What's On Loan From The Library

I've had a few interesting reads lately although they're quite the hodgepodge of recommendations.

Let's dive in.

Bad Blood
by John Carreyrou
Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup The Story of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. I CANNOT believe this was real life it was so crazy. Definitely recommended.


A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell Series)
by Deanna Raybourn
A lepidopterist living in 19th century England that solves murders? Yes, please. I tore through this series, but then again I'm partial to (odd-ball) strong women protagonists with scientific obsessions.


The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy)
by Sherry Thomas
This is a hard book to quantify: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance but not the gloopy sort of romance that leaves you wishing for a heroine with a stiffer spine, stronger self esteem, and better critical thinking abilities. The girl is powerful and the supporting characters are excellent.

Additionally, I also enjoying the author's take on the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, also devoted to strong, smart, odd women. :)


I'm still trying to make my way through Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Good god it's taking forever. Its 832 pages but it's a hell of a slog. I'll get there. Eventually.


Come As You Are
By Emily Nagoski
An essential exploration of why and how women’s sexuality works—based on groundbreaking research and brain science

This book came hugely recommended by the readers of  the (wonderful) Cup of Jo blog; it's a great read for women (and men that love women). Given the dismal state of proper sex education in our country, Emma and Ben will both be getting a copy when they reach an appropriate age.

Next on my list: Educated by Tara Westover

"Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home."

Anything you've read lately that's good?

Bookish Things

I never got my book list up for Christmas but I’ve got a few adult recommendations and a few kids ones, in case you need something to keep you (or a child!) occupied over the rest of the break.

This has been a lousy reading year for me. My Mother-in-law gave me The Goldfinch by Donna Tart last year for Christmas and I’ve completely failed at getting through it. I am laying the blame for this one squarely on my daughter, who arrived a mere two weeks after receiving the book. Let’s just say that I haven’t been able to focus on anything, let alone a 775 page tome. But I am determined to finish it! At this rate, wee little Em will be pushing 10 by the time I’ve turned the last page.

I did manage to zip through the utterly fabulous Bel Canto by Anne Patchett while on vacation. I loved it. Her storytelling style is delicate and poetic. My mother said she read the book right up to the last chapter, and then waited a week, because she wanted to savor the deliciousness of the story before it came to a close. I am immediately adding everything else by the author to my book list.

Chris, following our trip to the Grand Canyon, read The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko. It’s one of his best picks for the year.

One of my favorites from this year remains The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown. Washington! Rowing! My kind of book! But in talking to friends and family, I think it would definitely be appreciated by non-rowing folk as well. I can’t tell you how many people have come up to me and said: “Hey, you’re a rower. Have you read Boys in the Boat?! I loved that book!"

Ben got some books for Christmas and I am especially fond of the one I picked out as the illustrations are delightful, the words have a lovely rhyming cadence, and some pages require the reader to find hidden animals. This is one I could read all day. The Circus Ship, by Chris Van Dusen. “Five miles off the coast of Maine, and slightly overdue, a circus ship was steaming south in fog as thick as stew”.

And Emma is now the proud owner of Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae. I’m a sucker for the rhyming books, it’s true. But this one will have you tapping your feet and strutting your stuff as your wee little babe claps approvingly.


Bel Canto:

In an unnamed South American country, a world-renowned soprano sings at a birthday party in honor of a visiting Japanese industrial titan. His hosts hope that Mr. Hosokawa can be persuaded to build a factory in their Third World backwater. Alas, in the opening sequence, just as the accompanist kisses the soprano, a ragtag band of 18 terrorists enters the vice-presidential mansion through the air conditioning ducts. Their quarry is the president, who has unfortunately stayed home to watch a favorite soap opera. And thus, from the beginning, things go awry.

The Goldfinch:

The story begins with an explosion at the Metropolitan Museum that kills narrator Theo Decker's beloved mother and results in his unlikely possession of a Dutch masterwork called The Goldfinch. Shootouts, gangsters, pillowcases, storage lockers, and the black market for art all play parts in the ensuing life of the painting in Theo's care. With the same flair for suspense that made The Secret History (1992) such a masterpiece, The Goldfinch features the pulp of a typical bildungsroman—Theo's dissolution into teenage delinquency and climb back out, his passionate friendship with the very funny Boris, his obsession with Pippa (a girl he first encounters minutes before the explosion)—but the painting is the novel's secret heart. Theo's fate hinges on the painting, and both take on depth as it steers Theo's life.

