Book Catchup Post

Austin and I have been traveling and doing all sorts of fun stuff, and then there's my awesome new job (!!!), but I have been doing some reading.  So, here goes!

I bought this book over the summer since it had been on my list for a while.  It took me so long to read this book!!  But it was worth it. Dagny Taggert is trying to save her family's railroad company, and everyone - even her brother is getting in her way.  Hank Reardon, the creator of a new metal - Reardon Steel, is the only one trying to help her, and he has his own problems.  The government is limiting how much steel and other metals can be made, and everyone related to industry - car manufacturers, train manufacturers, farm equipment makers, parts makers, etc - are struggling to survive.  The parts cannot be made, new track can not be laid, crops can not be delivered, people are starving.  Then come the mysterious disappearances of the leaders of these companies.  Dagny is still fighting, but how far will she go, and will she be allowed to go, to succeed? 

This book has it all - history, politics, philosophy, economics, love, secrets, and scandal.  It was definitely worth the time it took to read it.  Loved it!



A news article made me put this book on my list.  The author of this book, Bill Cheng, is an Asian-American who lives in New York who decided his first book was going to be about African Americans in Mississippi during the 1927 flood.  I was intrigued, because what in the world would he know about the Mississippi Delta and all that this area encompasses?  Turns out, not a lot.

This book didn't have a plot and the stories were choppy and disconnected.  I know that the South is often depicted in a negative way, but it wasn't the lack of education, the prostitution, the racism, or anything else in the book that got to me.  It was the way it was depicted.  I guess I'm okay with a Southern writer writing about the South, but when someone with no relation writes about it, it's not okay!  I read a review that he used vernacular correctly, but I completely disagree.  I've read entire books written in a Cajun voice, but I could not understand half of what went on.  Cheng got me to read his book, because he wrote about something he has no experience with, so I guess I took the bait!

Mrs. Queen Takes the Train was a cute book that was easy to read.  Queen Elizabeth is feeling a little blue, and she decides to sneak out of Buckingham Palace and travel to Scotland to visit her retired Royal Yacht.  Here equerry, security officer, ladies in waiting, a Royal Stable staff member, and a clerk at a cheese shop follow her to keep her safe.  The book shows the present-day relationships between staff members and talks about the differences and similarities between the relationships now and during Downton Abbey times - and before.  So that was interesting to me since I love that kind of stuff anyway.  It was a fun read - perfect for a vacation read!  

Cuckoo's Calling

I have to admit it.  This book wasn't on my radar until it came out that J.K. Rowling wrote it.  So, as soon as I found out, I ordered it.  Unfortunately, I didn't read it right away because I was in the middle of a very long and tedious book I was determined to finish. 

So, if you don't know, J.K. Rowling wrote this book under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.  I know she contemplated writing The Casual Vacancy under a pseudonym, but didn't.  That book did not get rave reviews, and I believe it's because that book's plot and the way it was written deviated so much from the Harry Potter series.  The Cuckoo's Calling got pretty good reviews, but wasn't very well known, or widely talked about.  Until the uproar ensued after Rowling's "cover" was blown.

The book is about a private detective and his attempt to find the murderer of well known supermodel Lula Landry.  PI Cormoran Strike and his temp secretary Robin are hired by the supermodel's adopted brother, John Bristow, to find out the truth about her death.   John is not satisfied with the police's conclusion that his sister's death was a suicide.  Strike and Robin dive into London celebrity circles, the dysfunction Bristow Family, and uncover the shocking truth.  But I'm going to let you find that out for yourself!!

Once again, Rowling has created characters that you instantly feel like you've known forever.  From the main characters to the background characters, she gives them names and stories that make them feel real.  Got to love that about her!!

This book has a much more interesting and involved plot line than The Casual Vacancy.  Mystery and crime lovers will enjoy this book, as well as those that, like me, just read anything!  Can't wait for the next thing she comes out with!

Why My Next Book Purchase Will Be From Amazon

I don't do this very often, but I've come to a quite conflicting realization over the last week. 

