Reached

I was a little MIA last week because I've been working on a couple crochet projects that I tried my hardest to finish before the weekend.  Well, it didn't work out...Friday night was book club and the first (birthday present) item I forgot at home and the second just didn't get completed (darn it!).  So!  This week both will be done and I'll post pics...until then, you'll just have to sit on pins and needles waiting.

In the meantime, I thought I'd catch you up a little on my reading.  I finished the Matched trilogy last week with Reached.

It seems like my book club has been waiting for this third installment forever.  Part of this is because we're so torn on how the first two have panned out...Matched is phenomenal.  Wonderful.  Seriously love this little YA novel.  Crossed...meh.  This book, literally, could have been written in 30 pages or less.  When you have two books that are so dissimilar in quality it makes you leery of continuing the series. 

The premise of these books is that Cassia lives in a futuristic society where everything is determined for you.  Who you marry, what your job is, when you die, what you eat, how much you exercise, where you live.  Everything.  On her "matching ceremony" night there is a glitch and she sees two men on her pod.  One initially, then the second.  Which one is the correct match for her? 

Throughout the books you follow Cassia and her two love interests, Xander and Ky, through this maze of dystopian society.  The three break free from their constraints and work for the uprising of this all-too-controlling hierarchy. 

Honestly, Reached was fine.  That's about all I can say...you're not surprised about who Cassia picks for her love interest in the end and the story finishes well.  Not great, but well.  There isn't this big, fabulous, never-been-thought-of-before ending that comes at you from nowhere.  And that's OK.  If I were to rank these books by their likeability I'd say 1) Matched, 2) Reached and 3) Crossed.  If you've already read Matched, I'd say finish the series because they're worth finishing up the story.  But, if you haven't...I'm not 100% sure I'd recommend this series.  The movie rights have been purchased long ago and depending on how well they turn out, I might just recommend that instead.

P.S. Yay, I get to mark off another book from my NY Resolutions list!

My Life in France

I recently finished My Life in France, an autobiography by Julia Child.  This book was gifted to me by a friend who knew I loved to cook and read, so it was a pretty thoughtful gift.  But, for the most part I'm not a big fan of French food nor have I ever tried a Julia Child recipe.  Haha, I guess that seems a little weird, no?

As I began this book, it was mostly because it had worked it's way to the top of my to-read pile and I needed a non-fiction for my rotation.  It wasn't necessarily because I was dying to read about Julia Child.  But, I will say that I was pleasantly surprised.  I've always been a little intimidated by Julia Child's recipes...and her.

Let me start in the beginning, this book starts out with a little background surrounding Julia and her husband, Paul, (how they met, got married, their siblings and families, etc....) and launches right into their move to France, which was determined via his job.  Julia immediately fell in love with French food and began attempting to learn how to cook.  Being a mediocre American cook to begin with, there were some humorous excerpts that included Paul's commentary on experimental meals.

Once Julia was able to hurdle the initial difficulties of preparing a meal, things went rather fast.  She details her time at the Cordon Bleu and a vast excerpt of the book is her collaboration with two French cooks in the writing of Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  For a while there, I thought that was going to be the bulk of this book, but don't worry because it isn't.

The entire purpose of Mastering the Art of French Cooking was to give the average American cook simple instructions on how to cook French food.  It was amazing to read how many times Julia would test out a recipe, make sure the ingredients were available in the average American supermarket, etc.  Her real goal was to make it so that you could enjoy delicious French cooking (obviously her favorite type of food) anywhere in America. 

While this book wasn't my favorite, I still enjoyed it greatly.  I have a whole new view of Julia Child and might even consider picking up one of her cookbooks the next time I'm looking for one.  I feel kind of bad that I was intimidated by her cooking for so long when her goal was to provide exactly the opposite kind of persona.  Ah well, live and learn!

World Without End

The title of this book seems kind of funny to me, considering that we just completed the year in which many people thought the world would end.  I finished this book last week and it was one that I literally hugged a little when I closed the cover for the last time.

I probably should give a little background about this book before I go very much farther.  This is the second book in a series of two.  The original book, The Pillars of the Earth, I finished a while back...and absolutely loved it.  Both of these books are doozies, clocking in at over 1,000 pages each.  So, these aren't books that you'd pick up casually and finish just as cavalierly. 

The Pillars of the Earth takes place in the 1100s and the story surrounds the building of a cathedral.  You learn all the ins and outs and minute details of the lives of the mason, future-prior and numerous other characters.  There are, literally, 10-20 major characters involved in the setting of this wonderful story.  In the end, the cathedral has been built and you are left in a very satisfied state as to the outcome of all of the main characters' present situations. 

Apparently, this book was published in 1989 and for years readers have requested a sequel to this fantastic book.  Finally, in 2007 Ken Follett granted everyone's request in World Without End.  But, this is more of a sort-of sequel in that it takes place 200 years later in the same town of Kingsbridge, the town in which this colossal cathedral was built.