The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon

In the spring of 1983, massive flooding along the length of the Colorado River confronted a team of engineers at the Glen Canyon Dam with an unprecedented emergency that may have resulted in the most catastrophic dam failure in history. In the midst of this crisis, the decision to launch a small wooden dory named “The Emerald Mile” at the head of the Grand Canyon, just fifteen miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam, seemed not just odd, but downright suicidal.

The Emerald Mile, at one time slated to be destroyed, was rescued and brought back to life by Kenton Grua, the man at the oars, who intended to use this flood as a kind of hydraulic sling-shot. The goal was to nail the all-time record for the fastest boat ever propelled—by oar, by motor, or by the grace of God himself—down the entire length of the Colorado River from Lee’s Ferry to Lake Mead. Did he survive? Just barely. Now, this remarkable, epic feat unfolds here, in The Emerald Mile.

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew team was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did, going on to shock the world by defeating the German team rowing for Adolf Hitler. The emotional heart of the tale lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world. Drawing on the boys’ own journals and vivid memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, Brown has created an unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of a remarkable achievement, and a chronicle of one extraordinary young man’s personal quest.

The Circus Ship:

When a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the poor animals are left on their own to swim the chilly waters. Staggering onto a nearby island, they soon win over the wary townspeople with their kind, courageous ways. So well do the critters blend in that when the greedy circus owner returns to claim them, villagers of all species conspire to outsmart the bloated blowhard. With buoyant rhymes and brilliantly caricatured illustrations evoking the early nineteenth century, Chris Van Dusen presents a hugely entertaining tale about the bonds of community — and a rare hidden-pictures spread for eagle-eyed readers of all ages.

Giraffes Can’t Dance

Giraffes Can't Dance is a touching tale of Gerald the giraffe, who wants nothing more than to dance. With crooked knees and thin legs, it's harder for a giraffe than you would think. Gerald is finally able to dance to his own tune when he gets some encouraging words from an unlikely friend.

Holiday Gifts for Toddlers

[Note: I was going to title this post Holiday Gifts for Toddler Boys but then I realized that I love (and loved) many of these items as a kid and I am not of the male persuasion. A kid at heart? Yes. I’ll wear that badge proudly]. 

So, without further ado: Holiday Gifts for Toddlers (and the adults that would like to re-live their childhoods)



I always hesitate a bit when writing these gift posts. The primary reason is that we’re trying hard to have the focus of the holiday not be centered around getting piles and piles of (admittedly wonderful) new things.

So there are perhaps one or two toys from the below lists that our son is actually receiving.  Of course, in ferreting out the things we’re going to purchase, we discovered lots of other great gadgets. But sadly those lovely items will have to entertain another child as they won’t be coming down our chimney come Christmas Eve.

First, let’s talk about what Ben’s list looks like.

It can be summed up simply as: duplos.

I know this because he has me rewrite his Christmas list on a daily basis. There is never anything besides duplos; but he’s worked himself into a tizzy deciding which sets he really, truly needs.

He tells me, most sincerely, that he has to have them all. I try not to roll my eyes within his view but I find myself exiting both the conversation and the room several times an hour. It’s going to be a long time until Christmas, let me tell you.

The kid goes through obsessions like he changes clothes (frequently). But at least he stays true to his toy genre for the duration of the crush.

Here is today’s list. Tomorrow’s will, I’m sure, be different.

Duplo Garbage Truck
Duplo Jake and the Neverland Pirates Hideout
Duplo Big Farm
Duplo Town Treasure Attack


Is your child not duple obsessed? Here are a few other items that caught our eye:

