Reading My Way Through 2019

I'm a bit of a compulsive reader, and I have been since forever. I was that girl who spent nearly every penny of her (meager) allowance and (likewise meager) birthday money on books. And it was the seventies and eighties, so reading was most decidely not cool.

This year I'm returning to logging my books, because I was a total slacker last year. For the most part, I have absolutely no idea what I read. I'm also going to track my audiobooks, because I've developed a bit of an audiobook addiction, too. (You'll see!) So here we go!

January 2019

Books read

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
Art Journal Workshop by Tracie Bunker

Audiobooks

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation #1) by Lauren Willig
The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation #2) by Lauren Willig
The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation #3) by Lauren Willig
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation #4) by Lauren Willig
The Temptation of the Night Jasmine (Pink Carnation #5) by Lauren Willig
The Betrayal of the Blood Lily (Pink Carnation #6) by Lauren Willig
The Mischief of the Mistletoe (Pink Carnation #7) by Lauren Willig
The Orchid Affair (Pink Carnation #8) by Lauren Willig
The Garden Intrigue (Pink Carnation #9) by Lauren Willig
The Passion of the Purple Plumeria (Pink Carnation #10) by Lauren Willig
The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla (Pink Carnation #11) by Lauren Willig
The Lure of the Moonflower (Pink Carnation #12) by Lauren Willig
A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
Not Alone by Craig A. Falconer
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
Undone by Karin Slaughter
Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues & the Heroes who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
West Cork by Jennifer Forde and Sam Bungey

February 2019

Books Read

Audiobooks

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris

Emma by Jane Austen

In Progress

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
Making Habits, Breaking Habits (audio) by Jeremy Dean
Under Magnolia: A Southern Memoir by

In the Queue

Semiosis
Bridge to Terebithia
Heart of the Artist by
Nightborn by Lou Anders

Popsugar 2015 Reading Challenge Accepted

Back in mid-July, I discovered the Popsugar 2015 Reading Challenge. I was intrigued by the variety it offered, so I decided to plunge in. For convenience, I decided that any book I had read that month or which I read for the rest of the year was eligible.

A lot of people complain that fifty-two books – one a week, on average – is too many. (There are fifty entries, but one entry is "a trilogy," bringing the total to fifty-two.) But I routinely read over a hundred books in a year, so I figured I could do it. More than half a year, less than half my usual total.

Without further ado, the list . . .

Popsugar 2015 Reading Challenge

A book with more than 500 pages

Tower Lord (Raven’s Shadow #2) by Anthony Ryan (11/2015)

A classic romance

A book that became a movie

On the Beach by Nevil Shute (06/2015)

A book published this year

Shadows of Self (Mistborn) by Brandon Sanderson (10/2015)

A book with a number in the title
The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan (12/2015)

A book written by somebody under 30
Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

A book with nonhuman characters
Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman (08/15)

A funny book

Raising Steam (Discworld #41) by Terry Pratchett (08/15)

A book by a female author

The Mischief of the Mistletoe (Pink Carnation #7) by Lauren Willig (11/2015)

A mystery or thriller
On What Grounds

A book with a one-word title

Sick by Brett Battles (audio) (12/2015)

A book of short stories

A book set in a different country
Sold by Patricia McCormick (09/2015)
Set in Nepal and India

A nonfiction book

Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs by Rosemary Gladstar

A popular author's first book

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (06/2015)

A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (06/2015)

A book a friend recommended
The Art of Fermentation

A Pulitzer Prize-winning book

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (09/15)

A book based on a true story

Desperate Passage by Ethan Rarick (10/2015)

A book at the bottom of your to-read list

A book your mom loves

A book that scares you†

The Tommyknockers by Stephen King

A book more than 100 years old

A book based entirely on its cover

Whole Body Barefoot by Katy Bowman (12/2015)

A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't†
Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup (12/2015)

A memoir

A Long Way Home (07/2015)

A book you can finish in a day
Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress by Shelley Mazzanoble (08/15)

A book with antonyms in the title
Live Free or Die (Troy Rising #1) by John Ringo (07/2015)

A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

A book that came out the year you were born
Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry (11/2015)

A book with bad reviews
Twilight by Stefanie Meyers (10/2015)

A trilogy

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn: Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn: Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

A book from your childhood

A book with a love triangle
Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins (07/2015)

A book set in the future

The Hunger Games (Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins

A book set in high school

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (11/2015)

A book with a color in the title
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation #1) by Lauren Willig

A book that made you cry

Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins (07/2015)

A book with magic
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (11/2015)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (12/2015)

A graphic novel

A book by an author you've never read before
Frostborn (Frostborn #1) by Lee Anders (in progress)

A book you own but have never read
Grave Peril (Temperance Brennan #6) by Kathy Reichs (audio)

A book that takes place in your hometown

A book that was originally written in a different language 

A book set during Christmas
An Undead Christmas

A book written by an author with your same initials
Foundling (Monster Blood Tattoo #1) by D.M. Cornish (in progress)

A play
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

A banned book

A book based on or turned into a TV show

Dead and Gone (Southern Vamp #9) by Charlene Harris (10/2015)

A book you started but never finished

The Ragamuffin Gospel by Rich Mullins

Unassigned Books 

The Hormone Cure by Dr. Sara Gottfried (11/2015)

The Alloy of Law (Mistborn) by Brandon Sanderson (09/2015)

*I never, ever shirked a reading assignment in high school or college; in fact, I always went above and beyond. For this entry, I chose a book that I should have read in high school but didn't. Fortunately, it's starting to pop up on high school reading lists.

† I don't know if this one "scares" me, but it certainly gives me the creeps!

A More Indian Masala Chai

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I've written before about my love of masala chai. I've been completely addicted for nearly fifteen years! For most of that time, I've been using basically the same recipe, the one I adapted from The New Guide to Spices.

But in November 2011, I had the privilege of visiting India with a nonprofit group. I had chai twice a day—more if someone in one of the villages made us some! And let me tell you, it puts the bagged stuff to shame; even my homemade masala chai was kind of sad by comparison!

I spent my first two days home trying to return to Eastern Daylight Time, but after that I began a quest. I was going to make masala chai that wouldn't put me to shame if served to my Indian friends! I read recipe after recipe, watched a few videos, and finally concluded that I was doing it all wrong.

In India, every family has its own way of making "masala tea". In many cases, they don't brew tea with spices and then add some milk at the end. I discovered my favorite Indian masala chai is made with a mixture of milk and water, with the tea added for the last few minutes. Traditionally, the ground spice blend is added to the liquid and heated until the milk begins to steam. THEN you add the tea, turn the heat to low, and allow it to steep.

In the end, I'm quite happy with my recipe. It's not perfect, and I certainly can't call it "authentic," but the taste really says "India." Plus, it sure makes my husband happy!


Tea Masala Spice Blend
All measurements by volume

• 3 parts ground cinnamon
• 3 parts ground cardamom
• 2 parts ground ginger
• 1 part grated nutmeg
• 1 part ground allspice
• 1 part ground cloves

Light and heat cause spices to degrade in flavor and quality! Store tightly sealed in a dark, cool place.


