Two Things

I have two unrelated things to share, so here they are:

1) If you ever have the desire to make potstickers, I've got an excellent recipe for you. My mom and I made these for a beer tasting with friends of my parents, and they went over great. In addition to feedback from other people, I personally enjoyed them. Even before they were cooked the filling smelled great. The link: Pork and Ginger Potstickers with Spicy Dipping Sauce, by Emeril Lagasse. (Some of the ingredients can be hard to find. Instead of Chinese black vinegar, we used a blend of rice vinegar and balsamic - still delicious!)

2) I've actually been reading for pleasure over break! It's fantastic. I finished the Hunger Games series, which so many people love - myself and hubby included. He read it while he was home with me and I was in school, so I had to keep him from telling me too much until I finished it! I just finished the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - also a good read, I enjoyed it. According to my Goodreads list, I read 29 books in 2011! I have to say, I'm pretty proud of that. Of course, this also excludes law textbooks, and that should get credit in its own special way. The bulk of the books were read in the first half of the year, but I think that's reasonable. I profiled a lot of them on the blog, as well.

Here's my new book:

Yep, it's a law nerd book. After reading a few Supreme Court opinions last semester, and with Constitutional Law coming up this semester, I'm intrigued enough to read this book. I think it will also be a nice transition back into actually thinking about law. :-)

Here's hoping I can keep up a decent amount of pleasure reading even as I get back into reading casebooks for school!

June Books

I wish I would have read more books in June, I had enough time, but hey, I've got a couple I'm working on right now. In the past couple days some of the time I might read has gone toward watching Wimbledon on TV! I do love to get sucked into tennis when I'm around during Grand Slam tournaments.

But, I digress. Here are the three books I did complete this month:

1. For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage by Tara Parker-Pope

I enjoy reading marriage books, and this one was a fast read with some interesting stats and information in it. Much like other conventional marriage wisdom, I had to be prepared for the fact that they were going to deem my marriage as more likely to fail because of our age when we married (early 20s), but I'm secure in all that now. (Why yes, I take statistics in books personally, don't you?) For the record, we have plenty of other factors in our favor (bachelor's degrees, married parents, etc). Anyway, the book wasn't earth-shattering, and when they read it over at A Practical Wedding for the book club, many of them didn't like it. I did get some interesting tidbits out of it though and thought it was a pretty good read.

2. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

This was one that I almost couldn't put down - lots of times I almost tell myself I should read, or try to push myself into sitting down and reading, but I whizzed through this book because it was a fast read and so fascinating. As a quick synopsis, Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman who died of cervical cancer in Baltimore in 1951. Unbeknownst to her, some doctors did a cell culture on a sample of her tumor and unlike many other human cells, they kept reproducing over and over again and didn't die. It would be hard to encapsulate everything into this paragraph, but Henrietta's cells and the work done on them has changed medicine significantly in the last 60 years. There was also a strong social justice element of the book in the sense that Henrietta's family didn't know about the cells for years after the fact. Anyway, as I said, I flew through this book because I couldn't put it down, and I highly recommend it!

3. French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano

I really enjoyed this book. It intersected with my recent interest in eating healthfully and reasonably, reminded me about seasonal and unprocessed foods, and above all brought me back to my days studying abroad in Italy when I witnessed how fresh and simple but incredibly delicious the cuisine and the food culture is. Realistically, I won't follow each thing the author suggests in the book (for instance, let's be honest, I pretty much always eat watching TV since I've been living by myself), but there were a lot of useful things to think about, and the overall encouraging sense that I can fully enjoy food and feel satisfied without overdoing it. It just strengthened my commitment to the farmer's market and local seasonal food, and just in time for summer!

So that was my month of reading. I do have a confession though - I gave up on a book this month. In theory I should have been all over it, it's about an Iranian-American woman, and I used to study Muslim societies and countries in college. The thing was though, that I was struggling to keep getting through it and just didn't find the narrative that compelling. I was reading it when I'd just finished Henrietta Lacks, and the comparison was night and day. Eventually I decided that I only have so much time to read for pleasure before law school starts, and I want to enjoy the experience of reading, not be impatient with it, so I went ahead and retired that book to move to something else. Ah well.

