Weekly Geeks: Book Hoarding

It has been quite a while since I have participated in a Weekly Geeks question.  It seems that the weekly question always addressed an issue that I had just covered and I did not want to be redundant.  However this week's question certainly hits a nerve:

I am curious about those gigantic TBR piles which readers tend to accumulate. Please share with us your habits, tendencies or obsessions when it comes to hoarding behavior.

• Post a photo (or two or three) of your books to-be-read
• Share your buying or book accumulating habits - how bad of a problem do YOU have?!?!?
• Do you keep all the books you've read, or do you give them away or sell them?
• Can you walk past a bookstore and not go in? If you go in, do you impulsively purchase?

First of all, I would not classify myself as a hoarder.  I am too fond of organization and clutter-free environments to allow myself to go that far.  I am not a very sentimental person either, so I will often go through phases where I need to "toss and pitch" various items in the house in order to give myself more breathing room.

I have never been much for collections.  In high school I toyed with the idea of collecting unicorns, but that didn't last long.  I do tend to collect postcards when I travel, but those are easily stored and serve a practical purpose.  My mom used to collect angels for years and years...and while I have always enjoyed her angel room, my first thoughts tend to run towards, "How do you keep all of those knick-knacks dusted?"  So no, I do not tend to collect, or hoard, or stash away.

HOWEVER......

Since I discovered the wonderful world of book blogs about 20 months ago, I have probably tripled (maybe even quadrupled) my personal library collection!  While I have always enjoyed reading, I did not really allow myself to do so while raising young children:  there always seemed to be something more pressing to do.  Once I started teaching in 2001, I began to slowly add books to the barren shelves.  Novels that I would be using in the classroom were the first to take up residence, and then slowly but surely books to help me teach those novels would also be added.  I then discovered the sub-category of "Books on Books" that I quickly devoured -- I had no idea that so much had been written on the subject of literary criticism!  Well, this led to further non-fiction interests like "Reading like a Writer" and then writing in general.

I would occasionally allow myself to browse through the new releases, but I was hesitant to spend money on a hardback book that I was not sure I would enjoy.  Ah...but then all of you came to my rescue!

You would review all of these new books in such a way that I not only knew that I would like the book - but I absolutely had to have the book right now!  I would read your back posts and discover "new" books of two or three or five years ago that I also had to have.  I would take notes on your posts and write down any mention of books that you found similar to the one being reviewed.  I would write down new-to-me authors and then research their oeuvre, knowing that if they wrote a series, I would have to start with the first one.

Shortly after finding the blogisphere, I discovered the competitive sport of Book Challenges -- fed by the glorious blog, A Novel Challenge.  This opened up another door for me to expand my literary horizons and add to my overflowing shelves.  You have such a way of exciting the reader in me, that I simply cannot say no.  I am somehow intrigued by challenges that focus on genres that I normally do not care for:  The Once Upon a Time Challenge (fantasy has always been difficult for this realist to grasp) - the Graphic Novel Challenge (still difficult for me, but I continue to persevere); and I am hypnotized by challenges that are tailor-made for my reading interests:  Everything Austen and RIP are the first ones that come to mind.  Joining these challenges causes the TBR list to expand exponentially!

Now the positive side of all this book lust is that my family is never at a loss for what to buy me for Christmas,  Birthday, Mother's Day, etc.  A gift card to any bookstore will always yield squeals of delight and hours of enjoyment.

To give you an idea of how much my personal collection has grown over these past few months - view the photos of my bookshelves taken in February, 2009, and compare them to the photos here.  I may not be a hoarder - yet - but I do have an obsession.  So much so that I did a search for used bookstores in Chicago before we left town.  I discovered that there is a Powell's in Chicago - as well as Myopic Books.  Not quite sure my husband had planned on making those kind of scenic stops on this anniversary weekend!

Weekly Geeks: Checking out Libraries

It has been a while since I have participated in a Weekly Geeks post, but this week's topic is a great one, and one that I think coincides well with the 24 hour read-athon.

The multi question topic deals with our use and support of libraries:
What's your earliest memory of a library? What was it like for you? Were you more likely to hang out in the gym or the library when you were in school?

I think my first memory of going to the library must have been when I was about 4 years old.  We lived in Houston, TX at the time and I distinctly remember going to the children's section, sitting on the floor, and looking at all the books on the lower shelves.  I would take some off and browse at the pretty pictures, and we would always take home several to read.


My next memory of the library is probably in junior high and high school.  I remember standing at the card catalog counter looking up possible resources for an English or history paper.  In college my research also included the microfiche machine (remember those?!) and spending countless hours in front of the machine in the nearly dark room trying to take copious notes.  In that regard -- I am very grateful that the internet gives us instant, and well-lit access to this data.


Once I graduated college I did not step foot in a library (I was burned out on reading after declaring Political Science as my double major my senior year!), but as soon as my eldest was old enough to enjoy books (about 18 months old), we would make weekly trips to the library.  Her all-time favorite book was discovered at the local library in Norwalk, CT -- Barn Dance by Bill Martin, Jr.

While I would often take my children to the library, I rarely used the library for my own personal reading.  In fact, the first time that I went to the library for my own personal interest as an adult was to borrow some books to help me teach a unit on the Gingerbread Man.  Slowly but surely I began to rely on the library for more and more of my lesson plans, and then I gravitated toward using it for personal books as well. (picture to the left is the main Olathe Public Library)


Nowadays, thanks to the many, many book suggestions I glean each week from reading your book blogs, I have  a frequent flyer card at my local library (well, no...not really....but most librarians know my first name BEFORE I check out).  Books that I think I will only read once - I tend to borrow from the library.  Books that I think I would like to re-read, I go ahead and purchase for my own bookshelves.  (picture to the left is my neighborhood branch of the Olathe library)


How's the health of the library system in your community? How do you support your local library? How often do you check out books from the library vs. buying books? Tell us what your favorite library is like and include some photos if you can.