Masala Chai
Serves 2

• 1.5 cups milk*
• 1.5 cups water
• .75 tsp tea masala blend
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp loose black tea*

Combine milk, water, and spices in a saucepan.
Heat on medium high until small bubbles form around the edges.
Turn the heat to low.
Add sugar and tea; stir well.
Cover and allow to steep for six minutes.
Strain and serve.


*A few notes on ingredients . . .
I use whole milk. Until my husband tried non-homogenized whole milk, he never liked milk. Now he does! Plus, I think the chai tastes much closer to what I had in India—creamier and richer.

As for the tea, masala chai needs something flavorful. My favorite is Taj Mahal from Brooke Bond, which was recommended to me by my interpreter and the grocery store owner in Kakinada, India. Some of my Indian friends from church prefer Lipton Yellow Label. I have some at home right now (the international supermarket and both Indian grocery stores near me were out!), and it's good, too. But even grocery store loose black tea (or a good bagged tea) is better than pre-bagged chai, or (heaven forbid!) chai from packaged concentrate.

An Unexpected Fan of Harry Potter

As has been established, I'm a geek. I love scifi, fantasy, science, gaming, reading, gadgets, and even (gasp!) math. (I used to do geometry proofs for fun, but that's not really the point . . . )

One of my fandoms is the Harry Potter universe, written by J.K. Rowlings. Now, I was a latecomer to this one. I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone years and years ago, but wasn't impressed. So I never read any further.

Then I met Roswenthe (as she's sometimes known online), and we quickly became close friends. Except she's a huge HP fan, and so are almost all our mutual friends, especially those on our forum, TechnoChicks! So after being left out of about a zillion conversations (online and offline) in anticipation of book seven, I gave in and decided to give Harry Potter another chance.

 I checked out book one and read it again; still just okay. Then I read book two, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and decided it was actually pretty good. So I read book three. Then book four. Book five. Book six . . . at least I didn't have to wait for Deathly Hallows! (I devoured it at light speed, though I hated to finish it.)

As you can no doubt guess, I had become invested in the story. I cared about the Rowling's characters; they are well-written, demonstrating real depth and complexity. The plot is well-developed, providing surprises while still meeting the need for a story you can follow.  I was infuriated by the injustices. I wanted good to triumph over evil.

And in the end, that's what got me. I am a sucker for the epic battle of good versus evil, righting injustices, making the world a better place. And on that score, J.K. Rowling delivers.

Lessons Learned in India

I returned yesterday from a trip to India. It was an eye-opener, to say the least! I learned several…interesting…lessons.

• The lines on the road are part of a pavement beautification project and should be ignored. 
• Water buffalo do not care how large your vehicle is, or how loud. 
• If you're from America, you probably know Obama. 
• Motorized vehicles have been modified so that they only operate if the horn is used every three minutes. 
• Motorcycles and bicycles can carry four or five people. 
• Toilet paper can be crisp.
• Ten passengers in a rickshaw is perfectly reasonable. 
• "No problem" can mean anything from "That's the best idea I've ever heard!" to "If we do that, the universe will implode." 

I also learned that the people of India are some of the most gracious and hospitable anywhere. We could learn a lot from them.

A Passion for Parasols

When I was a kid, my grandma gave me the coolest little parasol. It was green, and it doubled as an umbrella. She bought it from this wonderful lady in Dahlonega, Georgia, who would paint your name and fanciful little designs on your parasol. (As of two years ago, she was still doing them at Gold Rush Days.)

Years later, my class made a field trip to something called the "China Exhibit" at the High Museum of Art, and I bought myself a beautiful waterproofed paper parasol (green again, as it happens), and I toted that thing around until it eventually disappeared.

Well, I'm fair-skinned and burn easily. Make that really, really fair-skinned, and really, really prone to sunburn. Despite having a decided goth streak, I love the sun, and I love to be outside in it. (I've relegated my inner goth to a part of my soul that mainly gets to play with my wardrobe and Halloween.) For years I've relied on hats and sunscreen, but I hate sunscreen. I hate putting it on, and I don't trust most sunscreen after doing a bit of research.

Last year, I remembered my beloved parasols from my childhood. Why wasn't I using a parasol anymore? I've always loved how they look, and I see them all the time around where I work, carried by the Hispanic and Asian women who walk everywhere. And hey, it's certainly an environmentally friendly approach to sun protection!

So began my hunt for the perfect parasol. My first acquisition, after much research, came from Luna Bazaar, who have the most amazing assortment of paper parasols! (Their main clients are brides and event planners, so they have a rainbow of colors. There are even a few nylon parasols, and they've announced that they'll be adding lace parasols.) I settled on the henna design painted paper umbrella, one of only two waterproof parasols. It stands up to rain quite well, though I wouldn't use it in high winds. (That's only because I'm protective of it, not because I've had a single problem with it.)

As a result of my parasol hunt, I found several examples of belly dance routines with parasols. Since I have a bit of an addiction to props in belly dance, that's just up my alley! I also saw one example of a paper parasol breaking during a routine, so I knew I needed a regular parasol for dance.

I found it this year at the Georgia Renaissance Festival. It's a beautiful red lace parasol, with a sturdy black wood handle and metal ribs. (I found an identical one on sale online.) I had seen several black ones at various conventions, marketed to the steampunk set (yay steampunk!), but this was the first red one! I love that it's so unusual. I hope to have a dance solo worked up in time for my troupe's December show.

Now I'm buying a couple more paper parasols. I'm feeling the lure of the unusually shaped ones, so I've looked at the grass green scalloped parasol and the powder blue star parasol, both from Luna Bazaar. Then again, the gilded blue parasol is gorgeous... (That's also from Luna Bazaar. Have I mentioned how much I love them? And that most of their parasols use sustainably grown wood for the handles and finials?) Eventually I'm going to get the butterflies and flowers parasol or maiden oiled paper parasol, both very Asian designs from Asian Ideas. They also have a lovely square parasol, which is certainly distinctive.

Apparently the recent appreciation for multicultural designs has been having its effect. I've found some other sources, too.

