New Job, New Place to Live and Book Reviews

I'm starting my fourth week at the new job and I really like it so far. I get to meet a lot of interesting people and it's a pretty easy job (a lot of typing envelopes, answering phones and putting information into databases). We've narrowed down our search for a new place to live and have found a condo that my hubby and I both like. I have to drop off the paperwork today after work and pay application fees, but hopefully our application will get approved in a couple days and we can go ahead and put down a deposit before someone else grabs it up. Meanwhile, I'm trying to mentally place furniture so we can make sure everything fits as we have definitely gained some furniture since the last time we moved.


I decided to stop using Maricopa County libraries as we are moving soon and there is no branch really close to me where we will be living, plus the main branch of Phoenix Public Library is literally 3 minutes from where I work, so it is super convenient and there will also be a branch library down the street from the condo. I'm still listening to Madame Bovary, which has some wonderful language in it, but then gets boring and tedious with long French place names and 19th century medical practices. Despite this, I am still interested how badly Emma will to screw up her life, with the totally oblivious Charles, before the end of the book. I have also just started a graphic novel version of Fahrenheit 451, which is a little bit easier to get through than the audiobook version. I don't know what it is about books written in the 1950s-60s, but I seem to have trouble staying focused on them.

It seems that I have managed to read 28 books since my last review posting. Those are predominantly mangas, children's picture books and cookbooks, since my attention span seems to be at a loss lately, but that is a pretty impressive amount nonetheless.

Children
Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
A very well done story about slaves with excellent illustrations, courtesy of Kadir Nelson. Henry was born into slavehood and at first lived with his mother and sisters until his master died and they were separated. When he arrived at his new master's tobacco factory, he met a girl who later became his wife and they had three children. When his family is sold to another man, he decides he needs to be free. So he ships himself to Philadelphia in a box, and gains his freedom. Recommended for ages 7 -12, 4 stars.

Flotsam by David Weisner
David Weisner is a genius! It's no wonder this book is an award winner as even though it is wordless, it is such a brilliant, original work of art. The illustrations are so good you literally are transported into another world. I love the one with the octopi. The book is about a young boy who likes to study things on the beach, such as crabs and starfish. He discovers an old-fashioned camera on the beach and goes to develop the photos. He gets these miraculous photos back and is amazed. He takes a picture with the camera and then throws it back in the ocean for someone else to find. Recommended for ages 5+, 5 stars.

The Three Little Pigs: An Architectual Tale by Stephen Guarnaccia
A cute picture book about The Three Little Pigs but each has a different architectural style that they imitate, like the third pig has a house that looks like Frank Lloyd Wright's house, Falling Waters. I enjoyed the end pages which featured architectural elements such as furniture, houses and housewares that were used in the book. It can be read to kids younger than five as the story is pretty simple, but only older kids and adults would appreciate the architectural/design elements of it. Recommended for ages 5-10, 3 stars.

Simeon's Gift by Julie Andrew Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton
Honestly I gave this book five stars because of the amazing Renaissance-like illustrations, that were so detailed and absolutely gorgeous. Definitely going to have to find more books illustrated by Gennady Spirin. The book comes with an audio CD of actress/singer Julie Andrews Edwards performing the book, which was created by her daughter Emma and herself.
The story is about a young lute-playing minstrel named Simeon who is in love with a noble lady named Sorrel. He thinks his meager income won't be enough for his girl so he sets off to gain more experience so he can write a song worthy of her. He sees and hears many wonderful things including great cities, soldiers, an abbey choir, and all manner of instruments. His head is so confused that he cannot really write his song properly, so he leaves the city and heads back home. On the way, he befriends a bird, fish and doe. When he arrives back home, his beloved is overjoyed at his return and his newfound friend, and suddenly his song pops back into his head fully completed and Sorrel loves it. He goes on to write many more. Recommended for ages 8+, 5 stars.
 
Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange
The book is a very well-done biography, in the form of poetry, of civil rights activist and wife to Martin Luther King Jr, Coretta Scott King. I loved the poem by Ntozake Shange, about as much as her poem for the children's book "Ellington Was Not A Street." Kadir Nelson's paintings are amazing as usual, even my 6 month old enjoyed looking at them. Recommended for ages 7+, 4 stars.
 
Just Mommy and Me by Tara Jaye Morrow
I picked this book out because my nickname for my son is Monkeypants because he is so wiggly and climbs everywhere, plus I just thought the cover image was cute. He enjoyed me reading this book to him. This is an adorable book about a son who imagines him and his mother are monkeys and do things like eat bananas, take naps in the jungle and watch the sunset together. As another reader has said, would be great to read for Mother's Day. Recommended for ages 6 months+, 4 stars.
 