I think our library is doing alright financially.  We live in a fairly affluent part of the state, and there are several branches in our county library system.  The library is starting to take prudent measures to stay solvent, however,  For example, they no longer send reminder slips by mail --- phone calls and email are the only options.  The annual Library  Book Sale (which involved renting the gymnasium of a church and lasted 4 days) has been discontinued and will be replaced with several, smaller sales throughout the year.  The smaller sales will be held in the library meeting room, cutting down on space rental and moving costs.  (picture to the left is the central resource library for Johnson County, KS)


I make it a point to be a Friend of the Library.  I use their services and feel that it is only right that I support their cause.  While I find the selection adequate for our small town existence, the library itself is rather plain vanilla.  This is fine by me, though.  I would rather the money go towards the purchase of new books than to create a state-of-the-art building facility.  It is for this reason that I rarely go to the library to just browse.  I find that searching the database online - from the comfort of my own home - and placing books on hold to be much more convenient.


Now if money were no object, I would gladly support my local library with a generous donation, but I would much prefer to buy my books at an Independent Bookstore.  However, since I am not independently wealthy and must watch my pennies, I am very grateful that our public library system is financially stable and able to provide a variety of literary resources and community programming.

Weekly Geeks: Reading Habits

It has been a while since I have participated in the Weekly Geeks meme, but this week's question(s) are just too good to pass by:

Books take us on journeys, flitting us off to other times, people, and places. From ancient caves to medieval castles to modern skyscrapers; from delicate geishas to turn of the century immigrants to future captains of spaceships; books are our path to other worlds. But what about the journey we give our books? What path do books take through our hands?

How do you choose what to read? Is it random or planned? Based on your mood, challenges, titles, covers, topic? What process do you use for reading? I think the reason why I failed at challenges this year is because I tend to read based on my mood. Since I teach English, I read a lot of books for class. When I want to read for pleasure I want to read what I want to read, when I want to read it. I may "plan" to read certain books in a particular order, but the truth of the matter is.....if someone writes a particularly inviting book review, I will immediately request the book from my local library and impatiently await its arrival. I usually know after the first chapter whether this is a book that I want to read in its entirety.

Now....if I am in a bookstore just browsing -- I must admit that I am at first attracted to a book by the title. After that I immediately look at the cover. If both of those make the cut, then I read the summary on the back of the book to decide if it is truly a book for me. If it passes the summary test, then I sit down and read the first chapter. As indicated above, I typically know by the end of the first chapter if this is a book for me.

Do you take notes while reading? Annotate your books? Just read? At the risk of being lampooned again....yes, I do take notes while reading, and I do write in my books (I know....horrors.) Mind you, I never write in a library book, and I rarely write in a book that is purely "fun" reading. I do extensively underline and make notes in books that I consider "literature" and that I think I might re-read.

If I am going to write a book review for a library book, then I tend to use a 3x5 index card as a bookmark. This also serves as a notecard where I can "annotate" as I read -- usually a brief fragment with page number -- so that I have a reference for the blog entry.

What happens when you are done reading? Do you wait to review or write immediately? Do you revisit and revise before posting?What other tasks do you go through after reading a book? Is your blog the only place you post a review? Quite honestly, I SHOULD wait before I post, but I have learned that if I wait too long, I do not write the review. Life seems to be passing me by at lightening speed, and while I would love to truly sit for a few days, digest what I have read, and read other reviews to get perspective --- the truth of the matter is....I need to write the review immediately while it is still fresh on my mind, or I will forget (it must be this midlife stage that I am in).

Currently, I only post my review on my blog. I think my natural writing voice is rather personal and informal, so I am not sure that it would fit a formal review site like Amazon or Barnes and Noble. I do post my rating on Goodreads, but I do not post my review.

Do you keep lists of readings? Catalog genre, page numbers, gender of authors, etc.?What happens to the book when you are done with it? Does it end up i your home library? Go back to a public library? BookMooch? Yes, I do keep an excel spreadsheet of the books I have read, the genre, the number of pages, and my rating. This year I have read and reviewed over 30 library books, so those, obviously, are returned to the library. Two of those books I hope to eventually purchase for my personal library, I loved them so much: The Help by Kathryn Stockett and The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

If it is a book that I own and I think that I would like to re-read it (or I think I may know someone who would like to read it), then I keep it. Otherwise, I have a on-going stack of books ready to take to either the library for their annual book sale or a local second hand bookstore.

I must confess that I have not used Book Mooch or Paperback Swap much this year. Perhaps when I have more free time, I would be willing to upload the list of my available books, but as of now, the library donation works best for me.

Overall, if you had to give someone a "How To" list for your dealings with any particular book, what would it look like? I have found that I do have a system for adding books to my TBR pile. It is not yet perfected, but hopefully in 2010 I can work on that.

Currently, I am greatly influenced by my fellow book bloggers and their spot-on recommendations for books. When I read a review of a book that I think I would enjoy, I immediately go to my library website and place a hold. I have learned that I do much better if I can preview the book over 3 weeks in my own home, than I can in trying to preview a book in a local bookstore in under 30 minutes.

After the preview I have a pretty good idea if this is a book that I am probably not interested in reading at this point in time, in which case it is returned to the library; it is a book that I would like to read soon, but just don't have the time, in which case it is added to the TBR excel list; or it is a book that I absolutely must read now, in which case I do before the book is due.