Oiled paper parasols from Japanese Style
Very elegant fabric pagoda parasol-umbrellas from Bella Umbrella
Paper parasols from Asian Import Store
A wide range of distincive parasols from Pamela's Parasols
Asian-style parasols and umbrellas from Oriental Decor
Silk, nylon, lace, paper, and oiled paper parasols from Asian Ideas

Photo by Michael Connell on Flickr

2011 100+ Book Challenge

For the third year, I'm joining the 100+ book challenge over at Home Girl's Book Blog. Last year I did a worse job of tracking it, but I definitely went way past 100; my total from 2009 was probably a bit over one hundred and thirty books.
I've already been tracking my reading this year, starting January 1. So here's where I am…

*Denotes an audiobook

January 2011 (12 books)

• Neuromancer (The Sprawl #1) by William Gibson
• Mona Lisa Overdrive (The Sprawl #3) by William Gibson
• The Constant Princess (Tudor series) by Philippa Gregory
• First Test (Protector of the Small #1) by Tamora Pierce
• Monsters, Gods and Heroes: Approaching the Epic in Literature (Modern Scholar series) by Timothy B. Shutt
• Mike McGrath's Book of Compost by Mike McGrath
• Page (Protector of the Small #2) by Tamora Pierce
• Domes of Fire (The Tamuli #1) by David Eddings
• A Handbook of Edible Flowers: Their Cultivation and Use by Florence G. Dale and Charles J. Ziga
• The Shining Ones (The Tamuli #2) by David Eddings
• The Hidden City (The Tamuli #3) by David Eddings
• Storm Front (The Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher

February 2011

• The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
• Fool Moon (The Dresden Files #2) by Jim Butcher
• Grave Peril (The Dresden Files #3) by Jim Butche
• Gooney Bird Greeene by Lois Lowry
• Summer Knight (The Dresden Files #4) by Jim Butcher
• The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
• Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey
• Death Masks (The Dresden Files #5) by Jim Butcher
• Blood Rites (The Dresden Files #6) by Jim Butcher
• Dead Beat (The Dresden Files #7) by Jim Butcher
• Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files #8) by Jim Butcher
• Growing Tasty Tropical Plants - In Any Home, Anywhere by Laurelynn G. Martin and Byron E. Martin
• White Night (The Dresden Files #9) by Jim Butcher
• Reaper* by Rachel Vincent
• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

March 2011

• Small-Plot, High-Yield Gardening by Sal Gilbertie and Larry Sheehan
• The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
• Murder at Avadon Hill* by P.G. Holyfield

April 2011

• Financial Peace University Handbook by Dave Ramsey
• The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson
• Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword by Tee Morris
• The Prince of Hazel and Oak (Shadowmagic #2) by John Lenahan*
• Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) by Gail Carriger
• Blameless (Parasol Protectorate #3) by Gail Carriger
• Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren

May 2011

• Another Fine Myth (MYTH #1) by Robert Asprin
• Myth Conceptions (MYTH #2) by Robert Asprin
• Myth Directions (MYTH #3) by Robert Asprin
• Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire #1) by Charlene Harris
• Living Dead in Dallas (Southern Vampire #2) by Charlene Harris
• Club Dead (Southern Vampire #3) by Charlene Harris
• Dead to the World (Southern Vampire #4) by Charlene Harris
• Warrior Heir (Heir Trilogy #1) by Cinda Williams Chima
• Dead as a Doornail (Southern Vampire #5) by Charlene Harris
• Guards! Guards! (Discworld #8) by Terry Pratchett
• Green Like God by Jonathan Merritt

June 2011

• Feed by M.T. Anderson
• Men at Arms (Discworld #15) by Terry Pratchett
• Feet of Clay (Discworld #19) by Terry Pratchett
• Jingo (Discworld #21) by Terry Pratchett
• The Fifth Elephant (Discworld #24) by Terry Pratchett
• Night Watch (Discworld #29) by Terry Pratchett
• Thud! (Discworld #34) by Terry Pratchett
• Going Postal (Discworld #33) by Terry Pratchett
• The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2) by Brandon Sanderson
• Making Money (Discworld #36) by Terry Pratchett
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1) by J. K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) by J. K. Rowling

July 2011

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3) by J. K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4) by J. K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5) by J. K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6) by J. K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7) by J. K. Rowling
• Bloody Jack (Bloody Jack #1)
• The Curse of the Blue Tattoo (Bloody Jack #2)
• The Hunger Games (Hunger Games #1)
• Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2)
• Definitely Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries #6) by Charlene Harris
• Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3)

August 2011

• All Together Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries) by Charlene Harris
• Dead Reckoning (southern Vampire Mysteries) by Charlene Harris

Reading

• Equal Rites (Discworld) by Terry Pratchett
• Tahn: A Novel by L. A. Kelly
• The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson
• Only the Good Spy Young (Gallagher Girls #4) by Ally Carter
• Leviathan (Leviathan #1) by Scott Westerfeld
• The Divine Comedy by Dante Alligheri
• Behold the Mighty Dinosaur (Modern Scholar series) by John Kricher
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
• Flatland: A Romance in Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott
• Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook by Paizo Publishing
• Watership Down by Richard Adams
• Dixie Divas by Virginia Brown
• Crunchy Cons: The New Conservative Counterculture by Rod Dreher
• A Game of Thrones (A Song of Fire and Ice #1) by George Martin
• Robert Browning: Selected Poems by Robert Browning
• The Sari Shop Widow
• Heartless (Parasol Protectorate #4) by Gail Carriger
• Alton Brown's Gear for Your Kitchen by Alton Brown

In the Queue

• The Alloy of Law (Mistborn #4) by Brandon Sanderson (Due out November 2011)
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• Behemoth (Leviathan trilogy) by Scott Westerfeld
• Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Caroll
• Immortal Poems of the English Language by Oscar Williams
• Macbeth by William Shakespeare
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare
• The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
• The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
• The Legacy (aka A Town Like Alice) by Nevil Shute
• On the Beach by Nevil Shute
• Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler
• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
• The Secret History by Donna Tartt
• The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
• Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton
• Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
• Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier
• Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth
• Elephant Run by Roland Smith
• What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio
• Un Lun Dun by China Melville

What are you reading?

Okay, so my resolve to post more about my reading didn't last very long. I'll blame it on Monday, since that IS the night my gaming group gathers, and there's usually at least one person who stays late. (You know who you are.)

Okay, so it's actually my own fault.

Anyway, I've been reading bunches and bunches of books. Physical books, ebooks (thanks to my iPad), audiobooks, podcast novels…I love books. If I went back over everything I've read since the last time I posted, we would run into a few problems.

• You would run away before I made it a quarter of the way through my list.
• You would decide I was even more insane that you thought.
• I can't remember EVERYTHING I've read.

So, recently finished books it is.

Lamplighter (Monster Blood Tattoo #2) by D.M. Cornish
I love these books. The setting is intriguing and original–a bit steampunk, a bit medieval, with a good dose of oddball semi-organic primitive technology. Plus, the characters are well developed with distinctive personalities. My husband's only complaint is that the hero, Rossamund Bookchild, doesn't seem like a fifteen-year-old boy. I'm okay with it, because at his age in this setting, young people are out working as soldiers, risking their lives fighting bogles (deadly monsters). I think that would sort of skip over much of what we associate with the teen years. I can't wait to read book three, which comes out this month in Australia and New Zealand, and next month in the US, UK, and Canada. (I'm not going to give the title, because the title of each book is Rossamund's profession during that book. It would be a bit of a spoiler.

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins
Like The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay are emotionally harsh. I'm not kidding; lots of characters you come to adore will suffer in grueling, cruel ways, physically and mentally. Some will die.

Strike that; many of them will die. In fact, the games are supposed to end with only one person out of twenty-four still alive. They entire idea is to kill lots of people in a highly entertaining fashion. The entire point of the books is to fight against it.