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
I randomly found this one at the library after trying to find some new books for my son, and since my hubby works in construction, I thought it would be a good fit for them to read together. It is a cute rhyming bedtime book about the trucks that work at a construction site: Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer and Excavator. It has details that kids would enjoy like the trucks sleeping with teddy bears and blankets. I think this would be a great book to get for my son when he's a bit older as the text was kind of long for him now. Recommended for ages 2-5, 4 stars.
 
Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet
I have been waiting to read this book for ages but never had the time until now. It is a folktale about a young girl who goes with her mother to the tea plantation. Tashi is not old enough to pick the tea leaves, so she plays with the monkeys that live near the mountain instead. One day, Tashi's mother becomes really ill and cannot work and doesn't have the money to get a doctor. Tashi tries to pick leaves herself but the Overseer of the plantation just laughs at her. She is upset and explains her story the monkeys, and then falls asleep. When she awakens, the monkeys have picked special tea leaves for her. The Royal Tea Taster makes a surprise visit and finds out that her special leaves are Cloud Tea leaves, and promises to pay her a pouch of gold coins every year if she can get him more of the leaves. She agrees and takes the money. Her mother gets better, they thank the monkeys with fruit, and live off the money while drinking the special Cloud Tea. Recommended for ages 8-12, 5 stars.
 
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African-Americans by Kadir Nelson
Heart and Soul is a very well done history of African Americans in the United States (1700s - present day), narrated from the point of view of a Southern African-American woman (in a conversational tone) whose family history stretches from the 1850s to the present day. It includes a timeline and historical note from the author. The illustrations are phenomenal paintings, modeled by the author himself and portrait of some of his family members, and definitely the best part of the book. Recommended for ages 9-12, 5 stars.
 
The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell
I picked this book by accident the last time I visited the children's department at the downtown Phoenix library. It was a good random find for browsing down the aisles of the fiction section. Although I figured out part of the storyline at the beginning of the book, most of it was a complete surprise and very well done.
The Aviary is about a 12 year old girl named Clara who has lived most of her life shut away in the Glendoover house, where her mother and a lady named Ruby take care of old Mrs. Glendoover. Clara's mother has always told her that she should never leave the house because she has a heart condition, and Clara has always kept away from the aviary where the five birds are kept, until one day she hears one of them say "Elliot," which opens up a mystery to the young girl. Who were the Glendoover family and what happened to their children, especially their baby son Elliot? What is the truth about Clara and her family's past? To find out, you must read this delightful little book. Recommended for ages 9-12, 4 stars.
 
Baby's First Year by Rick Walton
This was a very cute rhyming book about a baby's first year milestones, such as smiling, laughing, crawling, and walking. It would be good for a sibling of a new baby. Recommended for ages 6 months - 5 years, 4 stars.
 
Daisy and the Egg by Jane Simmons
Another cute picture book, with soft painted illustrations, for kids about to become an older brother or sister. Daisy and her mother are awaiting the arrival of Daisy's cousins and her new little brother or sister. Her cousins hatch first and eventually Daisy gets a new baby brother named Pip. Recommended for ages 6 months - 5 years, 3 stars.
 
Adult
China Modern: 1oo Cutting Edge, Fusion Style Recipes for the 21st Century by Ching-He Huang
I have made Vietnamese and Japanese food at home, but honestly Chinese food is pretty intimidating with the complicated recipes and ingredients I've never really tried. However, Ching makes the recipes easy to understand and most of them look really tasty. She has some traditional Chinese recipes, East/West fusion and Chinese mixed with other Asian cultures. Easy recipes like Chili and Pepper Squid, Lychee and Vanilla Ice Cream; to more complicated ones like Vegetable Bao (steamed buns) or Once-a-month Savory-Sour Vegetarian Noodle Soup. 4 stars.
 
Gary Rhodes New Classics by Gary Rhodes
I will say that the author/chef was very thorough in his research of the recipes and their backgrounds. That was the part that I really liked. However, after having read many cookbooks and websites on classic British cuisine, I have seen most of these recipes before so I didn't find many recipes that I wanted. The other problem is lack of money to buy specialty ingredients, like suet, which is cheap in Britain but expensive over here. 2 stars.
 
The Three Chimneys: Recipes and Reflections from the Isle of Skye's World Famous Restaurant by Shirley Spear
I enjoyed this becoming a chef memoir of the author and her recipes from her gorgeous little restaurant and B&B in northwest Skye. I had been to this western island of Scotland when I was studying there in 2004, although I only went to the SW portion (It is very ruggedly beautiful). The recipes and photos of the food were gorgeous, though a good number of the ingredients would only be accessible if you lived in the UK or could afford to buy them online. Neverless, it was an enjoyable read about a foray into the restaurant business from two amateurs that turned into an enormous success. 3 stars.
 
