Book Journey

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on December 26, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)35 Comments

Happy day after Christmas!

This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. I offer a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling me how many you visited. **You do not have to have a blog to participate! You receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell me how many in the comment area.

This past weeks winner:

Deb Nance

WOO HOO!!!! Please choose an item out of the Reading Cafe Grab Shelves and email me your choice with your mailing address as well! journeythroughbooks@gmail.com

I hope everyone had a happy Christmas/Holiday/Weekend. I sure did. College Son has been all ours all weekend and that’s rare and nice. We watched movies, are WAY too much and had a great time. I thought I would put this post up last night like I usually do… but honestly – I just took a day off from the internet and the blog and being unplugged ….

was nice. 😀

As for what I read and accomplished this past week:

Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

Pumpkin Rolls recipe (so good!!!)

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (this time on audio!) – a little recap before the movie comes out!

The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman with giveaway!

Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell (not reviewed yet)

Two challenges hosted here – its not to late 😀 :

The 2012 WHERE Are You Reading Challenge (Map out where your books are from)

The 2012 Dystopia Challenge (care to give it a try? :D)

I did not get as much book time in as I had hoped but plenty of audio while cooking cleaning, gift wrapping, and tree assembly 😀

So this week I am hoping to clean up several books I have lying around that I would like to clean up before we go in to the new year. Because next week…. next week I am treating myself to a week of books I have waited too long to read!

However – I am adding a little audio to my week and here is what is either playing now… or playing soon:

“The murderer is with us–on the train now . . .”

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.

Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man’s enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again . . .

Ok…. perhaps a little cheesy, but I have never had the pleasure or reading or listening to an Agatha Christie book and I really wanted to do so before the end of 2011.

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can’t figure out if it’s for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father’s death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn’t answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

I read Hush Hush (the first in this set of books) over a year ago. It has taken me way too long to get to this one!

The biggest thing to happen to Skary, Indiana, is renowned horror novelist Wolfe Boone–or, “Boo,” as the locals fondly call him. For the past sixteen years, the reclusive writer has been the town’s greatest attraction, having unintentionally turned the once-struggling Skary into a thriving tourist-trap for the dark side: from the Haunted Mansion restaurant, famous for its “bloody fingers” (fries splattered with ketchup) to Spooky’s Bookstore (where employees dress like the walking dead).

But when a newly reformed Wolfe suddenly quits the genre and subsequently starts to pursue Skary’s favorite girl-next-door, Ainsley Parker, the little town made famous by his writings becomes truly horrified. Soon, a scheme is plotted to put the fright back into Skary–and get their most famous resident out of love and back into the thrill business.

I read Rene Gutteridge last winter and enjoyed her… now looking through the audio at my local library I find her again and this book is the first in a trilogy…. I am…. curious… 😀

So that I think is safely it. I want to go into 2012 really clean on half read books so my work is cut out for me this week 😀 I have so much to do this week with a year-end recap of what was great this past year, Challenge results, and a couple great challenges I am hosting myself. It all should be a good time. 😀

I look forward to seeing what you accomplished this past week. 😀 Add your post below where it says “click here”

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Also – be sure to check out the Middle Grade version of Its Monday What Are You Reading:

The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman (and giveaway!)

Published on December 24, 2011December 24, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)36 Comments

As per a well designed tradition, Marnie looks forward to the annual Christmas Cookie exchange with eleven of her dearest friends. The first Monday of December, every year… the ladies gather, coming from near and far with thirteen dozen cookies in cute containers… one dozen for each of the ladies in the group and an additional dozen to be given to a local nursing home, children’s group, or homeless program. Besides cookies they are to bring an appetizer to share and a bottle of wine.

Oh and there are a few rules….

No Chocolate Chip cookies… one year 5 people brought them
No bars, they stick to each other and crumble
No paper plates covered in Saran wrap and bows. Try carrying 12 paper plates filled with cookies.
No more than twelve women in the group
You can’t miss a year, if you can’t come, send your cookies or you forfeit your place. There are women waiting to get into the group
It’s always the first Monday in December. Put it on your calendar.
Bring a copy of your recipe for each person.