Despite the gruesome premise, the books are all wonderful. The struggle to overcome a great, pervasive evil is riveting, as is Katniss, the heroine. I find the battle to win over the hearts of the people, inspiring them to join in fighting the corrupt, evil government at least as interesting as the physical battle. (I waited to read Catching Fire until Mockingjay was released because I couldn't stand to wait between them!)

If you can take it emotionally, I highly recommend the series.

New Spring (Wheel of Time prequel) by Robert Jordan
I reread New Spring late last month, as part of the run-up to the release of Towers of Midnight (Wheel of Time #13) on November 2. I finished all the other books, but wanted more WoT, and realized that I had only read New Spring once!

As a result, I think I gleaned more from it than any of the other re-reads. The first time through was when it was first released, so a lot has happened in the series since them. Insights into the characters of Morraine, Lan, Elaida, and Siuan (even glimpses of Liandrin) have been illuminating. Certain events that start in The Gathering Storm involving Lan make the bits of Malkieri custom, from a time closer to the fall of Malkier, especially enlightening.

I highly recommend it for all fans of the Wheel of Time; it still shocks me that some haven't read it! And of course, I recommend that all fans of epic fantasy give the Wheel of Time a shot. Not that I'm biased…

Distinctions: The Prologue to Towers of Midnight (Wheel of Time #13) by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
I heard one section of the Prologue to ToM at Dragon*Con, read by Brandon, and couldn't resist buying this on my iPad, through the Kindle app. I loved it. It has made me even more excited about the release of Towers of Midnight in just over three weeks! Of course, now chapter one is posted for free on Tor.com. I will say this: it's excellent!

Nim's Island
This is a "middle readers" book. That means about fifth through seventh or eighth grades. I enjoyed it, and finished it quickly. The setting is interesting, and all the characters, human and (non-speaking) animal, are fun. Totally clean and age-appropriate. It could almost convince me that living almost alone on a tiny, remote island would be fun!

Current Reads
Greywalker
The Way of Kings* (Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
The Outsider by Ann H. Gabhart (Kindle app)
Flatland: A Romance in Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott
Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart
The Herbal Body Book: A Natural Approach to Healthier Skin, Nails, and Hair by Stephanie L. Toules

*I've been reading The Way of Kings since I got home from Dragon*Con. I am absolutely forcing myself to prolong it. I have definitely enjoyed it, but it helps that it's a huge book, and I'm afraid of damaging it. So I only let myself read it at home.

Loving the Fall!

For most of my life, summer was my favorite time of year! As a kid, it was easy: summers meant no school, which translated to lots of fun time with my mom, siblings, and (until I was twelve or so) my cousin. Lots of time at the pool, and constant trips to the library for more books. Add in Girl Scout day camp and occasional summer camp, and it's a clear choice. Plus, I have a summer birthday. :D

Even when summer meant more time at my part-time job, I was still a die-hard fan of summer. Even summer classes during my very extended college years didn't change that.

But over the last few years, I've come to really love the fall. There are awesome fall festivals everywhere, and the weather is so wonderful: still warm, but breezy and not nearly as humid. The North Georgia mountains are so beautiful, too, come fall, with all the leaves changing. (I'm also a big fan of Halloween, as well as all the winter squashes like sweet dumpling squash.)

Of course, it helps that I am absolutely addicted to hats of all sorts and interesting socks. Summer is so very hot in Georgia that I don't wear socks unless I am hiking, and only straw hats or cotton canvas bucket hats are bearable.

This year, I've already been to the Atlanta Arts Festival (where I browsed but didn't buy) and the Duluth Fall Festival, which is small but one of my favorites! It rained on us, but we still had a blast. I bought my usual supply of handmade soaps from Thistle Ridge Soap out of Walhala, South Carolina and my favorite huckleberry honey from Allen White of Dalton, Georgia. I also bought my first Christmas gift of the year, for my mom.

Tonight I'm headed to the Atlanta Greek Festival, for souvlaki, pastries (yum), music, and street dancing, my favorite part! (I hope I remember the dances; I usually forget half of it!) Next weekend we head to Andy's Trout Farm in Clayton, Georgia with my husband's family, including three of my four nephews. I think we are planning a side trip to Helen for Oktoberfest (which is actually over in Germany!), but I'm not sure.

Hope you're enjoying your fall as much as I am!

Another Book Challenge: Support Your Local Library 2010

So you might have noticed that I like reading challenge. It's because I love books, and it's fun to find new ways to stretch my horizons.

My latest challenge is again from J. Kaye's book blog: the 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge.

Here's the challenge in a nutshell: read twenty-five books checked out from your local library. That's it! I've already read six or so, but I kept forgetting to actually enroll in the challenge.

So now it's done. Stay tuned as I update my list.

It's Tuesday; what are you reading - 03.16.2010

Yes, I know I'm a day late with this.

So I think I need to change the direction of my reading. A summary of my last week and a half of reading:

Unwind by Neal Shusterman
A story set in the future United States, where all life is protected from conception to age thirteen. From the age of thirteen to eighteen, parents or guardians may choose to "unwind" a life, where the body is dismantled and at least 99.44% of it is reused. This way, the unwanted individual is never ended but is instead divided.

Wonderful characters, intriguing plot, emotionally wrenching. Tragic yet with a note of hope.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
This story is set in the future, an advanced enough future that they are able to institute sameness. Everything is flat; there is no color, and emotion is very, very dulled, except for a few, isolated individuals. Sameness is enforced–terminally if necessary.

Great plot, well-developed characters, emotionally wrenching with a very sad, tragic ending.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Again in the future United States. The country fell apart in the past, dividing into thirteen districts and ruled from the Capitol. Over seventy years earlier, the poor districts rebelled against the Capitol. They were utterly defeated, and District Thirteen was totally wiped out.

To remind the districts of how much they're under the control of the Capitol, they instituted the Hunger Games. Once each year, the Capitol has a massive "festival" nationwide, with a mass gathering mandatory in each district. At the festival, the names of each child age twelve through eighteen are placed in two glass balls (one for boys, one for girls). One boy and one girl are chosen in each district, and those two "tributes" are whisked away to the Capitol. They are given the "honor" of participating in the Hunger Games, where only one can survive. It's proceeded by a week of testing and interviews, which is televised to the nation. (Again, mandatory viewing.) If the tributes impress the audience, sponsors can pay to drop a gift to that kid–tools, food, medicine, clothes, weapons. So the kids must each put on a good show, or else they'll die fast.

The main characters, Katniss and Peeta, are from District Twelve (Appalachia), one of the poorest districts. The Capitol, by contrast, is rich and frivolous, and very technologically advanced, which highlights the cruelty of their rule.

A full cast of well-developed characters. Brutal plot. Redemption. Emotionally wrenching from beginning to end.

Incantation by Alice Hoffman
My husband bought me this audiobook for Christmas. It is set in Spain, at the beginning of the Spanish Inquisition. Sixteen-year-old Estrella deMadrigal lives in a pleasant, peaceful village that's experiencing the first rumblings of serious persecution against Jews, especially "hidden Jews". Some families had pretended to convert to Catholicism generations earlier, after authorities had taken their children, to ensure their return. My husband and I have just reached the point where the executions (murders, really) are beginning.