It was a month full of non-fiction but I'm working on some fiction at the moment, so I will have more to share in that department in about a month!

Small Ingredients in a Good Day

Today was the type of day full of small joys that keep me sane and reasonably happy amidst the emotional difficulty and uncertainty of hubby's training and separation from him. Just a few things included:

1. Running for the first time in too long, at least sort of. I have been taking a bit of an unplanned hiatus due to trips and not feeling too great last week, and each day that goes by makes me more worried that I'm going to lose what I gained doing C25K. I ventured back on the treadmill today, and while it was far from a great run, I got my body moving and my heart pumping and it's a good way to start back up and build confidence again. In other news, I am going to try to buy some appropriately-sized and stylish running shorts tomorrow - the capri style pants and leggings are too hot (even inside the gym!).

2. Yoga for the first time in a while. Again, sort of an unplanned hiatus in part due to being out of town. Went to a class after jogging on the treadmill, and it gave me that great combination of mind-body zen and some good stretching. I may also try a class at a studio in town tomorrow afternoon.

3. Haircut! I got my hair refreshed back to the cute short length that I've had it at for the past few months (so it amounted to maybe a couple of inches but it feels much better!). I love the bouncy, peppy feeling I get with a fresh haircut.

4. I visited the health food store in town and bought wild salmon, plus some lime chips that are minimally processed. Even better, I paid for it with a gift card I received from the family I used to baby-sit for (before they moved).

5. I used said salmon to make Grilled Salmon with Citrus Salsa Verde by Giada, and it was tasty! It had a ton of flavor, a nice amount of nutrition, and I felt all around good eating it. I get to have it again tomorrow night as well, but this time I just have to grill the second piece of fish and then top it with the salsa I already made.

6. I finished an interesting book - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, a work of nonfiction about the woman whose cells ended up changing medical research as of 1951 when a sample of her cancerous tumor started reproducing without end. A more thorough review will come at the end of the month, but I sure do love the feeling of getting lost in a fascinating book and reading it faster than I thought I would! I do also enjoy having the luxury to be able to spend time reading when I feel like it.

7. I was pleasantly surprised and happy to get a letter from hubby! I am so starved to hear from him these days that seeing his handwriting and hearing things he's thinking and doing is always so nice. I am grateful each and every time I get a letter because I know how busy he is right now. 

Admittedly, more than ever before, I am blatantly passing time away at this point. Not a great way to live life, but I am anxious for hubby to come back, anxious to get ready to move, and also trying to prepare for the transition time with chores and to dos. Mentally though, I am ready, more for my reunion with hubby than going to school, but it will all come in due time! In the meantime I am trying to give myself the little pleasures in life to at least pass the time pleasantly. Tomorrow will involve the morning volunteering, frozen yogurt with friends, and yoga, so hopefully it will be pleasant as well!

May Books

[My little preface: It's been long time, no post - I've just felt a bit uninspired and also just sort of holding my breath for the end of the week, when hubby's next news from training will make its way to my ears. In the meantime though, it's almost June which means it's time to report on my reading adventures from May!]

1. One Day by David Nicholls

This book also is being made into a movie. (Are you surprised?) It's an interestingly formatted romance that visits Emma and Dexter on the same day each year for about 15 years or so. It started off a bit slow but I got engrossed soon enough, and attached to the characters, and interested in the twists and turns of their lives and relationship. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but that would also be spoiler-y to discuss at great length, so I'll leave it at that. :-)

2. Bossypants by Tina Fey

This book was just released and I was curious to indulge in it. I definitely found it funny and intriguing. I definitely enjoyed a lot of the "behind the scenes" SNL and 30 Rock type stuff (though I haven't ever really watched the latter), especially Tina's take on how the Sarah Palin skits came into being. I also enjoyed reading about how she got to where she is today. It was a quick and fun read for sure.

3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I was so happy that I finally finished this book! I had it on my Kindle and I'd been working on it since April, and I finally finished it on the beach last weekend. It won't exactly take my opinion to tip the scales that this is a wonderful read, but for the record I'm glad I stuck through the more old-fashioned (and lengthy) style to follow the story to its fruition. Plus, now I can watch the movie on DVD when it comes out. Priorities, people.