As each lady passes her cookies, as per tradition, they are to share the story behind the cookie. Is it traditional? Where did it originate from? Why this cookie?

And each year, more that cookie stories are shared as the evening moves on, there is laughter and tears, glorious triumphs over sickness, and heartbreaking confessions of loss and struggles. The Christmas Cookie Club is more than the sugary residue of cookies and scents of gingerbread… it is the bonding of friends through all else.

It’s no secret that I am not a fan of Christmas books. Mainly too fluffy, too over the top perfect, I am left with a sugary after taste that is not appealing. Yet, I am still drawn to covers and titles… and this one had me at both. 😀

Still… I entered this book cautiously reserving the right to stop reading if after a few pages I decided it wasn’t for me. And then I entered Marnie’s world… seeing a man she was hoping may be permanent, having two daughters – Sky who has tried and tried to have a baby and time after time the baby would not make it to term and today Sky would get news from the doctor about her current pregnancy. And then there is Tara, her daughter who became pregnant at 18, rebellious and young, jet black hair with blue chunks foiled in and due soon… not wanting to get married as that is soooo outdated, and seriously, what does that ensure anyway? Divorced due to a cheating husband, Marnie couldn’t argue with that…

Each chapter starts with a cookie recipe and then the story of one of the women, the one bringing that cookie. AND (also cool) the chapter end with the history of one of the spices in that said cookie, and that was interesting too.

I was actually quite impressed with the Christmas book. It was a nice read and not too overly sweet and neat and all tied with a bow. Lives are messy, and in Ann Pearlman’s book she reminds us that we all come with baggage…. broken people like a broken cookie…. are still a delicious treat to be with! 😀

I wish I would have started this book two months ago… then I would have had time to create my own Christmas Cookie Club. I love the idea of friends gathering over food, friendship, eats and wine. I love that each woman takes a turn to share the story of the cookie, but there is also conversations, and catching up. The whole thing… is awesome.

I am giving my copy of this book away! To enter this giveaway leave a comment here telling me your favorite cookie of the season. 😀 I will announce the winner Sunday morning and send the book as soon as I have the winners address.

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map has been updated to include The Christmas Cookie Club

I purchased this book from our local library book sale

Morning Meanderings… The Scrooge Fog Has Lifted!

Published on December 24, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)51 Comments

Good morning!

*BIG gulp from COFFEE Cup*

If you have followed me down this crazy count down to Christmas through the Morning Meanderings you may have noticed a few anti- Christmas bread crumbs…

I had not purchased any gifts. Lost in a “I don’t know what to buy” mode… I struggled with the fact that College Son wanted car tires (too big to go under a tree) and hubby has always been difficult in the gift department being more of the “just being together” family he has never fully understood my annual frenzy with gift giving.

I had not put up the tree. Yes, for the first time in my entire life…. we were close to going treeless. College son and I usually do this honor Thanksgiving weekend, but a hectic schedule at that time made it impossible and he returned to College and even though the tree sits in storage… I just never worked up the gumption to put it up. Then…. I justified this thinking my gift was already on the table from hubby – The Cricut which I picked out myself, tires for College son, and Navy son will not be here until the second week of January…. why bother? There will be nothing under it.

I am not the best Christmas person anyway. Holidays are hard for me. We have had a lot of loss in our family at early ages and honestly – doing the holidays without parents on either side, or siblings… can be downright depressing.

AND then…. after many Christmas parties these last couple of weeks, and baking for our office party…. slowly (ever so slowly…) I started to feel it. Earlier this week… I went shopping and accomplished all of it in the matter of a few hours. Justin (College son) had lunch with me yesterday and then we went and bought our groceries for the weekend, planning out movies we want to watch, board games we wanted to play. We actually went to Target looking for a new game but so many needed 4 or more players we started laughing and saying “stupid small family!” as there will be just the three of us and board games are not always Al (hubby’s) thing so it is usually just Justin and I.

The fact is though…. I was laughing and starting to plan. We went back to the Christmas department and I picked up a little three foot tree… lights already on it. We had decided this late in the game we were not going to put up the big 6 footer, decorate it to the hilt and then take it down in the next couple of days, so I went small. And it is a tree. 😀

So all that said – in honor of Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot, here are my pictures I present today.