Learning Resources Pretend and Play Doctor Set $34 What kid doesn’t love giving his mom an injection? It’ll only hurt for a little while, Mommy! Plus, I like games that let me lay on the ground and pretend to be dead. Weirdly enough, it’s relaxing.
Whoopee Cushion $4 This one never gets old. Ever.
Learning Resources Science Kit $26 Mini evil scientists unite! I was a big fan of ‘potions’ when I was a kid. Mostly it involved mixing the shampoo, conditioner, and body soap all together in a big puddle on the shower floor.
Peaceable Kingdom Funny Faces Sticker Fun $10 [for another option see below] Pirates with mascara and hair bows? YES.
Magnatiles 32 pc Set $52 Parents rave about these magnetic toys. Personally, I like that they’re lovely jewel tones, not the god-awful primary colors that most toys sport these days.
Ikea Fundera Building Blocks $10* We like towers in our house. Because you can knock ‘em down. Destruction is a winning theme ‘round here.
Builder Color and Activity Book $4 Great for road and plane trips. We have another one by the same author and it’s fantastic. Comes in several themes.
Duplo Royal Castle $90. He’s been begging and begging for this one. But $90(!) for a few pieces of colored plastic. I’m not sure I can drink that kool aid.


*Speaking of Ikea: One thing that didn’t make our list is a tent or teepee. Ben has one and has little campouts in his room every night. His own personal reading nook. Ikea has a pretty nifty version here.

Here are a few things that are quite popular around our house:

Preschool Sticker Activity Book $6 We love this thing, as evidenced by the fact that it’s looking pretty sorry these days. The pages are drawn-upon, the stickers have been stuck, and we’re ready for a new version.
Tape Player. Price varies. So admittedly this one is only good if you have tapes. My in-laws gifted Ben a tape player and about 20 tapes that were leftover from my husband’s early years. Ben adores this thing and it goes to bed with him every single night. All the goodies are obtainable: Peter and the Wold, Sesame Street, Joe Scruggs. Plus it’s (knock on wood) indestructible. Our best recommendation: Seek out the temple of Ebay.
Melissa and Doug Make-a-Face Sticker Pad $5 Ok so we don’t actually have this one but I think we may spring for it in the near (cough Christmas cough) future. Comes in the typical variety: crazies, animals, and princesses.
Mind Ware Marble Run $34 It’s hard not to buy all the awesome toys from my childhood. This one was (and continues to be) a winner in our house. Just don’t let the baby vacuum up the marbles with her mouth.
Melissa and Doug Reusable Sticker Pad $5 Another road trip winner. This one comes in a ton of versions: Habitats, City, Princess! Does a cheetah live underwater? It does in Ben-Land.


Lest you be concerned that Ben only has a one-track mind, feast your eyes upon his little side obsession: Pirates.

My mom has the book Tough Boris by Mem Fox, who happens to be one of our favorite authors. Tough Boris is a gem: it has pirates (argh!!), beautiful illustrations, and is a good lesson in compassion and empathy. It’s Ben’s #1 book choice over at her casa.

He also recently sold a bunch of old toys and obtained for himself a mighty pirate ship, courtesy of (you guessed it), Duplo. He loves the fact that it has a cannon that fires a plastic projectile. I hate the fact that it has a cannon that fires a plastic projectile.

Tough Boris by Mem Fox
Duplo Jake’s Pirate Ship Bucky $32
Pirates Match Up Game & Puzzle $9
Melissa and Doug Pirate Finery $24
Melissa and Doug Puffy Pirate Stickers $5


We have a book list coming tomorrow night.

Anything we missed, darlings? What is your kiddo jonesing for these days?

xo,

Sonja

From The Blog-O-Sphere

Here is the latest from around the wonderful world wide web:

Sad day. Group Health is closing the birth center where my two little babes were born. Every time I drive by the building I automatically zero in on the window to our room where Benjamin entered the world. I’d do the same for Emma except there was no time to look around and actually see the room. Bed! Bassinet! Here comes baby! And it was in the middle of the night. They’re not closing down the midwifery program, which is good, as I adored those women, just moving their base of operations to Swedish. Which is fine; I’ve heard many, many very positive things about Swedish MC. But still. That ugly old building is near and dear to my heart.

This is your brain on fish. 

What’s at the bottom of Lake Washington? I think about this every time I take a plunge into the lake...

Welcome to Washington: [potential] Grizzly Country!

What the heck did I just watch? Impressed, confused, my head is unable to absorb this crazy Russian dance version of Kiesza’s Hideaway. Things get interesting at 1:05 (ps: that poor chicken).

I’ve just added this book to my list: The Signature of All Things.

