Bookworm Knows How to Relax

This past weekend I traveled to exotic Arizona for a little R&R and to, uh, celebrate Presidents I guess.  But it was mainly a reading vacation with one devastating tennis loss, a couple of good shoe buys and lots of good eating.

And what’s a nice vacation without a heavy, depressing memoir?  The answer is: incomplete.  Cue The Memory Palace by Mira Bartók.  This is the true story of a girl and her sister who grew up in Cleveland with a schizophrenic mother.  These two basically had to fend for themselves from the time they were toddlers, as their mom ranted and raved about being gassed, aliens, Nazis, etc.   They eventually had to change their names to escape their mother, who was homeless for 17 years before reconnecting with her daughters right before her death.

This was a shocking story.  Despite being my psychology minor and organizing two mental health rallies at my first job, I know next to nothing about mental illness. All I know is that some guy once made me a necklace out of chicken bones that I politely refused.  I’ll take that chicken on the bone, thanks.  I was shocked about how little medical attention this poor woman got, and how easily she was released from the police and mental health centers, even after threatening her two daughters with weapons. 

If you want to visit a dark and disturbing psychological place on your next vacation, check out this little gem, available on the front table at Barnes & Noble*.

*As mentioned, sponsorships still available.  Not feeling desperate at all.

Bookworm concerned about plight of others;
apparently abandons haircare.

Unbelievably, The Outback Steakhouse is Mentioned Yet Again

I am in my first book club.  Hard to believe for a bookworm like me, but I have never wanted reading to feel like homework, so I’ve never been interested.  I have since learned that you don’t have to read the book and it’s just about drinking wine and hanging out.  I checked with the Club Founder and beers will be permitted.  Phew.

I just completed our first book Rules of Civility by Amor Towels and really enjoyed it.  I never would have chosen this book, and had never heard of it, but any Great Gatsby lover would probably like it.  New York in the late 30s sounded pretty fun if you were in the right crowd, and had the right dress on.

I loved the way this book was written and found it to be was very highlight-worthy.  I mean, how could you not smile at this:

“To begin, Wallace ordered aspic, of all things, and I had the house salad – a terrific concoction of iceberg greens, cold blue cheese and warm red bacons.  If I were a country, I would have made it my flag.”

I think my flag would probably be a Blooming Onion from The Outback Steakhouse.  But depending on where I hung it, I could get big rig trucks stopping at my house so perhaps I need to re-think this.  

This Is How Book Nerds Vote

Source: Cafe Press

If you haven't read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, you are super lucky because now you can read it for the first time.  It is an awesome book, despite the 150 page speech that is about 148 pages too long.  Rand can be a bit heavy handed making her point, but the storyline makes it worth it.  You can also show your superiority to other people by putting the sticker pictured on your Prius / Suburban / bicycle.

Personally, I prefer Rand's The Fountainhead but that might be because I read it first.  When I first met Wonderful Friend Kate's then-boyfriend now-husband Nick, I said he looked like the description of main character Howard Roark.  She still stayed friends with me despite this, which will go down as Lamest Comment Ever.

This is how modern day parents juggle wine tasting and infant having.
(But c'mon, Howard Roark was a tall redhead with large hands.  Hello!! )

Blog Has No Impact on Readership

This week I read Mohawk by Richard Russo.  It was a good book.  Unfortunately most of the things I have to say about Russo are meant to be positive but come off as kind of negative.  Such as:

• Russo is a dependable writer.  That sounds like an implied negative – like the guy you went on a date with was “nice.”  But I mean it as a good thing – his books are always good.  That’s why they win Pulitzer Prizes and stuff. 
• Russo’s books are an easy read.  Not in a Candace Bushnell way.  (For the record I have read exactly one of her books.  I read it all in one sitting and then afterwards I’m pretty sure I took a hot shower to wash off all the STDs I was sure I had contracted.)  Russo’s characters are approachable and it’s easy to get to know them and sympathize with them.
• Russo is the perfect writer to look for in a used bookstore.  Meaning, he’s such a bestseller that you can always find his books at the used shop, even the snobby ones who don’t carry The DiVinci Code.
• Jed likes his books.

So Non Blog Reader Richard Russo, please don’t take offense by this review.  My mom will still read your books and Top Reader Katherine will continue to not read them.

Bookworm Focuses on Carbs, Protein

This week’s reading adventure was finding recipes for the Super Bowl gathering Loyal Reader Katherine duped me into hosting.  This game is like the “Super Bowl” of advertising, so watching with a bunch of ad folks is fun.  Especially when one of them regularly refers to “the blue team.”  Needless to say, it was dead silent during the commercials and I can confidently say I only watched a few plays in the fourth quarter. It was a good time and I will be reaping the benefits of leftover chili and beer all week.

By request I am including below the recipe to the cornbread I made which struck the perfect combo of deliciousness and ease.  I highly recommend this one:

Ingredients

            1 (8 ounce) package corn bread muffin mix

            1/3 cup milk

            1 egg, lightly beaten

            1 (8 ounce) can canned cream corn

            1/2 cup white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Place the muffin mix a large mixing bowl. Stir in the milk and egg. Mix in the cream corn and sugar. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of pan comes out clean. 

Source

In conclusion, remember when I went here?  Well one of the commercials we shot ran during the Super Bowl (in Comcast markets).  Check it out by clicking these words.  I bet the blue team didn’t even appreciate it.

Answer Me This You Stylish Followers

Loyal readers and lovers of all things Bookworm know that my latest social media obsession has been Pinterest.  One thing that really bugs me about Pinterest are all of the interesting bookshelves posted to show one's superior taste in design and style.  Yes, I have done it too.  But here’s the thing – what books are those?  And how do I make my used paperbacks into a design statement?

Here is a bookshelf on Pinterest:

Pinterest

S

Here is my bookshelf (clearly not staged for this posting):

I love my bookshelf – I got it from Andrew for my birthday a few years ago.  But there is just no way to both maximize the space available on the shelf while also making it look cool.  That’s probably why it is tucked away in my purple “girl cave” with my make-up, wrapping paper, board games and many, many old scrapbooks.

Cool Kid Alert: Legitimate Data Ahead

I think this blog is about to take off and make me rich and famous.  I just read a Mintel research report that shows 25-32 year olds spend more time reading books than playing video games, chatting with friends online or entertaining in the home.   And one thing they love to do even more is surf the Internet.  Bingo-bango!

As Blog Mocker Dave pointed out, “what a unique and original idea to do a book blog.”  He also suggested I rename this blog “Lazy Hazing.”  A good point, but I welcome rebuttals through the little-known Comments section.

Click here to see this blogger in action. Sort of.