Last night my friend Heidi and I went to the Last Turn and heard a local musician play some great music.

We had some time to spare in the checkout line at Wal-Mart so we decorated our tree with all our purchases while we waited. 😛

…and yes this morning I wrapped my gifts and put them under the tree which I threw on a few of our ornaments.

In a couple of hours Justin will be here for the weekend. SSSQQUUUEEEEE!!!! Today we will bake and hang out…. I have forewarned him we may listen to a little of Ready Player One on audio because I think he will love it. (I finally got him to read Hunger Games.

I need to put the finishing touches on a review I meant to go live yesterday but it did not happen! 😀 Then I am going to take a quick run to the store (I know.. I know) and just be sure we are ready.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!!

Morning Meanderings… Books and SNOW!

Published on December 23, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Good morning! 😀

I woke up to a powdered sugar dusting across our lawn. Yes, even as I type, I can look out the window and see it continuing…

yes…. snow.

I knew it was inevitable… however, looking at the weather forecast, it will be nothing more than this and then back to the mid 30’s and sunny throughout the weekend….

Updated: 8:32 AM CST on December 23, 2011

31° | 13°

34° | 23°

36° | 22°

40° | 22°

31° | 22°

As much as I am LOVING this… I know many of my friends are not as thrilled with the lack of snow… they are itching to get outside and kids want to go sledding and make snow men… for their sake (and man… I can’t even believe I am saying this) I hope they get it soon.

Ok that’s the snow part of this post and enough of that! I found a few books when I was checking blogs earlier that I would say are wish list worthy!

It’s a Waverly Life has such a fun cover and Danielle’s review of it over at Chick Lit Reviews and News sealed the deal for me!

Alison’s reviews (Alison’s Book Marks) usually impress me, so I wasn’t really surprised when her review of A Monster Calls by the wonderful Patrick Ness had me adding this one to the MUST be read. Seriously… you have to read her review.

Honestly, I find many reads at Helen’s Book Blog. When she reads books like these my mouth usually drops open as I wonder how she discovers these treasures!

Today I need to wrap some gifts, I am having lunch with College son, and need to pick up a few items for the weekend. It will just be the three of us, myself Al, and Justin for Christmas but I like small gatherings. We will make pumpkin rolls, watch movies, play board games, eat good things, and just enjoy one another. 😀

What are your Christmas weekend plans? Any books in the mix?

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (AUDIO LOVE!)

Published on December 22, 2011December 22, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

I am hoping that you all have experienced this fictional GREATNESS by now so my telling you about it would be a total waste of my time and yours…

but…

in the event that you have just entered to the planet earth after orbiting for the last few years I give you this:

Welcome to the Nation of Panem, the world after the final world war and now what is left is a world broke into twelve districts. Panem is a hard place to live, food is minimum, and each year a teenage boy and a teenage girl from each district is chosen to enter the Hunger Games… a televised arena (think Super bowl audience) of a fight to the death. Only one may stand as winner of the Hunger Games.

16-year-old Katniss Everdeen is the sole provider for her mother and young sister Primrose. They live in district 12 and this years Hunger Games are about to be announced. As district Twelve gathers to hear who will be chosen this year, the girl’s name is announced: “Primrose Everdeen.” Katniss feels her mind go blank as she watches her little sister, first year to have her name in the Games, and does what she knows she must do…

steps in place of her sister.

I read this book two years ago, even thought the synopsis freaked me out a bit. Kids fighting to the death? But the blogs were raving and I went in to the read cautiously… and never looked back.