Austin and I recently went to Eugene, Oregon - okay, he had to go for work, and I tagged along :).  I always get really excited when we go somewhere with lots of local shops and of course, book stores.  Well, Eugene has plenty of them, so you can imagine how excited I was!  I've always been a proponent of shopping local when you can, with both sets of my grandparents owning small, family businesses.  However, living in Vicksburg, book selections are limited unless you go to Monroe or Jackson so we do have Amazon Prime and I frequently (more often than Austin would like) order books and have them promptly delivered 2 days later.

But I digress - I was very excited about spending a week with a very large cup of coffee in my hand, perusing these local bookstores.

The first one I went to early one morning.  The store did not have coffee, or a shop close to it, so I got a very large coffee from our hotel and headed downtown.  After driving around for 15 minutes through construction, and wrangling with a parking meter, I finally found a place to park.  The store was a booklover's wonderland!  Books on very tall shelves, used books stacked all over the floor - I dove right in!  But about 20 minutes later, the coffee kicked in and I needed a bathroom.  The cashier was in a very deep conversation with a friend about planning an intervention for another friend, so I ventured through the shelves to find the bathroom.  After walking through the entire store, I couldn't find it!  So, I finally got the cashier's attention and asked.  "Oh, the comic book store behind us has all of the building's bathrooms,"  she said.  "And they don't open until 10."  It was 9:20.  I was in trouble.  Long story short, I walked down the block to this cafe, paid $2 for a cookie I didn't want, just to go to the bathroom. 

Then I headed a few blocks over to a local music shop to buy lesson books for a student I'm about to start teaching piano.  I had been there two days before just scoping out their merchandise.  I walked in, went right to the section I found the books before, and started going through them.  As soon as my hand touched the first book, this man leaped (and I mean Leaped) across the counter at me and shouted "DON'T TOUCH MY OVERSTOCK!!!  I SPENT ALL DAY YESTERDAY ORGANIZING THEM!!!  THE SAME BOOKS ARE RIGHT HERE - THESE ARE THE ONES YOU CAN HAVE!!!"  He tried to recover and say that he didn't want me to have to kneel on the ground, but the damage was already done.  I should have just walked out right then and there, but I needed those books.  I paid for them, politely thanked them, and left. 

Austin said I should have said, "Amazon lets me touch their books."  I wish I had his instant wit.  Mine always comes 20 seconds after I've walked out the door.

So, as I drove away after two bad experiences that day, I realized what makes us so drawn to Amazon and instant gratification.  I can order an book I want while drink my own coffee, use my own bathroom, and never have to get out of my pajamas or deal with nasty salespeople or someone's friend intervention drama.   And BAM!  Two days later, Lila Belle alerts me that the nice UPS man is here to deliver my book.  It gives her joy too - isn't that what it's all about? 

So we'll blame it on Lila, that me buying books on the Internet makes her happy because she gets to greet the UPS man.  I can rationalize anything!

Rant over now - thanks for reading,
katie
  

Summer Movies

Things have changed a lot over the summer - this week is the first week I've had that I could catch my breath!  I'm now the youth director at our church, and Austin and I have spent the summer doing mission trips, community work, and I staffed Happening 42 in Louisiana where Austin and I met.  We went to Tennessee and spent the 4th of July with Austin's family - and I have some recipes to share with you too!

Sunday nights with the youth were Movie Bible Study nights.  We watched different movies and talked about the biblical context in them.  We watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the old one), Despicable Me, the Lorax, The Lion the Witch and the Wardobe, Oz the Great and
Powerful, and The Greatest Game Ever Played.

I had never seen Oz the Great and Powerful or The Greatest Game Ever Played.  They were great movies, so I thought I'd share them with you.

 The Greatest Game Ever Played reminded me of The Legend of Baggar Vance (With Will Smith and Matt Damon).  It's about a young man from a poor family who plays golf despite the fact that the game is reserved for the upper class. He gains a hilarious caddy, a wise sage, and international renown.  It's a sweet movie about stereotypes and accepting people of all walks of life.

I wanted to see this movie ever since I heard it was coming out, but with all of our traveling, I never found the time.  But it was a really good movie.  They did a fantastic job of making Oz look like the old movie, in terms of the sets and scenery.  I enjoyed it but then again I'm a Wizard of Oz lover!

