Lily Of The Nile, A Novel By My Dear Friend Stephanie Dray

Tomorrow is the official release of my dear friend Stephaie Dray's historical novel about the children of Cleopatra and Marc Anthony.

Lily of The Nile is the first in a trilogy of books about Cleopatra's daughter, Cleopatra Selene, the Queen of Mauretania. Stephanie uses the transformative power of magic realism to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today. She remains fascinated by all things Egyptian and has—to the consternation of her devoted husband—collected a house full of cats and ancient artifacts.

She's also brilliant. She's a Smith Graduate and  has a law degree from Northwestern. She's wise and funny and I've been reading her writing and relying on her counsel (not the legal kind) since I met her in the 11th grade!

She's also the sponsor of The Cleopatra Literary Contest for Young Women.

You can read an excert from Lily Of The Nile at her website and purchase it from Barnes & Noble.com or Amazon.com.  It will also be in bookstores tomorrow, Janurary 4th.

Local friends, Saturday February 12th Steph will be doing a presentation titled "Love In The Ancient World" at the Greece Barnes & Noble & then signing books. That evening, I'll be hosting a private wine and cheese party/book signing at my home and Steph will be giving her talk, entitled "Bad Girls of The Ancient World" everyone is welcome and it sure to be an awesome evening! Come and meet Stephanie and spend an evening with us!

To Kindle or Not to Kindle

My birthday is approaching and I've been asked on more than one occasion if I want a Kindle or a nook. 

Up until very recently I've towed a firm line on the idea of a Kindle or nook.

And that firm line has been a firm NO.

I said I liked the tactile feeling of a book in my hands. I like books and the the thought of them all turning into electronic download-able files makes me shudder. 

I've  recently been exposed to the Kindle and the nook and I have to say I'm smitten. I never thought I'd write those words but they are true. 

However,  while I read a lot of books, I don't actually purchase a lot of books. Sure the Kindle versions are cheaper than traditional books, but they aren't cheaper than free at the library. I do like the fact that you can "lend" your books out with the Nook but really, I don't know anyone with a nook to begin with. I like the look of the nook better but Kindle seems to have better prices on the actual books.

And what happens if you spill coffee on them as I am wont to do with books sometimes. Or drop them. What if you have like 357 books in there ( yikes! Do the math!) and you break your Kindle. Are those books lost forever. (Of course I just mentioned above that I hardly ever buy books, this should NOT be a concern.) See how consumerism spreads like a virus. Before I didn't even want to own any more books. Now I'm worried about losing them.

Both have book light accessories (and the Kindle has one with an AC/DC adapter) which is important because right now when I read in bed (a lot) I use a flashlight....  I've never found a book light that was not a huge battery hog or bright enough. So I position the flashlight in the crook of my neck on the pillow. Sad but true.(If I don't get a reader for my birthday could someone please get me a high end book light at least?)

But technology concerns aside, I think the fundamental question is can I be trusted with the ability to purchase any book instantly?  Even the frugal gal that I am can't say that won't be a huge temptation for me. 

I could promise myself I would stick to 1 Kindle book a week. Even at that I've just created a $520 yearly expense where there wasn't one before. (I'll counter this but adding that I've purchased maybe 4 songs on iTunes ever.)  But is this really necessary??? I pay pretty steep property taxes where I live, I ought to be able to use the library. I know that there are a ton of free books out there as well (Classics and the like) but you can pick up a copy of Wuthering Heights anywhere, the is no wait for that one at the library.

The idea of having almost any book literally at my fingertips is a frighteningly delicious prospect.

I think the real truth is that I DO want one of these things. It just seems extravagant. And unnecessary.  And Oh-So-Tempting.

What I'm Reading-A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812

A few months ago I said I was going to talk books. Then I never did. (Except to rag on Shel Israel.) I've read a lot of books since then, Including the entire Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris (lest you get the idea I'm always reading stuff like tonight's book, I'm not that lofty nor do I want you to think that I am.)

However, my latest obsession is a Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thacher Ulrich.