In many ways, I'm glad that Follett did this.  It was very interesting to me to read how the townspeople positively viewed the characters of the first book, because they were their ancestors.  Having known all the characters from the previous book, you're aware of their flaws and faults along with their noble accomplishments and enviably good qualities.  It made me think, "Wow, this is how we view our ancestors, such as Washington, Lincoln, Franklin, Jefferson, etc."  Only the "good" qualities are shared (for the most part), so people today tend to view them in starry-eyed wonder.  It really made me think!

Minus that little snip-it of historical theme, World Without End follows four children who are united in one single scene that occurs in the opening pages of the book.  Each child's reaction to this scene determines the path in which their life will then, forever, lead them.  I loved the setting of this story, the characters, Follett's writing style...pretty much everything about this book, I guess you could say.  One thing I seriously enjoy about Follett's style of writing is that it's so realistic.  Everything that occurs is definitely something that could have happened; I feel many times that unless I knew this was historical fiction I might wonder if this truly did happen.  Needless to say I highly recommend both books, but I almost want to say that I liked the second better.  However, it might just be that I've finished it so much more recently and it's still fresh in my mind. 

I will mention that I encouraged my MIL to pick up Pillars of the Earth...and she hated it, didn't even try to finish it.  And the one reason that she gave me was, "it's just too violent."  These books take place in the 12th and 14th centuries.  Life was hard back then and there was much violence, including sword fights, rapes and other unpleasantries.  I won't sugar-coat it, these books both have violent scenes.  But, being one with a severely queasy disposition, I can tell you that I didn't have a problem one with most of these scenes.  And it definitely didn't effect me enough to quit reading.

When I went to do a little research on a pic for this post, I found that both books have been made into television mini-series!  World Without End was just recently released, in fact.  I've already order Pillars of the Earth on my Netflix queue...I hope it doesn't disappoint (both series have 4+/5 star ratings), but we shall see!

I hope you pick these up because I love them so, but if you don't I'd understand.  Committing yourself to 2,000+ pages can be quite a commitment!  But, I promise it's worth it in the end!

*Bonus: this is book 1 completed on my resolution to read all of my own to-read pile!

Friday Funday

Happy Friday everyone!  I thought I'd mix it up a little this week.  I haven't done a recipe post in a while, so instead of incorporating my favorite pins of just this past week, I thought I'd share some of my foodie pins that I have actually tried out.  Kind of a Friday Funday Foodie edition.  Below each pin is my mini review of each!  Enjoy and have a fantastic weekend!

Source: millerfamilyorganizer.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

These are a super simple crock pot meal, but they are a tad bland...at least for this household.  We love our spicy Mexican food around here!  The second time I attempted these I threw in some extra spices and even served them with some sliced avocado, which helped a lot!

Source: kitchenconfidante.com via Crystal on Pinterest

This recipe is so, so, so, so delicious!  I'm a HUGE pork tenderloin fan and this recipe brings out all that yummy flavor.  Definitely give this one a try!

Source: luluthebaker.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

This soup is super good, David gave it a thumbs up.  But, I can only get away with this as a side dish...so, as long as there's a protein alongside, we're good!

Source: minimalistbaker.com via Crystal on Pinterest

I made this for Christmas and it was really just OK.  A tiny bit bland, so I probably won't be making it again with so many other tasty breakfast recipes in my repertoire.

Source: cdm-arewethereyet.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

I made these with eggs, some bell pepper from our garden and B&G sausage from my friend's kiddo's fundraiser.  Yummo and so easy to make!  You just need to allot some time to prepare and freeze...worth the effort!

Source: lovintheoven.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Been making this topping for my ol' banana bread recipe and I love the change.  I still make it without, but it's always fun to mix things up!

Source: dlynz.com via Crystal on Pinterest

I actually tried these out last night!  Super delicious, but a little labor intensive and messy to make.  I think I know now how to be a little more careful in preparation...I'll definitely be making these again!

Book Review Catch-Up

I've read a few books since my last review posting, so I thought I'd catch up a bit today.  The first book I'll share is Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species.  This book was my idea of killing two birds with one stone...it's non-fiction and a classic.  But, I'm afraid the excitement ends there, as you can probably guess.  This book is terribly dry with a few snippets of fascinating facts spread out here and there.  It's quite easy to get in a bit of a trance while reading (or listening as I did) to this book.  Most of the facts listed within are taught in your high school biology class, but I will admit that it was interesting to hear how Darwin came to separate conclusions.  He really did a ton of experiments and observed different species throughout his life, making this book a lifelong work.  I like being able to say that I've actually sat down and read this book, rather than having just learning the gist in high school, but I won't be picking it up for a reread any time soon.  Unless I'm in a mood to fall asleep...fast.