Now, this coming March 2012 The Hunger Games will be a movie! (Insert SSSQQQUUUEEEEEE here 😛 ) and in honor of that, I thought it was time to explore Panem again, but this time around in audio. narrated by a fantastic Carolyn McCormick, it did not take me long to get back into the rhythm of the Hunger Games. In fact, while baking most of the afternoon and evening on Tuesday I listened to almost the whole audio in one listen! (It really was a lot of baking…)

It was nice to revisit this book and if you have not experienced this yet I recommend you take some time before the movie release and do so! Here is a little movie clip to get you motivated:

I purchased this audio from audible.com

Morning Meanderings… Pumpkin Rolls and Candied Pretzels

Published on December 22, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Author’s note: I started writing this post on Wednesday morning… while making a pear french toast bake for our office brunch party, trying to get the car loaded with the punkin rolls, white elephant gift, and pretzels, as well as get myself ready… I had to forfeit the post and RUN! Now… here it is a day late…. but I think worthy. 😀

Good morning! Flying by the seat of my pants here – I have my Pear French Toast bake in the over and am waiting for it to be done so can take off for our office party this morning. We are doing a breakfast brunch theme and yes, another White Elephant gift exchange (this will be my 4th this year – see Mondays post for more details on this 😀 )

Monday after working and shopping I was home at 4:00 pm and started cooking – 10 pumpkin rolls. Yes…. TEN. 😯 Always the optimistic, I tend to forget how much time things can take and about 10:30 last night… back aching, kitchen a mess, but happy as I was listening to Hunger Games on audio for most of my baking time…

I finished.

I think they look good and that is what I am giving my co workers this year. That, and two coated pretzel rods which I worked on when my oven was full of pumpkin loafs a baking.

I had first learned how to make a pumpkin loaf back when I worked at Wal-Mart. One of the guys there was wonderful at making these and every Christmas we could order them. When I left Wal-Mart, he gave me his recipe. Now here it is for you:

Pumpkin Rolls

you will need:

3 eggs

2/3 cup pumpkin (from a can)

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Filling:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp butter

1 8 oz package of softened cream cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper.
In a large bowl, beat eggs on high for five minutes. Gradually add white sugar and pumpkin. Add flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle walnuts evenly on top.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately turn out onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up in the towel, starting with the short end. Cool.
To Make Filling: Mix confectioners sugar, vanilla, butter or margarine, and cream cheese together till smooth.
Carefully unroll the cake. Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Dust with additional confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

So delicious! I used these for office gift giving. They also freeze well.

Then for fun, I made some candied pretzel rods. I melted chocolate, white almond bark, and caramel. I alternated between dipping in chocolate or almond bark, adding caramel, or rolling in crushed candy cane or crushed Reese’s Pieces.

In bookish news… I just finished Hunger Games on audio last night… awesome! AND I am about half way through the Christmas Cookie Club which is honestly… giving me ideas…. 😀

Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe (Two Thumbs Up!)

Published on December 20, 2011December 20, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

At age 15, Rob Lowe found himself as one of the first teen idols at a time when actors under the age of 20 were not a big deal. Young and naive Rob learned the hard way about life as a star and struggled through many movies in his early career days such as starting with a couple after school specials, then onto The Outsiders, Class, ST Elmo’s Fire, Young Blood, Masquerade, About Last Night, Wayne’s World, Tommy Boy, The West Wing, and Brothers and Sisters just to name a few.

Rob’s story is multi layered as he opens up Pandora’s box and shares the excitement of the first big break, to the pain of poor choices, bad publicity, and then finally… finding himself among the wreckage and pulling himself out.

The cover shoot of controversy - right before John Kennedys death

I came into knowing Rob in the mid 80’s. I would say if you were to ask me what he is known for I would immediately gush out something like “St. Elmo’s Fire!” (I don’t think I have ever even seen The Outsiders.) Basically, no, I was not a groupie. 😀

When this book came out I confess mild interest… I had heard through the years of his struggles with alcohol, but nothing that made me run out and grab the book. Then when I seen the audio was narrated by Rob, I was a little more interested, and finally went ahead and picked it up.

Here is what I expected from this audio:

Tales of a child star, movies and tv show connections, crashing and burning at an early age, how he pulled himself together, and a little info about his current life.

I did not expect:

Connections to powerful people at a very young age, long before he made a name for himself, painful revelations into his early acting career, behind the scenes play by plays to such movies as The Outsiders where most of Rob’s parts never make it to the screen, a loss of many friends to drugs at a young age, an incredibly life shattering experience and connection tot he events of 9-11, and a couple times where I just openly wept as I listened.