My Pioneer Deanna is doing a program at the museum this year on Midwifery in the 19th Century. While giving a talk about her program she mentioned the diary. Being that I'm in the midst of my own diary project, this really sparked my interest.

Ulrich uses the diary as a backdrop to talk about life in the 19th century. Her research, along with the actual diary entries make for fascinating reading . And she is so well researched. She worked on this project for 8 years!

Martha kept a diary for 25 years at a time when most women could not read or write. The glimpse that she gives into everyday life is  fascinating and rare. The way that Ulrich makes sense of it all and how she weaves the story of a a life in the  context of her vocation, women's familial roles and society at large is awe inspiring. If you are at all interested in 19th century life, midwifery, diaries, or just a good read, you must check this out.

I need to buy this book  (that is saying a lot!) For one thing I just had to renew it again. I can generally read any book in 3 weeks time. This one I'm savoring. In addition to that, it's not an easy read.  I don't mind working a little. It is so rare a book that makes me want to just slow down and really read everything.

On a website about the diary, book and, I just discovered, a film! (which I've ordered from the library)  I found an interview with Ulrich. Her words about writing about an ordinary person touched me.

When you decide to write about the life of an ordinary person, you start out with the premise that this person is not important because of some thing they did or who they were, but because understanding ordinary life has a value of its own.

I love this because it's true about Adam and Bess. It's true about my own blog (to me anyway) and others that I read, and even this whole Facebook thing that we all seem to be participating in these days.  

We're all just telling our story.

The Power of Less

I'm so behind with Adam and Bess lately. Actually, I feel behind in a great many things lately.  My job as chair of my daughter's pre-school is done this week and I have, perhaps, 5 things that need to get done in order to close it out and pass it on. Why are those 5 things taking me 5x longer than any other 5 tasks I've performed for this job all year? I don't know...I planted the urns for my front porch and some other planters but my tomatoes are still not in. I got off to a great garden start this year but now I need to finish up the planting. I'm painting my daughter's bathroom and only have a little tiny bit left. The first part took a week. The tiny bit has been waiting for me for 2. (It's the part behind the toilet. I hate that part. Next time I will paint that part first.) I think I have too many things going at once. 

I've been reading The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential, in Business and in Life by Leo Babuta, the Zen Habbits Blog Guy.   If you've never read anything by him or seen his blog check him out. I don't think there is a person I know who could not benefit from slowing down or paring down just a little.

Mr Babuta has a nice system for getting things done. He has one (only one!!) big goal and then 3 little projects at a time. One of your projects should relate to your goal. Then each day he makes a list of the 3 most important tasks to work on to achieve these things. And he does them. You don't even get to add a new project until ALL 3 are complete! I like this idea.  I'm game. The key is figuring out your big goal and your 3 little projects. I bet you can think of a bunch of goals and projects (I know I can) . That is the whole problem isn't it? Not enough time to focus on just one big thing.  They all kind of seem big to me. I want them all. Perhaps accomplishing them one at a time is a better strategy.

My garden is on the list for tomorrow!

My Apologies Shel Israel. Or, I'm a Tedious jerk.

So yesterday I made an offhand comment regarding a new book I'm reading, Twitterville,  

"I read my new book, Twitterville, where the author swears with many many stories that Business Can Thrive in The New Global Neighborhoods. (It says so on the cover.....) but I put it down because it was feeling tedious (Twitter ROCKS, I got it....) "

This morning, not 12 hours later, that book's author, Shel Israel,  commented on my blog asking me what, exactly I found tedious about it.

It was then I realized that this Twitter thing is teaching me that I'm not only boring, but I'm also a jerk too..... 

Why didn't I see this coming? The gentlemanly, rose-growing English author, Anthony Eglin contacted me when I said nice things about his English Gardening Mysteries. Why would I not think a social media guru would not see that I said his book was tedious? Malcolm Gladwell didn't contact me when I pointed out a few things I found off-putting about Outliers, however, it's probably because I actually pointed them out. I didn't point to anything in Twitterville. Like a spoiled child, I threw it aside and labeled  it "Tedious."