“This novel spans two centuries and offers the reader details of travel, adventure, love, family dysfunction, and science. Alma Whitaker is born in 1800 to a self-made man who becomes the richest man in Philadelphia. Alma is brilliant but homely, and during her long, loveless life she pursues the study of botany, ultimately proposing one of the first theories of evolution. Gilbert expertly tracks Alma's travels around the world, her struggles with her family and the man with whom she falls in love, and her desperate need to understand the mechanisms behind all life.”  -- Kate Mai, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX

Man sets record for the Pacific Crest Trail. 50 miles a day? No problemmo.


Two working parents, one sick kid. An examination of the cultural default.

20 foods you didn’t know you could freeze: yogurt, hummus, tortillas. Sign me up.

My SIL and BIL (that’s sister-in-law and brother-in-law) got us hooked on these videos while we were in Alaska. Basically, it’s adults acting out kid conversations: Kid Snippets. Another: Math. Dance class.

In other awesome news, GoPro just introduced a new camera harness - for dogs. No foolin’ peeps.

Bailey! Get up! We've got to put your new harness on! Bailey gettttt upppppp.

Not sure the Beast would be the best GoProDog. This is about as excited as he gets these days:


Be well, my dears.

xo,

Sonja

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight (for Toddlers and their parents)

There are only so many times a parent can read Hop on Pop before they go a little batty. Thus, we are always searching for new reading material in our house.

My toddler never does things in half measures: if he’s going to love something, he’ll love it wholly and completely. His favorite book? He’ll ask to read it seven times a day. And it must accompany him to bed.  This lasts for about two weeks. And then he’s ready to move on to a new favorite obsession.

We had a minor crisis the other day because he wasn’t quite done with the current crop of favorites and he didn’t understand why they had to go back to the library. “Well just buy them for me, mommy. I don’t want to send them back!”  Oh, child. We need to have a little talk about money.

He’s had a few stinker obsessions too. I’m kind of ready to be done with garbage trucks, for example. But dinosaurs? Never. Especially after my parents brought over the “How Do Dinosaurs...” series by Jane Yolen.

They are awesome. The verses are great (we’re always on board with rhyming books) but the illustrations, especially of the poor, bewildered parents, are pure gold.

When he hears, “Take a nap!”
does he give dirty looks?
When he’s told, “Quiet down!”
does he rip up his books?

No cookies today?
Fling a mug at the cat!

From How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad?

At the conclusion of each book, the dino works out his problems or decides it really is time for bed. Although, between you and me, I like the ‘mad, stubborn, and mischievous' parts best. Reminds me of my own little stinker.

He cleans up his mess, 
and he picks up the mug.

He says, I’m so sorry.”
He gives a big hug. 

His anger is gone,
so he opens the door.

Not mad? I’m so glad, 
little dinosaur. 


Here is an interview with the author on how the series came to be. 



As for Emma, we have a few favorites.

These two will never get old for me:

Time for Bed, by Mem Fox:

and the classic Going To Bed Book by the always-lovely Sandra Boynton.

What are your favorites, My Dears? Any recommendations? We’d love some suggestions.


xo ,

Sonja

Christmas Gifts for a Three Year Old Boy

We’ve hemmed and hawed over this year’s selection of gifts for the bambino. He was steadfast in his request to Santa: "I WANT TRAINS"! 

But he’s also really into dancing/singing so we incorporated a few musical instruments into this year’s catalog. Hopefully they’ll be a big hit.

Ben’s birthday is at the end of January so a few of items will be saved for that day. 

We bit the bullet and got him a balance bike as his one ‘big gift’ from Santa. On a related note: How come Santa gets all the credit for awesome presents? Totally not fair.

1. Diamond Head Ukulele, Natural (Amazon) $24.99

2. Hanna Andersson Long Johns in Tangerine Sailboat (Serena & Lily) $46. We used a 25% off coupon, which helped a bit.
3. African Rhythm Thumb Piano (10,000 Villages) $14. I love that this toy is made out of a sardine can! In the end I decided it was a bit old for the bambino. Maybe next year.
4. Janod Story - Circus Train (Amazon) $14.16. Great design and colors. And it satisfies the babe’s train longing.
5. Bluesband Harmonica (Land of Nod) $7.95
6. Larry Gets Lost in Seattle (Third Place Books) $16.99. What can I say, I love books that take place in my hometown and the illustrations are fantastic.
7.Wooden Slide Whistle (10,000 Villages) $9. I’m worried about this one. How much whistling can we take before going nuts?
8. Strider Balance Bike (Zappos) $109
9. Janod Magnetic Wooden Toy Plane (Urban Baby) (Haven’t purchased this one - possibly a birthday gift?)

