The Arts

Lately, I've been feeling the Martha Stewart vibe, I suppose. It started with some paint-it-yourself figurines I bought at Hobby Lobby. The next thing I knew, I was mixing paints and perfecting my technique. They still look like crap, but my husband thinks I am now crafty. Then came the should-we-do-something-for-friends thing for Christmas. I suggested that I could make pumpkin bread from a recipe my mom has used ever since I've been around, and probably longer. Hubs agreed this was a great idea, and we got right on it. Not only was I being a domestic goddess in the kitchen, but I took pictures!

We get a bit messy when we cook. Lol.


Only a little messy, really. . .


I could honestly eat all of these loaves by myself, once they're finished.


The finished product, with home-made (read: crappy) tags I made to distinguish which family receives which loaf. MMMMMM.

And, to continue my creative-artsy-awesome streak, I just bought two plain shirts from Old Navy. At first, I didn't want them, because they were plain, crew-necked t-shirts. They weren't "cute". But Hubby mentioned that we could go buy stuff to make them better. So, off to Hobby Lobby, where I bought some stuff for silk screening one and an applique for another. Perhaps I'll take pictures and post that one next? Stay tuned. . .

Look, A Nook!

OK, so I got a Nook for my birthday. Yay, yay, yay! I haven't blogged about it yet, because (here comes the old college cheer) OMG FINALS WEEK. But now I am ready to gush about my Nook.

First of all, it came as a total surprise. Then there was the fun in figuring out how it works and all its features. I learn best when I just play with tech, and so I tapped screens and looked up books and checked out the Barnes and Noble top 100, not to mention the New York Times Best-sellers list, all provided on the home screen. And then I made a promise before my mother and my husband: I would only allow myself one purchase a month. A MONTH! Because I could easily spend a hundred dollars in one day, let alone a month. Of course, I completed the first book and am now currently reading (for free) Pride and Prejudice. My fist purchase was . . .

Masques, by Patricia Briggs. It was new and it was written by Briggs, need I say more as to why I purchased the novel? The plus side to only buying one book is that I can still visit my library, although I'm currently torn between a bizarre attachment to my Nook and a strong desire to smell a book and turn its pages. There was a certain sadness when I returned my last check-outs; I thought I'd never set foot in my library again. And I LOVE libraries. But then my husband made a fantastic point. If I'm only purchasing one book a month, I'm still going to need my library, for the times when I sit idle, having completed the novel I had just bought.

All in all, you can't really lose with a Nook. I love the user-friendly interface; the fact that I can browse just like I'm in the store; the slim size that weighs about as much as a childrens' paperback; the matte finish on the screen to prevent glare; the ultra-crisp quality of the wording done in E-ink; and the space it saves.

I love books, and I will by no means abandon them, but I love my Nook, and it is now a very important part of my own personal library.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

I went to the library today a little disappointed in myself. I hadn't finished my very last book. On the one hand, I should give myself a break. I can't read as much as I used to due to my job's stand against enjoying yourself and keeping good morale going, and on top of that I had a holiday to do and a paper to write before the holiday. Thank goodness I *did* write the paper when I did, because there was an awesome windstorm a-blowing on Thanksgiving, and the power kept going out, which would have sent me into a panic.

So, I went back to the library with every intention of rechecking The Devil in Green, since I'm already almost done with it, and finding one or two more. And here they are!

The Devil's Queen, by Jeanne Kalogridis.
You might recall that I checked out another book of hers last time: The Borgia Bride. I enjoyed this novel so much, I went and checked out the next one I saw on the shelves. I hope it's as good as the first one.
The Queen of Sinister, by Mark Chadbourne.
Chadbourne wrote The Devil in Green, which I am currently finishing, and I want to go ahead and give it five stars. I likable main character, with a cast of supporting characters that are all different, yet fit together so well. Witty, action-packed, thrilling. It's pretty awesome. When I saw that there were books 2 and 3 (I had to pace myself!), I had to check out the next one. Nothing better than reading a series through, all at once.