The Museum Vaults: Excerpts from the Journal of an Expert by Marc-Antoine Mathieu
The cover looked interesting, so I picked this up in the Teen graphic novel section at the downtown library (although I don't believe it should've been in the teen section). It was a futuristic look at the Louvre in the fictional subbasements, where the collection is now stored. The graphic novel was making fun of art history and curatorial practices, which I found kind of funny as I majored in art history and museum studies in university. Overall, I thought it was pretty boring, though I liked the Escher-esque black & white art. 2 stars.

February Life Update

I've given up on the State Library and Archives job as it has been 5 weeks now and still no answer. I have not heard back from Everest College, though I think I did a good job with the in-person interview. Meanwhile, last Friday I got a call from the Diocesan House again, wanting me to come back for a meeting. Basically the job opened up again, so they offered me the job and I took it. I started Mon Jan 30 and have just finished up my first week. It has taken me forever to get the hang of the very multi-line phone system (like 20 extensions) but I think I'm finally getting it. So I am currently working for the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona, which covers the entire state (71 churches/groups/foundations). Needless to say, I have been introduced to a whole lotta people in the past week. I found out that we have a very active Spanish ministry (including a Spanish-only church) and a Sudanese church, as apparently a lot of the Lost Boys of Sudan settled in the Phoenix area. I like it when churches are more multicultural. I already know a lot of church lingo, as I am a cradle Episcopalian and my mother is a priest, but I will definitely have to keep learning whilst working in this position. Luckily, everyone is really nice, helpful and patient with me as I learn. It's a part time job (18-20 hrs) but I'm hoping that it will go to full time by next year. It apparently was full time before but because of the economy, they had to downsize. The priests for the most part are pretty cool and super smart, like the Dean of the Cathedral has a PhD in Astrophysics and the Bishop has a PhD in Medieval History (I'm very curious to know what he wrote his dissertation on). 


I'm making a very conscious effort to read more this year, though because of my working now and being ill since Wednesday (baby gave me his cold) that has slowed down a bit. So far I have read 41 books so I am off to a good start. Might have to eventually change my goal from 200 to 366! I am currently reading John Green's new book The Fault in Our Stars, which is brilliant. I'm also tackling some cookbooks, in Chinese and British cooking. Since my hubby is English, I'm always on the lookout for good British cookbooks as he gets nostalgic every now and again. We recently discovered The Cornish Pasty Co. in Tempe, about 45 minutes from us over our anniversary weekend (last Saturday the 28th, 6 yrs). We ended up having the pork/apple/potato and the steak/mushrooms/zucchini/Stilton pasties and they were awesome. We also had Banoffee Pie, which was delicious and I hadn't had in forever! For those who haven't had this dessert, it's basically a graham cracker crust with toffee/caramel, bananas and whipped cream. Simple but amazing. I discovered it when I was studying in Scotland. 


Liam, my 6 month old son, is doing well. He had his wellness checkup recently and weighed in at 18lbs 9oz and was 29 1/2 inches in length. I keep saying he's like a baby in a toddler's body b/c he's so long. He got ill after he was given a mandatory shot and now my mother, father and I all have the crud, i.e. congestion, coughing, sore throat, runny nose, hard to breathe etc. We think Liam might walk before he crawls as he has been practicing in the bouncer that my parents got him. He has been eating solid foods for a little over 2 months now and doing well with them, eating both fruit and veggies. My hubby is doing well in his job. He works for an apartment remodeling company in Phoenix and gets along well with everyone. We are currently looking for a place to live. We wanted to rent a house but everything is just a little bit out of our price range, so we'll probably be looking at apartments or townhouses instead. Problem is finding a half decent one in our price range that's not in a bad area of town, as I want Liam to be safe. We're hoping to have enough money to buy a house of our own by this time next year, and that the prices will still be low. 

Kazu Kibuishi, Hiromu Arakawa, David W. Cowles, and Giada De Laurentiis

I'm excited about my interview tomorrow with Everest College, although I do tend to get nervous around committee interviews. Luckily it is easy to get to, and I hope to have a few to walk around the library if we don't do it in the interview. I started to listen to the audiobook version of  Madame Bovary today, which was a Banned Book Club pick, which I am temporarily not doing until we move to the new place. 

Young Adult

Flight, Volume 1 edited by Kazu Kibuishi

I picked up this volume after picking up Kibuishi's "Amulet, Book 4: The Last Council," and finally decided that I wanted to read more of the author's work. The book is a collection of up-and-coming comic/graphic novel creators, and they are all-based on the idea of flight. My favorites were Derek Kirk Kim (author of "Good as Lily"), Kazu Kibuishi, Jake Parker, Vera Brosgol (author of "Anya's Ghost"), Jen Wang, Neil Babra, Rad Sechrist, and Phil Craven's work. Recommended for ages 12+, 3 stars. 

