...for more Wordless Wednesday, check these out.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Bandit is One of Us!!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Musing Monday...Just Rest Over Here Awhile Little Book...I'll Be Right Back
Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post, from Rebecca at Just one more page, is about a random book.I’ve seen several bloggers mention reading multiple books this week. Do you frequently read more than one book at a time? Do you try to limit this to a certain number? Do you have different books for different purposes/topics?
Well, I would like to say that I only read one book at a time, because it sounds like the adult, mature thing to do. But I can't really. And I don't have the very acceptable excuse of having a book of poetry or essays that I am sort of reading on the side. You are not necessarily meant to read a book of poetry straight through are you? I don't think so. But novels...no, you can't use that excuse, so I just have to admit it.
For me, rather than having a couple of active books, maybe a book on the bedside and a book at work and a book next to my recliner, I tend to have an active book and a couple of inactive, sidelined books. Orphan books if you will.
Have you ever heard the quote, from JFK, that “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” Well, I feel like that about some of these inactive books. The big, popular best sellers have lots of people but some books are all alone...and I don't want to leave then all alone. So just sit over here, my little sidelined tomes, and I will come back to you.
Soon.
Really...
It may be a book I started and could not get into, or one I just did not feel like reading at the moment when I picked it up. And so it joins the inactive mini-pile. A pile that will be revisited at a near future day. Because, as I recently discussed in a comment on a blog elsewhere, I hate to give up on a book and as long as it is in the 'inactive' pile, I have not given up on it. You are not an orphan, just sort of sent off to boarding school for awhile.
As is true of many a reader of books, of many a person who loves books and has received countless hours of pleasure from reading, I greatly admire the people that have given me those books...the authors. I have said it before, but authors are my rock stars. I can only imagine all the work and love, yes, love that they have poured into their writing and to read a few pages and dismiss the book just seems so wrong. It's like telling someone their baby is ugly.
Granted, there are bad books, poorly written books, out there but usually, I blame myself rather than the book. That I just not in the mood for it at the moment...and so it goes in the inactive pile. That I don't want something so serious...light...real life...fantasy...whatever...at the moment, so I will come back to it. Right after I finish this great book that I am reading.
Really, I will! Really....
Maybe.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Pretty in Pink....Weekend Cooking
Today, I am in the mood for an easy, sweet treat, so here is a very nice cupcake recipe from one of my favorite Food Network cooks, Giada De Laurentiis. Of course, the glaze is pink, so it will be perfect for a little girls birthday, to celebrate the first day of Spring or your next tea party. But if you look carefully at the photo, you will see that I actually made them at Christmas, because they are delicious whatever the time of year.Now, the recipe calls for making them in mini-cupcake pans but personally I used regular cupcakes liners and a regular cupcake pan and baked them about 3-4 minutes longer than the recipe calls for.
Mascarpone Mini Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze
Prep Time: 15 min
Inactive Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Ingredients
* 8 ounces mascarpone cheese (about 1 cup), softened
* 2 egg whites
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1 box white cake mix
* 1 cup water
* 1/3 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and drained
* 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
* Special equipment: 4 mini muffin tins and 48 mini muffin paper cupcake liners
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the mini tins with paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, egg whites and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, beat the ingredients until combined and creamy. Add the cake mix and water and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Fill the mini cups to just below the rim and bake until puffed and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly in the tin then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack.
Meanwhile, puree the strawberries in a blender or small food processor. Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Pour in the strawberry puree and whisk until smooth. Top the cooled cupcakes with the strawberry glaze. Let the cupcakes sit for a few minutes for the glaze to firm up, then serve.
This is my contribution this week to Weekend Cooking. Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.Friday, February 5, 2010
a review of "The Pure in Heart" [10]
The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill(The Overlook Press, ISBN 978-1-58567-928-7)
Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler is back in this, the second in the series, and a very worthy follow up to the first, "The Various Haunts of Men", it is. As the book opens, Simon is on vacation in Venice, pursuing his other great love in life, his drawing, and trying to deal with the events that concluded the first book. Then a phone call from his father convinces him to fly home at once. His younger sister, a extremely severely handicapped young woman, appears to be on the verge of death. His father, in his ever charming way, say that if he wants to see her alive, he better come at once.
But as this is not enough for Simon to deal with, he arrives back just as a terrible crime comes to light. A young boy has disappeared as he stood at the front gate of his house, waiting for his ride to school. There are no witnesses, no clues, seemingly no avenues of investigation to follow, just a family left behind, a family that is falling apart in front of our eyes.
And lastly, in a third story line, there is a young man, an ex-con just released from prison, who wants to go straight, but is being pulled back, from every side, back into a life of crime.