Never sounding braggy, or conceited, in a very calm and amazing narration, Rob Lowe shares the stories of his career. The early days of hanging out with the likes of Shawn and Chris Penn, Charlie Sheen and Emelio Estevez, this was his original brat pack.

His early childhood was one of hardships, parents were divorced by age 5, and his mom struggled with mental health issues…yet Rob finds himself in amazing situations! Once while doing a little theater he encounters a heart to heart talk with Liza Minneli and another time has a conversation with Tally Savalis.

While this may all sound like yeah, yeah, yeah…. stuff, when Rob gets into talking about the auditions surrounding the well known movie The Outsiders, you really feel for him. In great detail you hear about the painstaking readings of any part at random. How he struggled and eventually succeeded to get the part of Pony Boy, only to be shocked when he is not invited to a big pre screening and again when the movie is finally on the big screen and much of what he has done is cut out.

And Rob talks about death. It seemed to be all around him even at a young age. He names friends who overdosed, others – suicide. As Robb listed name after name I was amazed, and this follows him all the way through his life. At one point he talks about shooting for the cover of George Magazine, the magazine ran by his friend John Kennedy, after Rob had completed the shoot, John, his wife, and sister-in-law were on their way to connect with Rob when their plane went down… the rest… is history.

And story after story is like this. Through his struggles with addiction and eventually rehab, to scandals that cost him much, Rob is never finger-pointing, never accusatory. Instead, he is … humble. He is quick to accept his blame.

At times I laughed, Rob does a funny impression on Chris Farley (shoot, he does many great voices!) eating pieces of steak with butter on it, and at times I cried, when once again Rob shares the loss of yet another actor.

I can’t tell you how much this audio this moved me. I had no big crush on Rob as a teenager, if anything… I found him a little too pretty. I listened to this audio, myself being an outsider, I looked in to a soul that made me look around the room and wonder why I had not gathered friends to listen to this with me. This is an audio I want to share. It may very well be the best audio memoir I have listened to this year.

If you were a fan – or not, I HIGHLY recommend you treat yourself to this audio. Days after finishing it, I am still moved.

I picked this up from audible.com

Morning Meanderings… The Ultimate White Elephant Gift

Published on December 20, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Good morning. Still no snow here in Central Minnesota.

……………………………………

😛

Love that.

So… is just Minnesota… or is the “white elephant” gift party a big thing everywhere. Seriously, I have been to three of these so far this year.

If you are not familiar with the term, a White Elephant party is where you exchange gifts by rolling dice or drawing numbers, but the white elephant gift is to be one of those items you don’t want… something odd like a plastic football shaped bowl, an old t – shirt, plastic santa, a well used board game, funky socks, etc…

Well last night, I had the ultimate White Elephant gift! It took some maneuvering to get my hands on.

1.First… I called the girl who I thought was the holder of said item, Sandi.

2. She said she did not have it, her sister Kari did.

3. I called Kari in which I offered to buy said item from her…. she laughed and said I could have it, as she had two. Awesome! 😛

4. After work I drove out to Kari’s new house but could not find it house.

5. Called Kari and left a message, tried her husband Tim, called Sandi and left message

6. Drove back to my house.

7. Sandi returns my call and says I did not go far enough… so back I go out to find the house

8. Success! I find the house and then receive the item!

SO last night I am at the party and when my item is chosen by the unsuspecting Kelly…. I can’t wait! It is:

So what is “Go Girl?” It is an item for women to use to go to the bathroom with ease when they are camping… although the packaging also mentions, fishing, and concerts which concerts concerns me a bit… but I am not going to spend time on that one…LOL

There was a coveted item of the night which actually was not only a pretty sweet item for a White Elephant party, it got my mind thinking of what I could do with this… (I don’t have an actual pic of the item but here is the basic idea:)

My friend Kate, made something like this except it just said Kickasserole and it was etched in the bottom of a glass baking dish. When I asked her how she did this she said she used Glass Etching Cream. Well… needless to say I was fascinated! This cream, using vinyl letters etches the lettering into the glass. No kidding…. my head is swimming with ideas. 😀

Finally, you may be wondering what I walked away with….

