January Book Club

I had a wonderful time at Book Club last night, and I am so much the better for knowing you wonderful women. I had some recipe requests, and I am glad to comply:

BLUE RIBBON SUGAR COOKIES

1 C. butter
1/2 C. powdered sugar
1/2 C. sugar
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla
2-1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. cream of tartar
1/2 t. baking soda

Heat oven to 375°F. Combine butter, powdered sugar, and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Beat until dough forms a ball.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten to about 1-1/2 inches with bottom of glass dipped in sugar; sprinkle with decorator sugars, if desired. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

GINGERSNAPS

1 C. packed brown sugar

3/4 C. shortening

1/4 C. molasses

1 egg

2-1/4 C. all-purpose flour

2 t. baking soda

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. salt

granulated sugar

Mix brown sugar, shortening, molasses, and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 375°. Grease cookie sheet lightly. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Dip tops into granulated sugar. Place balls, sugared sides up, about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until set. Remove from cookie sheet. Cook on wire rack.

"Wuthering Heights"

What can I say about Wuthering Heights other than it is a horrible book! I've heard Wuthering Heights called a great romance, but found nothing romantic about this book. Instead it is a book of obsession, of revenge, of abuse, and of selfishness--everything that love should not be. The relationship between Cathy & Heathcliff is supposed to be one of the greatest love stories ever, but their relationship is one of the most dysfunctional I have ever seen. I love the quote from critic George Barnett Smith who said Wuthering Heights is "perhaps one of the most unpleasant books ever written".

However, Smith continues to say, "but we stand in amaze at the almost incredible fact that it was written by a slim country girl who would have passed in a crowd as in insignificant person, and who had had little or no experience of the ways of the world". I must agree that this is a very powerful book, and it is amazing to think of a young, reclusive girl being its author. I found the subject matter somewhat depressing, but the writing itself quite strong.

I'm shallow enough to be glad that I can chalk up reading another classic book, so I can converse about it intelligently, but I would not willingly choose to read this book again.

I'm Back

Okay all you loyal readers (if there are any), I'm sorry that I haven't been posting. With school ending, going on vacation, going back to school, the computer going crazy, and getting a dog, I have been ignoring my blog. However, the reading has not stopped! Let me share a few of my favorite summer reads and then I'll try to get back on track and keep my blog updated!

The Host by Stephenie Meyer -- Knowing that this was going to be a science fiction story, I was completely prepared to hate this book. In fact I might not have read it, if my daughter had not given it to me for Mother's Day. Having said that, I loved the book! In the same way that Stephenie Meyer makes vampires seem human in Twilight, she makes aliens seem human in The Host. The story was great, although maybe 50 pages too long, and I strongly recommend it.

The Whole Truth by David Baldacci -- I'm a big Baldacci fan-I really enjoy his political thrillers. This book took a little different bent which appealed to the public relations person in me. A defense contractor pays a p.m. (perception management) guy big bucks to manufacture a cold war, and it's scary how easily it works. Of course, a couple of people catch on and end up in danger as they try to discover the truth. The characters are a little exaggerated, but I could totally see the situation happening. After all, "Why waste time trying to discover the truth, when you can so easily create it?"

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin -- I think that Steve Martin is a fabulous actor and writer, so I was very interested to read this biography about his stand-up comedy years. It didn't disappoint. I had no idea he had worked at Disneyland starting at 10 years old and then had put in a couple of years at the Birdcage Theatre at Knott's Berry Farm. He talks about what inspired him to try stand-up comedy, how he came up with his material, and what made him finally stop and try movies instead. He writes with great humor (of course) and with thoughtfulness. I truly enjoyed it.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer -- I don't want to talk too much about this book because I know some of you are still reading it, but this is the last book of the 4 in the Twilight series. I was hoping to love it, but I had some major problems with it early on. After those parts passed, I enjoyed the resolution and thought it was appropriate. A must-read for Twilight fans.

The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs -- This was a book club book, and I was disappointed that I was the only one who made it all the way through by our meeting, but I enjoyed this book. A.J. Jacobs, editor at large for Esquire magazine and an agnostic, takes on the challenge of reading the Bible and then following it as literally as he can for a year. Keeping an open mind, he consults with experts of all sorts (polygamists, rabbis, atheists, creationists, Amish, etc.) and writes about his voyage of discovery. He uses humor and insightfulness, and he made me question if I'm really following my religion for the right reasons. I loved the obscure tidbits found in the Old Testament.