Upon further examination, I realize that my Twitter experience, what with 85 NISO posts from Todd and all of those @'s and RTs and my own confusion at how to utilize it for something I'm thinking about and the books overwhelming support of this tool (which I don't completely understand yet)  is an experience I was finding tedious in it's entirity.  Twitter kind of gives me a headache.  I  know state of mind impacts your perception of a book. I must have forgotten that yesterday when I was throwing Tedious around.

Lest you think I'm back-peddling or pandering, I'm not. I've just given this a lot of thought today. I'm under no illusion that I've deeply wounded Mr. Israel. In fact, he probably finds me and my little blog and my tossing around the word tedious, well,  tedious.....

If I'm perfectly honest, the chapters I found tedious, regarding Dell Computers and Comcast, actually made me "follow" my favorite grocery store,Wegmans, and comment on their cardboard egg cartons. It was purely an experiment to test Twitter (and Wegmans) for customer service communication. Wegmans, Twitter and Twitterville passed in this regard.

The most striking thing of all about the whole experience is that Israel's blog comment alone drives home the message of the power of the internet. I've always been a reader. Authors have been some far-away magic entities to me. They don't contact me.... At least they didn't used to.

While I sometimes bemoan the electronic age as dividing us, making us more insular and seperate (after all, I don't need to talk to anyone to do my banking, mailing or purchase a book) it also brings us closer together and makes us more accessible. I can contact Shel Israel as easily as he can contact me.

His blog comment taught me more about Social Networking than his book (Which I fully intent to finish)


I'm also  following Shel Israel on Twitter now.

Books on CD

In addition to reading books, I also really like to listen to them. I first started doing this on long car trips and then as a way to pass the time on my morning commute. Now I use them to keep occupied during mind numbing activities like cleaning the bathroom or folding laundry.

I don't necessarily think of this as "reading" per say, but it's worthwhile entertainment to me. I generally favor series mysteries because they don't make you work that hard when you are also focusing on another task. Also, series books usually have the same narrators who literally bring that character to life. It's very important that you like the narrator or you will be unable to listen to very much of the book.  I once listened to a Sherlock Holmes that I could only stand for about 5 minutes. It's very disconcerting when the reader doesn't sound like "your" version of the main character.

I get all of mine at the library because I will not listen to a book more than once.

My favorites include:

Judy Kaye as Kinsey Millhone. I'm currently listening to U is for Undertow, by Sue Grafton. I've read or listened to listened to all of Grafton's books, but I prefer to listen because Judy Kaye does the voice so well.  Grafton's plots are complex but make sense. This particular book is 11 CD's and 14 hours long. That's a lot of toilets. I have also painted rooms to this series.

George Guidell as James Qwilleran in all of Lilian Jackson Braun Cat Who mysteries. These are just ok from a readability standpoint but when George Guidell speaks as  he makes me want to be the 60 year old librarian, Polly Duncan out to dinner with the distinguished  Qwill of the Qwill Pen Column in Moose County.

Michael Prichard reading Rex Stout's Nero Wolf series. He's a perfect Wolf and a perfect Archie. Stout's books are classic in the mystery genre. What more do you need?

My all time favorites books to listen to on tape are the Ladies No 1 Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith read by Lisette Lecat.  Her melodic rendering of Botswana Detective Precious Ramotswe compliments the richness of the stories perfectly. These are actually books I love to physically read  (and have read a few) , however, the recordings are SO  good that I usually listen. I should probably write an entire post on these books. While the books are about a detective agency, the crux of the stories is always human nature, not the mystery being solved. If you've never read these you are in for such a treat! Precious Ramotswe is one of my favorite characters and this Wikipedia write up of her does her better justice than I can. I often wonder if Alexander McCall Smith is not really a woman because of how completely accurate he is is his characterization of Mma Ramotswe. (Mma and Rra are the formal terms of greeting and respect in Botswana. Mma is pronounced ‘Ma’, with a gentle m sound and a shortish a.)  You will fall in love with the books (or recordings, whichever route you choose!)