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 2 (Fullmetal Alchemist #2) by Hiromu Arakawa

In this volume, Ed and Al go with Colonel Mustang (the Flame Alchemist and Ed's superior officer) to see the leading specialist on biological transmutation, Shou Tucker, the "Sewing Life Alchemist". Ed is excited to get into Shou's archives to do research and Al befriends Shou's daughter. Everything is going great until Ed realizes the truth behind the chimeras that Shou creates. For his transgressions against God, a mysterious man kills both Shou and his new creation, and tries to kill more state alchemists. He manages to severely damage both Ed and Al, so much that they have to go to the mechanic back in their home town. On the way there, Major Armstrong recognizes a doctor from the civil war who used to work for the military. The reader finds out that he is/was working with the two shady characters from the first book, Lust and Greed. Their mission is never explained, but it seems that they are up to no good.

I liked this book, but I wished they explained more about the Shou Tucker and his daughter part like they did in the anime. It is one of the most disturbing part of the series. My favorite part was the introduction of Alex Louis Armstrong, the "Strong Arm Alchemist". I thought his character was hilarious in the anime. Recommended for ages 14+, 3 stars.

Adult
The Deli Maven's Cookbook by David W. Cowles

Well I definitely know more about the origin of the Jewish Deli than I ever knew before. The author breaks it down into many categories, not all of which I really think should be in the book, but there ya go. He first describes what a deli is, his search for a good deli in Washington state, and true tales of the deli (including quotes and jokes). He then describes the recipes for the items one usually finds in a deli, such as homemade pastrami, beef brisket, pastrami lox (which is apparently lox cured like pastrami), potato knishes, lox/scrambled eggs/onions (which I had never tried until the other day at a breakfast place and was delicious), cheese blintzes, Dilly Deli Horseradish Mustard and more. 3 stars.

Weeknights with Giada: Quick and Simple Recipes to Revamp Dinner by Giada de Laurentiis

This is an ARC from Netgalley. 

Normally I love watching Giada on Food Network, she always makes yummy looking Italian recipes and it is pleasant to watch her show. Giada's daughter will be 4 years old by the time the book is published and the author wanted to make more healthy meals for her family and share them with others. Now as a new mom, I can appreciate what she is trying to do. While the pictures make the recipes look even more appetizing, I found the recipes to be a bit too mainstream and boring. 2 1/2 stars. 

Anne Burrell, Calista Taylor, and Stephen Savage

So I got a no from the Diocesan House on the job there and also a no from the PT Recreation job. My paid internship interview with the State Library went well on Tuesday I think, so I'm just waiting to hear back from them. In the meantime, I will include my latest couple of books read. 

Children

Where's Walrus? by Steven Savage

One of the selections for the Mock Caldecott, this was one of my least favorite of their selections. The illustrations were cute, but the story left a little to be desired, even the baby got bored with it. In this wordless picture book, a curious walrus decides to leave the zoo and go exploring in the city, while the zookeeper follows him. He finally ends up at a diving competition where he takes the first prize, so the zookeeper decides to built him a diving board so he can do that at the zoo. Recommended for ages 5 month - 5 yrs, 2 stars. 

Adult

Devil on a Sparrow's Wing by Calista Taylor

Loved this book, but was disappointed at the suddenness of its ending, hence the four star rating instead of five (though I devoured this book faster than the first). This volume of the Viridis series was more about adventure, though there was a little mystery thrown in from the viewpoint of wondering what would happen next. 


At the beginning of the book, Phoebe has just recently married Seth and they are living together happily. Phoebe has created Sanctis, another herbal concoction based off Viridis that sharpens one's senses. Needless to say, when the two herbals are mixed, there are some interesting outcomes. We, the readers, are finally introduced to Gavin's family who live in the Highlands and are practically a family to Seth as well. After an encounter with Gavin in the Highlands that ends in some inappropriate things accidentally happening, Seth storms off in a rage and is seems to have been blown up in an explosion at the Tinkerer's Guild. Phoebe is devastated and it takes her over a year to get over it. Will she be able to find love again? Is Seth really dead? Will Gavin ever have his love of Phoebe realized? To find out, read this fascinating sequel to Viridis. Kindle ebook, 4 stars. 


The real taste of delicious Indian sweets by Karissma
I love Indian sweets, especially Galub Jamin and Jalebi, so I wanted to give this cookbook a try. The book contains a description of each dessert (though I wish there were pictures with the description instead of with the recipes).The recipes are short and simple, but my gripe is that the author switches from English to metric measurements and doesn't explain what some of the Indian ingredients included in the recipes are. 3 stars. 