After reading the book I then decide if it is a book that I wish to add to my personal bookshelves (in which case I add it to the TBR excel list to buy) or if it is a book that was a good first read, but will probably not need to be read again (in which case I just return to the library). The area that I need to improve is keeping track of who recommends that book in the first place. By the time I receive the book from the library -- I forget where I read the wonderful review.

Due to finances, I rarely buy books sight-unseen from the bookstore. I simply can't afford it (but.....I am seriously considering changing professions and becoming a bookseller so that I can take advantage of their awesome discount).

So there you have it...my rather-elaborate-but-it-works-for-me book system.

Weekly Geeks: Reading Procrastination

The Weekly Geeks meme asks:

I think just about every reader has a least one book that they've been meaning to read for awhile (months or even years) but, for one reason or another, they just haven't gotten around to it. Maybe it's a book a friend recommended last year, or a title you've flirted with in a bookstore on more than one occasion, or maybe it's a book that's sitting right there on your bookshelf, patiently waiting for you to pick it up -- but the thought is always there, in the back of your mind: Why haven't I read this yet? This week, tell us about a book (or books) you have been meaning to read. What is it? How long have you wanted to read it? And, why haven't you read it yet?

While my TBR shelves continue to grow by leaps and bounds, there are a few books that I have put off reading for quite some time. Probably the book that has been on the shelf the longest is The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover. I have heard and read wonderful reviews about this author and this particular book, but for some reason I always choose another book to read in its place. I think subconsciously I have categorized this book as "difficult" (I know that is is sometimes used for AP literature classes) and I am hesitant to attempt it on my own when I have so many other "academic" books to read during the year.

Have any of you read The Poisonwood Bible? If so, did you enjoy it? Is it as difficult of a book as I have made it out to be?

The first book blog review that I remember reading that truly influenced a purchase decision was for The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon. I recall that this is touted as a book for booklovers. As luck would have it, I found an excellent copy of the book in the clearance section of Half Price books and immediately brought it home. Why it has sat on my bookshelf opened for these past several months, I truly have no idea. Somehow I am always lulled into reading a more current book and/or a book that is shorter because I know I have limited time.

For those who have read The Shadow of the Wind, is it truly a must read for book lovers? If so, then I should move it up to the top of the TBR list and perhaps it will end up being a fast read, even if it is nearly 500 pages long.

It has been a goal of mine for about the past three years to read all of Jane Austen's novels (or at least the 6 published novels) in one year. I have had the books purchased (I even purchased all the same edition so that they would look nice on my bookshelf), but I have yet to read them. I read Pride and Prejudice each year with my British Literature students, and I have managed to read Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park, but I truly want to read them all in succession (and preferably in the order in which they were published). While I continue to procrastinate in this endeavor, I am hoping that the Everything Austen Challenge will be just the motivation I need to finally complete this goal.

I am curious if you suffer from the same procrastination affliction that I do. Do you tend to select books based on what you feel like reading at the moment? OR do you refuse to buy a book until you have read all that you already own?

Weekly Geeks - book reviews (modified)

This week's meme is in a multi-question format and asks us to catch up on any outstanding books that we have not yet reviewed:

1. In your blog, list any books you’ve read but haven’t reviewed yet. If you’re all caught up on reviews, maybe you could try this with whatever book(s) you hope to finish this week.

2. Ask your readers to ask you questions about any of the books they want. In your comments, not in their blogs. (Most likely, people who will ask you questions will be people who have read one of the books or know something about it because they want to read it.)

3. Later, take whichever questions you like from your comments and use them in a post about each book. Link to each blogger next to that blogger’s question(s).

4. Visit other Weekly Geeks and ask them some questions! finish this week.

I really love this topic and wish that I had time to address each point listed. Unfortunately, this is just not the right time of year for me to participate at that level, BUT I do have a couple of outstanding books that I would like to discuss before I leave town. Therefore, I will take the intent of this meme, but modify it to suit my personal needs (I hope the moderator of weekly geeks is ok with these changes). I will focus on questions 1 and 2 -- but perhaps leave questions 3 and 4 for another time.

I intentionally said I wanted to discuss not review some"outstanding books" because after several weeks of mulling over the books in my brain, I am still finding it difficult to formulate a review. I think the reason for this is two-fold. First of all, both these books are considered Young Adult - which is a genre that is relatively new to me. Because I am not the target audience for these novels, I feel as though I need to read these books on two levels: as personal enjoyment and as a teacher reading for her students (would they enjoy this book; are there themes we can discuss in class; is the book appropriate for the conservative Christian demographic of the school).

The second reason I am finding it hard to write a review is because both of these novels are futuristic - somewhat sci-fi in nature, and this is a genre that I definitely struggle with. I intentionally stepped out of my comfort zone with these books, however, because there are so many wonderful bloggers out there who LOVE science-fiction and fantasy fiction, and I feel as though I am missing out on a lot of great literature by self-limiting my reading selection. I thought if I tried this genre in the YA category, I might be able to comprehend it better, and then slowly work my way "up" to the adult novels.

The first novel up for discussion is Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I was first introduced to this series by one of my 7th grade students. I require students to read one book of their choosing over Christmas break and then a give a brief oral book review when we return to class. I was amazed at the number of students who chose fantasy and sci-fi books this year. I was introduced to Fellowship of the Ring, A Wrinkle in Time, Harry Potter, and Among the Hidden. Here is the book's plot summary from GoodReads.com:

Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend.

Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.

Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows -- does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?

Now the concept of a futuristic society limiting the size of families is not new to me, yet I had never read a book that focused on that issue. Luke is not only an outcast in this society, but he is nearly an outcast in his own family. His mother attempts to understand his feelings and tries to show compassion, but his father is so petrified that his son will be discovered by the Population Police, that his relationship with his son is very strained, to say the least. Discovering another shadow child in close proximity to his house allows Luke to have the social interaction that he has craved for so long. Jen has an agenda, however, and is more brave and daring that Luke has ever allowed himself to consider. He is torn between doing what he knows is "right" in this society, and doing what he feels is right for humanity. The book definitely ends on a cliffhanger and left me wanting to read the rest of the series.

