Showing posts with label Books To Check Out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books To Check Out. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Book Review: Circle Dogs

Yesterday, Nathan took the day off and we had a middle of the week date to Omaha. (More on that tomorrow!) We started at the Joslyn Art Museum, which had an exhibit on illustrations by Dan Yaccarino. These were really neat and it was my favorite exhibit--thankfully the guide pointed it out or we would have missed it!

Of course, since the museum gift shop had some of the books for sale,  I had to get some because I love cool kids books. The first one we picked out to take home was Circle Dogs, by Kevin Henkes and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. Shockingly, based not only on the title but also our obsession with Shelby, it's about two dogs.

image source

This is a great children's book because it's simple, it has lots of shapes in it, and it's hilarious. I personally love it because it basically describes Shelby's day, from waking up (stretching and good morning kisses) to her naps (with the twitching) to waking up (because of the mailman, which she did today) to eating and sleeping again.

The other book we got was Dan Yaccarino's Mother Goose, which is his interpretations of Mother Goose rhymes, and the illustrations are pretty great.

I also considered All The Way To America and Doug Unplugged, but those will have to wait for another trip, I suppose.

Check out all of his books here.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Checked Out

It's been a while since I've talked about the books I've read that maybe didn't get a book review. So, here's a look at what I've checked out from the library lately:

The dog who danced, Susan Wilson
Listening in, a John F. Kennedy biography
The best of me, Nicholas Sparks
Marilyn Monroe, Keith Badman
A little bit wicked, Kristin Chenoweth
Keepsake, Kristina Riggle
The good girls revolt, Lynn Povich
Domestic Affairs: A campaign novel, Bridget Siegel
Bridge of scarlet leaves, Kristina McMorris
My reality, Melissa Rycroft       

Friday, February 15, 2013

Valentine's Day Library: 2013

I'm sure after a week of checking out our past year's Valentine's Day books, you're all wondering what books made an appearance this year. So, without further ado:

Nathan: City of Ashes, City of Glass, and City of Fallen Angels. I wrapped them all up in this bag.

Whitney: The Remains of the Day (though I like my book's cover better than this one), Rules of Civility, and Me Before You.

We just had a nice night at home. I made this treat for dessert. Delicious, and I felt OK about it because it has vegetables in it. A dessert with vegetables is the best way to eat vegetables in my opinion.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Valentine's Day Library: 2012

One "thing" that I really liked about Nathan when we started dating was that he liked to read probably as much as I did. (As evidenced on this blog thanks to our book swap and other times he has done reviews.) So one tradition we've started right away was getting each other books for Valentine's Day. So this week, even though I know I've covered this other years, I thought I would spend each day sharing which books we got for each other, and some thoughts on these books. (Five days=five years. Works out perfectly.)

This year, we're adding a few more books. We went out this weekend to Barnes and Noble a did a little joint shopping. It was fun in the beginning to try and hide around the store and hope that we didn't figure out what books we were getting, but eventually i needed help at the "Buy two get the third free young adult fantasy table" and Nathan needed help navigating the store. (because all of the books he had researched were in totally random places, like by the bathroom...what? That required an actual sales person.). So I'm not ruining the surprise by telling you what books we got this year.

Nathan: City of Bones, Unwind, and Pathfinder
Whitney: The Night Circus, Anna and The French Kiss, and Walking Back to Happiness

Last year, we went to the bookstore together, which is one of our favorite dates. From last year's post: It was fun in the beginning to try and hide around the store and hope that we didn't figure out what books we were getting, but eventually I needed help at the "Buy two get the third free young adult fantasy table" and Nathan needed help navigating the store. (Because all of the books he had researched were in totally random places, like by the bathroom...what? That required an actual sales person.)

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Valentine's Day Library: 2011

One "thing" that I really liked about Nathan when we started dating was that he liked to read probably as much as I did. (As evidenced on this blog thanks to our book swap and other times he has done reviews.) So one tradition we've started right away was getting each other books for Valentine's Day. So this week, even though I know I've covered this other years, I thought I would spend each day sharing which books we got for each other, and some thoughts on these books. (Five days=five years. Works out perfectly.)

Whitney: Great House and The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels
Nathan: This Book Will Change Your Dog's Life, Why Does My Dog Do That?, and Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel

Some Reasoing: In case you couldn't tell, this was our first Valentine's Day with Shelby. (How cute is this face? She looks so little compared to now.)