Masterfully told. Perfectly captures the feeling of the age. Sad, sad, sad.

Give me comedy! I can't take another book like this! Maybe I can find a Robert Aspirin MYTH novel I haven't read yet…because I've read all the Discworld novels in the past five months.

I'm also reading Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson. Not nearly the emotional toll of the other three, but still not light and cheery. (It's excellent; I can't wait to find out what happens to Elantris and the main characters. Like any good book, I also don't want it to end.)

Current non-fiction reads:
The Organic Garden: Green and Easy by Allan Shepherd
1 Dough, 100 Cookies by Linda Doeser
Gardening with Native Plants of the South by Sally Wasowski

Defining Drian, or How to Figure Out Your Character's Identity

I've been playing D&D (that's Dungeons and Dragons, for those of you not into the gaming thing), off and on for, well, years. Right now I'm in an intermittent, extended campaign with a couple of our closest friends. My character is Drian, a second level half-elven cleric. (That's a healer.)

Tonight our party found itself disagreeing over our course of action. As a player, I had certain ideas about the wise thing to do. But I'm not Drian; I'm me. Drian doesn't know what I know about her world.

To figure out her stance on the issue, I had to figure out who she was. That's pretty incredible, because I usually have a full back story and a personality worked out before the first session. Somehow, that didn't happen this time.

Defining a character can be a bit intimidating to a new player. I spent literally weeks agonizing over Xandria the elven cleric-sorceress, my first character. So I thought it might help some new gamer out there if I worked through my process on the web. Here we go.…

Drian is a cleric.
Perhaps nothing else defines Drian so much as her chosen vocation, a cleric. As a cleric, she cares for her party, healing them when they need it, and calling on her god to bless and protect them in difficult situations. As such, she feels very responsible for them. Very, very responsible. In fact, the mental, physical, and spiritual welfare of her allies is second only to her duty to her god, Pelor.

Drian serves Pelor.
Pelor is the god of the sun, and by extension the god of summer, agriculture, and time. His clerics are sworn to uphold the cause of good, and to battle the undead. Such beings are anathema to him, having left behind the natural order of things. They are called to help the helpless wherever they can, and stand vigiliant against evil. Did I mention really, really hates undead?

Drian is good.
Okay, I lied before; this is Drian's most defining characteristic. Everything else plays out around it. Above all else, Drian wants to do what's right; it's why she's a cleric, instead of a merchant or an artisan. It's why she's an adventurer, heading out into every kind of dangerous and unpredictable situation when she could settle down in a nice, safe village or city to serve in Pelor's temple.

Drian is a cultural half-elf.
As a half-elf, Drian has been reconciling two different natures all her life. Half-elves are not elves, and they are not humans, yet they are both. Many half-elves are conflicted, torn between the two societies yet never fully accepted by either. However, Drian was raised in a half-elf community, with a distinctive racial identity. Being raised among people who were comfortable with both races, in a society where each half-elf is encouraged to integrate the aspects of humanity and of elvenkind that best fit them, she's confident and adaptable. She's also more able to relate to someone with a different point of view, making her a natural diplomat and quite insightful. Oh, did I mention that most half-elves dabble in other professions? Well, Drian spent enough time with the warlock down the street to pick up a thing or two.

That's only one part of the picture, though. Drian is also defined by her ability scores and skills. They define her strengths and weaknesses, as well as her areas of interest.

Strength: 14
With a strength of 14, Drian's not the greatest fighter. However, she's not especially weak, so she's not helpless; her mace shows enough wear to make that clear. But fighting's definitely not her strongest suit…

Constitution: 12
Drian's constitution is about average for an adventurer, which is just slightly above average for a regular person. It means she has more than enough endurance to carry a good set of gear (including bearing up under the added weight of a fair amount of armor), and she's not especially fragile. Combine that with strength, and she can stand to put herself in harm's way if necessary to get into position to help a wounded ally or innocent. She'll do it, too, if they need her.

Dexterity: 11
Good thing Drian never wanted to be an archer, because she's not especially dexterous. In fact, she's a bit less so that the typical adventurer. Fortunately, her party members aren't counting on her to pick off distant targets, even if she does carry a crossbow; the party's fighter is much better at that. But she has to hope she doesn't get into a situation where fancy footwork is called for, because she's not cut out for dodging attacks or balancing on a precarious ledge! (She would also make a terrible sneak thief, by the way, if she were the type.)

Intelligence: 12
Drian's book smarts are a bit above the average person's, but dead average for an adventurer. She's certainly not dumb, but she doesn't have an extensive education or a head for obscure facts. The only areas where she shines are the arcane, history and religion, and that's only because of her religious training. But where did she learn to speak and read giant, of all things?

Wisdom: 16
Ah yes, now we're getting to areas where Drian shines! She may not be the most intelligent, but she's got more than her fair share of street smarts. She's also quite empathetic (that's useful in healer), and very self-disciplined. If someone in her party is going to pick up on the subtle clues that indicate danger in the making or get a read on the stranger they encounter on the road, chances are it will be her.

Charisma: 15
And with a high charisma, she'll probably do well getting that stranger to trust her. She's persuasive, with a strong personality and innate leadership abilities. Combine that with her diplomacy skills, and she's a good choice to represent the party, if the party leader isn't available. In a pinch, she may even be able to intimidate those standing in their way; they're less likely to see through her bluffs.

Week 2: It's Monday; what are you reading?

Well, week two for me of participating in J. Kaye's It's Monday; what are you reading?

It's been a busy, Pratchett-filled week! I finished Jingo, which was fun. I have also finished The Last Continent, The Fifth Elephant, Carpe Jugulum, and The Truth. I've started Thief of Time, but I'm nearly a quarter of the way into it and it's just not interesting me. (Blasphemy, I know!)

I'm also reading Mrs. Sharp's Traditions: Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations of Comfort & Joy. I've been reading it a chapter or so at a time, and I like what she says about a home being a refuge, a source of comfort and calm. Though I do really well in the cooking and craft areas, and fairly well in the fiber arts area, and I'm great at figuring out how to use space, I'm terrible at keeping up with it. I'm using this to try and stay motivated.

My husband and I finished our audiobook (Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke), and started a new one: Tiger by Jeff Stone. It's the first book in the Five Ancestors series.

I enjoyed Inkheart. After reading it last year, it was interesting to hear it as an audiobook! I keep forgetting that it's actually a translation from German…if only the translations of the classics from Ancient Greek were so well done!

Tiger I'm not so sure about. The synopsis on the case seems like it should be interesting, but in some ways it comes off as a caricature of Asian literature. It's jsut a little too stereotypical, if you know what I mean.

Oh, I'm also reading Singer's Crown. Very good book. :)

Week 1: It's Monday; what are you reading?

I'm a fan of J. Kaye's Book Blog. She does several reading challenges each year; last March she started a weekly event called "It's Monday; what are you reading?"

Sounds like fun; wish I had found it before!

I've been on a Discworld kick; in the last month and a half, I've read about a dozen of them. (Gotta love Terry Pratchett!)