10. Classic Balance Bike (Amazon) $64. Chris and I went back and forth between the CBB and the Strider; as I love the look of the wood. But in the end, the Strider was half the weight of the wooden version and got great reviews. We’ll let you know how we like it. 

He’ll get a few additional things in his stocking: a christmas tree ornament, a few additional train cars, and some chocolates, but that’s about it. And the mandatory handful of satsumas. 

What’s on your list of essential little boy holiday gifts?

xo, 

Sonja

Books!

Update: Here is another list: 100 Books Every Woman Should Read (Fiction). 

My dears,

I am finishing up a few good months of reading, figuring I won’t have much time once the babe is born. Here are a few that I went through this Fall.

Recently Read Books

When in New Zealand, I was on a bit of a local kick, reading books about the Pacific Northwest and California.

My ‘big read’ of the trip, because I felt like I should have this one under my belt: Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose. A classic novel of the west.

Angle of Repose tells the story of Lyman Ward, a retired professor of history and author of books about the Western frontier, who returns to his ancestral home of Grass Valley, California, in the Sierra Nevada. Wheelchair-bound with a crippling bone disease and dependent on others for his every need, Ward is nonetheless embarking on a search of monumental proportions -- to rediscover his grandmother, now long dead, who made her own journey to Grass Valley nearly a hundred years earlier. Like other great quests in literature, Lyman Ward's investigation leads him deep into the dark shadows of his own life.

Currently I’m wading through The Orchardist, by Amanda Coplin. I’ll admit, I’m struggling a bit with this one, simply because I don’t love the characters. I lose interest when I have trouble identifying with the personalities in the book. I don’t have to adore the whole person, but do have to find some common spark, tidbit of personality, or something with the lead character and I’m not finding it here.

At the turn of the twentieth century, in a rural stretch of the Pacific Northwest, a reclusive orchardist, William Talmadge, tends to apples and apricots as if they were loved ones. A gentle man, he's found solace in the sweetness of the fruit he grows and the quiet, beating heart of the land he cultivates. One day, two teenage girls appear and steal his fruit from the market; they later return to the outskirts of his orchard to see the man who gave them no chase. Feral, scared, and very pregnant, the girls take up on Talmadge's land and indulge in his deep reservoir of compassion. Just as the girls begin to trust him, men arrive in the orchard with guns, and the shattering tragedy that follows will set Talmadge on an irrevocable course not only to save and protect but also to reconcile the ghosts of his own troubled past.

My most favorite was recommended by my friend Amy: Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. This is a fast, hilarious read that is especially fun because it takes place in Seattle. One of my favorite books of the year.

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom. 

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle--and people in general--has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic. 

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence--creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.

The book I thought I’d love but actually hated: Raven Stole the Moon by Garth Stein (the author of The Art of Racing In The Rain, which I really enjoyed). Also a Seattle-based book but not of the good kind. Pregnant women with toddler sons should not read novels in which the main character’s young son drowns while on a fishing trip in Alaska. Especially if you happen to travel to Alaska and take fishing trips there.

When Jenna Rosen abandons her comfortable Seattle life to visit Wrangell, Alaska, it's a wrenching return to her past. The hometown of her Native American grandmother, Wrangell is located near the Thunder Bay Resort, where Jenna's young son, Bobby, disappeared two years before. His body was never recovered, and Jenna is determined to lay to rest the aching mystery of his death. But whispers of ancient legends begin to suggest a frightening new possibility about Bobby's fate, and Jenna must sift through the beliefs of her ancestors, the Tlingit, who still tell of powerful, menacing forces at work in the Alaskan wilderness. Armed with nothing but a mother's protective instincts, Jenna's quest for the truth behind her son's disappearance is about to pull her into a terrifying and life-changing abyss.