I had never read The Pioneer Woman's blog, but really wanted to read the book, so I was glad Nathan got it for me. As for Great House...it's maybe still in my to-read pile. I should get on that. Nathan's books were themed around big, exciting events during 2011, getting a dog and also visiting Europe and the Sistine Chapel on our honeymoon.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Valentine's Day Library: 2010


One "thing" that I really liked about Nathan when we started dating was that he liked to read probably as much as I did. (As evidenced on this blog thanks to our book swap and other times he has done reviews.) So one tradition we've started right away was getting each other books for Valentine's Day. So this week, even though I know I've covered this other years, I thought I would spend each day sharing which books we got for each other, and some thoughts on these books. (Five days=five years. Works out perfectly.)
 
 


Nathan: Lamb and a Huskers trivia book
Whitney: The Believers and the yellow roses in the photo!

Some Reasoning: Nathan got Lamb by Christopher Moore because my sister told him he would like the author. And he does! I think since this book he has read every Christopher Moore book he can find. The Believers was really good, and one of the first "literary" books I had read in a while. (I blame that on taking too many English classes my last semester. All I wanted to read was light reading for a while.)

Monday, February 11, 2013

Valentine's Day Library: 2009

One "thing" that I really liked about Nathan when we started dating was that he liked to read probably as much as I did. (As evidenced on this blog thanks to our book swap and other times he has done reviews.) So one tradition we've started right away was getting each other books for Valentine's Day. So this week, even though I know I've covered this other years, I thought I would spend each day sharing which books we got for each other, and some thoughts on these books. (Five days=five years. Works out perfectly.)

Whitney: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and The Rim of the Prairie
Nathan: The Graveyard Book and James and the Giant Peach

Some reasoning: Nathan got me The Rim of the Prairie while we were visiting the Bess Streeter Aldrich house in Elmwood, the first time I went to his house and met his parents. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society he just picked out. The Graveyard Book is by Neil Gaiman, one of Nathan's favorite authors, and I got him James and the Giant Peach because it was his favorite book when he was younger.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Checked Out

After Monday's post, it may not come as a surprise to you that I am also in the middle of several books, and have others I'm waiting to start. So rather than a book review, I thought I'd let you know what I have checked out currently. In no particular order:

Beautiful Ruins, Jess Walter
One Last Thing Before I Go, Jonathan Tropper
The Language of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Clara & Mr. Tiffany, Susan Vreeland
Last Letter From Your Lover, Jojo Moyes

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Book Review: Dearie

The Book: Dearie, by Bob Spitz

Why I Checked It Out: I think Julia Child is one cool lady, but I didn't know too much about her life, other than what I'd seen in Julie & Julia. I had seen her kitchen at the Smithsonian (the first time, because when we were there in March the exhibit was closed!), and wanted to know more.

The Plot: A very in-depth history of Julia Child's life.

What I Liked: I liked all of the context that is provided in the book. I really felt like we got to not only understand Julia Child's life but her feelings about her life and the feelings of the people in her life. There is so much detail that you feel like you are watching her live. I also love that she couldn't cook initially.

What I Didn't Like: This sounds pretty silly, but I wish there were more pictures. One of my favorite things about biographies are the pictures that hang out in the middle of the book that I can flip through. There are pictures at the beginning of the chapters though.

Do I Recommend It: Yes

Friday, August 10, 2012

Top Summer Reads: 5 to 1


Today we have the top 5 of my summer reads. They are new releases by authors I love, so it's no surprise I enjoyed them as much as I did.

1. The song remains the same, Allison Winn Scotch
My favorite part about this book was the look at music and how important it is in our lives. I also thought the characters were so well-written, as was their journey from beginning to end.

2. The next best thing, Jennifer WeinerI loved the look behind the scenes of producing a TV show. I liked how the main characters weren't perfect, too.

3. Another piece of my heart, Jane Green
This seemed like a very real situation, and one that is applicable to many people who have divorced and remarried. I thought looking at these relationships on that level was very moving.

4. Jeneration X , Jen Lancaster
Another hilarious memoir. I love her chapter on flying, because that is how I feel sometimes. I like how real Jen Lancaster is, and how easily I can relate to what she is writing about.

5. Spring fever, Mary Kay Andrews
I didn't start out loving Mary Kay Andrews' books, but this was one of the best. I loved the twist ending.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Top 20 Summer Reads: 10 to 6

In the mix today, we have almost all new releases--except for one memoir that came at the end of my "JFK era" phase, though it was also released recently.


6. I’ve Got Your Number, Sophie Kinsella
I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would--I thought the premise sounded kind of impossible, but it wasn't. I again loved the way technology is starting to become incorporated into novels.

