The last couple of decades, my practice at this time of year has been to slow down and enjoy it all. This coming month I’m going to concentrate on finding the right gifts for those I love, baking/cooking a few selected treats, watching some classic Christmas movies, and reading special books.

I’m joining in The Christmas Spirit Challenge. I have  a few books already chosen and the rest will come along as the spirit moves me.

First on the list is Debbie Macomber’s Christmas Cookbook. Why am I reading this one? Because I love everything this author writes. Plus, she is one of those people who really loves Christmas. Every year for quite some time she has writen a book set in this season. Some of you may know her characters: Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy. And then there is also Mrs. Miracle.

Debbie loves children and being a grandmother, and it shows. The children in her books are totally lovable. In her new Christmas Cookbook she has a wonderful chapter called “Cooking With Grandma.” The recipes look like they would be fun for everyone, including the two craft projects.

Another chapter I like is one called “Christmas Gifts.” There are recipes for special cookies as well as other gifts like Many Bean Soup Mix and a couple more crafts. The rest of the book is focused around Christmas: Dinners for Christmas and Christmas Eve, recipes for Appetizers for an Open House, and lots of belly-filling, old-fashioned family dinners. It’s a great resource for the holiday. It would also make a super gift for a Debbie Macomber fan.

Look for Debbie Macomber’s Christmas Cookbook at your local library or bookstore. Debbie Macomber’s Christmas Cookbook is also available at Amazon. (I am an Amazon Associate.)

This post is linked to Weekend Cooking, a weekly feature at Beth Fish Reads. Click the button below and it will take you there.

The siblings traveled throughout China with just their backpacks and a camera. They wanted to study the culture of the country and it’s cuisine and they wanted to share that information with friends back home. They blogged as they went along at feedingthedragon.com. The book followed on their return trip.

The book is like a primer on the regional cuisine of China. The book is divided into nine regions. In each chapter we learn about the region’s history and culture along with the cuisine. Local recipes are included that can be cooked in the average home kitchen.

At the end of the book there is a great section called “Basics”. In it the authors talk about what equipment is needed (a wok, a cleaver, a steamer, etc.), how to stir fry, how to steam, how to make dumplings, even how to use chopsticks. In addition, there is a fantastic eight-page Glossary covering all aspects of Chinese cooking. This alone is worth the price of the book. But then you also get the interesting text, those stunning pictures, and great recipes. I strongly recommend Feeding the Dragon for anyone wanting to add to your knowledge of Chinese cuisine.

This post is linked to Weekend Cooking, a weekly feature at Beth Fish Reads. Click the button below and it will take you there.

by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

With lettering by Jared K. Fletcher

Published by DC Comics, 2007

Cerrin and I read this graphic novel during the late hours of the 24 Hour Read-A-Thon. We knew we needed a change of pace from our regular reading to keep us going. It was short, quick, engaging and, as we both said, sweet.

It’s a young adult/middle school story about a teenage girl, Jane. A 9/11-style catastrophe has occurred in Metro City where she lives. Her parents are afraid for her safety so they all move to the suburbs. This means Jane is away from her friends and is now the new girl at the school, the outcast.

Jane does a good job of overcoming her circumstances by gathering together other outcasts, the other plain Janes, and leading them in new activities. Working at night and in secret, they create works of art in various parts of their new town. For example, they cover various objects around town in Christmas wrapping paper, or they put soap bubbles in the fountain.

Cerrin and I agreed that young adolescents would enjoy this book. We liked the attitude displayed by Jane and the way she did not mope around about a situation she didn’t like. I liked it because the printing was easy to read and the action moved quickly. My only negative was that it was in black and white. Reading this at 2 am I could have used a bunch of bright colors.

We are both suggesting this as a good book for our almost-12-year-old granddaughter/niece. We believe she’ll like the message of this story.

The Plain Janesis available at Amazon. (I am an Amazon Associate.)

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Dial Press/Random House, 2009

My Rating: A+

Last Thursday I closed the last page of this book and I was eager to tell you about it. The problem was, I couldn’t. It touched me on so many levels that I didn’t have words to explain it. It took me a couple of days to digest this amazing story and calm down enough to talk about it. I’m ready now so let me summarize it first.

It’s 1946 and Juliet Ashton is a writer living in London. Juliet wrote a newspaper column during the war trying to help people keep a sense of humor. Those columns have been turned into a book and she’s become successful.

