Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year! See you all in 2010.

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

3rd Annual book-a-rama Awards

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Good-bye 2009! Hello 2010! Can you believe it? Another year, another decade. It's been a successful reading year for me. In total, I've reviewed 87 books. That's the most books in one year I've read since starting this blog. I was so close to 100 books this year. Maybe I can do it in 2010.

So like the last 2 years, I compiled my best and worst book list into the Book-a-rama Awards ©2009. Here it is!

The Best

Best Frightening Glimpse of the Future: It's back to the future with 1984. Scary totalitarianism government creates a brutal world. 1984 still hits a nerve today.

Best Protagonist: Eleven year old Flavia De Lucefrom The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Chemistry loving Flavia solves murders while plotting revenge on her sisters.

Best Non-Fiction: I read a lot of non-fiction this year. Biographies of authors and crooks, instructionals on how to save the planet and marketing your brand, coal miners and deadly plants. I learned a lot. But the one that inspired me the most as Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. This book had me growing my own vegetables and thinking more about how far my food has to travel to get to my plate.

Best New Series: This is a tie between The Flavia DeLuce series and the Tattoo Shop Mysteries by Karen E Olson. Both The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and The Missing Ink are the first books in the series with the second books due out sometime next year.

Best Epic: And I do mean epic... An Echo in the Bone is the 7th in the Outlander series and while this one dragged on forever, it deserves to be on this list for all the die hard fans that have waited patiently for this book to hit the shelves.

Best Animals in Peril Book: Bunnies and violence that's Watership Down. The only way these bunnies could get in any more hot water is if they knew Glenn Close.

Best Pleasant Surprise: Michelle Moran has been on my radar for awhile but I never took the plunge until Cleopatra's Daughter. Wowie!

The Best of 2009

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Is a book for book lovers. It's atmospheric and dark with high drama. Great writing and a great story. Just the kind of book I love.

The Not So Best

I won't say these are the worst, just not as good as some of the others I've read this year. First, let's take a look at the books I couldn't finish.

Don't Call Me a Crook (DNF): I couldn't read anymore of 'Bob's' terrible list of criminal activities. Enough was enough.

My Lord John (DNF): This was Georgette Heyer's lifelong work but since it was unfinished and unedited it was a hard go to read.

Now, onto the books I wasn't wild about:

Weirdest Ending: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. LeCarre's macho spy novel ends abruptly.... Just like that.

"I Guess It's Just Me" Book: The Disappeared by Kim Echlin was in the running for the Giller Prize but it just didn't do it for me.

WTF Book: A retelling of the Biblical tale of Noah and the Ark Not Wanted On the Voyage was a metaphorical nightmare which had me saying, "WTF??!"

Dashed Expectations: I wanted more from Haunting Bombay but in the end I didn't feel it.

So that's it in a nutshell. I hope 2010 brings me more great reads. Happy 2010!

Graphic Novels Challenge

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Yup. I'm joining the Graphic Novels Challenge for the very first time. I guess that makes me a Graphic Novels Challenge virgin. I just started reading graphic novels this year.

I'm going in as a Beginner (3 books) because I have no idea what book I'm going to read. I think I'll have to see the books before I decide.

Thanks Chris and Nymeth! Wish me luck.

The Widow's Season by Laura Brodie: Review

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What do you with a dead husband's ghost? (♫♪ Early in the morning ♫♪) Sorry. The Widow's Season by Laura Brodie is a serious book so let's get serious. Ahem.

Sarah's husband David has joined the ranks of the dead (supposedly) after he drowned in the river. The problem is they never found his body. So Sarah is a little freaked out when she sees him in all his technicolor glory at the grocery store.

Her friends tell her this is normal. A woman grieving her husband is apt to think she sees him everywhere. But Sarah isn't all that sad about his death. Their marriage had been heading down the torlet for years. In fact, Sarah feels rather free.

Then David shows up with a plausible story for his disappearance and Sarah is in a quandary. Is David alive? Is he a ghost? A figment of her guilt ridden imagination? If he is alive, he's put her in quite the legal predicament.

The Widow's Season is a good book club book. There's is a lot of fodder for discussion: marriage, self-fulfillment, death. Fun stuff.

Sarah is a believable character which means that often she annoyed the hell out of me. She could give lessons on how to be a doormat. David has, as one character puts it, a "forceful personality" but still she is an intelligent woman. If she didn't like how things were going in her marriage, she could have stood up and said something instead of bitching about it. But no she continues to be a doormat even after his 'death'.