Library Loot

I was kind of optimistic about going to the library today, but I was a bit disappointed. When I told my husband I "only got three books," he found it quite amusing. "ONLY three, huh?" he replied. So, here is my loot, which took awhile to find, and which I am not at all sure about, as far as how good they will be. I guess that's the beauty of the library: I didn't buy any books I might not like, and I can give them right back.

The Borgia Bride, by Jeanne Kalogridis.I was definitely in the mood for another historical novel after The Mistress of Rome (great novel!), so I grabbed this one up. I plan on reading her Medici novel next.

The Devil in Green, by Mark Chadbourne.
It had me at "dark fantasy" and also "Tuatha de Danann." (Google it; it's great stuff.)

Darkborn, by Alison Sinclair.
I hope this one lives up to my expectations. The cover art is pretty awesome.

Your problems? Not Mine.

One of my coworkers called in sick today, so I had to man his department. I was actually really glad because I didn't have to worry about Miss-Tattle-Tale or Big-Boss-Lady popping into the office every hour or so unexpectedly and could happily read my book in peace (while, of course, getting the job done right.) I had a peanut butter Twix and a Dr. Pepper to keep the munchies away, and all was well.

Until SHE walked in.

I don't know what this person's issues are, but she has them. I asked if she had an ID with her. SP, I promise.

"It's in my car," she snapped.

"Well, you need an ID in order to continue."

"You want my to go get it?!" (Incredulity. How dare I suggest she follow the rules?)

"Yes, please."

Big, disgusted sigh.
I'm not sure why this was a big deal, but when she returned, she threw the ID down. I took it, gave it a look, set it in front of me, and told her what computer was available.

"Can I have my ID back," she snapped at me again.
Honestly, at this point, it was beyond tiring.

"Well, I keep it for you, and then when you sign out, you get it back." (Weird, I know, but SP, again. Usually.)

"I don't want to forget it."

"You won't. I'll hand it back; don't worry." (I may even have smiled!)
Then she stared at me incredulously.

So, we had a staring contest. I finally raised my eyebrows in the classic "What do you want?" look that is, I admit, pretty impertinent and tends to piss people off.
"They've never kept my ID before," she barked.
I couldn't very well tell her it's because the new worker is incompetent and doesn't bother with pesky rules, but instead I silently handed the ID back. Whatever. It was either comply, or lose it and tell her I was being paid to help her (she could, you know, go to the next closest place that offers our services, which is about 4 hours away), so she should probably treat me a little bit nicer. I'm NOT getting paid enough to put up with tantrums and drama queens.

Afterward, I asked the coworker who had called in, via text, whether this girl was usually rude. He tried to reply diplomatically but he confirmed she was, indeed, not nice. Brownie points to me for not telling her exactly what I thinking!

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

Two weeks had gone by before I finished my last book from my last library trip. It's rare when that happens, but I had a bunch of school stuff to contend with. On the one hand, I'm aware that I'm probably stressing myself out way more than I need to, but on the other hand, I hate waiting until the last minute to complete an assignment and I have a desperate urge to stay way ahead of everything and do as much as I possibly can in order to get the best grade I can. But I can't give up my reading habit, so I do take time out to read, and thank goodness for my library.

Today's loot begins with Final Exam, by Maggie Barbieri, the last novel by Barbieri that I have seen on my local library shelves, and maybe even her last book? I'm not quite sure. If so, I've read her entire series.


Then comes Mob Rules, by Cameron Hayley. I was unsure about this book, but I decided to give it a try. Hopefully, it's worth the read.

Mistress of Rome, by Kate Quinn, was just too intriguing to pass up. I haven't read a historical novel in awhile, so maybe this is where I get back into the swing of really great historical fiction.

Last, and I hope not least, is The Barbary Pirates, by William Dietrich. I picked it up because of the title, but it seemed like a great adventure novel, so I threw it on top of my stack.