While toying with various ideas for her next book Juliet receives a letter from a farmer living on the island of Guernsey. He speaks of author, Charles Lamb, and how his book helped him during the German occupation. He also mentions  a hidden pig and his literary society. The letter intrigues Juliet and she begins a correspondence with Dawsey Adams. One letter leads to more and soon she is corresponding with nearly everyone in the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Juliet’s initial interest is in how books and literature helped the Society’s member survive five years of German occupation. The more she knows these people, the more she thinks their story may be the topic of her next book.

After about five months of correspondence, Juliet pays a visit to Guernsey. Becoming acquainted with the people of Guernsey means learning from each of them what daily life was like during the occupation.  Gradually, Juliet begins to care deeply for all of these people. She understands their physical and emotional pain, the suffering, and trauma they endured.

The story is told through the use of letters to and from Juliet and her friends and the residents of Guernsey.  The letters are so personal that I felt as if I were trespassing on something very private.

The letters were written in such a way that the reader saw the full personality of most of the characters. I understood completely the character of Juliet. She was so lovely, gracious and humorous. She didn’t mind poking fun at herself. At the same time she was quite empathetic with those who had suffered so much. She took on their pain. Each one of the characters was unique and believable.

The experiences the residents suffered during the occupation  really bothered me. As each new fact and experience  emerged, I could vision myself in their place.  And yet, I don’t know how the mothers survived sending their children to England to live with strangers, not knowing where they were or how they were doing. I tried to imagine living for nearly five years with very little food, no salt, no soap.  And to live with daily fear and what I imagined as overwhelming hate. I don’t know how they did it. They were indeed brave and courageous people.

I strongly recommend this book for a variety of people. First, for those people like my daughter Candice, who have a great appreciation for the lost art of letter writing. Second, to those who are World War II buffs and want to understand how the war affected civilians. Third, this book is ideal for book lovers as it has so many references to authors and literature and reading in general. And then, I’d recommend this book to people who love good character stories with a bit of romance thrown in. As you can see, there is something for everyone in this book.

I borrowed this book from the public library but it’s also available at Amazon

I have read only a few of the books. I’m not sure how or why we decided to read Jubal Sackett together but I’m glad we did. I found the story interesting and it led to much conversation. Here is part of our conversation.

Margot: Let’s start with a brief overview of Jubal Sackett.

Jay: These books are so complex, it’s impossible to to tell the story in just a few sentences.

Margot: Okay, here’s a challenge for you: Do a “Six-Sentence Review” the way Staci/Life In The Thumb does. (With no run-on sentences.)

Jay: Louis L’Amour wrote 17 books featuring the Sackett family. Jubal is the third son of Barnabas Sackett who was the first in his family to come to the new world (America). The story takes place somewhere around 1700. The family settled in South Caroline but Barnabas asked Jubal to go west to find new land for a future family settlement. This Jubal did, but his wanderlust took over and he decided to travel even further west. The trip takes him, on foot and canoe, from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Sangre de Cristo mountains of what is now southern Colorado.

Margot: Wow – very good! As Jubal traveled west he acquired a sidekick, Keokotah. I really liked this character, although he wasn’t featured a lot. Why do you think Louis L’Amour added him to the story?

Jay: Keokatah gave the author the ability to expand the story. The reader now can see this new world through the eyes of an older Indian in addition to Jubal. With Keokatuah the author could introduce the customs of the Indian world and bring his experiences into the story. Plus it gave the author a way to add dialogue into the story.

Jay: What did you think of all the action in the story? Was it believable?

Margot: For me there was too much fighting. I didn’t like the attitude that all unknown people were enemies determined to kill them.

Jay: That is the reality of the time period. The Indians were very territorial. Each tribe had their own general area but they were always on the move for greener pasture. These people were hunters. Very few tribes grew their own food or stayed in one place very long. So, they didn’t welcome new people. To them, new people meant they were going to take their food. If someone wasn’t in their tribe they were an enemy.

Jay: What did you think of Itchikomi?

Margot: I liked her character. She was definitely a classy woman and was believable as the Indian princess who was destined to play an important part in the lives of her people. Having a romance in the middle of all that “bloody action” helped me like the story more.

Margot: Overall, I thought Louis L’Amour told a good story. What do you think was his underlying theme?

Jay: Louis L’Amour does tell a good story. Some people criticise his writing but you can’t deny he is a good storyteller. I thought the theme was man’s drive and spirit to see the unknown. Also, man’s will to survive. Probably these themes are why men like these books better than women.

Margot: Are you implying that women . . .  .