The second YA book that I read was The Hunger Games. Now, this book adds a third element of review difficulty in that SO many other bloggers have reviewed it, that I really have nothing else to add. I can honestly admit that if I had not read the reviews of bloggers whose opinion I fully trust, I would never have picked up this book, based on its description from Amazon.com:

Sixteen-year-old Katniss poaches food for her widowed mother and little sister from the forest outside the legal perimeter of District 12, the poorest of the dozen districts constituting Panem, the North American dystopic state that has replaced the U.S. in the not-too-distant future. Her hunting and tracking skills serve her well when she is then cast into the nation’s annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death where contestants must battle harsh terrain, artificially concocted weather conditions, and two teenaged contestants from each of Panem’s districts. District 12’s second “tribute” is Peeta, the baker’s son, who has been in love with Katniss since he was five. Each new plot twist ratchets up the tension, moving the story forward and keeping the reader on edge. Although Katniss may be skilled with a bow and arrow and adept at analyzing her opponents’ next moves, she has much to learn about personal sentiments, especially her own. Populated by three-dimensional characters, this is a superb tale of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance. Grades 9-12. --Francisca Goldsmith

Now, I don't watch much television, but this description sounds like a cross between the reality show, Survivor, and the Jim Carey movie, The Truman Show. These young children know that this is not just a game; this is truly a matter of life and death. They must quickly learn to use strategy, form alliances, and as the old saying goes, "keep their friends close and their enemies closer." Some of these children have been training for this event their entire lives, while others, like Katniss, just happen to be there because of the luck of the draw (I must admit that the first pages of this book was eerily like Shirley Jackson's short story, The Lottery, which continues to have a powerful impact on my life - 30 years after I first read it). But to complicate matters even more, the government has full control over the environmental elements of the games as well (which is what reminded me of The Truman Show, sans any sense of humor).

Is this a YA novel?! I must admit, the novel displays very mature themes that are perhaps not suitable for some adult segments of the population. BUT...there are many junior high and high school students that would thoroughly enjoy this style of narrative. An added benefit to reading this YA book is that the language and the graphic descriptions are kept to a minimum. If this were written as an adult book, I can almost guarantee that the writing would be too gory for my modest tastes. The author wastes no time in setting up the suspense, and she keeps the reader positively engaged in the story the entire 374 pages. While there is a satisfying conclusion to this portion of the tale, the reader is left with many unanswered questions about the future, which beautifully sets up the need to immediately purchase the sequel, Catching Fire, when it is released in September.

So there you have it. Two discussions, rather than reviews, of two YA novels that I truly enjoyed, but simply could not find the time nor the words to adequately review them. I am glad that I have stepped foot outside my literary comfort zone. I anticipate reading the sequels to both of these books, and to continue reading more YA novels in these genres (I am currently listening to the entire Harry Potter books on CD and am having a BALL!! I have just started book 4: The Goblet of Fire - and I can't decide if I love JK Rowling's writing more or Jim Dale's narrative voice).

I would welcome any and all comments you may have on either of these books, any of these genres, and any recommendations you may have to help me expand my reading horizons.

Weekly Geeks - Lovable Labs

Well, just when I wasn't sure what to write about today I happened upon the weekly geek meme and all decisions were made for me. The prompt asks:

How many of us remember a favorite pet from our childhood? Or have enjoyed visiting the zoo? Or relish in walking in the woods and hearing birdsong, or seeing a deer leap away through the brush? How many of us have been thrilled by a soaring eagle? How often have we sought the comfort of a dog or cat, or wept tears of loss when forced to say good-bye to a furred friend? We are surrounded by our fellow creatures and often our lives are enriched by their presence, whether it be sharing our homes with them or simply being blessed to see them in passing. This week you are asked to share books (fiction or nonfiction) and/or movies which center around an animal or animals.

• Which are your favorites?
• Which touched your heart the most?
• Which have found their way onto your wish lists or TBR stacks?
• Is there a childhood favorite?
• Have you ever named a pet after an animal from a book or movie?

At the risk of suggesting the same book as half the country right now, I simply must discuss the book, Marley and Me. This book has a very special place in my heart.
I have always been a dog person: almost any size, any shape, any breed (or mutt) I LOVE dogs. The problem for me is that I have allergies - not the occasional sniffle and sneeze allergies - but asthmatic allergies. Before I was born my parents had a cat, Mindy, who mysteriously ran away when I was about 3 years old. It was not until about a decade ago that I discovered the truth: my parents had to give Mindy to another family because of my health issues. The doctors kept saying that very often children outgrow their allergies -- but such is not my case.

When Geoff and I first got married we (well, I) desperately wanted a dog. I did the research and discovered that the Bichon Frisee breed was a great choice for those with allergies. We found a breeder, selected a puppy (her official name was "Bonne Chance" - which means "good luck" in French as she was born on our wedding day - but we called her Bonnie). I lasted 10 days. I was willing to stick it out, but when my boss told me that I had to get rid of the dog, I realized that I was trying to realize the impossible dream. It absolutely broke my heart to return Bonnie to the breeder.

While my allergies would allow us to have an outside dog, I don't feel that I can bond with an outdoor dog the same way that I can bond with a dog that lives indoors with me all the time. So, we gave up on the idea of having pets, and went on to have 3 children instead.