As you can see, a rather eclectic stash. I am excited because I can pick and choose what to read next according to my mood. Yay books!

Halloween, Have a Merry One

When I was younger, I wasn't too into the Halloween thing. The dressing up was meh, trick or treating was fun and candy was great, but it wasn't the best thing ever. But now that I'm older, I find that Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love the weather, perfect - getting cooler, smelling fresh - I love thinking up cute costumes I could try (so much more to choose from as an adult [get your mind out of the gutter, people, I think I just mean I'm more creative]) and just the festivity. The pumpkins and the smells, and the decorations.

It helps that there isn't this huge responsibility to get everyone the perfect gift because if you don't you're a horrible family member. Also, I like the eerie and strange, so this holiday works.

So, have a fun and safe Halloween!

P.S. How sweet is that book plate?!

Library Loot

After finishing both Rosie Dunne and The Pirate Bride (both so enjoyable; I loved Rosie Dunne. Her life was so real, and even though I have never been anywhere near in her shoes, I felt she was really relatable as a character) in the same day, I knew it was time to head to the library. At first, I tried to find the stuff on my list, but I came up continually disappointed. Only one from my list came home with me. However, before I go looking for what's on my list, I look through the new arrivals, and because of a book or two I caught a glimpse of, I was suddenly in the mood for something a bit darker than my usual. So, without further ado, my library loot!

First off, Maggie Barbieri makes another return to my bedside table with Quick Study. This time, Alison and her detective boyfriend discover that Alison's friend's nephew has gone missing, and been found washed up in the Hudson River. Ruled an accident by the guys in charge, Alison and her detective aren't so sure. And so begins another great, fun romp into crime with the awesome heroine who can't seem to stay out of trouble.
The next book I picked up was Blood Song, by Cat Adams, despite my misgivings. I mean, they used the phrase "badly wrong" in the summary on the back. *cringe* But it seems just up my alley, considering my mood for urban and dark fantasy. Celia Graves is a bodyguard that ends up waking up on a slab in a university to discover she is now an Abomination, no longer human and not quite vampire. Her master is hunting her to either finish her off or complete her change, and the cops think she's a murderer. Now, she has to trust a powerful mage, his brother, a werewolf, and a single cop that isn't trying to decide whether to stake her or throw her in the slammer.
Lastly comes Midwinter, by Matthew Sturges. Suffice to say, it's about a man who must save the Seelie Court from the Unseelie Court and its evil Queen Mab. It looked suitable for my reading mood, plus who can go wrong with Fae fantasy?

Two Books Down, Two to Go

I started with The Forest of Hands and Feet, by Carrie Ryan, because I didn't know what it was about, and it was a bit of a short read. I save my longer reads for last so I can savor them. I really enjoyed the book, finishing it in about a day and a half (work, school; I picked a crappy week to choose more books than two as I have homeworks, a quiz, a lab and a paper outline - which is turning into an actual paper - due within this next coming week. But I will get through!). While the book was disturbing and dark on many levels, the main charcter somehow always managed to stay positive and full of hope, which is what really pulled her - and me - through. Sometimes, I felt the book slowing down, and I would get impatient, but there never ceased to be something coming around the corner. When I try to sum up this book, I think Zombie Apocalypse meets M. Night Shymalan's The Village. I'm considering checking the next book out, just to see where it can take me, but there were parts that I was hoping could have been better fleshed out (ha, no pun intended).

Next came Extracurricular Activities, by Maggie Barbieri. I had high hopes for this book, and a good feeling I would get through it pretty quickly. Alison has to deal with crime in her little suburb, and she seems to be in the middle of it all, again. Her ex-husband is murdered, and she finds the body, sitting in her kitchen with all the signs of a mob murder. Then her neighbors leave quite unexpectantly, leaving her with their dog, and her suspicions about Peter Miceli, the mob boss, are being more and more validated with every kidnapping, break-in, and unexpected stop-by that he performs. The ending has a great twist or two, and she gets a lot closer with her detective friend. All in all, very satisfying.