Okay, that’s enough of that conversation. We knew from the start that Jay would enjoy the book more than I would but what made it a better experience was reading it at the same time. I had the book on my ipod (read in a beautiful English accent by John Curliss). As I listened I would shout to him the number of the next chapter. That gave us a chance to stay together and talk about the story as we went along.

Thanks to Tami and Dave (Just One More Thing) for sponsoring this challenge of Reading Together.

by Jean Davies Okimoto

Endicott and Hugh Books, 2009

My Rating: A

Have you ever read a book that felt like it came from your own life?  The Love Ceiling felt like that for me. Well, maybe not all the exact details, but in the general concepts.

Imagine a main character who -

• is in her mid-sixties,
• has grown children she still worries about,
• has a long term marriage challenged by retirement,
• aging and ailing parents, and
• a strong internal desire to persue her own creative dreams.

It was great to read a story about a woman my age. The Love Ceiling takes a look at a woman who is bright and passionate and who has a lot of things to deal with. Life wasn’t all tied up with a bow at age thirty.

Annie, the main character, is a woman sandwiched in-between her concerns for all the people she loves.

• After a long illness, her beloved mother is dying. Her father, a famous artist, is emotionally separate and concerned only with his own needs and pleasures.
• Annie has a good and long marriage but her husband’s career is winding down and he fears he’ll lose his identity if he retires.
• Annie is an art therapist and she cares about her patients.
• Their son travels a lot and, for some reason, her relationship with her daughter-in-law is only cordial. They don’t see their grandson very often.
• And then there is her daughter, Cass. Cass is in an unhappy relationship which ends near the beginning of the story. Cass can still handle her job but everything else is going downhill. She’s depressed, starts drinking too much wine and doesn’t feel like eating. She seems to be able to focus only on how unhappy she is with her life. She avoids talking with her mother.

Annie has a lifelong need to express herself through art, but it always gets put off, usually because of family pressures. As a child Annie loved art but her psychologically abusive father told her she wasn’t good. But now Annie has met an art teacher who recognizes her talent. He is supportive and encouraging and Annie starts to paint again.

The story is told in chapters alternating between Annie and her daughter, Cass. The story takes place over several months and involves the events in the lives of both women and their family.

At first I just wanted to read about Annie’s problems and I was impatient with Cass. She seemed so self-absorbed and selfish. Couldn’t she see that her mother was loaded with problems and needed her help?

As I sat back and thought about these two fictional women, I realized the genius of telling the story this way. The contrast between the two women is the heart of the story. They are at opposite stages in their lives. Annie can remember a time in her life when she went through a nightmare similar to her daughter’s. But Cass can’t relate to Annie’s role of long-term wife, mother, grandmother, art therapist, or artist.

Cass couldn’t see that Annie gave up her art studio when Cass needed to move back home. She didn’t see when the three-year-old grandson squirted tubes of paint all over Annie’s gorgeous landscape painting. After all these starts and stops in her painting, and all the events going on, Annie finally said:

“I’m beginning to think this whole thing is futile,” I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand.

“There is a glass ceiling for women, Jack,” I stared at my painting in the dim light next to the washer and dryer. “And it’s made out of the people we love.”

Lots to think about here. Is there a glass ceiling made of love? Do women hold themselves back because of the people in their lives or is it thrust upon them? It’s a book that raises many questions. For me, it was thought-provoking as well as an emotional read. It cut close many times.

It’s being called “a coming-of-age novel for women in their 50′s, 60′s, 70′s, and beyond.” It’s also one I’m hoping my daughters (in their thirties) will read because of it’s exploration of the roles of women.

This will make a good book-club book. In fact there are discussion questions in the back. If you are on your own or your book-club doesn’t want to read it, I recommend reading it on your own as I did. If you want to talk about it, email me. We’ll have a great conversation.

Thanks so much to TLC Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of The Love Ceiling‘s tour. If you’d like to see other stops on the tour, check out the schedule here.

For more information about the author, visit her website: Jean Davies Okimoto. To read an interview with the author go HERE. To read an excerpt of The Love Ceiling, visit HERE.

by Mark Twain

Originally published in 1876

Synopsis: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a classic American tale of childhood in the mid-1800s. Tom Sawyer is mischievous, wily, he skips school and he sneaks out of the house at night. The story follows Tom and his friends through one adventure after another. The most serious adventure occured when Tom and his friend Huck witnessed a murder.

The Book Group at the Library read and discussed this book as part of The Big Read of Sonoma County (California). People of all ages throughout the county read the book during the month of April. There were also special events coordinated with the Big Read. The cutest idea, I thought, was the “Act Like a Pirate” event at one of the library branches. School-age children could learn to talk and dress like a pirate and learn to find buried treasure. I know All-Area-Reads are popular in various parts of the country. In my opinion, it’s a super idea.

