How am I doing on my "to read" list for summer/fall?

- Revolutionary Road, Richard Yates
- A Reliable Wife, Robert Goolrick
- The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
- Canadians, Roy MacGregor
- Daughter of Fortune, Isabel Allende
- My Life in France, Julia Child
- Julie & Julia, Julie Powell
- Making a Literary Life, Carolyn See
- The Food Revolution, John Robbins
- Possession, A.S.Byatt
- The Tenth Gift, Jane Johnson
- The Post Office Girl, Stefan Zweig
- Hey Nostradamus, Douglas Coupland
- After the Crash, Garth Turner
- Europe Through the Back Door, Rick Steves
- The Hotel New Hampshire, John Irving
- Life is a Verb, Patti Digh
- 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, Gail McMeekin

Hmmm...not so good. I had ambitions of doing a lot of reading while we were on our trip, but that didn't happen at all. I didn't even crack the spine of a book, much less make any real headway on the list.

I'm home sick today from work, meaning that I will have been out of the office for two full weeks by the time I return tomorrow, assuming I a) no longer resemble a chipmunk (I am less chipmunky than yesterday) and b) the prescription painkillers and antibiotics combo no longer makes me want to barf up anything I ingest.

Have I mentioned that I HATE teeth?

I'm starting to think about packing and our upcoming move and as my eyes drifted over the ridiculous amount of stuff that we have accumulated during our nearly two years in this apartment, they came to rest on my bookshelf. Formerly the home of 8 books. Now the home of many, many books. And, after my last trip to Canada, many, many more.

What is with my obsession with books?

Even before moving to the Rock, I was an Amazon junkie. I'd buy books constantly, anxiously await their arrival, devour them, and then put them on the shelf. Like art. I love the way books look, all lined up in neat rows. And if you ever set foot in my parents' house, you'd see that I come by it honestly. They actually have an entire room devoted to books, along with built-in bookshelves all over the house, all of which are filled with just about every type of book you could think of. Every time I go home, I do a tour and grab whatever I want...it's awesome.

So, after lugging another 11 books home, here is what my "to read" list currently looks like:

- Revolutionary Road, Richard Yates
- A Reliable Wife, Robert Goolrick
- The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
- Canadians, Roy MacGregor
- Daughter of Fortune, Isabel Allende
- My Life in France, Julia Child
- Julie & Julia, Julie Powell
- Making a Literary Life, Carolyn See
- The Food Revolution, John Robbins
- Possession, A.S.Byatt
- The Tenth Gift, Jane Johnson
- The Post Office Girl, Stefan Zweig
- Hey Nostradamus, Douglas Coupland
- After the Crash, Garth Turner
- Europe Through the Back Door, Rick Steves
- The Hotel New Hampshire, John Irving
- Life is a Verb, Patti Digh
- 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, Gail McMeekin

And still, my virtual Amazon shopping cart is full and ready to be checked out. I'm doing everything within my power not to give in, since I've got an expensive few months ahead of me but seriously...it's hard. I crave new books almost as much as I crave Baskin Robbins peanut butter and chocolate ice cream.

Books make me happy. I'll let you know which of the above are worth checking out.

It's almost noon and I'm still lounging around the house, looking a bit "unkempt" (my hair is a disaster these days - haircut booked for August 2), and feeling a bit lazy. I don't feel unproductive though, because I just finished July's Book Club book and now I'm ready to discuss it with the ladies this week over some wine. Verdict? I liked it. It was a heavy read - easy TO read, but difficult to take in. Mostly because many of the stories are written by women who are still serving their sentences, so you finish reading these experiences that I, for one, can not even begin to imagine, and then you start wondering about then and realize how flawed the justice system is. Which is pretty much the reason behind me finishing my criminal justice degree early and opting to do a double major in political science, to get away from the feeling of hopelessness that comes from reading or learning about the people in the system, not just the crimes.

Sad. Good book. Light summer reading? Definitely not!

Up next?

Title: The Non-Runner's Marathon Guide for Women by Dawn Dais

This will either inspire me or convince me that I'm insane to even think about doing this. I'll let you know.

Seriously...after an awesome weekend last weekend, I had high hopes for this one. These were taken care of today when we both woke up snippy, grouchy and just generally feeling blah. Despite a gorgeous day and a decent night of sleep. I suppose that happens sometimes.

We went to one of our favorite restaurants for a light lunch and for a little drive and really accomplished very little besides that. Oh well. There's always Sunday.