Cook Like a Rock Star: 125 Recipes, Lessons, and Culinary Secrets by Anne Burrell
I watched her interview with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, and I liked her before that after watching her cooking show on Food Network. Her cookbook is not conceited like other major chefs, and she doesn't talk down to you like you're an idiot. I knew that she worked with Mario Batali (he wrote her Forward for this book) but I never knew that she had trained in Tuscany. As a result of this, most of her recipes have an Italian slant. I like who she divided the recipes into traditional Italian dining categories (minus the first one): Piccolini ("little nibbles"), Firsts (Appetizers), Pasta, Seconds (Meat Dishes), Sides and Desserts. I love her cheese, mushroom, and prosciutto dishes; esp the Goat Cheese Cheesecake, Parmesan Flan, Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Crispy Prosciutto and Mint, Wild Mushroom Ragu, and the Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi with Fontina Fonduta.  4 stars. 

Brian Selznick, Alton Brown, Peter Sis, and Calista Taylor

Jan 1 book reviews part two: 

Children and Young Adult

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Another wonderful book from author/illustrator Brian Selznick, done in a similar format to his Caldecott-winning masterpiece "The Invention of Hugo Cabret." I have been waiting months to read this book and devoured it in a few hours. 

The book is set in 1977 and follows Ben, a 12 yr old half-deaf boy who recently lost his mother in a car accident and is currently living with his aunt, uncle and cousins. One night, he discovers a book he's never seen about a museum exhibition called Wonderstruck and inside he finds a bookmark with a note from a mysterious man named Daniel. His mother has never talked about him a

nd even more curious, is the locket he discovers the same night with the picture of the mystery man. Could this man be the father he never knew? The only clues he has is an address to a bookshop in New York City. While this written story is going on, we see another illustrated story from the point of view of Rose, a deaf and mute 12 yr old girl from 1927. While Ben is experiencing things like going to the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, so is Rose. Who is Rose and what is her connection with Ben? To figure out this mystery, you must read this amazing story. Recommended for ages 8+, 5 stars. 

Adult

Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crochet by Cecily Keim

Great resource for beginner crocheters or those that want to brush up on their skills. I have never been good at interpreting crochet shorthand, and I've always been a better visual learner, so this book was ideal for me. It gave you basic and advanced stitches, in addition to techniques, stitch variations, combining stitches, how to follow a pattern, stitch patterns, and troubleshooting. It also shows how to make different shapes/flowers/creatures, blocks and motifs, edgings, and patterns for everything from hats, socks, sweaters, coasters, handbacks and belts. I think I might buy this one. Recommended for all ages, 5 stars. 

Good Eats 3: The Later Years by Alton Brown 

I've loved Good Eats since the beginning, even though it is a bit campy (i.e. the Okra episode). Alton Brown is very informational and scientific though, and I love how that continues through the Good Eats cookbooks. I definitely have marked more recipes in this cookbook than in Volume 1, with recipes like Salted Caramel (my current obsession), Cauliflower Cheese, Mincemeat Pie (one of my hubby's favorite Christmas treats), homemade vanilla wafers for Banana Pudding, Beer Bread, and Meat Sauce and Spaghetti, just to name a few. 5 stars. 

The Weekend Crafter: Crochet: 20 Simple and Stylish Designs to Wear by Jane Davis

A short book on projects you can supposedly finish in a weekend (not sure that would work for me as I'm slow in finishing crochet projects). I did not like most of the patterns, but I did like the Classic Cable Scarf and Hat because the Cable pattern can usually only be done with knitting. 2 stars.

Viridis (Book 1 in the Viridis Series) by Calista Taylor

I would consider the book to be more erotica than romance as some of the scenes were pretty graphic, but I guess you could consider it romance since two of the main characters were wooing each other throughout the book. This was my first ebook for the Kindle.

The story is about Phoebe, who during the illness of her now-dead sister, tried to create an herbal cure for her. The end product was Viridis, an herbal elixir that heightens one's senses and has become the hit of London among the elites that come to Phoebe's club to enjoy themselves. She runs the club with her brother Gabriel. She gets an unexpected visit from Seth, an inventor she used to be in love with who left her over a year ago to help the Cause (whose objective is to help the poor of England against the Crown). Meanwhile, there has been the murder of one of Phoebe's clients, Lord Niles Hawthorne. Inspector William, a newly minted detective is on the case and trying to find his connection to the SS (her Majesty's Secret Service). Will William find the killer and why the young lord had been murdered? Will Phoebe ever find true happiness? To find out, read Viridis. Can't wait to read book 2! Five stars.

The Conference of the Birds by Peter Sis

I had never heard of this epic poem before reading this book, but I picked this up because I heard that the author/illustrator was coming out with this illustrated graphic novel version, and it sounded intriguing. The original 4,500 word poem was written in 12th century Persia by Sufi mystic Farid Ud-Din Attar. Peter Sis named his poet in the story Attar after the mystic.