Fast forward to 2004. My youngest child was in 5th grade and terrified of dogs! Imagine my surprise when she spot a For Sale sign for Yellow Lab puppies and begged me to stop. After spending nearly 45 minutes with nine 7 week old yellow and black lab puppies, Mandy finally gained the courage to pick one up and hold him. It was love at first sight and needless to say, two days later we were bringing Ralfie home. Now the deal was --- Ralf was going to be an outdoor dog because of my allergies. I knew that the first two nights would be difficult sleeping for us -- but I did not think that it was fair to keep the entire neighborhood awake while Ralf grew accustomed to his new home. So we decided to keep Ralf in a crate in the family room --- where he has remained for the past 5 years.

I have chosen to manage my allergies with inhalers. Probably not the most healthy decision, but I would never give up the cherished time I have shared with Ralf -- Mia --- Jude - and now Bella, for anything. Yes, we are dog people. (we have actually had 3 litters of a total of 20 puppies in our house as well. The above picture is the first litter of puppies welcoming me home).

OK, Molly -- so how does the book fit in already?! (sorry, I get a little passionate when talking about my dogs). Marley and Me was released in October (as I recall) after we brought Ralf home in May. I rarely buy books spontaneously. Rather, I do my research, hem and haw, drive everyone crazy with my "should I or shouldn't I" - before I finally decide to try it at the library first. With Marley and Me, however, I saw the cover - picked up the book, walked directly to the front end, and paid for it. I came home and began reading the book immediately. The only problem was ---- I could only read 2 chapters at a time. I would find myself laughing SO hard that I was crying and simply could not see the words on the page. John Grogan has an absolutely amazing writing style!! He can capture the love, warmth and true friendship that humans share with their pets, while at the same time capturing the frustration we sometimes feel towards our pets with compassionate humor.

I must admit, however, that I did not finish the book. Not because I just "couldn't get into it" but because I knew how the book would end. It was inevitable, and I simply could not bring myself to face that essential part of life. For me, Marley is still the lovable lab that continues to bring joy and happiness to the Grogan family.

Unfortunately, I could not prevent the untimely death of one of my own beloved pets simply by closing the book before the last chapter and putting it back on the shelf. Last year, while I was studying for my Master's Degree in Santa Fe, NM, my dear, sweet Mia died in her sleep at home. She was barely 3 years old and I still to this day miss her terribly. I wasn't there to tell her good-bye, but I did journal my thoughts, feelings, and frustrations. It was the hardest thing I have ever written - but I am glad that I took the time to do so. I have my tribute to Mia posted for eternity, and if I ever want to try and recall her wonderful memory, all I have to do is revisit the post. My writing is not nearly as eloquent as John Grogan, but it is heartfelt and if you would be interested in reading my eulogy, feel free to visit here.

Weekly Geeks - Cookbooks

What a GREAT Weekly Geeks topic!

What shall we cook today? It seems that for most of us, a bit of our book obsession would carry over to the cookbook genre, so this week for Weekly Geeks, let's talk cookbooks! Here are some ideas to get you started:

--Describe your cookbook collection. How many cookbooks do you own? A lot? Just a few? None at all?
--Do you even buy cookbooks? Or do you gather family cookbook compilations and/or recipe files instead?
--Do you like to collect certain types of cookbooks? Say, from certain chefs? From places you visit? From a particular food group or style?
--When buying cookbooks, what do you look for? Does it need to have pictures? Spiral binding? A specific type of font?
--What is your favorite cookbook? Tell us the story behind it.
--Tell us about your most well-used cookbook. Is it different from your favorite cookbook? Or are they one and the same?
--Take a picture of your collection. How and where do you organize it?
--Share a recipe from one of your favorite cookbooks. Include a picture if you can.

I have had an on-again, off-again relationship with cooking. When first married and living in New York City, I LOVED cooking. I enjoyed reading the monthly magazines (Bon Appetit and Gourmet were my favorites); I loved going to the local green grocer, bakery, pasta shop, etc and buying all the freshest ingredients; I frequently visited such food emporiums as Zabar's and Balducci's to expand my culinary education; I even took a couple of classes at the New School to hone such essential techniques as knife skills and basic baking; I was privileged to volunteer at the James Beard Foundation when it first opened. I thought nothing of working an 8 hour day and coming home to "relax" by preparing a 3 course dinner. At the time, my favorite cookbook author was Martha Stewart and I would pour over the lovely illustrations as I imagined entertaining my own guests at a holiday soiree.

The cookbooks that I used most often during this time period, and still do to this day, were the Silver Palatte Cookbooks by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso. I enjoy the food descriptions and the unique blending of everyday ingredients with more exotic herbs and spices. To the naked eye, the cookbooks are a mess - with accidental spills, handmade notes, and dog-eared pages - but to me, each one of those spills brings back vivid memories of an exciting time in my life.

Another series of cookbooks that I used quite often at that time - and still enjoy - are those by Sarah Leah Chase: The Nantucket Open House Cookbook and Warm Weather Cooking. The recipes are wonderfully classic fare with a slight modern twist. What I love most about these two cookbooks, however, are not the recipes, but the eloquent descriptions that the author uses to describe each dish. These are truly cookbooks that I could sit down and read cover to cover --- not just skim to find a particular recipe.

Once kids came on the scene - the love of cooking waned. The day that I slaved over a dish of homemade maccaroni and cheese - only to have noses turned up and voices screaming, "It's not like the blue box" -- I realized that I needed to put aside gourmet cooking for a while. And so I did. My children never did enjoy casseroles (so....the crock pot meals were out), and didn't really enjoy adventures on their meal plate (although they seemed to relish it any other time of day). I found a few tried and true staples and stuck with them in order to maintain peace.