My husband and I are listening to the audiobook of Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I read it last year, but my husband the media specialist happened across it at the public library. We're about three-quarters done, and I'm really enjoying the reading.

Today I finished Hogfather, which is hilarious. It's the Discworld take on Santa Claus. But of course, since we're talking Discworld, it's pretty odd. Especially when Death and Death of Rats get involved, dragging Death's adopted granddaughter into things. (I really wanted to get to this one before Christmas, but c'est la vie. At least it's still technically the Christmas season, since Epiphany/Twelfth Night isn't until tomorrow.)

Then I started the next book, Jingo, at lunch. This one is a reread for me. In true Discworld fashion, it takes all those legends of lost or sunken continents, throws in some mindless nationalism, and brings it through insanity and out the other side. It also gives Leonard of Quirm, the Ankh Morpork version of Leonardo da Vinci, a prominent role. (I love his names for stuff…like the "Going Under the Water Machine", for a submarine!)

I'm also reading The Bread Machine Cookbook. Tonight I'm going to take on Honey Whole Wheat Bread for the second time.

Also, I've decided to give up on the One Year Bible thing, since it never works for me. Instead, I'm going to try to read The Old Testament this year, and the New Testament next year. (I was inspired by our Minister of Administration, who is doing a two year plan for the Bible.) I'm in Genesis, which I always find fascinating.

That's really it for right now.

Signed up for the 2010 100+ Book Challenge

For the second year, I'm signing up for J. Kaye's 2010 Book Challenge! Last year I exceeded my goal: I counted one hundred twenty-three books in 2009. And I missed some books, during the madness that was buying a house (July) and my usual November madness, so I know I read at least one hundred twenty-five; probably more. Thinking about it, it had to be more, because I certainly read more than four books in November!

I loved doing this; I always read tons of books, but I never really remember when I read what. This took care of that problem! (Well, for the most part…)

I had a bunch of books I never finished reading this year. So I'm going to set those aside, to either add to the abandoned list or start over with later. Well, I finished up the last chapter of Feet of Clay at 2 am on New Year's Day, so that will count for last year. :)

If you want to join me, sign up at J. Kaye's blog!

By the way, books marked with an asterisk are audiobooks.

January 2010 (11 books)

• Hogfather (Discworld #20) by Terry Pratchett
• Jingo (Discworld #21) by Terry Pratchett
• The Last Continent (Discworld #22) by Terry Pratchett
• Carpe Jugulum (Discworld #23) by Terry Pratchett
• The Fifth Elephant (Discworld #24) by Terry Pratchett
• The Truth (Discworld #25) by Terry Pratchett
• The Last Hero* (Discworld #27) by Terry Pratchett
• Inkheart* by Cornelia Funke
• The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (Discworld #28) by Terry Pratchett
• Night Watch (Discworld #29) by Terry Pratchett
• The Singer's Crown by Elaine Isaak

February 2010 (13 books)

• Star Wars: Soldier for the Empire
• Star Wars: Rebel Agent
• Star Wars: Jedi Knight
• Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
• Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia
• Star Wars: Rebel Mission to Ord Mantell
• Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
• War of the Worlds Audio Drama
• Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia
• Star Wars: Soldier for the Empire
• Star Wars: Rebel Agent* (Checked out fr library; horrible full cast recording, with cheesy sound effects–especially the moaning voices on the planet–and overdone evilness from the Dark Jedi)
• Northhanger Abbey
• Star Wars: Jedi Knight

March 2010 (6 books; several missing)

• Heist Society by Ally Carter
• Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
• Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson
• Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2) by Brandon Sanderson
• Hero of Ages (Mistborn #3) by Brandon Sanderson
• The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold

April 2010 (3 books; many missing)

• The Gathering Storm (The Wheel of Time #12) by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
• I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You (Gallagher Girls #1) by Ally Carter
• A Way with Words II: Approaches to Literature by Michael D. C. Drout

May 2010 (10 books)

• The Season
• Distant Waves: a Novel of the Titanic by Suzanne Weyn
• Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
• Lord of Chaos (Wheel of Time #6) by Robert Jordan
• Unwind by Neal Shusterman
• The Hunger Games (Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins
• Mike McGrath's Book of Compost by Mike McGrath
• The Roar by Emma Clayton
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Victoriana Player's Handbook

June 2010 (7 books; several missing)

• The Vor Game (Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold
• Mountains of Mist (Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold
• You Can't Judge a Girl By Her Cover (Gallagher Girls #3) by Ally Carter
• Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls #4) by Ally Carter
• The Path of Daggers (Wheel of Time #7) by Robert Jordan
• Dracula* by Bram Stoker
• Preserving Summer's Bounty: A Quick and Easy Guide to Freezing, Canning, Preserving, and Drying What You Grow by Susan McClure

July 2010 (8 books; a few missing)

• Ringworld by Larry Niven
• The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (Twilight novella) by Stephenie Meyer
• Water for Elephants* by Sara Gruen
• There's a Monster at the End of This Book
• Dead Until Dark (Southern Vamp Mysteries #1) by Charlaine Harris
• Living Dead in Dallas (Southern Vamp Mysteries #2) by Charlaine Harris
• Club Dead (Southern Vamp Mysteries #3) by Charlaine Harris
• Dead to the World (Southern Vamp Mysteries #4) by Charlaine Harris

August 2010 (12 books)

• Dead as a Doornail (Southern Vamp Mysteries #5) by Charlaine Harris
• Definitely Dead (Southern Vamp Mysteries #6) by Charlaine Harris
• All Together Dead (Southern Vamp Mysteries #7) by Charlaine Harris
• From Dead to Worse (Southern Vamp Mysteries #8) by Charlaine Harris
• Dead and Gone (Southern Vamp Mysteries #9) by Charlaine Harris
• Dead in the Family (Southern Vamp Mysteries #10) by Charlaine Harris
• Time Travelers Never Die* by Jack McDevitt
• Rendevous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
• Barefoot in the Park
by Neil Simon
• The Passage* by Justin Cronin
• Slightly Shady by Amanda Quick
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (HP #5) by J.K. Rowling

September 2010 (14 books)

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (HP #6) by J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows (HP #7) by J.K. Rowling
• Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
• Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone (HP #1) by J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (HP #2) by J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (HP #3) by J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (HP #4) by J.K. Rowling
• Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins
• Mockingjay* (Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins
• A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman
• Princess Academy* by Shannon Hale
• You See but You Do Not Observe
• Catch a Rising Star by Tracey Bateman
• The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint

October 2010 (8 books)

• New Spring (Wheel of Time prequel) by Robert Jordan
• Nim's Island by Wendy Orr
• Lamplighter (Monster Blood Tattoo #2) by D. M. Cornish
• Greywalker (Greywalker #1) by Kat Richardson
• The Herbal Body Book: A Natural Approach to Healthier Skin, Nails, and Hair by Stephanie L. Toules
• Belgarath the Sorceror (Belgariad series) by David and Leigh Eddings
• Pawn of Prophecy (Belgariad #1) by David Eddings
• Queen of Sorcery (Belgariad #2) by David Eddings

