Non Fiction

I've been on a non fiction kick lately.  I think it may have all started with Wade Rouse a few months ago, I'm not quite sure, but I've been reading non-fiction exclusively.  Currently I'm reading some David Sedaris, Benyamin Cohen and JUST finished the above book, Little Princes, by Conor Grennan.

I picked up Little Princes yesterday off the library hold shelf.  It had FINALLY come in after a month or so of waiting.  I gobbled this book up today (started it this morning and finished it before dinner).  It was a tear jerker and such a lovely story of a caring man doing some amazing work in Nepal.  Think Greg Mortinson, and Three Cups of Tea, except this book is far less documentary feeling.  I highly recommend it.

I do have some sewing projects to show, but we hosted a 10 year old boy sleep over last night and I'm a little exhausted.  The boys didn't go to sleep until 5 a.m.  So early to bed tonight, maybe a little vegging on the couch too!  It's 6 p.m our time, and David and Bubba asleep on the couch!

I also picked up the Wade Rouse book Atleast in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream yesterday at the library...maybe I'll start that one tonight.

Ehhhh

While David watched the Duke v. UNC game tonight I finished up my second Wade Rouse book.   Ehhhh.  Can't say that I enjoyed it.  The writing was just not as well done as his book It's All Relative.

I worked for a real jackass in my early twenties and maybe it was that I had a few flashbacks to that time in my life where I constantly questioned my quality of life based on my employer and how he treated me, when I was reading this book.

I do not recommend this book.  Sorry Wade.  Not your best work.

Biggest Fan, Big Chicken

I am a big fan of Jen Lancaster.  I'm not sure if you've ever read any of her books, but each one I have read I usually end up in some sort of asthmatic laughing attack.  My family stares.  They ask what is so funny, but I cannot respond.  I need oxygen.  Jen is bitter.  She is snarky.  She is picky.  She NEVER writes about sex, but she is V*E*R*Y foul mouthed and not for the faint of heart.  I love reading her non-fiction, self indulgent, rantings.  I quote her at least once a week, and am excited that she is about to publish some fiction.  If you don't want to indulge in her books, you can always read her (non-foul mouthed) occasional blog about her dogs and life named Jennsylvania here.

A few weeks ago Jen (we are on a first name basis) wrote on her blog about what she was reading.  She mentioned that SHE had a snorting, laugh out loud fit about this book...

I figured heck, if she is laughing out loud at this Wade Rouse guy, I had better get my hands on this book.  So I did.  I got a used copy at my favoritist place on earth, Amazon, and started reading it the moment I received it in the mail.

And people, Jen did not steer me wrong.  I have to admit that this is the first book that I have EVER read where I was laughing so hard I had to stop and take a potty break (what can I say, I'm getting old) before I peed myself a little, but then during the next chapter I was sobbing so hard that I could not continue reading because I could not see through the tears, and  was so emotionally affected I had to stop.  Even now when I think about those chapters I start to tear up.  This book was amazing.  But...and you knew there had to be a but, Wade Rouse is gay, AND a democrat.  Not that there is anything wrong with his choices, (don't tell my family I'm a Democrat) but this book that I loved so much, I could not share with my sister, my husband (too broke-backy for his taste) or anyone without knowing them EXTREMELY well.  So I sent it to Jennifer.

In a nut shell, Jennifer was my BFMN (best friend when we lived in MN) and prevented me from killing both of my kids, or my husband, too many times to note.  I figured that Jennifer would love it (excellent taste in books, an ex-librarian, and political guru) and everyone loves getting crap in the mail.  And she did.  Laughed.  Cried.  Ex-cetera.  Ex-cetera.  Jennifer LOVED it.  No shock there.

I vehemently opposed to abridging books or banning books, but I almost want to cut out my favorite chapters and share them with my other favorite people because they affected me so deeply and I loved them so much.  Wade Rouse's backstory is so interesting and memoir is so amazing I want to share.  But will people be able to get past those interesting differences and read the story for what it is?