In the first book in the series, The Various Haunts of Men, we were introduced to Simon and a few members of his family but actually did not find out a great deal about our chief inspector. In this book, we learn a great deal more about the family and come to realize that some of our first impressions may have been mistaken. Not everyone is the person we may have first thought, for good and bad. But I must say, where as in the first book I was not that fond of Simon, he is starting to grow on me as we learn more about him. He is certainly not with out his flaws, but we start to see them is some perspective and see why he is the man, and police inspector, that he is.
And then there is our central crime. This is a very character driven book, at times the plot taking a slightly secondary role even, which may leave a few mystery readers a little wanting. I just warn you that if you are one who wants everything all neatly tied up by the last page, you may not be happy. This seems to be a characteristic of this series, to leave us with questions, to leave us wondering a bit...perhaps questions to be answered in the next book.
But if you are a reader who wants to really get into the middle of a crime, really into the mind of those involved, this is a series you will like. As in the previous book, different chapters are written from the various points of view of different characters and I must say, for example, that getting inside the thoughts of the mother whose son had disappeared was so very well written and so truly heartbreaking.
This book could, I suppose, be read as a stand alone, but really I think this is one series best read in order for maximum enjoyment. I found this a compelling read, one of those books you really feel you are a part of, with characters that seem more like real people than just words on a page.
Of course, I already have the third in the series in my greedy little hands, to continue on the journey.
Again, thank you to my local library for the loan of this book
Thursday, February 4, 2010
a review of "Payment in Blood" [9]
Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George(Bantam Books, ISBN 0-553-05701-4)
At the Scottish manor house of Westerbrae, in the middle of a winter storm, a group of theater folk from London have gathered to rehearse for an upcoming new play. The author, the actors, including several that are national legends, the wealthy, powerful producer and the small staff of the house are all gathered, isolated by the extremely remote location and the terrible weather. So when, the next morning, the beautiful playwright is found brutally murdered, there is no question but that the murderer is still there in the house.
Local police arrive, but within hours, for reason that are not immediately clear, Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley and his assistant, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers are called in from London to take over the investigation. Under the circumstances, this is very unusual and it seems that there may be something else going on here besides a simple murder investigation. Soon Lynley realizes, not only must he attempt to solve this crime and find the murderer, but he must also try to figure out what other issues are in play here and how his own career may be in jeopardy. Luckily, he is not alone but accompanied by his friend, forensic scientist Simon Allcourt-St. James and DS Havers. In this, the second book in the series, Havers and Lynley have been working together for 15 months and not without problems. For Havers, almost all
"life's central problems- from the crisis in the economy to the rise in sexual diseases- all sprang from the class system, fully blown and developed, a bit like Athena from the head of Zeus."
Especially since her boss is not only Scotland Yard Inspector Lynley but is also Lord Lynley, the eighth Earl of Asherton, this has caused some problems in their working relationship. Still, it seems she is starting to warm up to him....and he will be very happy that she is watching his back.
"Barbara heard Lynley laugh, saw him lean against the car, fold his arms, and take a moment to engage the group in friendly conversation. How like him, she thought. He's had all of three hours sleep in the last thirty-three, he's facing the fact that half of his world may be as good as in ruins, and still he takes the time to listen to children's chatter. Watching him with them- fancying from this distance that she could see the lines of laughter round his eyes and the quirky muscle that crooked his smile- she found herself wondering what she might actually be capable of doing to protect the career and integrity of a man like that
Anything, she decided, and began her walk to the Tube."
In a way, this book has two very distinct parts. The first, when all are isolated in the manor house, and the police interviewing all the suspects, has almost the feel of an Agatha Christie mystery. Unfortunately, not one of Christie's best, since George is not quite able to pull it off. There is a large and rather confusing cast of characters, all introduced at once, with connections that are not always clearly explained. With that many people, I think it is very important to clearly paint each person and that does not happen. For example, at one point I realized that we did not get a physical description of a major character until page 130, but which point I was rather confused by the whole cast.
The second half of the book, when the investigation moves back to London and out to various part of the countryside, improves, but I am afraid for me it was a bit too little, too late. I was still interested enough in who had committed the crime to soldier on to the end of the book but it was a rather long and wordy path and I admit I skipped over some bits.
On the other hand, the series introduces an appealing cast of characters in Lynley, Havers and St.James, with an interesting and rather unusual relationship that I would like to check out in another book in the series. So while I can't say that I loved this book, for that reason alone, I have not given up checking out another.
As an aside, I first became aware of this series from watching a few DVDs of this series which played on British TV. Which I enjoyed a good deal and may also be another reason I be willing to try another one of the books. But what I find so interesting is that the actors in the TV version have NO similarity to how the characters of Lynley and Havers are described in the book. St. James actually changes gender, being portrayed as a woman in the TV version, which totally changes the friendship with the Inspector. I just hate when they do that and I just wonder why they do it....