The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment -A.J. Jacobs

 Do you need a laugh? You probably do.

 I can usually use one. However,  I rarely read funny books. I don't generally read morose books but humor isn't high on the list of qualities I look for in reading material. (maybe it should be though.) When searching for non-fiction (at the library)  I usually head to the section for specific books on gardening, knitting, etc. or I just browse the new non-fiction. (That's usually a good way to learn something new about something you never realized you wanted to know about in the first place.)

New non fiction was where I was the other day  stifling audible giggles, reading parts of A. J. Jacobs new book, The Guinea Pig Diaries: My life as an Experiment. You may have heard of Mr. Jacobs as the man who spent a year following the Bible as literally as possible. In real life he's a writer for Esquire magazine who undertakes various experiments in the name of self-discovery and magazine article fodder. My favorites from the book included him outsourcing his personal life to assistants in India (complete with having his Indian assistant argue with his wife,) living by George Washington's Rules of Civility for a month (there are 110), and  dabbling in Radical Honesty (Yes, I DO think that makes your butt look fat.) He's clever, he's witty and I found myself laughing out loud.

I have to admit, I love books where people decide to do something out-of-the-ordinary for a year, like eat only local foods or live with the Amish. The best parts of such memoirs tend to be when the law of unintended consequence takes over and the author learns something profound about themselves and/or the world at large. This book doesn't have too many of these moment but there are a few. It does have a lot of laughs though! It's still a worthwhile read.

Thoughts on Books

I like to read a lot.

What I mean is I really like to read and I do it a lot.  Recently, I realized that given my penchant for the written word, it's strange that I hardly ever talk books on this blog.  In the side column you'll find 14 entries about books, 62 about frugality, 61 about food and 56 categorized as "about me." Apparently I like saving money and eating only slightly more than talking about myself....(Boy, that makes me sound like a fun party date doesn't it?)

But books, 14??? Heck, I have 14 entries about Entertainment and I feel like I hardly partake in that.... 17 for friends. And yes, I do like my friends as much as my books. (well maybe not AS much, but they ARE a CLOSE 2nd). But I really love books. I read at least one book a week and for those of you not as enamored of 1910 as I am, perhaps a book review each  week will be a welcome change for you. (Or perhaps not, as we all remember that most of you like it when I talk about Snuggies and rag on your scrambled eggs.)  Maybe book talk will be more of the same.

But I'll give it a shot.

I was an English major in college (Mostly because I love to read-I really should have been a Business or History major-I know, strange dichotomy right? ) But reading has served me well and accounts for much of who I am today. Back then I was strictly a fiction gal but my reading tastes have evolved over the years and now I find  I find I enjoy non-fiction as much as fiction. Strangely, when I have a lot on my mind I find it easier to get lost in non-fiction than fiction as I don't want to process someone else's personal life when I'm thinking about my own. For fiction I need a quiet mind.
 
I meant to review a book this evening but my own thoughts ran too long.  I'll start tomorrow. Review may be the wrong word, because I don't plan on talking about  books that I do not like.  

And this evening, I'll file this post under, what else, "About me."

New Moon

So Kristin and I went to see New Moon last night.

I'd like to clarify something for a moment.

I DID read the books. I am NOT one of those 30 something-year-olds wearing a Twilight tee shirt to the movie and I do not have couragish longings for teenage vampires. (And besides, I am quite SURE that you have to be at LEAST 40 to be considered a Cougar anyway.)

That said, I have to mention that when Taylor Lautner took off his shirt for the first time there were AUDIBLE (not from me) gasps and giggles in the theater. Audible. From a lot of people. I've never heard that before at a movie. I think I blushed but it was too dark to tell. I spent much of the time that he had his shirt off, slightly embarrassed that I was looking (intently).