November 2010 (9 books; a few missing)

• Magician's Gambit (Belgariad #3) by David Eddings
• Castle of Wizardry (Belgariad #4) by David Eddings
• Enchanter's Endgame (Belgariad #5) by David Eddings
• The Wisewoman by Philippa Gregory
• Take a Thief (Valdemar series) by Mercedes Lackey
• Exile's Honor (Valdemar series) by Mercedes Lackey
• Arrows of the Queen (Valdemar series) by Mercedes Lackey
• Arrow's Flight (Valdemar series) by Mercedes Lackey
• The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downey Hahn
• Arrow's Fall (Valdemar series) by Mercedes Lackey

December 2010

• The Outsider by Ann H. Gabhart (Kindle app)
• Winds of Fate (Valdemar series) by Mercedes Lackey
• Dune (Dune #1) by Frank Herbert
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo* (Millennium #1) by Stieg Larson
• The Boleyn Inheritance (Tudor series) by Philippa Gregory
  
• Fire (Graceling #2) by Kristin Cashore

Currently Reading

• The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson
• The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
• Flatland: A Romance in Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott
• Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart
• Mrs. Sharp's Tradtions: Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations Of Comfort & Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach
• The Warrior's Heir (Heir Trilogy #1) by Cinda Williams Chima
  

Abandoned

• Thief of Time* (Discworld, Book 26) by Terry Pratchett
• Tiger* (The Five Ancestors, Book 1) by Jeff Stone
• The Gearhart*

In the Queue

• Confessions by Saint Augustine
• Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

The Elusive Charm of Mason Jars

Mason Jars
Originally uploaded by Patrick Q

As a child of the South, I have a soft spot for mason jars. I grew up surrounded by them, since the ladies on my father's side of the family did a fair amount of canning. (After all, his family did come from the country: Seminole County, in the Southwest corner of Georgia.)

And yes, people really do drink out of mason jars here. In fact, Folks restaurant chain used to serve drinks in them. Of course, it's less common than it used to be, but it can be very handy if you want to be able to seal it up. (Think of it as the environmentally-responsible late nineteenth and early twentieth-century version of the to-go cup and tupperware…) I recently bought a bunch of them for canning.

To me, Mason jars are wonderful to look at. Today's jars look just like those from my childhood, except that the lids and bands are now platinum colored. In our living room, we have a half-gallon Mason jar sitting on a shelf, filled with glass florist marbles. It looks very cool, but in our case they aren't simply decorative: we're gamers, so my husband and I actually use those marbles for D&D and for card or board games.

Mason jars are just so handy! I remember my grandfather keeping miscellaneous fasteners in those jars in his workshop; in the utility room off the garage, my grandmother had a couple of shelves of them, which she would send us to fetch to store leftover soup, or perhaps some sweet tea to send with a guest.

Perhaps it seems old-fashioned to you, but it's not like I'm old. Sure, we have dedicated drink bottles now, and all sorts of plastic storage containers. It's not like we didn't have those when I was a kid, though the variety was certainly smaller.

But think about it: after you finish your 32 ounce cup of Coke from McDonald's, what do you do with the cup? Trash it. What would you do with a Mason jar? Wash it out and reuse it. The only plastic is in the lining of the lid used for sealing; even those lids can be reused for non-food storage. The bands and jars can be reused until the jars chip or the bands begin to rust.

That's part of the appeal of a Mason jar: they remind us of a time when resources weren't taken for granted…and neither were people.

A Life Less Dramatic

I want a life less dramatic. Until recently, I would listen to tales of drama from friends and co-workers and think, "I'm so glad my life is relatively drama free."

God decided my friends and co-workers had suffered enough and I needed to take on some of the excess.

A month ago today, my husband and I were driving home from a trip to Ikea (yay Ikea!) where we picked up a few small items we had been avoiding buying. Turns out it was a good thing that it was small items, because our car came to a total stop on the expressway. Blessedly, it was actually at the exit to his parent's house, and his dad is quite mechanically adept. So we called him, and he set out at 10 at night to come rescue us. And right after that, the mechanic who works two businesses down from my office happens by, and stops to see if we need help. (He didn't recognize us in the dark; he just stops to help people stuck at the side of the road.) He figured out what we needed to be able to coast to the in-law's house, so we put him on the phone with my father-in-law. He headed on, and by 11:30 we made it my in-laws house. They loaned us his dad's truck, and we headed home, getting back past midnight.

The next day, his mom's car breaks down at the side of the road. His dad has to go rescue her, and the car juggling gets complicated.

Fast forward to Monday. Did you hear about the Atlanta floods? Well, guess where my raincoat was? Yep, in our car. I finally made it to work, over an hour late instead of fifteen minutes early as I would have under normal conditions. Getting home was fun, too…I just love public transportation when I don't have a rain jacket and it's, well, raining.

The next weekend we have to switch vehicles with my in-laws, which wasn't a problem since we weren't going far and my father-in-law actually drove out here to make the switch.

Remember the problems with his mom's car? While we were getting set up for D&D, my husband ran out to pick up pizza. Half an hour later he wasn't back, and he calls. BECAUSE THE CAR KEPT BREAKING DOWN! So his dad is driving back out to pick him up, but he needs someone to come get the pizza from him before it's stone cold. HIs dad comes out, he gets it running, we switch vehicles, and my husband follows his dad back to their house, and then comes back to our house. Meanwhile my friends take me home.

Later that week, we find out the car is kaputt. (The guy couldn't get to it for a few days, because the road going to his lot was flooded.) The engine is shot, which is especially disappointing since we had it rebuilt about a year and a half ago. So now we're car-hunting, only two months after having to buy a house. Oh joy.

During this time we receive some disturbing health news, which I don't want to go into here. Just accept that it's more stress we don't need.

Since then we've had lots of drama with car shopping; a trip my husband and his dad took to Birmingham on their day off, only to find out it was seriously misrepresented in the ad and their phone conversation, getting lost trying to find sellers, cars that sell just as we're about to leave to go see them, and more.

While we're out of town for a conference, his mom's computer also goes kaputt (that's German, by the way). Fortunately, it can be repaired, but we spent a lot of time on our trip trying to provide tech support by phone, with no good results. We have to come back a little earlier than planned to try and fix it, but we're thankful we had a vehicle to even make the trip!

Also during this time my best friends' little girl was diagnosed with swine flu, and one of my nephews (the eight month old) had to go to the emergency room twice. The second time was yesterday…

Which we found out while waiting for a wrecker to come and get us after a guy in a Mustang ran a stop sign, resulting in my husband hitting him. Blessedly, my love was able to slam on the brakes and swerve, so he was going a bit slower and didn't hit the driver's side straight on. Everyone was fine, which is what counts, and amazingly enough there was an ambulance just driving down the road, so they were only four cars away when it happened.