********Spoilerish***** (Highlight if you wish)

And then there's Nate. Nate the man-whore with the personality of a cornflake. That whole thing gave me the heeby-geebies. I'd let my brother-in-law(s) fix my car not what Nate does. Chocolate body paint? No thank you.

****End spoiler*****

I did end up enjoying The Widow's Season, even though I saw the twist at the end coming. Sarah did eventually pull up her socks and realize that she's responsible for her own happiness.

Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

Still Alive!

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Whew! It's been a crazy few days. Ho Ho came to the house and left some gifts for us all. I have to say, my husband totally surprised me.

What is that? It's an Aluratek Libre ebook reader. He's really good at finding me technology I've never heard of before. It doesn't do fancy stuff like the other ones do but I can read ebooks now. Yay!

In other book news, my brother got me Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and a Penguin Classics Edition of The Hound of the Baskervilles (the ones featured on Design Sponge).

My daughter did really well in the book department: Ivy and Bean, Babymouse (1-3), Coraline, Betsy-Tacy and Emmaline and the Bunny plus a few others I forgot.

I actually finished a book this week. So I'll be reviewing that shortly.

We had brunch for our family and it was a success. A success is when everyone has enough and we didn't run out of food.

Today we made some returns and I found a pair of nice jeans on sale. Plus I didn't kill anyone at the mall (husband and child included).

Tonight I plan on having a Bailey's and reading a lot.

Santa and his Reindeer Say Merry Christmas

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see more Lolcats and funny pictures


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Since I doubt no one will be visiting my blog for a few days, I'll say Merry Christmas early. Have a great holiday!

Merry Christmas!!!

Cherries in Winter by Suzan Colon: Review

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When Suzan Colon got laid off in 2008, she felt the need to tighten her belt and as her Nana said, "Put up soup." Suzan decided to dig out the old family recipes that helped get her foremothers through the tough times. The recipes and documents she finds peeks her curiosity about the woman behind yellowed typewritten words. With time on her hands, she asks her mother about Nana's life as a young woman and finds out that she and Nana had a lot in common.

Cherries in Winter is a quick read at 200 pages, which is a bonus. Although I liked the idea of this book and I found the stories of Nana's life interesting, I was never really attached to the author. Colon is a magazine writer and the book reads a lot like several articles to me. I found it hard to drum up sympathy for her compared to what her grandmother went through. And there are many more people in worse circumstances at the present time.

So I only thought it was an okay read. On the other hand, the cover is yummy!

Thanks to DoubleDay for the review copy.

Julie & Julia: Movie

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Julie & Julia is a movie made from a book, from a blog about another book. You follow? There are two stories running simultaneously throughout the movie. Julie Powell (Amy Adams) spends 2002 making every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and writes a blog about it. While back in the 1950s, Julia (Meryl Streep) learns to cook and starts writing with her collaborators what would become the cookbook.

Oh to be Julie Powell! Imagine someone throwing bags of money at you because of your blog. Julie & Julia makes it seem like it's inevitable. Write a blog. They will come. With their bags of money. The reality is no one is giving me a big pile of cash for my blog. A) I'm about 8 years too late and B) reading isn't as sexy as cooking- unless done naked. (Naked cooking is not recommended. Ouch!) But, as a blogger, I could relate to Julie. There were times when the only person reading her blog was her mom and she wasn't very supportive. The blogosphere can be a big lonely place.

As much as I could relate to Julie, Julia Child's story was much more interesting. First of all, it's Meryl Streep- as Julia Child! I didn't know who to be more impressed with: Meryl for her voice and mannerisms or the costume designer who made tiny Meryl into giantess Julia. Holy Whoa! Stanley Tucci was fantastic as Paul, Julia's husband. They were an adorable couple.

Julia's life has me fascinated and now I want to read My Life in France. I might even give French cooking a try (hold my hand). As for Julie and Julia (the book), I do plan on reading that too.

The Friday Bookish Buzz: Twas the Week Before Christmas

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That cat reminds me of my husband; he loves to say that, usually after I make some silly request, like 'go make me something to eat.' Anyway that's how I'm feeling right now. I have lots to do but don't want to do it. 

This will be the last Friday Bookish Buzz of 2009! I can't believe it. Let's party like it's 1999... oh wait, that was 10 YEARS AGO! Remember Y2K? Remember how excited people were about the new millenium? Can you believe it was 10 years ago?