Anyway, the movie was good. Much less hokey than Twilight and Bella didn't look like she was suffering through a stomach bug through this entire movie. I have to say, I think I'm one of the few people who find the Jacob/Bella story more compelling than the epic love of Bella and Edward. I can clearly see how being with a werewolf would have distinct advantages over being with a vampire (abs notwithstanding).

Oh, did I just say that out loud???

Meeting Jan Brett

I love Jan Brett books and I have been reading them to my girl since we started reading to her! Her art work is stunning! She is one of our favorite children's authors around here!

Last year my daughter's pre-school class did a whole unit on Jan Brett and my husband and daughter saw "The Mitten" put on as a play at The Strong Museum.

Saturday evening, Wegmans put on a book signing (which was free) for her new book and I was thrilled to be able to go with my girl!

She was very cute!
She spoke for about 20 minutes. We had a spot up in front which was really neat. My girlie was pretty excited about meeting/seeing someone who writes her books! She (Jan Brett, not my daughter) drew the bear from "The Mitten." The kids were in awe as was I. She drew this very quickly and was really entertaining. She told us that it usually takes her one hour per inch of picture when she's illustrating a book




Then we saw her bus.
And met Hedgie the Hedgehog.


She was really sweet to each of the kids and spoke with each one as she signed their book.


"Oh Jan Brett, we love you so much" says me. She looks really impressed by this....I'm sure she's heard this from about a million people.


A very fun time for both me and my girl!



You know, I was thinking yesterday that I should have posted this for local readers to see BEFORE the event. Sorry. If you don't live locally and you are interested you may want to check out her website for dates near you. Even if you have missed this you may want to still take a look because she has a lot of neat activities and coloring pages right from her books, which is pretty neat if you've read the books!

When Worlds Collide

If you've read my blog for any length of time or talked to me in person, you know that I'm a big proponent of eating locally, going to the farmer's market & of course, growing my own veggies.

I was moved by Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a veritable love letter to eating locally. It's well written, informative and makes you feel really good for eating locally grown green beans. (It's a tad bit elitist I think actually, but I still loved it) I've considered writing love letters to the ever brainy foodie, Michael Pollan. We've been doing the farmer's market thing for a number of years now and last year experimented with a CSA.

On another front, I LOVED the book, Freakonomics and cannot wait to read the next Installment of this, Super Freakonomics. Economics made sexy and so very entertaining! (Who doesn't want to know the hidden side of everything!?!?!)

So imagine my absolute HORROR when I found out the Freakonomics guys have a blog (Well actually I was quite thrilled to find out they have a blog) but that they have a whole host of articles on why eating locally isn't the environmental cure all, community builder that we all hope it is.

Do We Really Need a Few Billion Locavores?
Are Farmer's Markets That Good For Us?
Is Locavorism for Rich People Only?

They certainly challenge conventional wisdom when it comes to eating locally. I found the columns fascinating. Is local eating just a feel good theory? Well as with anything, you'll have to come to your own conclusions on that.

After reading and digesting the articles I've come to my own personal conclusions:

1) So what if part of going to the Farmer's Market is a feel good activity. I actually like to feel good. My girl likes going, I sometimes see people I know and have gone with my neighbors.

2) My favorite kind of eating locally is of course, from my own garden, which I will continue to cultivate, hopefully, until I die.

3) The food IS really fresh at the Farmer's Market (I also live near Wegmans who does a bang up job with local produce and fresh produce so yeah, I could skip it.)

4) Part of eating locally for me, is supporting my local economy. It's just important to me. Yes, if we ALL, ONLY bought local things then perhaps our current system would suffer but that isn't going to happen. I also love going to Target.

5) Prices are a tad cheaper. Nothing earth shaking here folks.

6) I'm a food elitist. Sheepishly, I'll admit it. I don't think it harms anything, but possibly going to a separate dairy is a little much. (And sometimes a pain in the butt so then we don't go) I like the dairy and the glass bottles and think the milk is great so I'll probably still go sometimes. But yeah, I should get over it a little.