It was this:

And I am keeping them as last week I cut myself on the paper cutter and needed a band aid bad! So this is just a smart item to have around. 😀

Do you ever do these crazy gift giving parties? Any funny stories?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on December 18, 2011December 18, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)63 Comments

This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

This past weeks winner:

MarthaE from Martha’s Bookshelf

WOO HOO!!!! Please choose an item out of the Reading Cafe Grab Shelves and email me your choice with your mailing address as well! journeythroughbooks@gmail.com

What a great week! I read and I listened to audio and well, for the first time in a long time I pretty much made it through everything I said I was going to read and listen to! 😀

My awesome week looked like this:

Bennys Angel by Laura Allen Nonemaker (A cute little story about Believing!)

Hometown Girl by Mariah Stewart (book tour and sweet read)

Bookies Book Club Christmas Party!

The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson (Bookies book club review and my threats to take out a character) 😯

Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch (wonderful audio memoir)

The first of my Secret BOOK Santa Gifts!

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night by Mark Haddon (oh, is that what the fuss was about all those years ago? LOVED IT!

I Am Ready To Answer Your Questions (opened up the blog to all your questions… and oh what fun questions were asked! 😛 )

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (what would you do if life as you knew it ended today? Fantastic read!)

Responses to your questions (you asked, I answered… on books, on life, on balance, on crazy things, and my dream spot!)

Maman’s Home Sick Pie by Donia Bijan ( a delicious read with a couple of recipes for you!)

See? Told you I had a great week! 😛 My audio time was awesome and my evenings were not as heavy this week so I got in some good reading time too!

Now – this week I thought I would have a little fun with my reading… tis the season and all that 😀

Every year at Christmastime, Marnie and her twelve closest girlfriends gather in the evening with batches of beautifully wrapped homemade cookies. Everyone has to bring a dessert and a bottle of wine, but this year, it’s their stories that are especially important. Marnie’s oldest daughter has a risky pregnancy. Jeannie’s father is having an affair with her best friend. Taylor’s life is in financial freefall. Rosie’s husband doesn’t want children, and she has to decide, very soon, the fate of her marriage.

On this evening, at least, they can feel as a group the impulses of sisterly love and conflict, the passion and hopefulness of a new romance, the betrayal and disillusionment some relationships bring, the joys and fears of motherhood, the agony of losing a child, and above all, the love they have for one another. As Marnie says, the Christmas Cookie Club, if it’s anything, is a reminder of delight.

This is the perfect week to read this one! Afterwards I am going to give my copy away 😀

All She Wants For Christmas Is…

If Amber Taylor doesn’t find a way home for Christmas, her mother is definitely going to disown her. Unfortunately, there’s no way she can afford to buy a plane ticket on her paltry salary. Luckily the universe obviously has her back. Why else would a single, drop-dead gorgeous actor suddenly show up on her doorstep and offer to drive her cross-country for the holidays?

A Happily Ever After…

Hunky Scott Cardoza was everything Amber desired in a boyfriend–except that he definitely had heartbreaker written all over him, which is why Amber promised herself that their road trip was going to be anything but romantic. Yet being cooped up in a tiny car for three days with the man of her dreams was turning out to be quite a challenge. Good things rules were meant to be broken…

Ok, a little out of my genre style but I picked this up at the library sale this fall and it is Christmas related… sort of… I think… maybe… 😯

A teen idol at fifteen, an international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at twenty, and one of Hollywood’s top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences as a painfully misunderstood child actor in Ohio uprooted to the wild counterculture of mid-seventies Malibu, where he embarked on his unrelenting pursuit of a career in Hollywood.

The Outsiders placed Lowe at the birth of the modern youth movement in the entertainment industry. During his time on The West Wing, he witnessed the surreal nexus of show business and politics both on the set and in the actual White House. And in between are deft and humorous stories of the wild excesses that marked the eighties, leading to his quest for family and sobriety.

Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last twenty-five years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable.

I have been listening to this one for a couple of days now and WOW… this is so much more than I expected – cant wait to review!