7. Where We Belong, Emily Giffin
A look at motherhood, adoption, and figuring out who we really are. I liked this book a great deal, but it did not move to the top of my list of my favorite Emily Giffin books.

8. Sea Change, Karen White
This book felt a little darker than Karen White's other works, but still incorporated the history of the south and the spiritual elements that I love about her other books.

9. The shoemaker's wife, Adriana Trigiani
I liked Adriana Trigiani's take on historical fiction, because I love her other books. The love story spanned decades and continents.

10. Fairy Tale interrupted, Rosemarie Terenzio
A look at the friendship between JFK and his assistant, very moving.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Top 20 Summer Reads: 15 to 11

Today, we're back with books 15 to 11. Some of these are new summer releases, but others have been around and I'm just now finding them.

11. Promises to keep, Jane Green.
Anyone who isn't bawling their eyes out at the end of this book is crazy. One of Jane Green's first books set in Amercia (as far as I could tell).

12. Wife 22, Melanie Gideon.
This was a unique premise, about a woman who is completing an online marriage survey. It was a bit predictable, but I liked the way she incorprated technology (Facebook, texts, Google searches) into the book.

13. Eighteen acres, Nicolle Wallace A political thriller--I liked the way we had the perspective of three women and how the plot connected all of them.

14. Where she went, Gayle Forman A Young Adult book that is a sequel to If I Stay. I liked that the book was told by Adam's point of view this time, and how the events of If I Stay impacted him.

15. The Chaperone, Laura Moriarty
A new release--Since I am loving the early 1900s, with my recent obsession with "Downton Abbey," this was fun. It was an interesting take on a woman's life during this time and very unpredictable.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Top 20 Summer Reads: 20 to 16


My poor library account says "you currently have no books checked out." That is almost unbelievable, because I have always had books on hand this summer. So, to catch us up, I'm going to post five of the top 20 books I've read this summer each day this week. Here are my first five:

16: Between you and me, Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
The authors of The Nanny Diaries, oneof my favorites, are back with a book about family. And fame. And what happens when these two interact.

17: Wallflower in bloom, Claire Cook
Another book about families and fame. This was a fun read--I felt like I was watching "Dancing With The Stars."

18: Alphabet weekends, Elizabeth Noble
An interesting look at the start of a romantic relationship between two friends.

19: Savannah blues, Mary Kay Andrews
One of Mary Kay Andrews' older works, but it was fun to see the other side of the story (I had read the sequel before the original book).

20: Southern charm, Tinsley Mortimer
A look at life in New York City from the eyes of a socialite.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Reading Lists: Key West Picks

Sometimes, I am very similar to a small child. Most particularly when I travel long distances. In fact, I was whining at the Fort Lauderdale airport during our 2-hour layover (because we were soooo close) and Nathan turned on Netflix for me on the tablet, probably because my whining reminded him of a small child. (Except I wouldn't let a small child watch "Dawson's Creek," that's for sure.) But I was able to get a lot of reading in, and here are my thoughts on what I read during my summer vacation.

MWF Seeking BFF, Rachel Bertsche.

Lately I have been reading a lot of memoirs, and some of my favorite memoirs are the ones that are almost more like blogs. While I love reading about people who are famous, I also love everyday peole who have ideas and go with it, develop a following, and write awesome books. This is one of them--Rachel moves to Chicago with her husband but realizes that while she is not lacking in love, she is lacking a best friend, as they all still live in Chicago. She decides to go out on 52 friend dates in a year to get to know new people, and her book details these dates and the results. She also discusses the more scientific/pyscholgica/sociological parts of friendships. What I found most interesting in her discussion was that there are health benefits of having friends, the difference between husbands and wives and their outside friendships (men think of wives as best friends but women need other friends to be their best friends), and how facebook has impacted friendships since its existence.

Skipping a Beat, Sarah Pekkanen.

Yes, I did bawl my eyes out on the plane when I finished this book. (Of course, I did so subtley.) I had read Sarah Pekkanen's first book and loved it, so I requested the second one at the library. It tells the story of a marriage, falling in love and falling out of love, and how the marriage was brought back to life after her husband's heart attack. I loved it because it was full of emotion and all of the characters were likable and you wanted everyone to be happy in the end. But it was also a real-life perspecitve on love that is hard to come by--it's not a happily ever after you find in most chick lit, but a happily ever after that you find in real life.

The Secret Lives Of Dresses, Erin McKean

My friend Kaitlyn recommended this book to me a while ago, and my library request finally came through right before I left. The book is about a woman who comes home to take over her grandmother's vintage store, after the grandmother becomes ill. This experience, and the power of the stories behind the clothes, change her life and help her realize who she wants to be and who she has always been. I love the premise that everything has a story, not just people, and how interesting these stories can be and how much they can relate in our everyday lives and memories.