Library Love

I brought back a few more books from the library this time around than I normally do. For one, despite my schedule, I find myself reading a lot (I am unashamed. I read before classes, between classes, during downtime at work), and I finished the last two books in a little under a week. So, even though I *did* make myself put one back, I got four. And I'm almost done with the first, which I got yesterday.

1. The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan
I saw this on my sister's to-read list on good reads, and absentmindedly went looking for it at the library. When I found it, I knew I had to get it, even though I had no idea what it was about. I'm not disappointed.




2. The Pirate Bride - Shannon Drake
I've read Shannon Drake before, and I am *way* into pirates, especially bad-a pirate women that ruled the seas. This book brings about the idea that the dread pirate Red Robert is, in fact, a woman who has never let a foe live to tell (Dead Men Tell No Tales!), who falls in love with a man she has captured, and who must have an awesome pirate fight with her archenemy. What's not to love about this?!





3. Rosie Dunne - Cecelia Ahern
Penned by an Irish author (I'm also way into Ireland), Rosie Dunne is a story of love, a love that everyone sees except the two who are meant for each other. Told in notes and letters, etc., I think it's also known by the title Love, Rosie. I discovered this book through my Chick Lit book club. Go clubs!





4. Extracurricular Activities - Maggie Barbieri
I went to the library with this one specifically in mind, another in the Alison Bergeron mystery series. After discerning that this is probably the second on the list, I snatched it up. I hope it's as good a read as the first!

Once, I Did, Like, Two Things at One Time

Ever had one of those days when you feel like you're doing a million things at once, and then you say it out loud (or type all your multitasking out) and then you realize, you were not really doing so much? Yeah, it's one of those times.

So, I went to classes, and after my first class I:

• did my stat homework
• did research for my soon-due outline (sort of, more like in a week or two but whatever) for a research paper, and got an update on Sheila (now dubbed Cricket, as apparently that is what she ate to stay alive and OMG you do not want to know how that was discovered), and put together a mass e-mail in the hopes of finding someone that might want a new kitten, all of this at the same time, and . . .
  

Well, that's it. And you read it, and you realize . . . Calm Down. There is not a reason to rush, or stress, or feel overwhelmed. That was 3 (count 'em, 3) things done together that were not imperative to the salvation of your soul. Breathe. Finish your day, make some hot chocolate, and read a book. And enjoy the fact that life is not currently being flipped upside down at this moment, because in a day or two, it probably will be.

Book = Not Satisfying

I finished reading The Nanny Diaries, by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, and I have to say that it was a good read.

At first, I found it somewhat amusing, the way the mother dealt with life in general and having a child in particular, but the deeper the book drew you into the lives of the Xes, the more sad it really got. Grayer X at first seems like a brat, but not for long. At age 4, he is carted around for French lessons, piano lessons, and any other lessons that will win him that "edge" he'll need to get into the best preschool, as well as constant play dates. As far as his diet is concerned,

"All servings must be pre-measured - NO additional food is permissible. All juice is to be watered down and drunk out of a sip glass over the sink or in the bathtub (preferably until the child is eighteen). All food is to be served on a plastic place mat with paper towel underneath, bib on at all times. . . NO food or drink two hours before bedtime. No additives." Yadda yadda, etc. etc.

They might as well add, "Child is not allowed to act like a child in any way, shape, or form."

The mother is rarely there, and the father even less so. The boy is like an accessory to them both. As you warm up to the little tyke, and get pulled further into the vortex of a cheating husband and his not-so-discreet woman on the side, at first you feel sorry for the wife. But, at what point do you stop putting a douche that could care less about his son and cares even less about you, before your only child? I know this book is about the Nanny, and she is most definitely mistreated (she gets paid 3 dollars an hour, when she calculates one of her paychecks), but you soon start to really abhor the parents and the way they deal with their child. And Grayer clearly only wants their love.