Here’s a rare book in which I couldn’t identify with any of the characters, yet couldn’t put down: Pilgrim’s Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier, by Tom Kizzia. Fascinating and horrifying. I would so love to meet the family members, to see what they’re like today.

When Papa Pilgrim appeared in the Alaska frontier outpost of McCarthy with his wife and fifteen children in tow, his new neighbors had little idea of the trouble to come. The Pilgrim Family presented themselves as a shining example of the homespun Christian ideal, with their proud piety and beautiful old-timey music, but their true story ran dark and deep. Within weeks, Papa had bulldozed a road through the mountains to the new family home at an abandoned copper mine, sparking a tense confrontation with the National Park Service and forcing his ghost town neighbors to take sides in an ever-more volatile battle over where a citizen’s rights end and the government’s power begins.

I’ve got Chris reading one of my favorite books of all-time: The Book Thief. I’m curious to see what he makes of it.

The extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller that will be in movie theaters on November 15, 2013, Markus Zusak's unforgettable story is about the ability of books to feed the soul. 

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. 

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

Books On My List

The Seattle Times just came out with their 31 ‘best titles’ of 2013. I’m always of two minds about these lists as they are so subjective. For example, I’ve never been a huge fan of celebrated Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl’s recommendations. What grabs her fails to inspire me. But there are a few books on the ST list that look intriguing, especially the Ivan Doig book, as he is an exceptional author. Here are a few that I’m adding to my library wish list:

“Sweet Thunder” by Ivan Doig (Riverhead). Seattle novelist Doig returns to his native Montana for this epic tale of loyalty, politics, love and newspapering set in the gritty labor wars of early 20th-centry Butte. Doig is at his best in his historical novels; this one dazzles with fascinating characters and contemporary themes. — Tim McNulty

“The Signature of All Things” by Elizabeth Gilbert (Viking). Botany has never seemed more exciting than through the eyes of Gilbert’s fictional heroine, Alma Whittaker, whose energetic pursuit of plants and the man she loves captures the 19th-century thrill for discovery. — Ellen Emry Heltzel

“Hild” by Nicola Griffith (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). “Hild,” by Seattle author Griffith, spins taut threads from the elements of treacherous kings, desperate bandits, brilliant tapestries, and dying gods, weaving them into a marvelous story of a seventh-century Englishwoman’s coming of age. —Nisi Shawl

“The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt (Little, Brown). The long-awaited new novel from the author of “The Secret History” is the sort you get happily lost in; combining page-turning plot twists with achingly beautiful prose. It’s a story about the love of beautiful things; about spending youth searching for something undiscoverable; about how life can shackle us to a perch, unable to move forward. —Moira Macdonald

See the entire list here.

Any favorites that you’ve enjoyed recently, my dears? I’d love your recommendations.

xo,

Sonja

Books!

First, the latest Benism:

Upon looking into my mouth yesterday: “Messy, Mommy”.

What? I paid a lot of money to a very expensive orthodontist for my mouth to not look messy.

In fact, I very clearly remember the moment that Chris and I were identified as American by our teeth. We were in Mozambique in a crappy dive boat and the man across from us said: “You guys are from the States, huh”.  Turned out he was a dentist from South Africa. “Americans” he said, “they always have nice teeth”.

I remember being surprised but also slightly ashamed, and not knowing why.

--

Ok: books.

“Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” 
― Groucho Marx,

Not your favorite reading quote? How about this one:

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
― C.S. Lewis

After Ben’s birth, I took a year long break from reading. And it sucked. But I was also terribly sleep deprived and why read when you could sleep? That also was my outlook when it came to exercise, too, I might add. Probably not the best policy but anyone in my immediate family can tell you that I am a not a fun person to be around when short on zzzs.

Anyway, back to reading. I love that the Seattle Public Library has a great many down-loadable books. They have a system worked out with Amazon that lets me transfer them onto my ipad with just a few clicks. No trip down to the library necessary. Which is both good and bad.

I seem to be doing some crazy genre hopscotching lately, zipping from horribly, heart-breakingly sad tear jerkers (The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green.[highly recommended by the way]) to scatological jokes (The Bedwetter, by Sarah Silverman [crude, excellent humor]) and then back: The Postmistress, by Sarah Blake [fairly decent].