*So last week I linked to a article about Canadians and non-fiction. This week Flannery has a rebuttal.

*More e-book publishing dramarama.

*Happy Birthday Jane Austen. Here's your present: Natalie Portman will star in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. What do you mean "where's the receipt"?

*You think you got overdue library books? Top this. Oh wait. That ain't an over due book. THIS is an overdue book.

*Another e-book reader for your buying pleasure. I think my head is going to explode. I can't even choose a toothpaste in a timely fashion.

*From our friend Raych. Her thoughts on Candace Sams meltdown.

*Etsy Love: Our friends at Padfoot and Prongs have a shop. Lots of literary products there.

This T-shirt ad is cute and you can buy them on this site.



Well, Merry Christmas folks! And a Happy New Year!

Reading Together: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson-Burnett

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A couple of months ago I picked up The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson-Burnett for my daughter at the used book store. I thought it would be a good book to read together. Two months later, we finished it.

I read books to my daughter all the time; it's our night time ritual. But the books we read are either picture books or small chapter books (like Clementine). This was our first novel and first classic together.

I've never actually read this before so I was curious about it. It has a Bronte quality to it, especially since it's mostly set in Yorkshire. There are secrets, hidden rooms and gardens, and bitter heartbroken men, not to mention copious use of the word 'wuthering'.

The Secret Garden starts out with little Mary Lennox, the only survivor of a cholera outbreak in her home in India. She may have only lived because she was extremely neglected by her parents who would rather have parties than spend time with their child. Mary is sent to live with her uncle in England on an estate called Misselthwaite Manor.

Mary is relegated to a lonely part of the house where the only person she ever sees is a servant girl, Martha. I was wondering where Child Services were at this point. It's hard to feel sorry for Mary though; she's a selfish girl but the author makes note several times that she just didn't know any better.

Martha is a healthy, boisterous Yorkshire lass and doesn't put up with Mary's attitude. She tells her stories of her own big family, of the moorland, of the sad history of Misselthwaite Manor and it's owner. She encourages Mary to go outside and play. This is a new concept for Mary. Play? What is that? It does her good. By chance, she finds a neglected, secret garden and with the help of Martha's brother, Dickon, brings it back to life. As the garden grows, so does Mary in both body and character.

When we finally finished it, my daughter was excited to have read such a 'big book.' I was too! At times, she didn't want me to put it down, other times she was bouncing all over the bed and we only made it through a few pages. The Secret Garden is heavy on the description and while I enjoy that, it was a little much for my 7 year old. She did like when Mary found the garden and the boy Dickon. I think like Mary she was half in love with him. She liked telling me how many people knew the secret as we read and laughed whenever Mary bragged about how fat she was getting. That's not something we hear often now. We also both liked the art of Tasha Tudor in this copy.

Since this book was written 100 years ago, it has moments that weren't quite up to modern children's books standards. I found myself editing a few parts involving comments about the Indian servants. I did feel that the book was on the anglocentric side. English country air = good, foreign air = bad. But that was just how it was back then. The theme of nature and our connection to it was something I really enjoyed in the book though.

My daughter asked me about the age of the book about a million times, which drove me a little nuts, and whether they had cars, etc. I realize now that this is a great introduction to classic literature and history. This won't be our last 'big' book together. I'm already planning on reading Heidi, Little Women (even with the sad Beth part) and Anne of Green Gables.

Stay tuned!

Random Christmas Update

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Ugh! I cannot think of any blogging topics this week. All my thoughts keep turning to all I have to do for Christmas. So why not share those thoughts with the blogosphere! Great idea!

• So far I've managed to finish my shopping (I think). Hurray!
• Nothing is wrapped yet though. Boo! 
• Still waiting for package to come in the mail.
  
• I cleaned out my kitchen cupboards. My mom always cleaned everything that didn't move and for some reason now I feel like I have to too.
• Baked one thing: meringue cookies for teachers.
• The tree is up!
• No food shopping has been done.
• Did my 'mail out' cards last night.
• Bought a couple of bottles of booze (glug, glug, glug).

Besides all this, my daughter is an angel in a Christmas pageant and I had the bright idea to make a costume for her- without a pattern. The arms are wonky and it's way too big but it's good enough for me.

Remember Buy Books for the Holiday. Well I did! I boughted the books! Just about everyone on my list got at least one book for Christmas.