Hissy Fit, Mary Kay Andrews.

The first time I read Hissy Fit, in college, I hated it. But I found it in my last box of books from home and decided to give it another chance, as I have read most of Mary Kay Andrews' other books now and love them. I have no idea what I was thinking the first time I read it, because it is a perfect beach read for people like me who love all things houses, decorating, etc. There was romance and mystery, too, of course, and overall I recommend it as a perfect pool/beach/plane read.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Friday Fancies

It's been a while since we've had a Friday Fancies post, but here we go. It seems like Friday really is almost over, but I've been busy working on some long-overdue projects, including redoing my desk chair using this tutorial. (Thanks, Pinterest!) But I did "draft" a few links that I wanted to share, so it will just be short and sweet.

I just recently saw this commercial and it reminds me of my dad! But his additional warnings when I got my first subaru were about listening to the radio.

Some fun things were posted on facebook this week: Disney princess costumes and this blog post about being happy. I think I do all of those things, even though I do consider myself to be pretty happy.

Books I've finished this week: Girls In White Dresses, by Jennifer Close. All That Matters, Jan Goldstein.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Book Swap: My Thoughts On "Dune"

What I Liked

Reading Dune didn't feel like I was reading a book that was written decades ago. The major themes of the book are still relevant to today, particularly the environmental ones. I was most surprised at the dominance of woman characters in the book--Jessica is a strong character, both in personality and in status. I was also surprised by the nontraditional relationships between men and women shown in the book, particularly that of the Duke and Jessica. Because this was written in a time period where for many women, marriage was preferable to having a career (can you tell I've been watching "Mad Men" lately?), this really surprised me.

I also liked the character development--it seemed like there were a lot of characters, but there was always the opportunity to understand their motives, their inner thoughts, and their relationships with the other characters.

What I Didn't Like

I have to say that Dune was very hard for me to get into. I had actually already started reading Dune on our plane trip back from Europe, and just couldn't connect with the story. I also put off starting it again for the book swap--Nathan finished Gone With The Wind at least a month and a half ago, and I just finished Dune recently. However, once the action got started, I couldn't put it down.

Oh, and the Baron really creepd me out.

A Different Perspective

I think the only science fiction book I have ever read is A Wrinkle In Time. The main reason I don't read science fiction is that I have a bad imagination. I imagine practical things, so taking me out of reality and putting me in a world where I have to imagine planets and places and a completely different life is hard for me. Also, I don't understand why techonolgy we have now is not available in the future. (Though Nathan informed me that they explain this further in the later books.) Thus, Dune really took me out of my comfort zone. But once I was able to stretch my imagination, I found I really enjoyed the story.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Book Swap: Nathan's Thoughts On "Gone With The Wind"


What I Liked

I felt like Scarlett is a woman before her time, as she’s extremely independent and strong-willed, and unlike the women surrounding her, she’s not afraid to go after what she wants—something that seems to be a social no-no. When Scarlett applies herself, she can do anything she wants, as she’s clearly intelligent and has the drive to succeed. What she doesn’t care about, she completely ignores. As a character, it’s hard to not like Scarlett, because I found it fun to read along as she plows the various challenges life presents her. Her character’s flaw of not caring about things that don’t interest her (politics, the war, making friends with other women, and considering what other people think about her actions) further add to her challenges, as they all seem to be key ways of life in the South). Through her faults, we learn about the South’s general perception of events and provide a good reason as to why Scarlett is able to succeed in times when everyone around her is falling apart. I also really liked how Margret Mitchell was able to create a story where the South comes alive. She paints a picture of a wonderful place where everyone is happy, including many of the slaves, because they are part of an idolized society where the world is nothing but parties and having fun. And despite how terrible the idea of slavery is, I found myself thinking that the South was a wonderful place that ended up being ruined by the Yankees, and all because Mitchell does such a good job of making everything in the South appear as a noble pursuit filled with honor and a sense of justice. To be able to take an ideal that’s so wrong and make it seem to be right is truly impressive writing.