Some friends back home have mentioned that their employers, in an attempt to cut costs, have offered staff 4 day work weeks at a pro-rated salary. Interesting. On one hand I'd say no effin' way am I giving up a day's salary. ON THE OTHER HAND...I would love a standard Wednesday off. Who wouldn't? I could handle two day work weeks. Especially if I had kiddos running around, since it's unlikely that I will be able to be home with them otherwise, especially if we happen to live here, in the land of the $8.99 cereal.

In other news...I am devouring a fantastic book by a fantastic (and Canadian!) naturopath, Dr. Natasha Turner. She is brilliant. I ordered her book, The Hormone Diet, to see if it would give any tips on how to reduce cortisol levels, since I suspect that both Kurt and I are suffering from some fairly extreme stress, just with everything that has been going on, etc. Anyways, it's a really interesting book, VERY well researched and well endorsed by medical professionals from all over, and it's already given me some very good insight on other things I've dealt with, health-wise, throughout my life. Fascinating stuff, and a really easy read. It has a slight slant to the weight-loss side of balancing hormones, but is generally about achieving total wellness...and who doesn't need a little of that? Highly recommended.

Title: Couldn't Keep it to Myself: Testimonies from our Imprisoned Sisters
Author: Wally Lamb (other titles include 'She's Come Undone'...one of my all-time faves)
Why am I reading this? Book Club book for July.

Basically, Wally Lamb started a writing group at York Correctional Institution and assembled various submissions into this book, wrote a wonderful forward, and then let the stories speak for themselves.

Verdict: Only a third of the way through at the moment but so far...it reminds me of some of the stuff I read during the final two years of my criminology degree. But with far better writing. Wally's touches are everywhere but the stories stay true to the women's voices, which I like. They don't talk so much about their offences...it's more about their lives, both inside and outside the prison walls. Good stuff.

Tonight I had my very first book club meeting, since my VERY first book club meeting in Ottawa which also turned out to be my last because the book club seemed to kind of disband shortly after I joined. I've always liked the idea, but was always just a little bit intimidated by the idea of discussing books after I've read them. It's not that I have nothing to say, but I wonder if there is some big message or theme to the books that I've totally missed. And then to have to have that "OH!" moment AT a book club meeting? Hmmm. Awkward.

However, I had nothing to fear. My first book with them, The Piano Teacher, pretty much left all of us with the same taste in our mouths. Great book. Easy read. Entertaining. BUT...it ended too abruptly and some of the chemistry between the characters seemed to be a little off, and none of us were sure if it was supposed to be off, or if it just wasn't written that way. Anyways, it was a success. Our next book is Katherine by Anya Seton, so I'll get started on that this weekend.

I'm always on the lookout for suggestions for my next read. We have a somewhat limited existence here, so I rely a lot on Amazon reviews, other people's blogs (a.k.a. Heather's), and my instincts. Mostly, I end up happy. Veganomicon, my current favorite book (I read cookbooks like regular books), was a purchase based solely on an Amazon 5-star rating, along with photos taken by vegans and omnivores worldwide of the amazing feasts they'd made using the book. I was happy. It was worth it. The novels I've read so far this year have either been "classics" or had come highly recommended by the same rating system and so far...so good. With the exception of Atonement, which I KNOW everyone seems to love, but which I have now read twice and finished, both times, less than enthused about.

Every time I get on a plane, which is actually pretty often, I buy a new book for the trip. There is no rhyme or reason to my choices for airplane reads, but it's one of the little rituals I look forward to, now that air travel itself has lost all appeal to me. Though, I have to admit that because I live here, airport shopping has now reached a whole new level. Back in October, I purchased a copy of Eat, Pray, Love at Costco for $9.99. I'd read reviews, but it was still fairly new, and so difficult to judge based on those alone. I decided to save it for the trip (my move), and put it inside my carry-on suitcase so that I wouldn't be tempted to start it before leaving. By the time I left, the book had gained serious popularity. It was like some sort of phenomenon...the reading of which famed to be some sort of life-changing experience. I was excited to be reading it at such a critical point in my life and hoped, somewhat näively, that I would glean something profound from it. I opened it the second I'd gotten settled in aisle 12D and dug in.

I'm all for trying new things, and I'm also constantly on the lookout for new cookbooks to keep me interested in cooking and all things kitchen-related. This usually works, though some work better than others.

Last December, I purchased a copy of Veganomicon. I bought it based on Amazon reviews (five stars, across the board), and because I was looking for more vegetable-based entrées. I ordered it through a local bookstore and it arrived a week later, hot off the press. Apparently, the vegan crowd was all over it once it was released and it's been tough to get your paws on ever since...though I think it's now been printed again and you can probably find it easily. Kurt was a bit standoffish at first...he had no love for the Veganomicon. But I decided to dive right into it and try and wow him with vegan goodness. And all I can say is...

