as well. If I attempt to de-clutter and throw away newspapers that he’s read that are 2-3 months old…well, he throws an absolute fit. (as though I’ve just thorwn away a winning lottery ticket)

This month, I am embarking on a plan to de-clutter, with the help of author Gail Blanke and her book: Throw Out 50 Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life.

photo courtesy of LibraryThing.com

Every week I’ll be reviewing the chapters I’ve read and sharing what I’ve added to my list of 50. (hopefully my husband will join be in this, but I’m not holding my breath)

Be sure to check back to see my progress. And feel free to do this along with me, and post some comments if you do.

Visit Gail Blanke’s website here to find out more about her and the book.

Women’s History Month

At work today, I perused the table that held selections for Women’s History Month.

And what did I spy with my four reading eyes?

This:

photo courtesy of www.artandwords.com

Doomed Queens: Royal Women Who Met Bad Ends from Cleopatra to Princess Di by Kris Waldherr.

Okay readers, I’ve told you before, sometimes I’m drawn to a book by its cover.

Can you NOT see why I HAD to pick THIS one up? I mean, how many books are out there that have not one, but two photos of women who either have the vapors or have just lost their heads?

Having gotten into the Phillipa Gregory books in the last two months kind of helped in  my decision making process too.

This book is part historical fact, with some really good humor thrown in. There’s even a little quiz at the end of the book for readers to take to see if you are a doomed queen.

I thought for sure that by having the same name as a queen who lost her head, I was right up there in line for doomdom. But, whew I am not.

If you’re not big on history, but are interested in knowing about the queens of yesterday, you will enjoy this book as well as learn from it. I loved everything about it. The photos, the background of each of the queens, the humor. I even read a short passage out loud to a coworker, who, had she been sitting down, would have fallen out of her chair laughing.

Check out more information about Doomed Queens…but don’t lose your head.