Hopefully, this one needs no introduction. Yes, I read this a couple of years ago, but now as the movie inches closer and closer I am going to treat myself to it on audio! 😛

Thats my week! I have a Christmas Party on Monday evening but other than that my evenings are free for the week! (Well… sort of… I still need to put the tree up, shop, figure out Christmas dinner…. LOL)

So what are you reading this week? ARE you reading this week? 😀 Cant wait to see so add your link below where it says Click Here!

Oh, and in case I don’t get another chance to say it to you this week… Merry Christmas. May your holiday be wonderful and full of good memories.

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Maman’s Homesick Pie by Donia Bijan

Published on December 18, 2011December 18, 2011 by Sheila (Book Journey)16 Comments

Donia Bijan grew up in a family that appreciated good food. Food to her was a language all of its own, it was used to celebrate as well as substantiate, is was used in times of great joy, and n times of sorrow. Growing up in Iran, Donia was surrounded by foods that were a part of her families life… loaves of bread were sliced in thick slabs and covered in fine cheeses and tomatoes, roasted duck, leg of lamb, homemade jams and fresh brewed teas were a breakfast staple. Her father, a doctor, would not have his family wasting money on foods they could buy on the streets when they could make their own mouthwatering delicacies better than any thing purchased. Her mother a nurse, would share her time between her family, the kitchen, and the hospital. Many childhood memories were in that kitchen as vegetables were cut for thick stews, and batters stirred for mouth watering baked goods.

Then in 1978 when the Islamic revolution threatened their safety, Donia’s family fled to California, where the food of then and now formed a bridge to the life they had left behind. Donia grew into a love for creating foods that created togetherness, and to her fathers disappointment (he wanted her to go into medicine) yet her mothers unending support, Donia took the steps needed to become the award winning chef she is today.

From the Persian world of her youth, to her new life in America this book walks up through Donia’s time at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris to apprenticeships in France’s three star kitchens, back to San Francisco where she opened her own now famous bistro.

Recipes I made this afternoon... Orange Cardamom Cookies and the Persian cardamom Tea

My review for Weekend Cooking hosted over at Beth Fish Reads:

For a girl who does not really like to cook, I sure do read a lot of cooking related books. 😀 Honestly that baffles me a bit too… but as I type this and really think about it, I am mesmerized by those who can cook…those who can take a table full of ingredients and create a master piece.

I don’t think it is so much that I do not like cooking, as I have yet to find the patience it takes to do it right.

From the moment I laid eyes on this book I knew I wanted to read it. It sounded like the just the type of story I enjoy reading. Donia family brings to the table a memoir of family and traditions, and foods that would make the strongest of readers salivate page to page.

Along side Donia’s story of growing up surrounded by an appreciation for fresh foods, and wholesome meals, she leaves us with trails of recipes sprinkled throughout the pages. While some looked delicious but I felt I was not skilled enough to put it to the test, others sounded down right doable, and I put my basic skills to the test today of placing ingredients together to make the delectable Orange Cardamom Cookies along side the Persian Cardamom Tea…

the results were delicious. I think I now know what is going into my Christmas goody bags…. 😀

Donia’s story is an incredible journey that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a wonderful memoir filled with a family that feels like you are sitting at their glorious table.

Orange Cardamom Cookies

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

grated zest of 2 oranges

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Beat butter in a bow with an electric mixer until it whitens. Add the sugar and blend well. Add teh egg yolk and orange zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt, cardamom, and poppy seeds. Once mixed, add to the butter mixture and mix until a dough like consistency.

Form the dough into two logs, roll in waxed paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a sharp knife, cut the chilled dough into 1/2 inch rounds and place on cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Bake 12 – 15 minutes until edges of cookie are golden brown. This dough will keep well in the freezer up to 3 weeks.

Persian Cardamom Tea

Bring kettle to a boil. Swirl some of the boiling water into teapot to warm it then dump water back into kettel. Measure 2 heaping teaspoons of Earl Grey tea leaves and 1 crushed pod of cardamom and place in tea pot. Add the boiling water to pot and let steep for ten minutes.

Pour a cup of tea and then pour tea pack into tea pot to to warm cup and to make sure color is even.