As I type this, I'm watching The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  It's about 7 older British people who travel to India to get away from the stereotypes of old age and have an adventure.  They don't know each other at the beginning of the trip, but they grow closer together as they learn the new culture and a different way of life.  I'm only about an hour into it, but it's good so far!!  And of course, it has the fabulous Maggie Smith in it!!!!!!

We've got several movies on our Netflix queue coming up, so I'll let you know if they're worth watching!!!

katie

Roasted Veggies

Roasted Veggies - reminds me of that Bill Engvall joke...but I digress...

Last winter, Austin planted some carrot seeds on a whim, because our summer plants were done and what else were we going to plant?!?  Well, the garden was overcome with weeds over the course of the winter, and a few weeks ago when we were working in the garden, getting ready for our new crop, we pulled up TONS of carrots (okay, enough for the 2 of us).  We planted the small ones, so they were the perfect size!

I washed them and put them in the fridge, but could not figure out what I wanted to do with them.  Two days before we left for Germany, I was trying to use up everything in the fridge, and discovered I had our home grown carrots, and some broccoli and cauliflower that needed to be eaten before we left. 

Voila!  Roasted Veggies!

I cut up the broccoli and cauliflower and the larger carrots.  I tossed them with salt, pepper, olive oil, and fresh thyme from the garden (more on my herbs later!).  I roasted them in the over at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring them occasionally.  Yes, foil was my friend, because all I had to do for clean up was rinse the pan!  After the 40 minutes, I sprinkled Parmesan cheese over all of it and put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.  Everything was delicious!

We ate these delicious vegetables with spaghetti and meatballs.  The meatballs are frozen and the pasta is definitely not homemade, but I did make the sauce - almost from scratch.  It's tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil, thyme, and oregano.  The fresh herbs definitely make a huge different in spaghetti sauces.  I also love the little kick the red pepper flakes give it without too much heat - FLAVOR!!!

Happy Cooking!

-khl

Book Review - Gone Girl

Time for another book review!  This one I would highly recommend for everyone!  I almost hog tied Austin to a chair and forced him to read it!  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn topped several book lists, but I didn't put it on my list because I didn't care for the subject (missing wife, accused husband, etc).  But then it popped up on Amazon for just a few dollars.

Amazon ran an awesome promo during December, leading up to Christmas.  They featured one best selling book for a few hours each day, and sold a limited number of these books for $4 and $5.  But, you had to log on at 11 a.m. to be first in line to insure you got a book.  Of course, I became OBSESSED!  I bought several books - and when Gone Girl popped up the first day, I thought, "hey, it's supposed to be good, and it's only $5!"  And I am so glad I was pressured into buying this one!

But I digress.  Nick, the main character of the book, learns his wife has disappeared on the morning of their 5th wedding anniversary.  Before she disappeared, Amy left her customary anniversary scavenger hunt for Nick to find his present.  Evidence begins to pop up that points to Nick killing his wife - blood in the house, furniture rearranged, her purse near one of his favorite places, etc.  This, together with their troubled marriage, questionable credit card statements from Nick, and Amy's diary depicting how unhappy and scared she was in her marriage, make Nick the police's prime suspect.

Nick deals with stress from the press, his in-laws, and the police throughout the entire book.  He never plays the grieving husband well, leaving your mind wondering if he really is guilty.   By the end of the book, you've loved him, hated him, and felt sorry for him - and you have the opposite feelings about the mysteriously missing Amy.  Which side should you be on?

This is just the first part of the book - I won't tell you anymore - you just HAVE to go get this book!  It makes the plot twists on Revenge look like fairy tales!  Go!  Go get the book right now!

My Harry Potter Obsession

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday season.  I know we did - it was relaxing, fun, and it was great spending unhurried time with the family.

It’s a rainy, nasty day today – I wish I was curled up in my over-sized chair in front of the fire reading a book.  But then again, I always wish that, no matter what the weather is outside!