I have never been more impressed with the results of my cooking. One recipe in particular, chickpea cutlets, has become a staple in our weekly diet and I have it memorized. The cutlets, made out of crushed chickpeas, breadcrumbs and vital wheat gluten (sorry H, though I'm sure the recipe could be modified), are super easy to make, and are one of Kurt's new favorite things. Mine too. Topped with a bit of local habanero jam - or anything, really - they are a fantastic new face for the space on your plate formerly inhabited by meat. Other faves are the samosa-stuffed baked potatoes and the corn, edamame and sesame salad. I am in love.

23 days ahead of schedule, I finished Lolita tonight at the driving range, while Kurt was practicing his swing. I have to say...it was a pretty great read.

I have always been a reader. When I was a kid, I was a certified bedtime abuser. In that, though I did have an actual bedtime when I was told to turn off my lights and go to sleep, I became a seasoned expert on determining the likelihood that my parents would check on me after that point and, if the coast was deemed clear, would find a way to read for hours past the point where I was supposed to be asleep. I guess I was also kind of a night owl. Looking back, and considering how much sleep I seem to require now to get through the day with any pretense of being alert, it's quite amazing how little sleep I functioned on as a kid.

Even from the early days of enjoying the grammatically incorrect Go Dog Go* (clearly translated directly from Japanese, and quite obviously not by someone who spoke English), I always loved books. The first "chapter book" I ever read, with Mom's help, was Charlotte's Web, followed closely by Little House in the Big Woods. After that, I was hooked. I found books at garage sales, the local library (though I was terrible at remembering to return them), under the Christmas tree or wrapped up for my birthday. I had a huge floor-to ceiling bookshelf in my bedroom, where I carefully sorted them not by author or subject, but by how much I liked them. If I was going to read it again, it went to the top shelf. The ones I would use as trading material with my sister (though I did have a winning sales pitch) went to the bottom. They moved houses with me, went on trips, got lost and then found, and took me on adventures I still think about, from time to time. I loved them...and still do.

Throughout my teenage years, the late-night reading was swapped for late-night phone calls and my books, so treasured in previous years, remained for the most part on the shelf. I bought the odd one here or there for a trip, and used them as excuses when I didn't feel like doing homework, but it became much less of a valued way to spend my time. When teenage drama gave way to the harsh reality of textbooks which cost more than the course I'd purchased them for, all of the allure of reading was lost to me. After spending hours studying, highlighting, reading, and then re-reading (because so much of my first degree made absolutely zero sense), the idea of picking up a book at the end of the day could not be more unappealing. Drinking was obviously a much better use of that time. Or sleeping, for that matter.

Now, two years out of university, I've started to miss my books. I've spend a lot of time collecting cookbooks, but real, actual, sit-down-and-read-me books had completely fallen off the radar until very recently. It's not that I haven't read anything at all over the past few years, but most of the reading I've done hasn't been fiction. I love fiction. So, in an effort to get back to being that sneaky book-loving kid of the past, I've made my second New Year's resolution for 2008 (the first being my budgeting/saving goals). I'm going to read at least one book each month for the entire year.

This doesn't sound hard. In fact, it sounds ridiculously easy, but I know that things come up and because I know I will quit my resolution at the smallest sign of failing, I made failing virtually impossible.

In order to kickstart my resolution, and to inspire me, I have stocked my bookshelf with a selection of books that I have always meant to read, but never got around to for whatever reason. I figure that at my age I should have read at least a few of the classics, so I'm starting with those. I finished my first book, Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility, tonight (which was obviously started in 2007, so I won't be cheating and counting it as my January book) and it felt great. It helped that it happened to be a great book. Next up is Lolita.

It feels good to be reading again. Instead of spending the hours between dinner and bed mindlessly surfing the internet, maybe I'm actually doing something good for my brain. I've even lured Kurt into the reading world by putting a copy of 1984 in his stocking. We'll see how it goes. Nerdy sidebar thingie will keep me accountable.

Happy New Year everyone...stay tuned for Resolution #3.

*Shockingly, Go Dog Go was featured on the "Most Recommended" shelf at a certain big box book store last year. I almost choked on my certain brand name caffeinated beverage when I saw it, but was secretly glad that generations of children continue to put their parents through the agony of "Do you like my hat? No, I do not like your hat. Good-by. Good-by." Yes, spelling error intentional. It is a classic. It has even been shortened into board-book format, for convenience, though the condensed version unfortunately skips all mention of hats.