This is one of the lightest months I've had as far as reading is concerned - in part because Jane Eyre took so long and also because I currently have two books going, one of which I'm almost finished reading. For the record, my M.O. lately has been to have one library book and one Kindle book going simultaneously. This is to save money and continue to benefit from the library, while getting things on the Kindle that they don't have. I take the Kindle out of the apartment with me and read it most frequently at volunteering, and I keep each library book in the apartment and read it here (often before I go to sleep). Some of my reading time is also devoted to reading the paper on the Kindle each day, and a lot of my leisure time is going toward Lost on Netflix other types of media.

I find myself definitely prioritizing my "to read" list these days. I know that there is precious time before I am reading cases all the time like a madwoman. I look forward to this phase in my life, but I will miss the freedom to read for pleasure as voraciously as I have been this past year. At least I've largely been taking advantage of that opportunity while it's here!

As always, let's have it - what have you been reading? Is there anything I should add to my high priority list before I start school in August?

April Books

It's that time again, for the monthly book round-up. Lately, it seems that almost each book I read is being turned into a movie. Sometimes I know this in advance, and other times it's a coincidence. Weird!

1. Black Heels to Tractor Wheels - A Love Story by Ree Drummond

I'm glad I took the chance to read this one. I'd started to read PW's posts about her real-life romance, but never really got that far. It was great to have them in book form so I could read the story in one long narrative. This is great for anyone who is a romantic, especially if you're already a PW fan. Her story-telling is good as ever and in my case it made me think of my own love story very fondly (even if all in all it was never as dramatic!). This was a pretty quick read and I'm glad I got it in!

2. I Love a Man in Uniform: A Memoir of Love, War, and Other Battles by Lily Burana

I highly recommend this to milspouses anywhere and everywhere, or anyone who just wants to know more about what it's like. The author is witty and made me laugh out loud more than once. She is not the stereotypical milspouse, but then again, how many of us would describe ourselves as totally fitting the stereotype? Burana mixes a frank assessment of the parts of the lifestyle she could do without at times, and doesn't gloss over some of her difficulties, but at the end of the day she shares her pride for her husband's occupation and the community she became a part of when she married him. I know this tension is present for me, and though we are not the same or have all the same opinions, I identified with so many of her statements. It was a great milspouse read that was real and gritty - I really enjoyed this!

3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This book is very popular right now, and that's a major part of why I read it. Apparently it's also becoming a movie, which I wasn't aware of, but I'm not surprised. It's a fictional treatment of race relations in 1960s Mississippi, and even though it's long, it had me very absorbed and entertained. I liked it a lot and I will definitely want to see the movie!

4. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

I went ahead and read another Giffin book, and I'd say I liked this one a lot more than Baby Proof. I didn't know until I was partway through that it will also be a movie, but again, I wasn't surprised, because it reads like a classic chick flick! My only problem was that partway through my visions of the characters changed so that suddenly Rachel looked like Ginnifer Goodwin and Darcy looked like Kate Hudson, so it was kind of weird to have them morph in my head like that...

Right now I am working on Jane Eyre, which I started when I was younger and never finished (or at least I don't remember finishing it). I'm reading it because... it's now a movie! I know, you're so shocked. I'm sure it will be featured in May Books - hopefully I'll finish it soon!

And now, my usual prompt - what are you reading? Any recommendations? Did you read any of these books in my post and have a different opinion from me? The same or only slightly different? Have you seen any of the movies of these books, or are you pumped for any particular book-movies to come out?

March Books

I am continuing to hit my goal of reading at least 3 books per month while hubby is away - this month it was 4! Here's my little rundown:

1. Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

This was definitely the book version of a chick flick, which is what I was expecting for sure, and I definitely enjoyed it on that level. It's also the first Emily Giffin book I've read. It's about a woman who finds the perfect guy, they agree on their premise of never having children, he changes his mind at some point, and conflict ensues. I liked the writing style and found myself chuckling, but ultimately I think the plot felt a little too contrived - as though I would have appreciated it more in a movie than a book, perhaps. It was a fun and frothy read, and I will probably try more books by Giffin in the future, but not quite yet.

2. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

This is one of two books I read this month because I heard they were being made into movies (and I wanted to read the books before seeing the movies). This one centers on a 9-year-old boy dealing with the aftermath of his father's death on 9/11. It had a quirky and zany narration style, and while I was interested in the plot, I think the narration just threw me off a bit and compromised me absolutely loving this book. Interestingly, Foer is married to Nicole Krauss, author of The History of Love, which I have also read. She uses some interesting narration quirks too, and I feel like in the end my opinion of both books was the same - interesting, didn't hate them, but couldn't quite love them either.

3. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Reese Witherspoon will be in this movie, and since I love her I knew I'd want to see it! I really enjoyed this book - the return to traditional narration style was welcome after Extremely Loud, and the book kept me absorbed the whole time. It reminded me of Moulin Rouge in a few ways, but that's not bad in and of itself. I liked this one a lot and I'm glad I read it!

4. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

This was my non-fiction selection for the month, and I just finished it today. Sort of like Freakonomics, it settles in the realm of behavioral economics, which I find fascinating. The premise is that while traditional economics assumes people/consumers will always act in their rational best interests, numerous phenomena show that's not the case. I read with great interest and really enjoyed Ariely's accounts of all his experiments and the conclusions he made based on them. I feel like you probably know if this type of thing is up your alley - if it is, I definitely recommend it! It makes you step back and think, but it's written specifically in the "popular" rather than "academic" style, and for me that made it fun to read!

Next up on the list, probably to start tonight, is From Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, which is Pioneer Woman's account of her romance with her hubby, "Marlboro Man." As you know if you read my blog, I love PW's recipes, but I love reading about her life as well. I started to read the series of blog posts about the romance, but I lost steam partway through, and it's very convenient for me that she published it in a book. I'm pumped I have it from the library.

Also, I believe my Kindle may have arrived today, but I wasn't in my apartment, they left it in the office, and the office was closed when I got home. I should be able to get it tomorrow morning though, which I anticipate eagerly! Of course, maybe it was something else, all I know is I got a package!

As always, please share any books you've read recently and recommend, or what you are thinking of reading next. I love to get thoughts on books!

February Books

I spent a lot of February finishing the Dragon Tattoo series by Stieg Larsson. I'll write a blurb for them, but they were thrillers in a pretty unique way!

1. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

I am definitely a Nicholas Sparks fan, and I enjoy a good dose of his style every now and then.  I don't want to give too much away about this book, but aside from obviously having the romantic element, there was a certain amount of suspense, particularly toward the end, that had me staying up later to read and get to the conclusion. If you have read Nicholas Sparks before, you probably know whether he's for you or not, but that being said, I really enjoyed this one!

2 and 3. The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

These books are dark, violent, and thrilling. Even more so than their predecessor (Dragon Tattoo) they keep one engrossed for hours. Larsson does a really good job of weaving all his story threads together, leaving off at certain moments that will of course then keep you reading. I also enjoy the way there's all these puzzle pieces that slowly click together as you get toward the end. I'm glad I read these books and I would definitely recommend them!


4. The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler

It was good to switch gears and do some non-fiction at the end of this month. I technically finished this book in March, but I started it in February so there it will go. I really found this book fascinating, useful, and insightful. Especially since I am in a time when I'm being relatively careful about what I eat, the advice and the science felt very relevant (though they are relevant to anyone who eats, aka everyone). In a nutshell, Kessler addresses the types of factors that can lead us to keep eating sweets and fat- and salt-laden foods, even when we know we don't need them or possibly even want them. He talks about what goes on in the brain through a series of examinations, and discussions of studies. He also addresses the food industry side (both processed foods and restaurants, especially chains). In a similar fashion to In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, this book inspired me to continue focusing on produce and other basic foods, to keep cooking in the kitchen at home, and to continue making going out to eat a sometimes thing. I am also hoping that having read about the physical and mental processes related to overeating will help me to maintain even better self-control when I want to. Sorry to go on so much, I guess I had a lot to say about this particular one!