7) People have to do the best they can with what they have. You may not have the time to go to the market on a weekly basis. Go to your grocery store and buy the best food you can afford. Don't let the localvores get you down!

Outliers-Malcolm Gladwell

Whenever I have something to do outside of the house in the evening I have a rule that I follow. I never, ever, unless I have been very busy the prior few evenings, go home before my child's bedtime. I know that sounds mean but I'm a stay-at-home-mom. (Oh how I wish I had a better word for that-Housewife-UUGH, Homemaker-I think I like that one the best because it implies I'm actually making something....Unemployed? I hate terms like "household engineer" which imply you are embarrassed about what you do and wish to sugar coat it or make sure the world knows you are very important and value yourself and your time despite the fact that you are unemployed (and you are, I'm not sayin' you're not.)

But I digress, I don't go home. This evening, after a meeting at school that blissfully ended at 8pm I headed over to Starbucks where I sat and read for 1.5 hours. Sure I could have read at home I guess, after my peanut was in bed, but really, I would have also thought about
housework (although not too hard) or eBay or emails I need to send out about school that I have not or looked at one of the many decorating blogs that I frequent) At Starbucks there was none of that.

Tonight I began Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers, The Story Of Success. It was interesting because Gladwell dispells the "myth" that all you need to get ahead is intelligence and ambition.

From Amazon:

Malcolm Gladwell poses a more provocative question in Outliers: why do some people succeed, living remarkably productive and impactful lives, while so many more never reach their potential? Challenging our cherished belief of the "self-made man," he makes the democratic assertion that superstars don't arise out of nowhere, propelled by genius and talent: "they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot." Examining the lives of outliers from Mozart to Bill Gates, he builds a convincing case for how successful people rise on a tide of advantages, "some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky."

I'll be honest. I found this a little offputting because when I read a book about success I'm generally looking for some information on how to BE successful. I felt as if Gladwell was telling me that if the planets were not lined up, then you're pretty much screwed. (He advises you not to even THINK about playing professional Hockey in Canada if you have an October birthday-It's just not likely you'll ever succeed and he makes a compelling case as to why.)

Of course it also confirmed EXACTLY what I have always known-That the jerk in the corner office is really NOT any smarter or ambitious than myself.....;-)

The best grain of advice in the entire book is the fact that if you practice something for 10,000 hours you will become an expert at it. Even Bill Gates & The Beatles had logged 10,000 hours before they really became Bill Gates and The Beatles .

That might sound like a lot but that means if you practice 2 hrs a day you can be an expert in 13.5 years (You'll be doing something in 13.5 years, you might as well do it well) Even at an hour a day you can become really good at something in 10 years. Really good-The difference between 10,000 and 4,000 hrs was literally the difference between being a music teacher and a world class musician. Considering I'm not anywhere near able to teach someone violin (Unless all they want to do is play the suzuki version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star) I'd say even 4000 hours would make me pretty happy.

So decide what you want, stop watching TV, reading decorating blogs (my version of watching TV) or playing online Scrabble. (Another time suck of mine if let it-I generally don't even venture near scrabble because I like it THAT much) and spend an hour a day doing something to make your life better. In 10 years you won't be sorry!

Library Date

I'm feeling kind of bookish this week! Sorry if I'm boring any of you!

In an effort to instill a love of reading in my daughter (and also because I'm not about to buy 6 new books every week) Monday has been designated as our weekly library date.

The two of us go around 5 pm, an excellent time to go-Everyone else is either on their way home or cooking dinner. It's relatively quiet and I'm not so worried about all of the noise she makes!

We usually bring a reusable shopping bag of items back and the leave with an equally full bag. It is helpful that we go each week because then I don't have to pay as much attention to the due dates. All of her books can go back in a week and mine are usually done within 2.