I have ALWAYS enjoyed baking, however, and that is something that no child ever turned up a nose. At one point I would bake muffins for my husband's bank branch office every Saturday: 3 dozen mini-muffins each of 3 different varieties. I had a repertoire of about 20 muffins that I would rotate. I continued that practice when we moved from Connecticut to Kansas and I joined a Bible Study group. I would usually make 6 dozen mini-muffins each of 2 different varieties. It was a lot of fun and allowed me to experiment with the creative side of my brain. I even did a little (very little) catering during this time in my life - concentrating on hors d'oeuvres and desserts - and of course, muffins.

Christmas cookies have always been a huge deal in our house. Until recently I would usually bake about 8-10 different kinds of cookies including chocolate truffles, pecan crescents, decorated sugar cookies, and gingerbread houses. All 3 of my children would aid in the preparation of Christmas cookies from the time they were about 15 months old. We started slow - with M&M cookies - and for every 3 M&Ms that went on a cookie, 1 went in the mouth. Soon, however, they would progress to decorating sugar cookies, and now my youngest has pretty much taken over as the official cookie baker in our household. Some parents play games with their children - I bake cookies.

I think cooking is something that I will probably return to once I am retired. I am such a singularly focused invidual, that it is just about all I can do to manage the lesson plans for the 6 different classes that I teach; we eat a lot of frozen food, tuna, and pasta. Once my school work is more under control, however, I do think I would like to return to the kitchen. I really do enjoy the entire process of cooking: the research for recipes - the shopping for ingredients - the chopping and mincing and mixing - and sometimes, even the clean up (if it isn't too late). I will still refer to my favorite recipe books (as mentioned above) - but these days I also use the All Recipes site quite a bit. I have yet to not find a recipe (or several dozen) for a dish that I want to prepare. I can save all recipes in an online file, and I can print them off as needed.

Weekly Geeks - Picture Books

In honor of two literary events that occur in the month of April - International Children's Book Day (April 2) and Poetry month - Weekly Geeks asks us to ponder one of these two thoughts:

Option A: Be a kid! You could read a picture book (or two or three) and share what you read. Write up a post sharing your favorite books from childhood Write up a post about reading together with your child(ren)

Option B: Be a poet! Write your own poem and share with us! Write bookish ABC poems--ABC's of favorite authors, favorite books, favorite characters, favorite book blogs, or any combination of the above. Maybe even an ABC's of a bibliophile or book addict. (A is for...B is for...etc.)(For example, ABC's of Dr. Seuss) Review a book you've read recently in haiku. (It doesn't need to be a poetry book you're reviewing, any book will do.) See Emilyreads for an idea of what I mean. Read a poetry book and review it Participate in Poetry Friday (This week's host will be Carol's Corner.)

OK - well, poetry is not really my thing (mostly because I have never really studied it - and I hope to remedy that some year).....so I will choose to be a kid for this post.

It has been nearly half a century since I was a wee little tyke, and my memory is not as good as it once was, so I am afraid that I do not have a vivid memory of a particular book that I enjoyed when I was younger. I DO remember having a rather extensive collection of "My Golden Books" that my parents often read to me. I loved the colorful illustrations and I liked to pretend that I could follow along as they were reading the words to me.

Another book that I remember asking my parents to read over and over again was a collection of fairy tales. It was an over-sized book with a purplish color - and had the most beautiful illustrations (mostly pen and ink type pictures, as I recall, with not a lot of color) that accompanied the beginning of each fairy tale. I felt like such a 'big" girl when this book was read to me because the illustrations were sparse and the writing was long and descriptive (it took a long time before you could turn the page!)

As I mentioned this week on the Booking through Thursday meme about libraries, I read to my children A LOT. I know that we had many, many books that we would read over and over again. The Berenstain Bears series was certainly a favorite - with Queenie McBear always illustrating a worthwhile lesson. But I think the single book that was read and enjoyed by all 3 children was, Barn Dance by Bill Martin and John Archambault. The story is told in rhyming couplet form and is about a little farm boy who can't sleep. He gets up in the middle of the night and hears noises coming from the barn. He quietly heads on over and discovers that the animals come alive at night and "party hearty" I originally picked this book up at the library on a whim and we read it so much I decided to by a personal copy. I believe we read that book so much I had to buy a second copy when child number 3 came around. About 3 years ago my eldest - who is now nearly 23 - said to me one day, "Mom - do you remember the book Barn Dance? You used to read all the voices and sing all the songs?" Yea....I guess this book was a favorite. And even now, if I concentrate really hard, I can recall nearly the entire book from memory. It begins:

Full moon shinin', shinin' big an' bright,
Pushin' back the shadow, holdin' back the night.
Not a thing stirrin', quiet as could be,
Just the whisper on the leaves on the cottoon wood tree.

Ol' houn' dog, whinin' in his sleep,
Dreamin' after rabbits in a game of hide an' seek.
Over in the farmhouse, all the lights were out,
Farmer an' his wife an' kids, not a one about -

All except the skinny kid with questions in his head,
Much too full of wonderment to spend the night in bed,

I think the favorite part of the book was the actual description of the Barn Dance:

Right Hand! Left hand! Around you go!
Now back-to-back your partner in a do-si-do!
Mules to the center for a curtsey an' a bow!
An' hey there, skinny kid! Show the old cow how!

Out came the skinny kid, a-tickin' and a-tockin'
An' a hummin' an' a-yeein' an'a-rockin' an' a-sockin'
an' he danced his little tow through a hole in his stockin'

Well, you get the idea. Just recalling the book brings back fond memories and while I do not wish to go back to that time in my life --- I am looking forward to one day when I can re-read this book to the next generation.