MAY BOOKS

This was an experimentation month, and I tried a lot of new authors with mixed success. Read on and see what you think.

Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman (1997) -- (New author for me) Legal suspense, 1st book in the Tess Monaghan series; Tess is an unemployed reporter and amateur rower who takes a job as a P.I. and ends up helping a friend who is arrested for murder. Story is a little slow, as first novels are, but it looks like a promising series--I enjoyed it.

The Floating Girl by Sujata Massey (2000) -- Mystery, 4th book in Rei Shimura series; Rei, the Japanese-American antiques dealer, gets involved with a dead male dancer and a group of Manga comic book creators. Strange I know, but I can't get enough of the cultural information contained in these mysteries--really enjoyed this book.

The Thing about Jane Spring by Sharon Krum (2005) -- Humorous fiction; recommended by my friend Jody, this book is like a Doris Day movie come to life! I loved this story of a stodgy woman who learns how to attract a man and make friends by imitating the dress and behavior of Doris Day in our modern world.

Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton (2000) -- (New author for me) Supernatural thriller, 9th book in Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, series; I don't even know what to say about this book because I've never read anything like it before. It is set in a world where vampires, werewolves, zombies, and other things that go bump in the night are a regular part of society, and the government employs people to keep them in check. In this book an unidentified monster is skinning people alive or tearing them apart--it involves Incan sacrifice and sadistic humans. I was strangely fascinated but don't think I need anymore of this violence in my head.

Glory in Death by J.D. Robb (1995) -- (New author for me) Futuristic mystery, 2nd book in the In Death series; I had heard a lot of good things about this series, so I thought I would give it a try. Lieutenant Eve Dallas is a police detective in 2058 New York City searching for the serial killer of successful women in the city. The book mixes romance, mystery, & sci-fi in a successful way--the science fiction enhances the story rather than taking over the story. A good book in a series I would like to continue.

The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan (2008) -- Juvenile fantasy, 4th book in Ranger's Apprentice series; I love this series of books! I don't care if they were written for 12 year-old boys, they have an appeal for everyone from my 8 year-old daughter to my 40 year-old husband. In this book, just as Will believes he is free from slavery to the Skandians, circumstances change, and he must fight a war on the side of the Skandians. Fantastic!

Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh (2008) -- historical romance, 4th book in Simply quartet; Claudia Martin, owner of Miss Martin's School for Girls, has given up on marriage when a marquess approaches her for help with a particular problem--a blind and illegitimate daughter. Some reviewers labeled this book "bland," but I enjoyed the gentle romance between this older couple.

Untamed by Elizabeth Lowell (1993) -- historical romance; touching Medieval story of Dominic and Meg who are thrown together by the king and learn to love each other despite it. Okay.

Car Trouble by Jeanne DuPrau (2005) -- (New author for me) YA realistic fiction; Duff Pringle, age 17, decides to drive across the country by himself to start a computer job in California. When his car breaks down, he decides to handle it himself instead of calling his parents, and that's when trouble starts. My one word for this book is...yawn. It's a simple story but not very interesting.

The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick (2005) -- (New author for me) YA supernatural fiction; We picked up a load of books from Scholastic that we bought for the school, and I thought I might need to preview some--I am so glad I picked up this book. At age 5, Alexandra foresaw her friend's death, and now it has happened again at age 17. As World War I breaks out, Alexandra has multiple visions and premonitions, and then she sees her brother get shot. She escapes from home disguised as a nurse and focuses on getting to her brother on the front lines. The chapters in the book countdown to 1, and Alexandra compares her visions to knowing the end of a book before you know the beginning. This haunting book addresses the female view of war and the true horror of it. With a twist at the end (or is it the beginning?), you will be glad you read this book

APRIL BOOKS

What's this? Kim only read four books this month? The truth is that I began the Pulitzer Prize winning "John Adams" near the beginning of the month and got bogged down in it. It is a fantastic book, but it is dense, and I needed to take a break. Here are the other books I read.

The Flower Master by Sujata Massey (1999) -- Mystery, 3rd in the Rei Shimura series; this book explores a murder in a Japanese ikebana (flower arranging) school. Unforeseen murderer with fascinating details of Japanese flower-arranging culture made this book enjoyable.

