Some things...

1. I have 2 beasty sized books that I've had for quite some time, still unread. My personal end-of-the-year challenge is to read these two books. They are:

I have just a little less than 2 months so I think its plausible along with finishing the library books I have left. Both of these books are on some of my book challenge lists as well. The library books I have left to finish are:

2. I just saw a commercial for Christmas shopping already and a commercial for ABC Family's pre-25 days of Christmas warm-up. Urrrgh! The year goes by so fast. I'm not ready for Christmas. Not ready for shopping. Not ready for special holiday food. Not ready to think Christmas yet. And I LOVE Christmas and the holiday season. Its not that I'm in a funk or anything, I just don't have the time to think Holidays yet. Must get in the spirit soon. Oh, that reminds me, I must go join up for the Blogger Gift swap. The swap was so much fun last year. It's how I "met" Vasilly. I don't know if the creators of the swap tried to match people up based on likenesses etc. but shopping for Vasilly was like shopping for myself. English, Literature and school-related things. Very cool.

Totally Unbook Related

So I'm thinking about trying dating again. Initially after my divorce, I wasn't ready but now there is this guy at work that I'm thinking I wouldn't mind dating.

However, (and this is a big However), he's quite a bit younger than me. Like 15 years younger.

What do you think about dating a younger man?

I keep going back and forth on the subject from "sure, why not. we're both adults" to "are you crazy or desperate? Cradle robber." Oh what to do??????

Review - The Essential 55 by Ron Clark

As a teacher wannabe, I think Clark's book is excellent. It's more of a manual on proper behavior training than on academic teaching. My copy has stickies all over it for potential classroom rules for my future classroom. Also some of his Essentials are just plain good ideas to be incorporated into lessons as any age.


Some of my favorite Essentials include:


#2 Makes eye contact when speaking

#6 When asked a question, ask a question in return

#8 Do not smack your lips or roll your eyes

#9 Always say thank you

#11 Perform random acts of kindness

#21 Follow certain classroom protocols

#22 You can have food at your desk as long as others can't see it and I don't hear you eat it

#50 Be positive and enjoy life

#51 Live so that you will never have regrets

#55 Be the best person you can be



The last 3 are Essentials I try to live by; hence my divorce and quitting my financial job to return to college.

Book A Day Calendar Update

Wow it's been a long time since posting Book A Day Calendar update. This selection comes from July to October.



Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen

The Yummy Mummy by Polly Williams

Life is Meals: A Food Lover's Book of Days by James Salter and Kay Salter

I'm Not Julia Roberts by Laura Ruby

Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books by Maureen Corrigan

Then We Came to the End: A Novel by Joshua Ferris

Flight by Sherman Alexie

The Dancing Girls of Lahore: Selling Love and Saving Dreams in Pakistan's Pleasure District by Louise Brown

Sheer Abandon by Penny Vincenzi

Mergers and Acquisitions by Dana Vachon

The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud

Review - The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel

This delightful novel was sent to me by Caitlin Price at FSB Associates. The authors used a unique style in writing The Recipe Club. They incorporated letters, emails, recipes and prose writing. The story flips from current day to childhood and back again. I marked several of the recipes to try. Hopefully they turn out as good as they sound.

I got so involved with the story of Lilly's and Val's lives that upon finishing I had a hard time picking up another book. Every book I started to read just didn't compare to The Recipe Club. I love it when I find a book that is so involving but I hate it when I can't move on to another book. I know...what a dilemma.

Anyways...

Try this book. It's a good one. Highly recommend.

Review - Water Witch by Deborah LeBlanc

Again, another book I read in August by another author who I have not heard of before. Again, another surprise and author going on my to-be-read-again list.

I received this book from Anna Suknov at FSB Associates for review. I enjoy novels with a supernatural touch but not too supernatural. Not sure how to explain. Some supernatural novels are too futuristic or unrealistic. I like the ones that have "just a brush" or "a drop" and the brush is something that "may" be plausible. Kinda like believing there could be life on other planets (we don't know for sure) or ghosts or clairvoyants are real (just because I haven't seen or have the ability doesn't mean it can't happen). That's what I like.

Water Witch is a mystery novel which includes that supernatural touch just enough to make the reader believe in the possibility. LeBlanc nails it. The book description states "Dunny knew from an early age what it meant to be an outsider. Her special abilities earned her many names, like freak and water witch. So she vowed to keep her powers a secret. But now her talents may be the only hope of two missing children. A young boy and girl have vanished, feared lost in the mysterious bayous of Louisiana." Special abilities, missing children, bayous of Louisiana - what more could make this novel more mysterious?

Recommend - oh yeah! I finished the book in a day. Try it.

Review - Mercury in Retrograde by Paula Froelich

I finished this book back in August so my memory is a little shaky on the details. What I remember is arguing with myself during the first 30 pages, "oh, put this book down," "no, give it a few more pages," and then wham "oh, I'm so glad I didn't put the book down." I love books that get the reader so involved the story feels real, like you are reading about someone's life. Froelich's book got to that point for me. The lives of the three main female characters evolve and mingle through the unexpected changes of friendships. By use of "6 Degrees of Knowing," Penelope, Lipstick and Dana move into the same apartment building and build a friendship. Each lady is from a different background and has a different issue.

Mercury in Retrograde is Froelich's first novel. I definitely recommend this book if you are in the mood for a chick novel. I am looking forward to Froelich's second novel so hopefully she writes one.