Any other readers of this series out that that might have a different opinion?
My thanks to the local library system for the loan of this book.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Little Prince Bandit Celebrates Bandit Day!!
Oh, I Wanted a Tour!!
Seriously, do you think they give tours. It looks like great fun!
My thanks to Letters on Pages for this one.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Musing Monday...and Why I Have Lust in My Heart.
Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post, from Rebecca at Just one more page, is about a random book.Go to your bookshelf and pick a random book. No cheating now, just reach out and pick one. Now tell us about it – where did you get it? Why? Was it a gift? Does it hold any special memories? Did someone recommend it to you? etc.
Go...let's see...and the winner is...The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The Hobbit is a favorite book, certainly one of Tolkien's that I love. It is a wonderful introduction to the Shire and the world of hobbits, and, let's face it, a lot more accessible than the much more complex Lord of The Rings. LoTR Lite perhaps.
Now this particular edition is not the first that I owned. In fact, my original copy, that I read in high school, was a paperback and I still have it. I also still have my original three book paperback edition of LoTR. But I always wanted a better copy, a really nice copy. So for years I used to look at the lovely editions put out by the Easton Press. Acid free paper, sewn pages, leather covers, gold edging, moire endsheets, lovely illustrations. Then one day, a few years ago, I sprung for it and bought the 5 volume set, with The Hobbit, the three volumes of the Lord of The Rings and The Silmarillion. Since then I have gone on to buy a few more Easton books, usually on eBay, just because they are so very nice.See, this is why for people like me, people that 'suffer' from the book sickness, the e-book will never fulfill our book lust. And that is what it is...book lust. A book that I really love, I need to own. For the best of the best, I want to own a really nice edition. A nice hard cover, maybe with some beautiful illustrations, a book that will exist long after you and I have given up the ghost, "when we have shuffled off this mortal coil", as my buddy Hamlet said.
For those everyday, ordinary books that past through our lives and, while entertaining, will soon be forgotten, a paperback, a book borrowed from the library, is fine.
But special books, loved books, deserve special editions.
"O yes my precious, very nice."
Saturday, January 30, 2010
A review of "Tamales" [8]
Tamales by Daniel Hoyer(Gibbs Smith, ISBN 978-1-4236-0319-1)
I love tamales. Take me to a Mexican restaurant and I am scanning the menu, looking for my tamales. But if your only tamale experience is the offerings of the local eating place, well then I think you experience is very limited. A pork..maybe a chicken...tamale, but that is it. Delicious...but sometimes we want more. Different fillings...different sauces, all wrapped in a delicious masa corn filling, steamed to lovely doneness. So I realize, to find that variety, I must strike out on my own and how happy was I to have receive a book for Christmas that will become my guide!
Every tamale has three basic parts. First, there is the corn exterior, made with a thick corn batter, the masa, and Mr. Hoyer thoroughly explains a couple of different techniques in making it. He explains what equipment you will need and what ingredients, all very well illustrated with beautiful photographs. We then go on to fillings and the variety offered in this book is impressive. Yes, a spicy pork is included but there are also beef, chicken, shrimp and a very nice variety of vegetarian options like Sweet Corn, Poblano Chile and Cheese, Black Eyed Peas and Mushroom, Roasted Peppers and Poblano Chile Tamales. Included in the book is also a whole chapter of sauces for your tamales from a quick Salsa Verde to a rather complicated but doable Oaxaca Style Black Mole.
Finally, there is a chapter on sweet tamales, made with a sweet masa and with fillings like Mexican Chocolate and Almond and Pineapple and Coconut. On my, that sounds tasty. Who knew?
Now, I have not made any of the recipes in this book yet but it looks like a very good tamale guide from what I can see. It is very clearly written and very informative about the whole subject. It is full of great photographs, not only of the finished product but of some techniques as well, helpful for we novices in things like tamale folding. And the variety of recipes is impressive.
I am off in search of a few chiles and some corn husk wrappers and I will soon be steaming me some tamales!
Any experienced tamales makers out there?
Any favorite recipes, any helpful hints?