The book group I’ve joined meets on a weekday afternoon so the age of the group is similar to mine. Every single person in our twelve-person discussion group had read this book as a child. And almost all of us had fond memories of it. When it came to re-reading the book, all but the men agreed it was disappointing to read as an adult.

I thought some of the language was difficult (see yesterday’s post for a sample of two unknown words). I also thought the writing was stilted. That is probably because it was written 124 years ago.

The prize was delivered to Tom with as much effusion as the superintendent could pump up under the circumstances; but it lacked somewhat of the true gush, for the poor fellow’s instinct taught him that there was a mystery here that could not well bear the light, perhaps, it was simply preposterous that this boy had warehoused two thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises – a dozen would strain his capacity, without a doubt.

I asked if today’s children would be able to read and identify with the characters. The reading is a little tough, but we all felt that children today still have plenty of imagination. We thought they would love the part about the pirates. There are issues in this classic that would make for a great discussion between children and parents and/or teachers. [We read the unabridged version and recommend that for children as well as adults.]

Overall, it was a good re-read and a good discussion book, even for “mature” adults. If you’re looking for a classic for your book group, give this one a try.

Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It and Other Cooking Projects

by Karen Solomon

Ten Speed Press, 2009

A

Back in the ‘olden days’ when we were back-to-the-landers I did a ton of preserving food. I canned tomatoes, green beans and peaches, froze corn, apples and shredded zucchini, made jams and pickles and sauerkraut. It was a lot of work but fun. It was so satisfying to prepare a whole meal from food we raised and/or grew ourselves. It wasn’t about saving money. It was a whole way of life that had health and self-sufficiency at it’s core.

My resources back then were the Ball Blue Book and the Farm Journal Canning and Preserving book. I still have them both and they are so stained and worn. One is held together with a rubber band. One of these days I’ll tell you about them but not in this post.

Today I want to tell you about a new book I’m excited about. My daughter Candice found Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It at the library. It reminded her of my old preserving books. She thought I would be interested and she was right.

Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It is not a replacement for my two favorites. It’s a wonderful addition to them. It is not concerned with preserving large quantities of produce from the garden. It’s actually a reference for preparing high quality staples we now purchase only at the supermarket: salad dressings, crackers, mayonnaise, mustard, pasta, butter, cheeses, olives, smoked trout, bacon, frozen treats, marshmallows, beverages and more – 75 recipes in all. The instructions are easy to follow and there are plenty of pictures. The author has a confident, conversational voice that would be helpful for both beginners and pros.

Most of these food projects are things people have been making for many years/decades. For instance, Candice has been making frozen popsicles for the girls. She tried some of the recipes in this book: Mango and Lime Pops and Chocolate Cream Pops. Now doesn’t that beat the over-sugar things you buy?

My ‘immediate’ recipe was Thai Cucumber Salad (took me less than 15 minutes). It was perfect with fresh cucumber and red onions. I have plans for my next projects: yogurt cheese, queso blanco (white cheese) and sesame onion crackers. I’m going to wait a few months for fresh-from-the-tree oranges and lemons to make orange marmalade and lemon curd. Doesn’t that sound yummy?

Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It has great ideas for gifts from your kitchen. The book itself would make a great gift for someone who loves to make things – food or other crafts. A definite plus would be to do some of these projects with children. What kid wouldn’t love to make their own frozen pops or watch the whole milk turn into cheese or shake it into butter?

The author, Karen Solomon, is a well known food and lifestyle writer from the San Francisco area. She does not consider herself a chef but a food junkie who “delights in experimentation, insatiable food lust, and perseverance to think outside the jar.” I have a hunch this book is going to be big. Ms. Solomon (and the book) are being featured quite a few places. The day my copy came from Amazon I saw a picture of her on Shelf Awareness (8/18). Here’s the picture and the little blurb that went with it.

Image of the Day: Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It

Karen Solomon, author of Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It (Ten Speed Press), with Tyler Florence, owner of the Tyler Florence Shop, Mill Valley, Calif., where last Saturday Solomon gave a talk and demo, drawing 60 people who heard it, watched it and loved it.

Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It is at Amazon

By Erick Setiawan

What the book is about(from the publisher):

OF BEES AND MIST is part love story, part female-driven family saga, and part fantasy about three generations of women in two families living in a nameless town during a timeless era, where spirits and spells, witchcraft and demons, and prophets and clairvoyance abound. The novel centers on Meridia, a strong willed young woman who tries to escape her alienating childhood and mysterious parents by running away at sixteen to marry a tenderhearted young man. Little does she know that his family is harboring secrets of their own. The keeper of these secrets is the family’s matriarch, Eva, a conniving and vindictive woman, whose constant schemes set her family at odds with one another. As Meridia picks up on her new mother-in-law’s manipulative ways, she tries to bring the truth to the surface, challenging the family to question Eva’s integrity and testing her marriage to its limits.

What I thought:

I do not normally read this type of book. I don’t like spooky stories with imagery and fantasy and witches or goblins or evil spirits. So what possessed me to read this book? I like Barnes and Nobles’ First Look Book Club. They have a knack for picking really good new authors and this was one of them.

So what kept me reading all the way to the end? At the heart of the book it’s really a family drama with tons of conflict. In this case, two families brought together by a marriage. It’s also a wonderful story with strong characters. The characters are so strong that I had to keep reading to see if the nasty mother-in-law got what was coming to her in the end. The main character, Meridia, is lovable. The author made me want to be an advocate for her. I also liked the young man she meets although, for a while there, he was pretty dense. Besides great characters, there were lots of twists in the plot. Things happened that surprised me, in a good way.

If you see this book in the bookstore or on the library shelf, pick it up and look at the cover. There are all sorts of objects or symbols there. Lots of symbols in the book as well. So, even though this wasn’t my normal read, I’m glad I did. It was a new adventure for me. [Note to my granddaugter: This does not mean I am now interested in the Harry Potter books or the Twilight/Vampire things. Nana is still a chicken.]

About the author:

Eric Setiawan was born in Jakarta to Chinese parents, Setiawan grew up surrounded by gifted storytellers and became engrossed by the complex system of beliefs, superstitions, and folklore that encompassed both the Chinese and Indonesian cultures. At sixteen he moved to the United States, where he earned a degree in Computer Science at Stanford University. OF BEES AND MIST is rooted in Setiawan’s experiences and is an amalgamation of the cultural influences in his life. Setiawan currently resides in San Francisco, CA.

You can buy OF BEES AND MISTS at Amazon.

I want to share Heidi with you. Here is the cover I remember from my childhood and the copy I bought this year. What a difference in the covers but, good news, the story is still the same.

This is the story of a little orphaned girl, Heidi, who has been raised by her Aunt Detie.  As the story opens Heidi and Aunt Detie are on their way  up to the top of a Swiss mountain. Heidi must now live with her grandfather. Aunt Detie can no longer take care of her as she has a job with an important family in Frankfurt. 

At five-years-old Heidi is a bubbly and kind little girl. It doesn’t bother her that Grandfather is grumpy and not liked in the village or that he lives in a hut and there is no extra bed or chair for her.  This spirited little girl wins him over. She also makes friends with Peter, the boy who takes care of the goats and with Grannie, a blind neighbor.

Heidi and Grandfather settle in and make it a happy and pleasant home in the Alps. They become very attached to each other. It’s been two years but one day Aunt Detie shows up with a new plan.

Detie takes Heidi back with her for a “visit” to Frankfurt. She has secured a place for Heidi as a companion to the invalid daughter of a very rich man. Clara is confined to a wheelchair, is taught by a private tutor, but she has no friends her age. Heidi is just what Clara needs.

On this year long visit Heidi learns to read and write. She looks forward to the day she can read to Grannie. Although Heidi and Clara are good friends, Heidi is very homesick. Her health begins to fail and Clara’s doctor suggests she return to the Alps.

Once back in the Alps Heidi gains back her health, she teaches Peter to read and write. Grandfather is reconciled with the people in the village, and Clara comes for a visit. Yes, things turn out okay and everyone lives happily ever after. This is probably where I first started my love for the happily-ever-after stories. 

About the author: Johanna Spyri (1827-1901) was born in a Swiss village overlooking the Lake of Zurich and with stunning views of the Alps. Johanna’s father was the local doctor and their home was the centre of cultural activity and the root of her love of books. Johanna lived in Zurich and stayed on after her marriage and for the rest of her life. Although Johanna’s childhood was happy she faced great sadness when her only son died at the age of twenty-nine and her husband died the same year. Heidi is often thought to be Johanna Spyri’s first book but she had in fact already written widely for both children and adults. Heidi became so famous that everything else was forgotten. It was translated into English soon after it was first published in 1880.

I read Heidi for the Childhood Favourites Reading Challenge. One more book (Little Women) to go before the June 21st deadline. I make it. I saved the best for last.