How does your holiday list look at this point? Are you freaking out or resting with a hot toddy in your hand?


Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella: Review

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Every once in a while a girl needs a book like Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella. Kinsella is the author of the Shopaholic series and like those books Twenties Girl starts out similarly. It begins with a young woman with troubles in both love and career. In this case the woman is Lara Lington, whose ex-boyfriend won't talk to her even after all the text messages she's left him and her new business partner has run off to India.

Lara's good at hiding bad things from her parents but when they all have to attend great-aunt Sadie's funeral, it becomes harder to avoid the ugly truths. All this pressure is getting to her. Suddenly, she's having hallucinations. What other explanation can there be for the yelling woman no one else can see at the funeral?

What seems to be a figment of her imagination turns out to be the 20's vintage ghost of her dead aunt. Sadie has one last demand request; Lara must find her lost necklace. Without it Sadie can't rest. Sadie isn't the easiest spirit to have around. She's pushy and nosy, spoiled and selfish. At first, Lara can't wait to be rid of her but as Lara gets to know this woman who was once her neglected great-aunt she comes to realize that they have more in common than just genes.

I loved, loved Twenties Girl! Yes, Sadie is annoying at the beginning but she has just died after living in an old folks home for decades. You can't blame her for wanting to 'live' a little. Lara is someone who needs to lighten up and could use Sadie's advice- especially when it comes to Josh, the ex. While Lara obsesses over their relationship, Sadie encourages her to 'take a lover or several lovers.' Some of Sadie's antics cause Lara embarrassment, like asking out a totally stranger, but Sadie can be very persuasive.

What I like about Kinsella is how funny and entertaining her books are. Lara is a typical modern 20 something- trying to figure it all out. She can be both endearing and frustrating. A believable character. At first, Sadie just seems like a flake but as the story progresses, Lara finds out that she is more than a party girl.

Although it is a fun read, there is another layer to the story. Sadie's family can't be bothered to visit her while she's alive, her funeral is an inconvenience to them. Even Lara is guilty of this. Toward the end of the story, Lara sees the elderly as they should be seen, as people.

At the nursing home:

"I feel a sudden lump in my throat as I watch. They're all Sadie inside, aren't they? They're all in their twenties inside. All that white hair and wrinkled skin is just cladding. The old man with the oxygen tank was probably once a dashing heartthrob. That woman with the distant rheumy eyes was once a mischievious young girl who played pranks on her friends. They were all young, with love affairs and friends and parties and an endless life ahead of them..."

Then there's the mystery of the necklace. I was pretty sure something was up but that plot took a few unexpected turns. I was quite happy with what Kinsella did there.

It only took me a couple of days to read all 435 pages so I'd have to say it's a quick, engaging read. Lots of fun and lots of heart too.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Random House for sending me this review copy.

The Friday Bookish Buzz: Up a Tree

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I didn't make that lolcat so don't blame me. Speaking of cats, my Christmas tree is up and my new cat just leave it alone. It's like catnip. You can't really blame him though. It's a little weird to suddenly have a forest in the middle of your home. Must be confusing for a cat.

Let's seeing what going on out there in the book world.

*So this guy in the Huffington Post isn't impressed with romance but Smart Bitch Sarah offers a rebuttal.

*So funny! Reasons customers reject books.

*With a new decade upon us, people are making up their 'best of the decade' lists. How about a 'worst of the decade'? What are your worst reads from the past 10 years?

*Do Canadians only read fiction? I don't think so.

*Publishers battle with Amazon but customers are caught in the middle.

*Children's book The Frog Princess inspires Disney movie The Princess and the Frog.

*Poe's poetry fetches thousands. How do you wrap a $660+K book for Christmas?

*This story burns my buttons. Readable Classics thinks the average person just can't understand classic books in their original form so they 'gently edit' them for us. But a book is more than a plot. After read a page of their version of Jane Eyre, it seems to me they have edited Charlotte Bronte's touch out of the book. It's bland. But I've always hated abridgements.

*Etsy Love: Love a good mystery? It may be having an effect on you. Wear this pin from Suzanne Artist's shop to warn others. Ever want to dress a librarian? Well, if you do, here's a paper doll for you based on a print from Miss Brigette.

Have a great weekend and Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish friends!

Kaspar by Diane Obomsawin: Review

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Kaspar, a graphic novel by Diane Obomsawin, tells the true story of Kaspar Hauser, a young man found on the streets of Nuremberg on May 18, 1828. Kaspar could barely walk or talk but held a letter "To the Captain of the 4th Squadron."