So far I am definitely sticking to my goal of reading at least three books per month while hubby is gone (5 in January and 4 in February). The total number, 9, is rapidly approaching the number of books I read for pleasure (not school) in 2010 (11). Crazy! Makes me feel good though. There are so many books out there and I really love using my current free time to read them.

I'll put this out there again - any recommendations or books you all are planning to read soon?

A Page Turner

Well, a good portion of my day today was dedicated to this thriller:

 

If you haven't heard of it, it's the second in a three-book series by Stieg Larsson, a now deceased Swedish author. I read the first one (Dragon Tattoo) this past fall, and took a break before reading this one. A friend owns this installment, so I borrowed it from her instead of having to get it at the library (where it's often in high demand). She advised me when giving it to me that I should probably place a request third one (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest) at the library, because of the cliffhanger ending of ...Fire. Because of that, I have the third one in the apartment now, but with it being due in just under two weeks and the possibility that I may not be able to renew it, I felt a sense of urgency to get through ...Fire. Plus, the plot really grabbed me and I definitely wanted to know what would happen! Blissfully, today was a day with no major commitments (or really any commitments at all) and after heading to the gym for spin and yoga (good in its own way!) I was able to devote a large portion of my afternoon and evening to finishing the book - breaking essentially only for dinner and American Idol.

So, wow, it's a good read. Violent, there's no denying it, but gripping and thrilling and so very suspenseful. Just thought I'd share since it was a major part of my day today! I know after law school starts I will look back and miss the days when I had this much time to spare...

Books I Read in January

A couple of notes first off, then to the main event.

1) The weekend didn't quite turn out to be the best case scenario - long story but I ended up getting 4 hours with hubby on Sunday instead of 12, and even that he almost didn't get. All the time together still was amazing though!

2) This morning I am pretty darn sore from the fitness class I did yesterday. I guess that means it did something!

Alright, so I was thinking I'd copy other bloggers and post a little series of book reviews. I am always looking for new books to read and like to hear what others have enjoyed, so I thought I'd contribute to that exchange. In January, I read 5 books, which is a LOT for me. Consider that in 2010, I think I read about 11 books for pleasure (obviously not including my reading for school in the first half of 2010). I am hoping to keep up the same fast pace in February because there are just so many interesting books out there! Without further ado, the books and a short snippet of what I thought.

1.The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

I wanted to love this book more than I actually did. I hadn't read any of Philippa Gregory's work, and I do tend to enjoy historical fiction, so I thought this was right up my alley. Maybe it was me, maybe it was the particular book, but I at lots of points just felt like it was going on and on, and there'd be conflict, a resolution, and then it would repeat all over again. I think I just found myself thinking there were other books I could be reading, but I had to finish this one first. It just didn't grab me I suppose. I think I may try to read other books by Gregory in the future, but I'm taking a break for now.

2. Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

I enjoyed this book and read it very quickly. I loved the blend of economics and sociology and loved thinking about certain things from a new perspective. I know a lot of people would probably quibble with the methodology and the "popular" aspect of it, but I found it to be a good read and I will definitely be looking for Super Freakonomics to read in the future.

3. The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy

I chose this one based on d.a.r.'s recommendation in her blog, and I enjoyed it as well. It was dark at times but it was set in WWII Poland, after all. I'm not sure what else to say, but the book definitely grabbed me and I thought it was well-written.

4. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

I enjoyed this book very much too (and it happened to have some connections to WWII Poland, weird theme developing!). I wanted to keep reading to see how the two strands intertwined with each other, as I knew they would. When it was over, it was over very quickly, and I found myself having to go back and make sure I got all the subtleties and was properly tracking what was going on!

5. How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway

This was probably my favorite book that I read in January. Maybe the connection to life as a military wife was enjoyable for me, or the centrality of another country and culture in the story (Japan), but I started reading and definitely didn't want to stop. I don't want to give too much away, but the story just grabbed me, I cared about the characters, and I definitely wanted to follow the book to its conclusion.

As of now, I am working on Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks (I do love the occasional dose of Nicholas Sparks!), and after that I will be reading The Girl Who Played with Fire which should be fun as well. If there's any books you have loved lately, please feel free to comment and share, I am always in the market for new ideas for my to-read list!