I also fit in The Secret Race: Inside the hidden world of the Tour de France, by Tyler Hamilton [basically: everyone doped in the TdF and, not surprisingly, Lance is an asshole.] Not exactly groundbreaking news but still a fascinating tale.

Also, I am determined to catch up on my pop culture reading: I just polished off Book 5 of Harry Potter and the third Shades of Grey volume.

Did I just publicly admit to reading Shades of Grey? eek.

In my defense, I’ll consume just about anything that takes place in Seattle although in this case it was laughable: You cannot merge left when entering I-5 South from the 520 bridge. Duh.

Looking for something of decent quality that is Seattle-based? How about the Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein. A sweet, sweet book. I dare you not to cry.

I’m halfway through I Know This Much is True, by Wally Lamb, a story of a man wading through life with a paranoid schizophrenic brother. Here is a brief blurb:

On the afternoon of October 12, 1990, my twin brother, Thomas, entered the Three Rivers, Connecticut, public library, retreated to one of the rear study carrels, and prayed to God the sacrifice he was about to commit would be deemed acceptable. . . .

One of the most acclaimed novels of our time, Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True is a story of alienation and connection, devastation and renewal, at once joyous, heartbreaking, poignant, mystical, and powerfully, profoundly human.

I not sure I’m going to finish it. I can usually handle depressing but this particular tome is bleak beyond belief.


In my hold queue are the following:

How to Be A Woman, by Caitlin Moran

Though they have the vote and the Pill and haven't been burned as witches since 1727, life isn't exactly a stroll down the catwalk for modern women. They are beset by uncertainties and questions: Why are they supposed to get Brazilians? Why do bras hurt? Why the incessant talk about babies? And do men secretly hate them? Caitlin Moran interweaves provocative observations on women's lives with laugh-out-loud funny scenes from her own, from the riot of adolescence to her development as a writer, wife, and mother. With rapier wit, Moran slices right to the truth--whether it's about the workplace, strip clubs, love, fat, abortion, popular entertainment, or childred--to jump-start a new conversation about feminism. With humor, insight, and verve, How To Be a Woman lays bare the reasons why female rights and empowerment are essential issues not only for women today but also for society itself.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Imagines the coming-of-age story of young Julia, whose world is thrown into upheaval when it is discovered that the Earth's rotation has suddenly begun to slow, posing a catastrophic threat to all life.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers [life, death, and hope in a mumbai undercity] by Katherine Boo

From Pulitzer Prize-winner Katherine Boo, a landmark work of narrative nonfiction that tells the dramatic and sometimes heartbreaking story of families striving toward a better life in one of the twenty-first century&'s great, unequal cities.   In this brilliantly written, fast-paced book, based on three years of uncompromising reporting, a bewildering age of global change and inequality is made human.  

Wild [from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail], by Cheryl Strayed

A powerful, blazingly honest, inspiring memoir: the story of a 1,100 mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe--and built her back up again.

The Secret Keeper, by Kate Morton

During a party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the road and sees her mother speak to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy. Now, fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress, living in London. She returns to the family farm for Dorothy's ninetieth birthday and finds herself overwhelmed by questions she has not thought about for decades.

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn

On the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick's wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police immediately suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they aren't his. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone. So what really did happen to Nick's beautiful wife?


What must-read books are out there Peeps, just calling my name?!

I’d love some recommendations.

xo,
Sonja

I would like to be here

and not in cold, grey Seattle.

Photo credit here.

 This is Heron Island, in Queensland Australia. This morning I was leafing through our copy of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and the descriptions of clear waters, beautiful beaches, amazing diving and migrating whales made me wish that I was...well...there. Australia and New Zealand are high on our list of places to travel. Hopefully it'll happen. Someday.

Book Review

Oh, today was a long day. I just got back from pilates class and my leg muscles are still twitching. It's a funny feeling. Bailey has deserted me (and the freezing house) in favor of patrolling the fence in search of opossums. I just heard a mad dash outside so I'm assuming he discovered one. I never thought I'd see the day when our lazy dog could clear a 5 foot fence but he'll come pretty close if there is something of interest at the top. Personally, and this sounds horrible, I wish that he'd chase the cats instead of the opossums. Our neighbors are bad pet owners and they allow their cats to be outside (permanently). Not only did the cats start chasing the birds at our feeder but the fish in our pond have started to mysteriously disappear. So, from my way of looking at it, if they are going to allow their cats to eat my birds and my fish, why can't I allow my dog to eat their cat?? It sounds fair to me. You know, a dog eat uh, cat world. :) Actually, Bailey doesn't have a chance in hell of ever catching a cat so I guess it's just wishful thinking on my part.