Kaspar revealed to authorities that for as long as he could remember, he lived in a tiny cell without light or human interaction. He would become a controversial figure. Was he for real? A feral child or a convincing fraud?

I had never heard of Kaspar before this book but apparently it was a famous case that inspired a number of books and movies. What I liked about the book was how it was told from Kaspar's point of view. It's obvious that Obomsawin takes the 'innocent' side of the argument from how she tells the story.

The style of Kaspar is childlike. The drawings are very simple and the text has a sweetness to it. Seeing Kaspar with his little horse made me smile. Still, the story is for an older audience. There is an undertone of sadness. Kaspar was incredibly neglected and has no understanding of the world. Everything is new and confusing to him. I was worried for him, hoping that no one would hurt him.

Although it's a short book, Obomsawin leaves room for the reader to fill in the blanks. I was left thinking a lot about Kaspar and whether his story was plausible or not. He supposedly had no contact with people until shortly before he was released, when he was taught to write his name. Later, he would write poetry and paint. So, it doesn't seem likely that he was telling the truth. Still, it's a fascinating idea.

Highly recommended

This is an English translation of a French Canadian work so it counts toward my Canadian Reading Challenge list.

Thanks to my local library for having this on their shelves.

Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs: Review

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Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs is the third in The Friday Night Knitting Club series. In this book, Dakota Walker is juggling school and her mother's yarn shop while trying to make decisions about her future. She's driven and determined to gain experience as a pastry chef so she can open her own cafe. Dakota won't be distracted even when her Dad plans a surprise trip to Scotland to visit her great-grandmother. He feels she's missing out on what's important: family.

Big changes are in store for the ladies of the Friday Night Knitting Club as well. There is a New Year's wedding approaching and this time the bride's son will not fake a heart attack and ruin everything. Between Thanksgiving and New Years, the ladies will find new adventures in love and life.

Okay, so I haven't read any of the other Knitting books and worried that I'd be lost. That wasn't really a problem. It's not like it has a complicated plot. What I didn't like though was the unnecessary backstory. If I had read the other books, I think this would have driven me up the wall. I also felt a bit overwhelmed by numerous characters. There was a lot of them and their subplots for such a short books. Sometimes it was information overload.

But...

Once the story focused on Dakota, I got into the story and really enjoyed it. Knit the Season captures the holiday spirit perfectly with snow in New York and family reunions. I had tears in my eyes at times. I'm glad I read it when it is actually the season. I don't know if I'd be in the mood for it in January.

Anyway, enjoy this one bundled up in front of your Christmas tree or fireplace with a big cup of cocoa.

Recommended

Buzz Part Deux: Because I Forget Things

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I just had to pop back here on a Friday because I realized I forgot something. It's kind of an important something so I better post it...

The Dewey Tree

Lisa Roe created this project in honour of our book friend Dewey who died this time last year. Here's the scoop:

*Gather up the books you can live without. It can be 4 books, 10 books, or 20 books!

*Find a worthy group you would like to donate your overflow books to. It can be your local library, a literacy campaign (mine will go to the literacy center I volunteer for), or overseas. There's a great list of book donation sites here on the ALA. Find a charity that speaks to you!

*Then take a picture of your donation and email it to me (onlinepublicist [AT] gmail [DOT] com). It can be a pic of the mailing label on your package, one of your kids giving a box of books to a librarian, or you handing books over to your literacy center. Be creative and have fun!

Get the details on Lisa's blog. There be prizes!

Friday Bookish Buzz: Ho! Ho! Ho!

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Get your letters to Santa ready. Not much longer. I'm not counting sleeps yet though. I'm trying to convince the husband to decorate this weekend. Stay tuned.

*Need book gift ideas for Christmas? The Advent Book Blog can help.

*The 2010 Canada Reads book picks have been announced.

*Poor Jane. No one can decide what killed her.

*Mmmmm... Hunger Games cakes.

*Wow, Twitter is the word of the year. Retweet that please.

*Somehow Twilight is helping the Brontes get into the movie biz.

*Another children's book up for auction. This time it's Anne of Green Gables.

*Wake up Canada! The e-book is the wave of the future. It's time to give up on flying cars though.

*Etsy Love: I'm blushing! Rebound Designs makes brooches from "The Naughty Bits" of romance novels.