Weekly Geeks - Reviews

Well, it looks like all those hours spent on updating my blog this weekend will be put to good use! The weekly suggestion at Weekly Geeks reads:

When Dewey started Weekly Geeks, one of the first projects she encouraged us to do was link our book reviews to each other. Sadly, I've fallen of the wagon on this one. For people like me who need a refresher and for all the new Weekly Geeks this is a topic that could use repeating. Let's look at Dewey's original post : Dewey's post.

1. Write a post encouraging readers to look through your archives (if you have your reviews in a particular place on your blog, point them there), and find the books that they have also written reviews. Tell them to leave a link to their review on your review post. For example, I've written a review for Gods Behaving Badly and Jane Doe leaves a link to her review of Gods Behaving Badly in the comments section of my review.

2. Edit your reviews to include those links in the body of the review post.

3. Visit other Weekly Geeks and go through their reviews. Leave links for them.

4. Leave a note somewhere on your blog to let people know this is your new policy.

5. Write a post later this week letting us know how your project is going!

This is a big undertaking but as Dewey put it, it's 'community building'. Have fun!

I think this is a wonderful - although initially quite time-consuming - idea. As far as me adding links to YOUR posts, this is what you can do: I have a link on my header to the books I have read in 2009. If you click on that link it takes you to the constantly updated post of ALL books read over the course of the year. Those books that I also reviewed are linked from there to the specific review post. Hopefully this will be fairly easy to navigate for you - and I think I can fairly easily update my blog with your links.

I am SO excited to be a part of this community effort - and look forward to reading your reviews. I must confess that I have been hesitant to leave a link to my blog because I was afraid it would be perceived as "blatant self-promotion" - but I think that tainted view was based on my limited knowledge of how a blogging community works. This is truly a place where we can voice what is on our mind - whether it be joys, sorrows or frustrations; where we can share ideas - whether it be related to HTML code - reading books- or just life; and where we can pursue the quest of life-long learning that will enable us to improve ourselves and the lives of our families.

I anticipate this project will take several days - and probably extend over the course of several weeks - but I am very committed to being a part of the community in this way.

Weekly Geeks - 2.14.09

For this week's edition of Weekly Geeks, we're going to take a closer look at character names. What are some of your favorite character names?

Go to Google or a baby name site like this one or this one, and look up a favorite character's name. What does their name mean? Do you think the meaning fits the character? Why or why not?


If you'd like, look up your own name as well and share the meaning.

Charles Dickens was the first name that came to my mind when I read this week's topic. Not because I like his name, per se, but because I love so many of the names he has given to his myriad of characters. Very often just the sound of the name is indicative of the character's personality. For example:

• Uncle Pumblchook (doesn't that sound like a pompous arse?)
• Mrs. Pardiggle (can't you just see a hypocrit wiggling down the street?)
• Mr. Turveydrop (a most suitable name for a man of "deportement")

There are so many other wonderful examples from Dickens' writing, Harold Skimpole, Philip Pirrip (Pip), Fagin, Caddy Jellyby, and Lady Honoria Dedlock also come to mind. But I think my most favorite character is Ebenezer Scrooge. I love the setting of the novella (Christmas - my most favorite time of year), I love the theme of the novella (it is never too late to change and be redeemed); and I love the way the name - Scrooge - perfectly fits his personality. I did, however, decide to research "Ebenezer" and wonder if his first name fit him as well as his last. From Behind the Name's website I learned that Ebenezer means "stone of help" in Hebrew. While this was somewhat interesting, I did not feel enlightened. Upon further investigation I discovered that Ebenezer can further be translated as "a reminder of God’s Real, Holy Presence and Divine aid. Spiritually and theologically speaking, an Ebenezer can be nearly anything that reminds us of God’s presence and help" (Thank you Dr. Gregory S. Neal)

Now this makes more sense. Isn't it just like God to use the least likely character in our lives to reveal Himself to us? And isn't it just like God to gently and persuasively lead the one lost sheep out of 100 back to His fold? I used to read this story and focus on the name Scrooge --- but after doing the research, I think I will now focus on the name Ebenezer --- it is, in fact, the true meaning of Christmas after all.

As far as the meaning of my name -- well it appears that I am several "diminutives" removed from Maria. It seems that Molly is a diminutive of Mally which is a diminutive of Mary which is a diminutive of Maria (English) or Miryam (Hebrew) - good grief! According to Behind the Name, it seems that there are several possible meanings: The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from mry "beloved" or mr "love".

Hmmmm....there appears to be a preponderance of negative nelly possibilities. Sea of Bitterness?? Well, I do often see the glass as half-empty rather than half-full, but I don't think I am bitter. Rebellious? Well, I suppose my parents would say that I went through a rebellious phase, but truly, I am probably one of the most conventional people around. Wished for child -- perhaps there is truth in that statement. My parents were married 9 years before I happened upon the scene - and I think they had probably given up hope of having a child. I would like to think that I was "wished for" -- so I will choose to believe that I was appropriately named for that reason alone :)

I truly enjoyed this meme and actually learned quite a bit about myself. Will any of you choose to participate this week?

Weekly Geeks - 2009.04

Well, I was quite late posting my first weekly geek entry - yesterday (not a good way to start!) - so I thought I would try to post in a more timely fashion this week. The meme asks:

#1. What are you passionate about besides reading and blogging? For example, are you crafty (knitting, woodworking, scrapbooking, model building)? Do you cook? Into gaming (computer or board)? Sports (player or spectator)? Photography? Maybe you like geocaching, rock climbing? Or love attending events like renaissance fairs, concerts? Music? Dancing? You get the idea.

Tell us why you're passionate about it. Post photos of what you've made or of yourself doing whatever it is you love doing.

#2. Get us involved. Link to tutorials, recipes, Youtube videos, websites, fan sites, etc, anything that will help us learn more about your interest or how to do your hobby. Maybe you'd like to link to another hobbyist whose work you admire or tell us about a book or magazine related to your interest.