Generally our stash includes:

-Books for my daughter-Lately Dinosaurs, Stars & Halloween. I tend to read a lot of non-fiction so I'm trying to also show her that side of the library as well. We also get out a few fiction books.
-a few DVD's for my daughter
-Books on tape for my girl to listen to-Sometimes we listen in the car and sometimes she listens in her room during quiet time (What used to be nap time)
-$0.25 Magazines from the magazine rack for me. Today I scored the Oct 2009 copies of both Traditional Home and House Beautiful-A $10 value right there!!!) I also bring most of my old magazines here rather than recycling them.
-Some fiction & Non -Fiction for me. I have read the most interesting books by just browsing the new non-fiction.
-Books on tape for me.

She's always really excited to go. It's like a trip to the store for something special for both of us. When you think about it really, what a luxury it is for all of us to be able to go in at any time and come home with a load of new material. All because you promise to bring it back! I can't imagine the cost of my bag each week if I had to pay for it!

Thank you Ben Franklin!

Anthony Eglin-English Garden Mysteries

Recently I emailed Anthony Eglin, the author of my favorite English Garden Mysteries (Imagine my delight at finding these two subjects woven together in a book!)

Eglin's books are a departure from normal series mysteries, where the writing can be painful at times and plot lines completely obvious (Oh how I hate to figure out a mystery before the protagonist in the book, that just makes me feel like the character is such a dumbass for not seeing what I'm seeing and makes me want to toss the book at the wall)

Eglin's plotlines are airtight and rather clever. He also includes a ton of very interesting horticulture information-much of which has to do with Roses, as he is an expert. These are some of the most intelligent mysteries I've read in a long time. I completely enjoy reading his books.

I emailed him to tell him exactly that and to make a comment about his main character's love life.

Imagine my surprise the next morning when I received an email back. A rather long and friendly one at that. He thanked me for my nice comments and went on to explain his rational for his character's love life and he referenced back Sherlock Holmes to me, which I completely understood! (and people if you know me, you know I'm swooning right now because Holmes is my ultimate detective.)

In addition, he told me a little about the plot of the next book in the series that he is currently writing!

How nice is that!

Thoughts About The Library

Today at the library (the library, Jacquie, is that place where they let you take home books and movies for free.) I saw an older white haired man looking intently at the books in the romance section. I watched while he read the backs and then decided weather or not to put them in his bag. He had a big pile.

It was a bizarre scene to me. I imagined him looking for a new tale of a Vicount and his scullery maid having forbidden trysts in dark stairwells.

And by the way, how come nobility in Romance novels are frequently Vicounts? Who uses that word? I don't think I've ever been with another person who referred to a Vicount. And why are so many romance novels set in Regency England? I mean really, don't those people smell? (especially the scullery maid.) I lived in that time period (albeit it on the prairie) and I'll tell you, I would have been hard pressed to find someone willing to meet me in a dark corner.

I myself am more of a murder mystery fan when I need a light read (which explains my fear of killers) And I sometimes wonder what it says about me that I would rather someone murdered than living happily ever after?!?!?!

But I digress.

The thing about the library is that you get to be anyone you want to be and think about anything you want to think about. Perhaps the old man is a Vicount in his head (or god, forbid, a scullery maid.) Sometimes I am a hard working PI and sometimes I'm Martha Stewart. Sometimes I'm Ghandi and sometimes I'm Suze Orman. Some times I live happily ever after and sometimes I learn to cook Indian food.

I have often said that the greatest gift that my mother has ever given to me was my love of reading. I once told her that and she looked at me strangely, perhaps thinking she's given me a heck of a lot more than that.

But reading makes me who I am. For me, the library is full of possibility. My own pure unbridled possibility.

And While We Are On The Subject Of Romance Novels

While we are on the subject of Romance Novels I must tell you about my dear friend Stephanie Draven.

I've known her since she says that I flipped my hair at her in the 11th grade ( I actually do not believe this...) Stephanie writes paranormal romance, among other wonderful things. She even once, dedicated a story to me! She's exceedingly intelligent and breathtakingly creative! She's also a gifted writer and I have been the lucky recipient of many a manuscript to read over and offer opinion on.