What I Didn’t Like

The one thing I didn’t like about Mitchell’s writing was how she would randomly switch character perspectives. One moment Scarlett would be having some type of inner dialogue, and then, someone else would begin talking—but you don’t know who it is until a paragraph later. The writing style provides a kind of flow as it goes along, but as I’m used to Sci-Fi and Fantasy styles (where there are many characters and everyone is typically identified before they start speaking), I find that change to be confusing. Maybe it was the overall length of the story (though this is shorter than many of the Fantasy books I read), but the story also seemed to bog down after Scarlett marries Rhett. I found myself wondering how two people who were so in love appear to drift apart so quickly. It’s as if the moment Scarlett puts Ashley in charge of the mill, Rhett gives up on them as a couple. After he’s waited so long, it seemed out of character to me, but that’s just my opinion.

A Different Perspective

Gone With The Wind is a certainly a book that’s “out of my wheelhouse,” in terms of genre, but I certainly enjoyed it. I don’t have any problem with reading fiction, but when I read, I prefer to take myself to somewhere that I can imagine something I’ve never seen or thought of before. With some fiction, I find that reading about the normal lives of people don’t provide the type of mental release I’m looking for reading. With Gone With The Wind, I was able to imagine the beauty of the South and follow along with the “adventures” of Scarlet, which made the book tremendously enjoyable.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

A Book Swap

In the dating world, not everyone gets what it is like to really, really, really love reading. So obviously, one of the first things I absolutely loved about Nathan was that he, like me, was (and still is) an avid reader. However, what we read is completely different. He reads, not exclusively but mostly, science fiction and fantasy. I read, well, basically everything BUT science fiction and fantasy.

Even though we don't read the same books, we can still talk about the books we're reading with each other in a general sense. But wouldn't it be more fun if each of us had more of a context of what the other was talking about? That's what we thought, too, and that's how we came up with a book swap: I would read a book chosen by Nathan and he would read one chosen by me. Here are the books we chose for each other and why we chose them. This week, we'll also both be sharing our thoughts on the book we read.

Whitney

Book Choice For Nathan: Gone With The Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

Why did I pick Gone With The Wind?
 I love Gone With The Wind. I can still remember reading it for the first time, and being in awe that I, like all of the characters in the book, was starting to hate the North. (Of course, not ACTUALLY, but that is the power of Margaret Mitchell's writing.) I also know that Nathan likes action and well-developed characters, and Gone With The Wind has both. It's also one of those "classics" that I think everyone should read, as it really sets the tone for the historical fiction genre.

Nathan

Book Choice For Whitney: Dune, by Frank Herbert

Why did I pick Dune?
First off, Dune is my favorite book of all-time, so I think it should be on almost anyone’s to-read list, if they haven’t read it already. Secondly, Frank Herbert is my favorite writer, and although not all of his works are masterpieces, in terms of plot, his ability to provide me with a sense of a character’s feelings and imagine how a scene looks is unparalleled with other Sci-Fi and Fantasy writers, in my opinion. Typically, Herbert is able to do so in only a few paragraphs, so the plot (which is a central to most Sci-Fi and Fantasy works) isn’t derailed by endless descriptions of landscapes and characters. In Dune, Herbert is able to combine the plot of a political thriller with a brilliant science fiction storyline that works in action, drama, and subtle mystery.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Library Love: Checked Out

Here are some books I've checked out lately, in case anyone is looking for new reading material.

Read:
Pretty in plaid : Lancaster, Jen 
Silver girl : Hilderbrand, Elin
Savannah breeze. Andrews, Mary Kay
Stories from Candyland. Spelling, Candy

To Read:
With a little luck : Crane, Caprice.
My fair lazy : Lancaster, Jen,
The bride will keep her name.Goldstein, Jan,
Girl in translation. Kwok, Jean.
All we ever wanted was everything. Brown, Janelle.
This is where we live. Brown, Janelle.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Oscar Week: Moneyball

Movie: Moneyball
Book: Moneyball, by Michael Lewis

Nominations: Actor In a Leading Role, Actor In a Supporting Role, Best Picture, Film Editing, Sound Mixing, Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

My Thoughts: This is a book I don't think I would have picked up on my own. We did watch the movie last weekend, and while none of my other "reviews" have been about the movie, I think that the story that is Moneyball, at least for me, was easier to understand while watching the movie rather than reading the book. Of course, I think the book goes into a bit more detail, but because I am not especially familiar with baseball recuriting, the movie details were hard enough for me to grasp. My favorite part of the story overall was that it mixed in Billy Beane's history with baseball with the story of the Oakland A's. And as always with real-life stories, I wished I knew the rest of the story once the book/movie was over, and I have to admit I was searching google and wikipedia to see what has happened since then. So, if you love baseball, sports, statistics, etc., I recommend the book, but if you're like me and are better at "visually learning," the movie might be better. I know, I, too, can't believe I typed that.