(ok, so it probably wouldn't be so good for neighborly relations if Bailey maimed their cats. But I don't think it would be unfair if he could give the cats a good scare; maybe they'd permanently quit our yard. I wonder if you could teach a cat to only eat mice, rats, and starlings. Wouldn't that be delightful? Then they'd stay away from my lovely phoebes, song birds, and parrots.)

But I digress. Bailey is outside chasing opossums and Chris is still at work so I have the house to myself. And I'm feeling rather bored which is an unusual feeling for me. Maybe it's the only child thing: when I was little there wasn't anybody else to play with so I got really creative at keeping myself occupied. That's not to say that my parents abandoned me in a corner or anything; I just became really good at inventing ways to stay busy. I received some wonderful books for Christmas; unfortunately I've read them all already and I'm famished for some good reading material. Here are a couple ones that I've recently read:

Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder. This book is actually required reading for University of Washington students. I highly recommend it. It's the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, a harvard doctor who single-handedly decided to cure the world of poverty and disease. He started out in Haiti but his organization has grown to include programs in Peru, Russia and elsewhere. Unlike many organizations, Dr. Farmer concluded that it wasn't enough to simply treat the disease, he needed to work on curing the root cause, even if the root cause was extreme poverty. In addition to say, TB drugs, he provided medical checkups (house visits), money for education, new homes and programs for women. It's a wonderful, if sobering story. His organizations, Partners in Health, has a website that can be found here. And if you're looking for a worthy organization desperately in need of some moolah, my parents are really fond of this one. Marley and Me, by John Grogan, is a fun, light read that is best read by dog-lovers. It's the story of Mr. Grogan's yellow lab Marley who playfully destroys drywall, eats gold jewelry, and causes general mayhem. Marley is the kind of dog that makes any dog owner feel instantly better about their own mischievous pooch. Bailey looks like an angel in comparison. Mr. Grogan's writing is moderately talented but not exceptionally graceful. My biggest beef with Mr. Grogan was that he purchased his dog from a backyard breeder and he did very little research prior to buying his dog. Having previously worked at an animal shelter and seen so many abused and neglected animals, I am a firm believer that you can find a lovely dog at the pound or through a rescue organization (unless you're looking for a specialty dog, such as for hunting purposes). Honestly, shame on those that still buy dogs from pet stores. That issue aside, it's a fun read. You'll probably cry a bit at the end if you've ever lost a pet, particularly a dog.

Of course, by far my most favorite dog book is The Dog Who Wouldn't Be, by Farley Mowat.
Right, so those are some of my most favorite books for now. Does anyone have any recommendations? I'm open to just about anything at this point...
Cheerio,
Sonja

Oh, the joy of a good book!

I received some fun, interesting and quirky books for Christmas and here are a couple that I've really enjoyed:

First up is a book that I heard reviewed on NPR about a month ago. My mama heard the same review, decided that is sounded interesting, and sent it to me. It's called Passionate Minds by David Bodanis and its the biography of a 16th century scientist named Emilie du Chatelet. Largely forgotten by history, she was responsible for translating and expanding upon Newton's original works. She was also Voltaire's lover and the lifestyle they led was revolutionary at the time. It's well written and intriguing. The second book with which I'm currently enraptured, is called 1,000 places to see before you die. I'm currently making a "life list" of places that I'd like to visit and things I'd like to do sometime in my life. This book is a great aid. I was especially pleased because it includes "must visit" places such as the Louvre, the Vatican and the Grand Canyon, and then many lesser known gems such as Manuel Antonio Park in Costa Rica, the scuba diving opportunities in Bonaire, and the cayes in Belize (all of which I've visited and loved).

For St. Lucia, the book recommends the resorts we stayed at, Anse Chastanet.

Next weekend, we're going to cross two more places off: the Pacific Coast Highway north of Los Angeles, and the town of Monteray (including the aquarium). Hooray for road trips!