To Wed a Wicked Prince by Jane Feather (2008) -- Historical romance; after two weeks of John Adams I needed something light--this was light, but unsatisfying because the plot of an English girl being pursued by a Russian prince for political and personal reasons was shallow and hard to follow.

Moment of Truth by Lisa Scottoline (2000) -- Legal suspense; rookie lawyer takes case of a man so determined to plead guilty to killing his wife that the lawyer and detective start to look for reasons he must be innocent. Engrossing mystery with a few minor flaws, but well-defined plot.

Paradise Lost by J.A. Jance (2001) -- (New author for me) Mystery; 9th in the Joanna Brady series, Brady is a sheriff in Arizona dealing with a dead body found in the desert by her daughter on a Girl Scouts camping trip. The cleanest mystery I've ever read with a simple plot and emotional, feel-good female detective work--a little dull.

MARCH BOOKS

An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris (2007) -- Paranormal mystery; 3rd in the Harper & Tolliver mystery series about a girl struck by lightning who developed the ability to find dead bodies and discover how they were killed. Interesting premise but didn't enjoy this one as much as the first two.

The Last Noel by Heather Graham (2007) -- Romantic suspense; I think it's odd that suspense writers like to write special books for the Christmas season, but I really enjoyed this story of a family held hostage in their own home on Christmas by two robbers. The mushy sub-story of a family brought together is what made it so good.

Final Truth by Mariah Stewart (2006) -- Suspense; a true-crime author interviews a man recently released from death row due to faulty evidence and wonders whether or not he is committing new crimes. Very good story--well done.

Zen Attitude by Sujata Massey (1998) -- (New author for me) Mystery; this series of books about Japanese-American Rei Shimura, freelance antiques dealer, is as much about Japanese culture as mystery. Filled with interesting characters, fascinating cultural details, and a good mystery, this book set in Japan was a winner for me.

Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass (2006) -- (New author for me) Suspense; this is the first in a series called "the Body Farm novels," which is appropriate since one of the co-authors is the forensic anthropologist who founded the true Body Farm in Tennessee. Interesting, full of yucky details, but a little slow and corny--has potential.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (1967) -- See Review Below

Killer Instinct by Joseph Finder (2006) -- Corporate suspense; I really enjoyed Power Play by this author, but this was too creepy for me. Having someone bump off your business competition just really bugged me.

Single White Vampire by Lynsay Sands (2003) -- Romance; just some fluff I picked up because the idea of a vampire writing romance novels cracked me up. It was funny but nothing special.

Last Breath by Mariah Stewart (2007) -- Romantic suspense; not one of her best--a little slow to start--but I still enjoyed this archaeologically based novel.

The View from Mount Joy by Lorna Landvik (2007) -- Humorous contemporary fiction; I hardly know what to say. This book had a great message about what is truly important in life, but you have to get through the gratuitous high school sex and cutesy storyline to get to it.

Absolutely, Positively by Jayne Ann Krentz (1996) -- Romantic suspense; I always enjoy her great leading characters. This was a fun book

Pride and Prescience by Carrie Bebris (2004) -- (New author to me) Historical mystery; okay, this book had horrible plot development, a simplistic mystery, and illogical character motivations... but I enjoyed it because it had witty dialogue right out of a Jane Austen novel! This is the first in a "Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mystery" series. It begins immediately after the Darcys' and Binghams' wedding. The book was a mess except for the excellent dialogue between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. I'll probably give the next one a try to see if it improves.

The Outsiders

I was going through some old books in the top of my daughter's closet when I came across a copy of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Although it was written in 1967 (before I was born), this was one of the books to read when I was in high school because of the popular movie that came out in 1983. I saw the movie and owned the book, but I couldn't remember ever reading it, so I picked up yesterday and started it.

Wow, what an awesome book! I couldn't put it down. The story of the greasers versus the socs feels like a typical West Side Story or Romeo and Juliet, but the true story of the "haves" and the "have-nots" is timeless. I love the way Hinton helps you to know and truly understand the feelings and motivations of each character through dialogue and description.

Susie Hinton wrote this book at age 17 because she couldn't find any literature that she felt accurately depicted teenagers outside the narrow world of the high school prom. All four of her novels portray kids just trying to survive in a rough and unfair world. If you haven't read this in awhile (or ever), I recommend giving it a try!

By the way, what an amazing '80s movie cast: C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Diane Lane, Leif Garrett, Emilio Estevez, and some unknown guy named Tom Cruise. I think I need to find this movie and watch it again!