ShareTweet On Sunday night, I headed to Elmhurst College with Emily Paster to hear Michael Pollan discuss his latest book, Cooked. Although I’m a big fan of Michael Pollan, I was a tad apprehensive. I was tired, mind churning with the planning to get through the busy week that would begin in the morning. I… Continue Reading
Category Archives: books
The Crooked Branch – a Book Review
ShareTweet Historical fiction plunges the reader into another time, and often giving readers a new appreciation for the conveniences of their easy, modern lives. Jeanine Cummins‘ novel The Crooked Branch takes the dissonance of historical fiction to another level by intermingling a mother’s story set in current day with another set in the past, in… Continue Reading
The Dinner by Herman Koch: Deconstructing a Family Course by Course
ShareTweet When our book club selected The Dinner by Herman Koch, I prepared myself for a dull read. The entire novel takes place over the course of one meal. Two couples. Three courses. One expensive restaurant. The Dinner sounded more like a play than a novel, and I wasn’t sure I was in the mood… Continue Reading
An American Heiress: The Book to Ease Downton Withdrawal Symptoms
ShareTweet Downton Abby is like a dream and last night that dream ended with the Season Three Finale. We’ll have to wait another long ten months for the next installment of beautifully dressed English period drama, but there is a way to ease the pain. Lose yourself in the American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. (paperback… Continue Reading
Classic Vanilla Rice Pudding from the Downton Abbey Cookbook
ShareTweet Have you fallen under the spell of Downton Abbey yet? Judging from my Twitter and Facebook feeds, it seems as though more people are passionate about the fashions and scandals of the Grantham family and their servants than about the upcoming Superbowl. I certainly am. My Sunday nights are devoted to Downton Abbey, and… Continue Reading
What Alice Forgot: Weekend Escape
ShareTweet As part of my bid for serenity in 2013, I plan on burrowing deep into a couch at least once every weekend with a good book and a steaming cup of hot cocoa. If kids are snuggled up with me, engrossed in their own books, whether they are about baseball or stridently colored ponies,… Continue Reading
Escaping through Books and My Favorite Reads of 2012
ShareTweet With one day to spare in 2012, I’m emerging from my self-imposed social media blackout. After a terrifying few weeks, my father is breathing on his own and has been moved to a lower level of ICU care. We’re very hopeful that he’ll soon be enjoying a life with far greater mobility than he’d… Continue Reading
On the Road with Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Author
ShareTweet Some children come to a love of reading naturally. Most take a little coaxing to see the magic of books. My son’s Jack journey was long, and painful, filled with many fruitless sessions at the library, deeply uninspired by all books at his reading level. Then Jack discovered the Diary of a Wimpy Kid… Continue Reading
The Age of Miracles: When YA Crosses the Line
ShareTweet Teaching my oldest to read was a struggle. The mechanics were easy; she could read competently in kindergarten, but reading was a chore to her, and just reading a few pages frequently brought us both to tears of frustration and anger. Eventually I gave up, and let her be. Of course, that’s when the… Continue Reading
Completely Consumed by Gone Girl
ShareTweet I’m not generally a mystery girl. Murder Who Dunnits are not generally my style. The first time I picked up Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, I put it back down after reading the first page. The first paragraph was a husband’s description of his wife’s head, the shape of her skull. It was creepy,… Continue Reading
Paris Immersion Through Literature
ShareTweet Every year I prepare for our return trips to France by immersing myself in literature. Long before I board a plane, I’m walking the streets of Paris, sitting in cafes, and strolling through markets. Last year I plunged into Julia Child’s Paris, from her first days as an older newlywed trying to forge her… Continue Reading
Divergent: the Must Read Book of the Summer
ShareTweet Were you completely addicted to the Hunger Games? Whether you fell under Suzanne Collins’ spell before or after the blockbuster movie hit the theaters is irrelevant. If you loved the Hunger Games, you have to run, not walk, and buy Divergent. The first book in Veronica Roth‘s trilogy is as well written and engrossing… Continue Reading
Little Divas Need Great Books
ShareTweet I love reading with my 5 year old, but it’s rare that I find the books she chooses to be entertaining. I usually flat out refuse to read anything involving My Little Ponies or Disney characters, but even classics like Little Bear or Pinkalicious aren’t exactly page turners for adults. But the other day… Continue Reading
Bodice Rippers at the Pool
ShareTweet There’s a funny thing going on at the pool these days. Moms are reading, and not just magazines. Everyone seems to have their nose in a book. And thanks to Fifty Shades of Grey, book discussions are popping up all over the place. This smutty, poorly written novel has done something wonderful. It’s made… Continue Reading
More Than a Great Summer Read: Freeman by Leonard Pitts, Jr.
ShareTweet My kids studied Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War this year, learning about slavery and the different economies of the South and the North that almost tore the US apart 150 years ago. The concept that one human being could own another was so strange to them that they struggled to understand it, still… Continue Reading
My First Great Summer Read: Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
ShareTweet Long before diversity was even a concept, before the US was its own country, in 1665 to be exact, a Native American attended Harvard College. His name was Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck and a member of the Wampanoag Tribe in Martha’s Vineyard. Unfortunately little is known about this young man who straddled two worlds, but Geraldine… Continue Reading
Descent Into Smut Hell with 50 Shades of Grey
ShareTweet Fifty Shades of Grey is number one on the NY Times Bestselling Paperback list. It’s been reviewed on NPR, the Morning Show,and every other outlet. It’s also what all the moms in my town are discussing. And 50 Shades of Grey is pure smut, or “Mommy Porn,” according to the NY Times. After hearing… Continue Reading
A Wonderful WWII Historical Fiction Novel: The Soldier’s Wife
ShareTweet Novels about World War II always take a special hold on me. I bury myself deep in their pages. I try to see the streets of Paris as they were in the 40s, to imagine what it would have been like to live in those times as my grandparents did, to watch the German… Continue Reading
the Sorcerer’s Apprentice: a Must Read for Foodies
ShareTweet Do you consider yourself a foodie? Being a foodie comes in many formats. A foodie can be someone who watches the Food Network religiously, sitting at the edge of their seat for each episode of Chopped while eating frozen Lean Cuisine dinners. Foodies share pics of their food on Foodspotting and Pinterest. And this… Continue Reading
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness: a Beautiful and Thrilling Memoir
ShareTweet Let’s face it, we all have issues with our mothers. Your mother might be your best friend and only occasionally annoys you or you may be painfully estranged from her, having not spoken for the last decade. Regardless of the particular flavor of your relationship, the constant remains: every daughter has mother issues. It’s… Continue Reading
Last Minute Cookbook Holiday Gift Guide
ShareTweet On Christmas morning, after the kids have run off to play with their new toys, I sink down deep into the couch under a cuddly blanket with a steaming cup of coffee and my new cookbooks. The floor is buried under a riot of colorful wrapping paper but clean up can wait. It’s time… Continue Reading