Did I mention we were all the way in Ellijay, leaving the Georgia Apple Festival, two hours from home? And that we were in my father-in-law's truck, which had been the spare vehicle? We ended up on the side of the road for an hour, then the (very nice) police officer drove us to the towing company's lot. There we had arrange for someone who could tow us to Atlanta, which entailed lots of conversations by phone with my father-in-law. We finally found a local who could, and the officer drove us to the local shopping center (Starbucks, IHOP, and Wal-Mart) to wait for the towing guy to finish up what he was doing and pick up the truck. Finally, after 9:30, we make it back to my father-in-law's house, where we pay the driver (a very nice guy, a churchgoing family man) and get the car unloaded. Another of our nephews was there, so he had stayed up WAY past his bedtime to see us and the big wrecker truck. (He loved it, and we were thrilled to see him.)

By the time we got home, my back was killing me. It was already sore, but after an hour standing at the side of the road, and another hour alternately sitting in the back seat of a police car and standing around, then a ride in the cab of a wrecker? Not good. Not to mention the stress that left my back all knotted up.

So, spare car gone, and we're going to look at another one today; not how we planned to spend my love's birthday! I so pray this works out, because the last thing I need is another week or two of drama. And we didn't even get to stop and buy our apples…

Dark Gardening

I love plants, and I really adore flowers. I'm even blessed enough to live in an area where you can have flowers all winter long! (Yes, really, you Northerners. I've seen pansies peek up through our infrequent snows, and just keep on going.)

But all the pastels! They make me twitch after awhile–especially the overload of pink. I want a garden that's unique, a garden that doesn't look like every other garden in the city. A garden that doesn't feel frilly.

Like one with this little beauty.



Isn't that awesome? It's a bat plant, or Tacca integrifolia. I couldn't actually grow it in my garden, but that's beside the point. I want plants with character! And preferably, plants with some darkness.

I don't even remember how I found it, but I stumbled across the black pansy yesterday. A bit of searching uncovered the Black Moon, Black Prince and Clearly Crystals Black varieties, all available from Hirt's Gardens. They also carry Bowles Black violas. (Violas, of course, are from the same genus as pansies.)

What's wonderful about these is that I can have them blooming at Halloween! Is there anything more appropriate? (Well, okay, black roses, but this is close enough…)

Hirt's also carries seeds for a few other gorgeous black flowers, including the black iris, King of the Blacks carnations, black bachelor button, and black hollyhocks. (Don't miss the selections of black vegetables, including tomatoes and corn! Hirt's also has seeds for both the black and white bat plants.)

But I hit the real motherlode when a link from a livejournal community led me to Chocolate Flower Farm! Are they not totally incredible?

I can't wait to place an order for the spring. I want to use lots of native or naturalized plants in my regular garden, but I think a few carefully chosen selections of "black" or "chocolate" plants would be a wonderful addition!

College Board's 101 Great Books

There's a so-called BBC list making the rounds on Facebook, which is kind of interesting. Except no one can find where the BBC ever published it.

Pfff. Details.

Actually, I did find a list from College Board that looks sufficiently challenging:

101 Great Books
Recommended for College Bound Readers

Bold entries are books I have read.

Beowulf (author unknown)
Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe)
A Death in the Family (James Agee)
Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
Go Tell It on the Mountain (James Baldwin)
Waiting for Godot (Samuel Beckett)
The Adventures of Augie March (Saul Bellow)
Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë)
Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë)
The Stranger (Albert Camus)
Death Comes for the Archbishop (Willa Cather)
The Canterbury Tales (Geoffrey Chaucer)
The Cherry Orchard (Anton Chekhov)
The Awakening (Kate Chopin)
Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad)
The Last of the Mohicans (James Fenimore Cooper)
The Red Badge of Courage (Stephen Crane)
Inferno (Dante)
Don Quixote (Miguel de Cervantes)
Robinson Crusoe (Daniel Defoe)
A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)
Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (Frederick Douglass)
An American Tragedy (Theodore Dreiser)
The Three Musketeers (Alexandre Dumas)
The Mill on the Floss (George Eliot)
Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)
Selected Essays (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
As I Lay Dying (William Faulkner)
The Sound and the Fury (William Faulkner)
Tom Jones (Henry Fielding)
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert)
The Good Soldier (Ford Madox Ford)
Faust (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
Lord of the Flies (William Golding)
Tess of the d'Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy)
The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
Catch 22 (Joseph Heller)
A Farewell to Arms (Ernest Hemingway)
The Iliad (Homer)
The Odyssey (Homer)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Victor Hugo)
Their Eyes were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston)
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
A Doll's House (Henrik Ibsen)
The Portrait of a Lady (Henry James)
The Turn of the Screw (Henry James)
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (James Joyce)
The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka)
The Woman Warrior (Maxine Hong Kingston)
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
Babbitt (Sinclair Lewis)
The Call of the Wild (Jack London)
The Magic Mountain (Thomas Mann)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel García Marquez)
Bartleby the Scrivener (Herman Melville)
Moby Dick (Herman Melville)
The Crucible (Arthur Miller)
Beloved (Toni Morrison)
A Good Man is Hard to Find (Flannery O'Connor)
Long Day's Journey into Night (Eugene O'Neill)
Animal Farm (George Orwell)
Doctor Zhivago (Boris Pasternak)
The Bell Jar (Sylvia Platt)
Selected Tales (Edgar Allen Poe) *
Swann's Way (Marcel Proust)
The Crying of Lot 49 (Thomas Pynchon)
All Quiet on the Western Front (Erich Maria Remarque)
Cyrano de Bergerac (Edmond Rostand)
Call It Sleep (Henry Roth)
The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
Hamlet (William Shakespeare)
Macbeth (William Shakespeare)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (William Shakespeare)
Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare)
Pygmalion (George Bernard Shaw)
Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
Ceremony (Leslie Marmon Silko)
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Alexander Solzhenitsyn)
Antigone (Sophocles)
Oedipus Rex (Sophocles)
The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson)
Uncle Tom's Cabin (Harriet Beecher Stowe)
Gulliver's Travels (Jonathan Swift)
Vanity Fair (William Thackeray)
Walden (Henry David Thoreau)
War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy)
Fathers and Sons (Ivan Turgenev)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)
Candide (Voltaire)
Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)
The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
The House of Mirth (Edith Wharton)+
Collected Stories (Eudora Welty)
Leaves of Grass (Walt Whitman)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)
The Glass Menagerie (Tennessee Williams)
To the Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf)
Native Son (Richard Wright)

So, even though I've made no special effort to read these particular books, I've read forty-one. I have also read other novels by the authors on the list, so I suppose I'm entitled to call myself "well read".

* I've read all but three of the short stories in the specified Edgar Allan Poe collection, and a lot of his other work, so I'm counting that one.

+ I haven't read The House of Mirth. However, I slogged my way through Edith Wharton's novel Ethan Frome, which is one of the worst "classic" works I've ever read. I definitely deserve credit for that.

Almost have a house!

Well, hopefully tomorrow! We’ve been through so many hoops at this point–I feel like a trained monkey…

If everything goes right, we’ll still be moving on Saturday!

We planned to buy a house this summer over a year ago. Really, with the tax credits and all, we couldn’t have done better if we had time-traveled to the future to check it out.

See more progress on: Buy a House