Last night, I finished reading the Harry Potter series for the umpteenth time.  Austin asked me why I read them over and over again.  “Don’t you go, ‘hmm…I don’t like this part, I think I’ll skip over it.’”  The truth is, I do that in some of the earlier books, but I tried not to this time.  And I found a lot of little things hidden in the books that I know are meant for those of us who study the makings of these books, and the ties that link all of the books together!

The 30 Day Harry Potter Challenge is something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but I just haven’t found the time.  But instead of 30 days, I’m just going to answer the questions and make one giant post about it.  So, here it goes…

Favorite Book in the Series

      Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.  Definitely my favorite.  It’s so full of whimsy and really shows the trio growing up and dealing with normal teenage problems.  Plus, all of the memories about Voldemort?  So cool!

Least Favorite Book in the Series

      Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  Lockhart just pisses me off.  That’s the only reason.  Everything else is golden.

Day 3 - Favorite Character

      Minerva McGonagall – She’s a badass.  She’s witty, She’s passionate.  From the moment I read her first lines, she was my favorite!

Day 4 - Favorite Villain

      Bellatrix Lestrange – I have a weird affinity for her.  Don’t ask me why.

Day 5 - Saddest Moment

      When Harry realizes Dobby is dying.  I’ve read that part so many times, and I still get choked up.  I love that Dobby disobeyed Harry when he asked “never to save his life again.” 

       

Day 6 - Favorite Professor

      Of course, McGonagall.  But since I’ve already mentioned her, Sprout.  Rowling paints such a vivid picture of her every time she is mentioned.  She just jumps off the page at you!

Day 7 - Least Favorite Professor

      Lockhart.  He annoys me.

Day 8 - Favorite Subject

      Hmmmm…Potions or Transfiguration.  Or charms…..

Day 9 - Least Favorite Subject

      Divination.  WTF????

Day 10 - Favorite Shop in Diagon Alley

      Flourish and Blotts – Could I please spend the day there?

Day 11 - Most Beautiful Character

      That’s a random question. 

Day 12 - Most Missed Dead Character

      Sirius of course!  I wanted to see his and Harry’s relationship grow and them have a “normal” relationship! 

      And Fred.  That’s just depressing!

Day 13 - Favorite Book Cover

      Order of the Phoenix.

Day 14 - Favorite Tri-Wizard Tournament Challenge

      Dragons.  Because Harry kicked butt.  They screwed it up in the movie, which I did not like.

Day 15 - Rate the Houses From Most to Least Favorite

      Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff.

Day 16 - Favorite Animagus

      Sirius – Dog

Day 17 - Favorite Unforgivable Curse

      Imperio – who wouldn’t want total control?

Day 18 - Favorite Horcrux

      The locket – so classic.  Belonged to Slytherin.

Day 19 - Favorite Deathly Hallow

      Invisibility Cloak

Day 20 - Funniest Moment

      When Harry assures Mrs. Weasley that he likes a quiet life.

      And when Hermione suggests a plan, and Harry says, “Because those always work out so well for us!”

     

Day 21 - Most Emotional Moment

When James, Sirius, Lily, and Lupin are with Harry in the Forbidden Forest.

Day 22 - Aspired Quidditch Position

      Seeker.  But I think I’m too ADD.  I’d be watching the game and not the snitch!

Day 23 - Favorite Patronus

      Stag – I like how it head butts the dementors.

Day 24 - What You Think Your Patronus Would Be

      A schnoodle.

Day 25 - Favorite Dursley

      Petunia.  She really did care for Harry, deep down.  I just wish she’s shown it.  But I guess that a point of the story.

Day 26 - Favorite Wand

      Harry’s – in the 7^th book, you can tell how attached he has grown to his wand and what it means to him.

     

Day 27 - Favorite Magical Ability (Animagi Transformation, Metamorphmagi, Parselmouth, Flying, Seer, Appartion and Disapparition, Legilimency and Occlumency, Veela Charm, Magical Resistance)

      Apparition and Disappartion.  Wish I could do that!!!!!!

Day 28 - Favorite Death Eater

      Bellatrix

Day 29 - Favorite Portrait

      The collection of headmaster’s in Dumbledore’s office.  They’re hilarious!

Day 30 - Favorite Spell

      That’s a tough one.  Can I just have a wand?