Attar, a poet, turns into a bird and confers a meeting of all the birds in the world to discuss the problems of the world. He believes that in order to find the answers of how to solve all the world's problems, the birds must take a long journey to find Simorgh, the true king. Thousands of birds set off but only a few make it to the end. What they discover in the end surprises them.

While I didn't understand all of the journey to meet the king, I got the gist of everything. What really made this book was the brilliant illustrations, which more completely explained the parts of the poem that were difficult to understand. I also really loved the thick paper he used too. 4 stars.

The Big Book of Weekend Crochet by Hilary Mackin

I've been looking for a project to do, but everything I've found is out of my talent range or really ugly. Most of the designs in here are okay, but once again, the sizes are small and I'm not skilled enough to enlarge it to my size. Also I don't think you could actually finish this in a weekend unless you were working nonstop. I did like the casual jacket, the kid's fisherman sweater (pictured on front) and the rainbow blanket. 2 stars. 

Happy New Year!

Greetings all! I hope everyone had a good New Year's Eve celebration and is recuperating nicely today. My hubby and I made an early night of it since we had been out for 6 hours that morning/afternoon. A bit fuddy-duddy I know, but we were exhausted. Today has been very laid-back and nice. I've been writing reviews on Goodreads (to be posted here soon) and reading a new cookbook that I put on hold at the library Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey. The author knows just the kinds of desserts I like, so there is already 7 recipes bookmarked and not even halfway done with it! 

I have some job updates. I had an interview the week before Christmas for the Diocesan House (the administrative offices of the Diocese of Arizona) as an 18-hour per week secretary/greeter. I think it would be a great place to work. I'm hoping to hear from them this week as they want to fill the position by Jan 10. I have another in-person interview scheduled for Tues Jan 3 with the Library Development Dept. of the Arizona State Library and Archives, for a 24 hr per wk (occasionally more depending on special events) paid internship position. I am very excited about this one as I'm hoping this will help me get my foot in the door with Arizona libraries as it will be paid experience in the state. I may also have a phone interview for a 24 hr per wk position with Corinthian College (local community college) for the circulation desk. I'll fill ya'll in with more info as it becomes available. Fingers crossed on these interviews; this momma needs a new paying job!

Neil Gaiman, Holly Thompson, George O'Connor and Faith Erin Hicks

I know it hasn't been that long since I last did a book review, but I've decided that I will post them more frequently. Since I started with Netgalley, I've read/reviewed three books. So far they've been pretty good, so I am very excited about getting to read more books. As always, the books are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars. 

Children

Instructions: Everything You Need to Know on Your Journey by Neil Gaiman

This book features instructions (in poetry form), and some good advice, about having adventures in a fairy tale. Absolutely loved the illustrations, and the storyline and I would love to own a copy! Here is aYouTube video of the book by the author.  Recommended for ages 5+, 5 stars. 

Children & YA

Hades by George O'Connor

This was an advanced copy that I got from Netgalley. I thought it was a well-done and well-researched graphic novel on the underworld, Hades, Persephone, and Demeter.  The story shows what happens to a person when they die, according to Greek mythology, and then continues with the myth about Persephone (originally called Kore) and how she ended up as Queen of the Underworld after she was abducted by Hades. I liked that the author used multiple viewpoints of all three characters (especially Persephone) and not just that of the men in the story, as myths have a tendency to do. I liked that it would appeal to both boys and girls.


For me, it was the little things in this graphic novel that made it great. It was the way the author describes the punishments of certain Greeks in Tartaros, the fact that he includes Hercules mortal half of his soul is in the underworld while his immortal part is in Olympus, the way Kore and her mother Demeter argue like they would nowadays (which makes the myth more modern and easier for kids/teens to understand), how Hades created violets especially for Kore, and how Kore decided that being the Queen of the Underworld isn't such a bad gig and changes her name and reinvents herself. I had no idea that Zeus had sanctioned Hades to take Kore. I enjoyed the interaction between Hermes and Hekate, and didn't know that in some stories, they were married. I liked the profiles of the gods and goddesses, and the Greek notes at the end of the book, as well as the recommended reading lists.


Now I can't wait to read the other graphic novels in the author's Olympian series! Recommended for ages 10+, 5 stars.