A little video for you: Alex Reads Twilight. This young Brit reads and critiques Twilight. His reactions are so funny but there is some swears.

Virtual Advent Tour 2009: Homemade Christmas

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So this is Christmas and what have you done. Not to make you feel the pressure but the big day is coming up soon. Are you prepared?

This past year has seen a lot of people struggling to make ends meet. And really no one should go into debt over one day a year. In the past, I've pondered, much like Charlie Brown, about the commercialization of Christmas. Things have gotten much worse since I was a kid. The TV ads start earlier. The stores are setting up their displays even as early as October. There is so much pressure to buy stuff.

When I think of Christmases past, I don't remember the stuff. I remember things like putting a puzzle together with my family while we watched The Sound of Music. The time I spent with my family and friends. Watching my child and husband make perogies together.

That's not to say I don't enjoy giving presents. Of course I do. I love to buy something I know will make someone else happy. I love the rush I feel when I see that one thing and think, "This has so-and-so written all over it." But I also like to give gifts that I made myself. I believe it's a nice way to show someone how much you care about them by giving them something they can't get in a store. It also makes me feel that I'm still keeping the old fashioned traditions of homemade gifts alive.

I'm going to offer suggestions on homemade gifts. I haven't made them all myself but I have made some of them. I'll try to include a variety to consider the skills and time that you might have.

Crochet or Knit

I have to include this because I love to crochet! Even if you've never knit of crocheted before there are patterns available online for simple projects like scarves.

Another idea is amigurumi people and animals. Amigurumi is a Japanese fad in crochet and knitting. You can find really simple patterns or more advanced ones. There is pretty much a pattern for every animal so if someone has a favorite you can make it.

Sleepy Sarah by Owlishly

Sewing

These projects use basic sewing skills. They can be made quickly so you can make lots!

This Little Bird pattern free from Spool is sewn by hand so you can make them while your watching TV. Add a hanger and you got yourself a tree ornament.

Book weights are a perfect gift for book lovers. I made this pattern up myself. Cut a rectangular piece of fabric 11 inches by 6 inches. Fold in half (long side) right sides together. Sew 3/8 inch seam along one short side and the long side. Turn inside out. Fill with plastic pellets or if you prefer a natural filler like flaxseed. Hand sew the open end closed.

I made these sandwich bags from instructions found in Linen Wool Cotton by Akiko Mano. Even though they are sandwich bags I use them for other things, like for holding my crafting tools. You could fill them with toys or bath products as the gift wrapping!

The Book Pillow is another great gift for book lovers. The pattern is from Sew Liberated I haven't made one yet but Bethany did. She's also doing a series of homemade gifts. Check it out!

Food

My Mom makes Peppermint Meringue Cookies almost every Christmas. She has her own version but these detailed instructions from Simply Recipe are pretty close. Note though that they put the candy canes in the batter. My mom sprinkles them on the top. It's really pretty. The great thing about these is that they are a low fat treat! They'd make great teachers' gifts. Put some in a cardboard Chinese food type box from a craft store to make them fancy.

Puffed Rice Brittle makes a nice treat for people allergic to Peanut Brittle. It's also gluten free.

Paper Crafts

I've done paper stars for a previous Advent Calendar post but they are so lovely I'm mentioning them again. As single stars, they would make nice teachers' gifts. Crafter Abbie has instructions with photos.


There a lot of gifts you can make with origami but this tiny wreath  looks charming. I can see it made from fancy scrapbooking paper or even pages from a book (one that's fallen apart, of course).

Last year, I gave out printable calendars as gifts. I bought a pdf from an etsy seller and some white cardstock. Once you print them, you cut them, punch holes for hanging at the top. Add a ribbon and you're done! These bookmark calendars are sweet.

Miscellaneous

Scribbit's glass navtivity is beyond gorgeous. I have no idea how hard it is to make but it would make a nice gift for someone special.

I made bath salts for the ladies I know one year. Dreadlock Girl has a recipe for that. Use mason jars, add a ribbon and a pretty label. For an added touch, head to a second hand shop. They usually have tons of mismatched silverware. You could find unique spoons on the cheap to tie to the jars. Do a whole spa theme and make body scrubs and bath fizzies. Maybe crochet up a Tawashi in a soft cotton for a wash cloth and you got yourself a gift basket.