Don't be shy, speak up before I screw them up and break my heart in disappointment. ;-)
This is my contribution this week to Weekend Cooking. Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.Friday, January 29, 2010
J.D.Salinger 1919-2010
No doubt you may have read the news. Another one of the cultural icons of my youth, J.D Salinger, has died, having passed away this Wednesday at his New Hampshire home. He was 91.Some of you may have been surprised that he was still alive. He had not published anything in many, many years, was rarely seen in public and had become quite the recluse. And, if any number of the stories about his personal life are true, was a rather strange man. A man that wanted his publisher to remove his photograph from the book jacket of his very famous novel because he was sick of looking at himself. A writer who had not published anything since 1965, having told a reporter once that "There is a marvelous peace in not publishing. Publishing is a terrible invasion of my privacy. I love to write for myself and my own pleasure." Still, I think fans can be forgiven for almost being overcome with the thought that the rumor that he has been writing all these years and has stacks of unpublished material that his estate may someday now let see the light of day may, in fact, be true.
Of course, Salinger is most famous for his novel, the coming of age story of Holden Caulfield, 'Catcher in the Rye'. And while I read it and most likely enjoyed it, it will not be for Catcher that I remember Salinger. No, I was all about the Glass family, the major subject of his writing, explored in 'Franny and Zooey' and 'Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters' and in several of the stories in 'Nine Stories'. Which along with his one novel, 'Catcher in the Rye" is pretty much the total sum of everything he published. To quote an article today in the L.A.Times, "For all that "The Catcher in the Rye" made him famous, "Franny and Zooey" is Salinger's masterpiece, an evocation of loss and longing within the bonds of family. Composed of two novellas, it introduces the youngest members of the Glass family, about whom Salinger would devote more than half of his published work.If you aspire to be a serial killer, of course, you must have your copy of 'Catcher in the Rye' on hand, but I think if you really want to understand Salinger and read his best work, get your hands on a copy of 'Franny and Zooey'. If you have never read it, I think you have a great pleasure ahead of you.
The Glasses are a New York creation, theatrical but also intellectual, middle class but bohemian at the same time. They talk and fight like immigrants, but they pursue esoteric pursuits, most notably Eastern philosophy and Buddhism, like members of the leisured elite.
In a sense, this was reflective of Salinger's experience; growing up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the son of a Scotch-Irish mother and a wealthy Jewish father, he had a foot in several worlds. Yet more to the point, the Glasses offered Salinger a wide lens through which to look at the intersection of mystical and secular culture, at the satisfactions of the spirit and of the flesh."
Thursday, January 28, 2010
a review of "The Various Haunts of Men" [7]
The Various Haunts of Men- A Simon Serrailler Mystery
(The Overlook Press, ISBN 978-1-58567-876-1)
Angela Randall, a solitary, middle-aged woman, disappears one day while on her morning run and largely go unmissed. Her boss goes to the police after several days, to report that she has not shown up for work, but there is no sign of anything criminal, so the police do not seem to think it is worthy of much investigation. There is one oddly, that it appears she had purchased a number of very expensive gifts for some unknown man, but that too prove a dead in and the police shortly move on to more important matters. Except there is something about the case that DS Freya Graffham can not let go.
Freya is new to the force in Lafferton, a rather charmingly portrayed cathedral town, having moved there from London after her divorce, looking for a new start in her personal life and in her career in the police department. She has a sense that there is something more going on with the disappearance, but she is not successful in convincing her superiors, including Inspector Simon Serrailler, until a second...and then a third...woman disappears. Then it is impossible to ignore the fact that there is some terrible evil going on in their quiet town.
This is the first in what is now a four book series, and while it is called a "Simon Serrailler Mystery", in fact Simon plays a rather minor role in this book. Freya, and the charming DC Nathan Coates, are at the center of this story. In fact, Simon's sister, Dr. Cat Deerborn plays a larger role than he does, since several of the missing people have ties to her medical practice. Most of what we come to know about Simon in this first installment in the series comes from what his sister and brother in law and parents reveal rather than directly from Simon's role. This is a very character heavy book...which is just up my alley...so I can only assume that the smaller role of Simon in this book is intentional. An intention that becomes clearer, I think, with the surprising ending to the story. What happens in this story will not end with the last page of the book but will continue to form our view of the interesting, and not totally likable, character of Simon Serrailler.
We see the events play out from several points of views, through the eyes of the victims, the police and even the killer. There are a number of storylines going on, and even though my sister-in-law though a few loose ends were left hanging, I thought the author did a fine job of tying it all together. The identity and motive of the killer, when finally revealed, may not be a total surprise, but without question the ending is truly shocking. And in my opinion, quite excellent.
This is an intelligent, very well written, police procedural and I know that, without question, I will be checking out the other three books in the series. An engrossing, very entertaining read that I would give a strong recommendation to.
My thanks to the free county library system for this one.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Bandit is a Traveling Fool.
Of course, I mean fool in the nicest way, 'cause Bandy is nobody's fool.
Here he is in his little travel bag, ready to go wherever you want to take him.
Here he is in his little travel bag, ready to go wherever you want to take him.
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