Young Adult
Orchards by Holly Thompson
One of the reasons I like free-verse is that it gives the opportunity for the reader/writer to discuss topics that would otherwise be difficult to put across in a normal fiction novel, like the Holocaust and teenage suicide. Orchards is about an eighth grade girl named Kana (half Jewish/half Japanese)and her friends who unwittingly caused the suicide of a classmate by being mean. Kana is sent away to Japan, to her mother's family to work in their orchard for the summer. Kana learns that working at the farm isn't really so bad and that she actually enjoys it, even though her grandmother still doesn't approve of her because of her mother's decision to move to New York and marry her father, a Russian Jew. While adapting to life with her extended family, she tells the story to Ruth, the girl who killed herself, and tries to figure out what caused Ruth to do what she did. Her world is turned upside down again, when another classmate commits suicide at the end of the summer. Kana decides create a monument to them both by expanding on a Japanese idea to honor the dead. Recommended for ages 13+, 4 stars.


Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks


I received this advanced copy from Netgalley. I really loved this coming-of-age story about a girl entering high school, and more importantly public school, for the very first time. She has three gregarious brothers and her dad has just become the chief of police. Maggie spends most of the book trying to find her place in the family and in the greater world, after her mom's disappearance a little bit before the story begins. Maggie gets her first female friend and learns that people aren't always as they seem. A 19th century ghost follows her everywhere, but she can't figure out what it wants.


There were some really hilarious moments in the graphic novel, that I could identify with and I think teenage girls would like as well. For example on page 75, where Lucy is talking about never being able to be homeschooled by her mother because they are always having these "Raarg, You are my daughter, Obey! fights. Someone would die eventually." Later, on page 91, Maggie is hanging out again with Lucy and Al and they have just seen the movie "Alien" and Al makes a comment about enjoying the sight of Sigourney Weaver in her underwear. Then when the girls give him the death look, he says "I retract the previous statement. I did not look lustfully upon the kickass lady in her underoos." There is also the extreme but cute nerd factor on page 185 where one of Maggie's brothers mentions that he's seen "Raiders of the Lost Ark three hundred and fourteen times."


My only gripe with the book was that the images from pages 111-112 were missing entirely. You could follow the storyline as the speech bubbles were there, but I would've liked to see the illustrations as they were in the middle of the story. Recommended for ages 13+, 5 stars.


Cookbooks
Mighty Spice Cookbook: Fast, Fresh and Vibrant Dishes Using No More Than 5 Spices For Each Recipe by John Gregory Smith


I received an advanced copy from Netgalley.


In the introduction to the cookbook, the author gives us a very vivid description about how he came about his love of cooking and the trip around the world he made, which awakened his love for spices. This sets the stage for his lovely cookbook, which thankfully has color pictures with each dish. The recipes are easy to understand, and most include a paragraph before the recipe itself which explains what the dish is like and what to serve it with (I only wish he had done this for every recipe as I was curious to know more about them). I appreciated the Spice Directory, a nice reference section for those who may not know about all the spices they mention throughout the book.


I would personally love to try the Mango Orange Nutmeg Cheesecake, Gobi Masala, Stir-Fried Squid with Chili and Coriander, Al Pastor Pork and Pineapple Salad, and the Indian Chicken, Pomegranate and Herb Salad, just to name a few.

Joey Pigza Quote and Food Blog

I haven't blogged for about a week due to being out of town visiting my grandparents in Alabama for Thanksgiving and being generally distracted as it is the end of school, amongst other things. So I figured I would catch up on blogging by combining Sunday and Monday's post again. The Blog of the week is one that I have been obsessed with for two days called Momofuku for 2.  For those who have no idea what Momofuku is, it is the cookbook for the restaurant of the same name in NYC, created by genius chef David Chang (who Anthony Bourdain also thinks is brilliant, which gives him even better credit in my book). I had read the cookbook myself after waiting for it for over a month at the library, and thought his recipes were really ingenious twist on classics, plus the photos were gorgeous and it really makes me want to go to NYC to try it out. Chang now owns five Momofuku restaurants, which you can see through this link for more info. The author of the food blog Momofuku for 2 not only creates classics from the cookbook, like the Potatoes & Clams in Bacon Dashi  but also many other delicious creations such as French Onion Melt Sandwich, Thai Noodle Salad (which is very similar to a dish I have eaten in a Thai restaurant), and the best sounding title for a recipe Blueberry Boy Bait.

The quote of the week is a random one from Jack Gantos's third Joey Pigza book in the series called What Would Joey Do?, which is about a young boy who has ADHD and is just starting to get his life under control again. In this book, his mom who moved back in with him in the first book is dating again but Joey is not sure about the new boyfriend. I just thought it was funny. 