For the Girlie Girls, Homemade lip balm . Kids could make this stuff up and give it to their friends. If you want to go more natural, Martha has a recipe using beeswax. It uses a stove though so be careful. You can buy containers from craft stores but I can see no reason why you couldn't use those little pill holders I've seen at the dollar store.

These Mini Photo Books are quite fancy but it's a good idea. You could make them as simple or ornate as you like. They'd make nice gifts for Grandparents.

Finally, Design Mom featured gifts kids can make!

If you like the idea of homemade gifts but can't tell a glue gun from a stun gun, you can fake it and buy from vendors on sites like Etsy or 1000 Markets. Feel good knowing that you are supporting someone who creates crafts for a living.

Now while you're crafting your heart out, you'll need some peppy Christmas music to get you in the mood. Enjoy this video from Lenka "All My Bells Are Ringing." You can't help but feel good listening to it.

Merry Christmas!

Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris: Review

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Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris, a collection of 6 short stories, was just a meh read for me. I heard that Sedaris was really funny so I had high hopes. I really wanted to like it.

I enjoyed SantaLand Diaries, the first story, for the most part. I was never an elf but I did work in retail at Christmastime and I can tell you it is hell. You see the worst of people and it takes you right out of the Christmas spirit. So I could relate to that story. There were funny moments, strange moments and moments where I questioned humanity.

The other 5 stories were odd and often on the macabre side. Sometimes they got a snort out of me but dead babies just aren't funny. I felt that he was trying to beat me over the head with a 'Christmas message' stick when all I really needed was a laugh.

Anyway I also bought Me Talk Pretty One Day so I hope that one goes better.

Bought at library book sale.

Basil by Wilkie Collins: Review

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So in our hands is the confession of Basil who is out on the west coast of England hiding from someone out to get him. It's all very hush, hush with fake names and the whole sha-bang. Basil starts his narrative telling us about his family, specifically his father who is super vain and proud of his lineage. Basil has an older brother and a sister too. More about them later.

One day Basil is on an ominbus and hot pretty girl walks in and sits down. He gets stalkerish, follows her home and skulks around her garden. He does a little sleuthing and finds out that the girl, Margaret Sherwin, is a wealthy linen draper's daughter. The Horror! Immediately he tells the girl he's going to marry her despite her station. Here's the problem:

1. He's known her for 5 minutes.
2. His father is going to freak out.

Basil suggests that he marry Margaret in secret, so he has time to break the news to his father. Margaret's dad isn't too pleased with this but agrees as long as Basil doesn't 'claim' her as his wife (wink, wink) for a year, at which time she'll be 18! This has bad idea written all over it but Basil is so smitten he doesn't care.

Basil spends his evenings with Margaret and her mother as chaperon. She doesn't seem to have much personality but he attributes this to her youth and her station. He figures he can mold her into the woman he wants her to be, so it's all good. Enter Mr Mannion, Mr Sherwin's clerk. He's an enigma. He has no past, no friends or family. No one knows anything about him but he has a strange power over everyone in the house.

The year is almost up and Basil still hasn't told his father of his marriage but he's optimistic. Then a scandalous event occurs and Basil is on the run. Then more secrets! and plot twists! right until the end.

The first half of Basil took me awhile to get into. The characters are one dimensional and the foreshadowing is rather obvious. At the beginning, Basil has a dream of a fair woman who makes him feel happy and a darker woman who scares him. The fair woman is clearly his sister and the darker one, Margaret. Clara is meek and gentle, blond and kind. In other words a perfect woman. I found this annoying. Basil himself annoyed me- he's such a schmuck and I didn't think anyone would marry a girl he just met without massive amounts of alcohol being involved. I don't think I'm the first one to feel that way. Collins is quite defensive in his Dedication. He insists such things happen in real life.


Basil touches on the Victorian fears of the classes intermarrying. The whole world will go hell in a hand basket if that happens! And when Basil marries Margaret, well, there you go. It's perfectly fine for his brother Ralph to have a middle class mistress though, as long as precious Clara isn't sullied by her presence.

Basil is quite the melodrama. People swoon, break out into cold sweats and fall into nervous fevers at the drop of a hat. The bad guy is seriously bad and there is sort of a chase scene. Ralph steals every scene he's in. He adds a little levity to the story. Despite all the negatives, the second half is fast paced and quite entertaining.

I suspect that Basil isn't Wilkie Collins best, but it's still pretty good.

Recommended

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Drop by the Classics Circuit for more Collins tour stops.