The ending was the most disappointing to me, not because the book was bad, but because I REALLY wanted Nanny to stick it to the parents (as in, shock the heck out of them, make them see reason, and then adopt the poor kid after they realize what they're losing). But, all in all, a good read. A lot more in-depth than your usual chick-lit.

Murder 101

I really enjoyed reading Murder 101, by Barbieri. it made me laugh, and really kept me turning the pages with it's witty dialogue and a plot that trucked along at a pace that kept me quite happy.

When Alison Bergeron, an English professor at a Catholic college, is pointed to as a suspect for the murder of one of her students, two detectives are put on the case. It becomes apparent she isn't the one, however, pretty soon. (Maybe it's her penchant for puking and fainting when blood is evident). It *is* clear that she is on the murderer's list of loose-ends to tie up. Kidnapping, a bipolar Mob father, and a sexy detective that feels the pull of attraction as much as she, keeps this story a very fun, cute, quick read. I actually am looking forward to the next in this series, which was sitting right next to the first at my local library (yay!).

My favorite line, found on page 134: "I went to bed with a mixture of sexual desire and self-loathing, just like a good Catholic should. . ."

P.S. Don't worry, this book didn't get very steamy, although the sexual tension was plenty, in my opinion. ;)

Library Grabs

I finished Twenties Girl, and knew I needed more books ASAP, so I headed to the library today with high hopes and a list. I came back with two. Not because it was all I could find, but because the other books were quite large and I didn't want to get too overwhelmed.

The first book is Murder 101, by Maggie Barbieri. About an English professor, who is visited by the police with some good news and some bad news. First, they found her previously stolen car. Second, she is now a suspect for murder as one of her students was found dead in the trunk. With the help of her friend, Max, Alison must snoop to clear her name.

The second book is The Nanny Diaries, one I have been wanting to read for years. Let's hope it lives up to all the hype!

Saving Sheila

Two or three days ago, I heard the sound of very loud, yet tiny sounding meowing outside of my apartment complex. Since I was taking my dog for a short walk before work, I couldn't really approach it, but once I took her back upstairs, I went in search of the tiny kitteh. I heard it hidden among some foliage, meowing it's little head off. I thought I caught a glimpse of a little body and blue eyes. I tried calling it; I tried finding it. It was too far in and it refused to come out. Racking my brains for anything I could do to help it, I immediately thought of the cans of tuna fish we had in our pantry. Sadly, they didn't have a pop top and my automatic can opener was out of juice. Then I realized I had a can of sardines. If I could pull one apart into tiny pieces, maybe I could lure the kitten out. But once I got to its hiding place, the tab broke, and the can remained stuck. Frustrated, I said a little prayer that someone else would find it and headed off to work. When I returned, I didn't hear any meowing, so I optimistically assumed someone *had* found it and helped it.

This afternoon, I was taking the trash out, when I heard it again, much louder, much more desperate. Immediately, I went to the bushes. The closer I got, the quieter it would become. I threw my trash to the side and got down on my hands and knees. It was hard to see, but there she was: a black kitten with green eyes, watching me warily. I tried caling it; I reached my hand in and it crouched further beneath its shrub. Finally, with no idea what else to do, I reached in, grabbed it behind its scrawny head, and pulled. Scooping her up into my arms, she immediately went quiet and curled into me. She even started purring a little. But all I could think was, "What now?" We can't have a cat. I didn't know anyone that wanted one. But I couldn't just leave her.

After a fruitless attempt at contacting a woman in my complex who was an advocate for animals, and a ring over at the humane society where they informed me all shelters were full, and many phone calls, I contacted my aunt. She agreed to take her, nurse her to health, and find her a home. I was so grateful I could have cried. I waited in my bathroom (to avoid a confrontation with my dog), letting the kitten sleep in my arms, until my aunt called. We surmised it was a little young to eat real food, and that not only was it severely dehydrated, but it was ill.

I hope you find a good home, Sheila. (Yes, I named the baby.)