• “She won't call me anything like strange or abnormal or peculiar. She just says things like 'Oh, don't mind that Joey is trying to get pet termites to live in the woodwork. He's not like other boys. He is out of the ordinary.' And Booth whose head is so rectangular it looks like a shoebox with a nose stuck on one long side, gives me that I-didn't-raise-you-to-be-this-way-but-I'll-put-up-with-you-as-long-as-your-mom-is-my-girlfriend-otherwise-I-would-put-you-in-a-rubber-room look. In return I give him my Don't-fall-asleep-on-the-couch-because-when-you-wake-up-you-might-find-that-I-slowly-cut-all-your-clothes-off-and-when-you-stand-you-will-be-totally-naked-and-Grandma-and-I-will-have-your-camera-ha-ha-ha look.” Joey Pigza in What Would Joey Do

Cookbook Lovers Unite: First Post

I was browsing Culinary Concoctions by Peabody this morning, as I was trying to catch up on blog posts again, and found a website linked to it called Cookbook Lovers Unite. As I have been collecting cookbooks for years, I thought this site was pretty cool, so I am following them. I decided to post for them, as long as I can remember to do so. So for the first post, they wanted to hear about your first cookbook love, though it didn't have to be the first one you ever loved.

My first cookbook was a 1950s black and white cookbook for kids that I picked up in a book sale at my school library when I was in 5th grade. It was horribly outdated then, but I found it amusing, so I kept it. My favorite cookbook for years, which I used through out high school and college, was the Fannie Farmer Junior Cookbook. I especially loved their veggie soup and banana bread recipes. Unfortunately somewhere in the last five moves, I've misplaced it. I know it's floating around here somewhere. 

So I will talk about my other favorite. I started watching Julia Child when she was doing those PBS Master Chef shows in the 1990s, when I was in high school, and that was something I loved doing on Saturday afternoons. So when she came out with her Baking with Julia, which was actually written by now famous dessert/baker Dorie Greenspan, I had to get it. In fact, I specifically asked for it for Christmas in 1996. This book got me interested in baking and I've done my fair share over the years. There's just nothing like the smell and taste of fresh bread out of the oven, or for that matter homemade pie. Julia Child made me want to bake and share it with the world, because of her idea that anyone can cook. I have been a Julia fan ever since watching that show, and still am fascinated by her, especially after Julie & Julia came out and I had to read her biography  My Life in France. Her time in France molded her into the chef that was to become and helped her earn her fame (though it came much later), after publishing Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol 1 & 2. Now I have only managed to cook one recipe out of this cookbook because even though has gorgeous pictures and fantastic recipes, created by Julia and other famous chefs,  the recipes themselves are rather long and complicated. In fact, the only recipe I ever made in it was the one for French Bread, which took 6 hours and yes was the best bread I ever made. However, that recipe is ridiculously long, so I will be reproducing a different one for the purposes of this blog. I will use the recipe for Alsatian Onion Tart because it looked delicious and relatively easy to make, and something that I would be likely to try in the future. 

Alsatian Onion Tart

Makes 4 servings. 

The classic Alsatian onion tart - a flat, pizzalike galette covered to its very edge with meltingly tender soubise, a mix of onions and bacon - was once typical Sunday fare in Alsace. On their way to church, the locals would drop off their tarts at the village oven to have them baked while they prayed (for redemption, not dinner, one assumes). Those crusts were always rolled very thin so that they would bake quickly, but this can be made in any size, and the recipe multiplied without care. 

About 1/2 pound puff pastry scraps, chilled

4 very large onions, peeled and diced

1 cup chicken broth (homemade or canned low-sodium)

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 pound slab bacon

Preparing the Pastry: Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface until it is very thin, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Using the lid of a pot as a guide, cut the pastry with a very sharp knife into a circle 10 to 12 inches across. Transfer the rolled out pastry to an ungreased baking sheet and prick the dough all over, using either a docker or the tines of a fork. Go overboard with this--try arming yourself with a fork in each hand and playing out a lively tattoo on the dough--the docking, or pricking, will keep the pastry from puffing, just what you want for this tart. Cover the pastry with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. You can prepare the pastry up to 1 day ahead. 

Making the Topping: Put the diced onions and the chicken broth in a medium saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, discarding any liquid, and let the onions cool. When the onions have cooled, stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. (Keep tasting--you may want to go easy on the salt because of the bacon.) Remove the rind from the bacon and cut the bacon into 1/4 inch cubes. Drop the cubes into a large pot of boiling water and boil for 1 minute, just to blanch them. Drain and rinse under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Heat a medium skillet over moderately high heat, toss in the bacon pieces, and cook, stirring, for just a minute or two--you don't want to overcook these or they will turn tough; season with pepper. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain well on paper towels. At this point, the topping can be covered and refrigerated for 1 day. 

Assembling and Baking: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the pastry round from the refrigerator and top with the cooled onions, spreading the onions all the way to the edge of the pastry. Scatter the bacon pieces over the onions, pushing them down into the onions just a little (this will not only protect the bacon from burning, it will flavor the onions). Bake the tart for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately. 

Storing: Both the pastry and the topping can be made ahead, but the tart is at its best just baked. 

Contributing Baker: Michel Richard