#3. Visit other Weekly Geeks. Link in your post to other Geeks who've peaked your interest in their passion. Or maybe you might find a fellow aficionado among us, link to them.

Well, as I have stated before, I am a singularly focused person, so while I have had other passions in my life besides reading, they have tended to be my singular focus for the decade and then I move on. It is not that I decide that I don't like it anymore, it has mostly to do with "life" happening and my priorities shift.

I guess as a student my other passion would be considered music. While I would buy the occasional record (they were not called vinyls at the time) and always listened to the radio, my real passion in music was to play the flute. I started flute lessons in 6th grade and continued through my sophomore year in college. I can honestly say that if I did not have band and orchestra in my life at that time, I am not sure I would have survived those turbulent high school days. The camaraderie of fellow "bandies" fulfilled that sense of belonging that all teenagers desire. (While I do not have pictures of this glorious time in my life right at my finger tips -- I urge you to read Sheri's post to see some lovely vintage photos, as well as a great essay on high school days.)

While band initially fulfilled that same need for acceptance when I began college (especially on a new campus 6 hours from home), by my junior year I had met my own group of friends outside of band and decided that it was time to say good-bye to the bandie lifestyle (and....quite honestly....I never enjoyed marching outside in freezing cold rain during those fall football half-time shows). I am not an artistic individual (my brother received all those genes), but I do enjoy creativity. Somehow I was introduced to Counted Cross Stitch at this time of my life and that quickly replaced the flute practice. I think I liked the feeling of actually "being" artistic without having to have any talent. I mean, you start off with a blank piece of fabric - and end up with a beautifully crafted piece of artwork. It reminded me of a sophisticated "paint by number" - but less messy. This phase lasted through my early thirties and actually led me to meet a group of terrific women at my church. For about 3 years we would meet on a VERY regular basis once a week to cross stitch, chat, and encourage one another. I was very blessed by their friendship. (Again, I do not have any pictures of the cross-stitch I have made, but if you want to see some lovely designs, visit Kim's post).

While I continued to cross-stitch off and on during my thirties (usually incredibly "on" during the holidays when I would have great ideas of making family gifts, and "off" the rest of the year because I had burnt out), I developed a passion for gourmet cooking. I wrote about this in a previous post, so I will not go into details. My real love is desserts. There was even a brief time when I turned this passion into a part time catering business, but since my kitchen was not officially up to code, I had to keep the advertising on the "down low." Cooking also filled that creative need - and the rewards for a job well-done were instantaneous (verbal praise and clean plates). It is funny how the constant complaints of little ones can quickly dampen the creative kitchen spirit ("I like the blue box macaroni and cheese - not this stuff"). Life became stressful raising 3 children, and I began to turn to casseroles and hamburger helper. Now my 15 year old daughter is the dessert queen of the household, and I am more than willing pass the torch on. While I have many cookbooks at home (although I went through a purging stage about 15 years ago and gave away just as many) - and even Mandy is starting to build her own collection, both of us use Allrecipes.com as a great starting point for any dish.

As gourmet cooking was fading......I was introduced to Creative Memories. This introduction quickly became a big-time obsession. At this time in my life I had several BOXES of unorganized pictures that I was desperate to do something with. I have always taken pictures, but more because I wanted a keepsake of the memory, rather than the artistic hobby of photography. Creative Memories was perfect for me because it was practical (I was doing something useful with objects I already owned) AND it was creative (organizing those pictures in albums that others would want to see). I truly loved the "journaling" aspect that the company was passionate about --- tell the story because photos do not speak for themselves 50 years after the event. I became a consultant and eventually rose to the ranks of Senior Unit Leader. Now, I am NOT, repeat NOT a salesman, and that part of being a consultant never appealed to me. But when I was educating people about proper photo preservation - and when I showed them that anyone can create keepsake albums - I was transported into another world. I loved it. And I truly feel that it is because of this decade-long experience with Creative Memories that I was able to walk into a classroom and teach without any "proper" training or certification.

I am still passionate about scrapbooking - but I simply do not have the time. I have grand dreams of completing many precious scrapbooks once I am fully retired. The craft of scrapbooking, however, requires quite a bit of space - and lots of tools, papers, and decorative items. It is the thought of lugging everything out - and leaving it out - that hinders my progress at this time in my life. I have recently, however, in the past 5 years or so, discovered the papercraft of Rubber Stamping, This uses many of the same tools and products as scrapbooking (there is that practical piece) and it is less time consuming to create one card vs one scrapbook page. I also like the fact that my time spent doing something creative for me can be translated to a word of encouragement for someone else. It is the ministerial aspect of helping others through this craft that appeals to me most. Again, my artistic talent is nil, so I greatly rely on Split Coast Stampers for ideas and tutorials.

A final thought.......as I went back and re-read what I wrote (again - a little verbose - sorry!) I have discovered that all these passions in my life not only involved some kind of creative expression, they also involved a need for companionship; a need to feel like I belong. Band is a community of musicians; my cross stitch group was an invaluable source of encouragement; Creative Memories allowed me to hold monthly "crops" in my home (similar to quilting bees, for those not accustomed to the lingo) where usually 10-12 women would bring their photos, supplies and friendship. In fact, I met my dearest friend, Jeanne, through Creative Memories and she and I continue to get together on a semi-regular basis and create cards. I think this is why I have fallen in love with this book-blogging community. Not only does it provide intellectual stimulation, introduce me to other genres and authors, and validate my obsessive/compulsive passion for reading and books - but there is a definite sense that I belong to a community who truly cares and encourages one another. If you think I am exaggerating. just take a look at the 56 responses (and counting) to Wendy's loss this week. My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to her.