The Help

I just finished reading this book, something I must have found whilst on Amazon, and it was amazing. Honestly when the notice of hold request arrival from the library popped up in my e-mail I couldn't remember reserving it, not even when I read the cover flap did I remember the synopsis...but it was good. Read it in a 30 hour period and be anti-social to your family good.

I started it Friday night when D and the kids were doing a puzzle (?) and I was uninterested in participating...stayed up til all hours and finished it the next day.

The story is told by three different people...two black servant women and one white well to do woman...in Jackson, MS.

Go check it out!

Past, Present and Future

Past reading...Funny in Farsi. Very very good. I LOVED this hilarious book about a young girl and her family moving to California from Iran in the 70's. Each chapter of the book is a funny story regarding family members. You must check it out from the library!!!

Present reading...A Homemade Life. My sister recommended this book to me and my Mom went out and bought it. While Mom is out of town I am reading the book and really liking it. It is also stories from the author's life (and kitchen table) and includes recipes. Most recipes look really yummy, I am dying to try the pink cookies (a favorite of mine from the U district in Seattle) but I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, I am still reading for now. Molly Wizenberg, the author, is the author/creator of the Orangette blog.

Future reading? I recently picked up "the Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" from the library. I have only read a page or two, and wasn't completely taken. I will try again soon. It comes highly recommended. I hope it is as good as they say...

Maaaatha and others

I've always been a library junkie. Some nights when I am bored I'll go to Amazon and search their lists of top this or that or best sellers and open a second page link to our local library catalog and search and request books I see on Amazon. Here are the latest...

A few weeks ago I requested Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts.
I am a huge Martha fan, or should I say I am a huge pre-jail magazine fan of hers. I don't really care for the show or all the other corporate stuff, but enjoy sitting down with a copy of her magazine and planning. So I checked out her new release and...can I say that I am disappointed? The book is fine, nice photos and such, but every freaking thing in it is out of a past magazine. In the "reference book" sense the book is fine and a neat package of all her ideas. But frankly I have all the magazine articles I wanted to keep ripped out and saved. Big let down.


My other library pick up was this book...Sew What Skirts. Can I just tell you that it is pretty cute and has some great ideas!? Totally easy patterns. All the patterns are measure yourself add this subtract this # type things, but that is great since there are no silly tissue papers to deal with (I hate those). And it makes the book user friendly for all shapes and sizes. I am in the skirt wearing and making mood and really haven't found a pattern up to now that I like. I will be making a few things (hopefully) this week and post regarding directions and outcome soon.

Latest Book Read...

Three Cups of Tea, see it here at Amazon. It is non-fiction, so if you don't want to learn something don't read it. Frankly it is one of those OMG I am a looser and haven't accomplished A*N*Y*T*H*I*N*G books, OR it is very inspirational. In a nut shell it is about a man who builds schools for children, specifically girls, in rural areas and hostile areas. His passions are these schools and the book is about how he decided to build schools, the sacrifices he made, remarkable people he met, and hoops he had to jump thru along the way.

It is very good, and I would highly recommend reading it. I read it on the plane home from the Left Coast, along with my new hobby...wait for it....wait for it...

KNITTING. My Mom gave me a knitting project and taught me how to knit for Christmas. It is something I have always wanted to do, and really stink at currently (holes! curse them), but I am getting better with each row of the enormous afghan I am working on. Maybe each blog reader will get a new knit scarf by next Christmas! Our (my family) theme for Christmas this year was 'favorites.' We each had to draw a name and give our recipient something that is a favorite of ours. Bubba gave my nephew a copy of his favorite book "The Encyclopedia of Immaturity" and a case of Kraft Mac and Cheese. H gave her cousin a soccer ball and earrings and bracelet from Claire's. D gave my Bro-in-law a bag of his fav coffee (3 cups) and his fav book, etc. Some gifts were restaurant gift cards, some knitting and lessons (mine). It was a lot of fun. AND it was something that everyone participated in easily without the Mom's having a conniption over finishing or buying before the big day.