To be perfectly honest I'd never really heard of paranormal romance. Who knew how Romance novels had changed so much since I read my mom's Harlequin romances when I was 14. She has hydras, dryads and immortals woven together with serious social themes. And sex! Who would imagine those things together? Stephanie would!

She has her first full length novel coming out soon and I'll be sure to tell you when it does! For now, you can visit her at Silhouette Nocturne Bites for her first 2 published novellas!

My Beach Read!

My husband surprised me with this gem of a book yesterday for Valentines Day! Does he know me or what!?!

I've only peeked inside as I'm saving it for the beach or the pool, or even the bed that I'm napping in as my In-Laws are watching my three year old!

By the time I get back I should know how to churn butter (ok, I'm cheating, I've already done this), make a quilt, can pickles and milk a cow! (and much more I'm sure!)

PaperBack Swap Update!

Ok I think I'm going to love PaperBack Swap! It's even better than I first imagined! Let me tell you why:

1) If you refer someone and they post 10 books you get a free book credit! (Thank You Stephanie)

2) You have a wish list so that if there is a book you want and someone posts it, you get an email offering you that book! You don't have to keep going back and looking. There is even a feature whereby you can set it to auto-request so that if the book comes up and you have a credit, it will be sent right to you.

3) I just requested a book I was going to get my husband for his birthday.

4) This is the best one!! There is this book that has been eluding me for like the past 25 years. It's called M for Mischief. It's a children's book. One of my teachers read it to me when I was younger. I loved it. My mom could never find it. It's never been at the library. A few months ago I found one on Amazon from a second hand seller-It was $35!! TONIGHT I REQUESTED IT FOR FREE!!! I cannot be more excited!

Paperback Swap

I like books. Even though I have given a bunch away and sold a number on eBay, I still have more books. I'm also a frequent user of the library which cuts down on the book clutter around here. However, sometimes I do like to keep a book. Or buy a book.

In a cool move that combines frugality and recycling, (I'm so tickled that these things often go hand in hand) comes PaperBack Swap.

Basically you list books you would be willing to swap. When someone wants one, you send it to them. Whenever you send a book you get a credit which entitles you to a book of your choice that someone will send you. No money changes hands. You are responsible for paying for the postage on the books you send.

Media rates are cheap. $2.13 for anything under 1 lb and $2.47 for 1-2 lbs. It goes up from there but it is reasonable. For someone like me who already goes to the Post Office this is a no brainer. For someone who buys used books and pays for the book and the media mail postage, this is a no brainer.

The last time I looked there were 1,870,081 to choose from! And as a bonus, you get 3 credits as soon as you sign up and list 10 books.

And I even saw a book on there that I was thinking of getting my husband for his birthday. Am I cheap or what!

Better Off

I pretty much felt like a weenie the other night after I wrote that VCR post and then retired to bed to read my newest (library) book, "Better Off, Flipping the Switch On Technology" (A title which prompted my husband to ask, "Who are you, the unabomber?!?!?")

From the book jacket:

What happens when a graduate of MIT, the bastion of technological advancement, and his bride move to a community so primitive in its technology that even Amish groups consider it antiquated? Eric Brende conceives a real-life experiment: to see if, in fact, all our cell phones, wide-screen TVs, and SUVs have made life easier and better -- or whether life would be preferable without them. By turns, the query narrows down to a single question: What is the least we need to achieve the most? With this in mind, the Brendes ditch their car, electric stove, refrigerator, running water, and everything else motorized or "hooked to the grid" and begin an eighteen-month trial run.

I'm loving this book, though don't get me wrong, I don't want to be Amish! And I don't really want to live without running water or electricity either. This is a wonderful and thoughtful book regarding living with less (way less) and loving it. Through the book the Brendes learn a lot about themselves and the world (the natural world) and come to a lot of great conclusions on how less IS more. I'm not done yet but I'm assuming some of these changes stuck as the back cover tells you that he's now a rickshaw driver and soap maker rather than a high Tech MIT graduate. Apparently he has found what his "least" is and is living it.

Apparently my "least" includes a VCR.