My next book was Daniel Silva's The Rembrandt Affair.  This book was the last book I had yet to read from my library book sale purchase a few years ago.  Can you tell how bad my reading queue is if I'm reading books I bought years ago?  Hence, one of my resolutions this year...

I suppose you could say that I toyed with the idea of reading mysteries when I made that bulk purchase, considering almost all of them were mysteries.  Each of the previous I didn't particularly care for, but this one was actually quite good.  I liked Daniel Silva's writing style and it kept me guessing.  There were even a few Daniel Silva books in the clearance section at Barnes & Noble the other day that I considered picking up because of my experience with this book.  But, the last thing I need right now is another book in my queue...so, alas I left them for another consumer to grab.

If you're into mysteries, I would recommend this book.  The story surrounds a newly discovered Rembrandt painting that has a dark past involving it in WWII atrocities.  This book is actually part of a series where Gabriel Allon is always the protagonist.  I really liked Allon, he has a little bit of the Bond flavor only with more realism.  Overall, this book was a solid three out of five stars for me.  I liked it, didn't love it, but I enjoyed the experience and felt fully entertained.  And like I inferred earlier, I'd read more Silva in the future.

Next up is a book I purchased a while ago because one of David's aunts said that her daughter was encouraging her to read it.  It comes from the author of Water for Elephants, one of my favorite books of all time, Sara Gruen.  That book is Ape House.

This fictional story follows two main characters, scientist Isabel Duncan and journalist John Thigpen.  In the opening scene John is visiting Isabel's language lab to interview her and the bonobo apes who have learned American Sign Language.  John is writing a story on the groundbreaking research this lab is preforming and leaves the premises eager to write his article (with an irritating partner that you soon learn to loathe). 

Shortly after John and his crew leave the lab is broken into with an explosion, severely injuring Isabel and freeing the bonobo apes.  While Isabel is in the hospital recovering from a concussion and numerous plastic surgery operations, including dental implants, the bonobo apes disappear.  To Isabel's horror, the university has sold them in an attempt to prevent any further threats of violence from the would-be attackers.  No one really knows who set the bomb off, but one group has threateningly claimed it.

The rest of this novel surrounds Isabel trying to come to grips with her injuries, find out who she is, whether or not she wants to continue a weak romantic relationship and, above all, find the apes.  John also struggles with a hard time in his marriage, job problems and his desire to finish up this ape story that he feels emotionally attached to. 

In a weird twist, the bonobo apes show up on a reality television show entitled, Ape House.  Hence, the title of the book.  The show is owned by a Hugh Hefner-type that is eager to exploit the sexual habits of the bonobos as well as their everyday activities (which are very human-like, truly).

I really enjoyed this book.  Was it as good as Water for Elephants...um, not quite.  But, I still highly, highly recommend it because it was wonderful, especially if you're an animal lover like me.  One thing I found absolutely fascinating was that in her acknowledgments, Gruen explains her research and experience in writing this book.  The first encounter she had with the apes she met in real life is mirrored in John's first encounter with the bonobos in the book.  And Gruen said she can't wait to go back and spend more time with them.  How wonderful is that?

My reading lately has leaned more towards fiction, simply because of the vast amount of my to-read pile.  But, hopefully within the next year I can still keep my regular rotation going while also making progress with my resolution!  Which, by the way, I have added a tab for.  I'll strike through each book as I read it and you can follow me in my progress throughout the year.  Fingers crossed!

Friday Funday

Here are my favorite pins of the past couple weeks, to wrap up this week!  I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Crochet ideas...my to-do list is growing exponentially!

Source: holland-designs.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Source: yarn-muse.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Source: outblush.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Some great quote pins:

This is sooooo Molly.

Source: via Crystal on Pinterest

This is so true, even when you're only an hour and a half down the road!

Source: imgfave.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Story of my life.

Source: buzzpinterest.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Want...must have.

Source: etsy.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Resolutions

Like I foreshadowed in my last post, I wasn't able to blog for Christmas...or, as it turned out, for New Year's either.  This time of year is so hectic and the time for fellowshipping with friends and family lasted even longer than ever. 

This year was the first year that David and I attempted to host Christmas.  So, David's family drove in on Christmas Eve and my father drove in as well.  We had some nasty weather predicted and while my mom and step-dad as well as my aunt and grandma were going to come as well...it just didn't work out.  My step-dad had a nasty cold (remember the one I mentioned getting earlier...yea, that one), so it was best for them to stay home.  Then, the dangerous weather managed to keep my aunt and grandma in Norman on Christmas Day.  No worries, we still had a fantastic time in this Tulsa household...which got zero bad weather, mind you.  It all managed to stay south of us.

Funnily enough, I had planned on setting two tables (dining room and breakfast nook) and only had to set one.  This made it easier to fellowship and I really enjoyed preparing and serving the meal (though my MIL and SIL did their fair share of helping in the kitchen).  I really went all out and served the meal on our china, crystal serving pieces and we ate with family silver that I managed to get earlier this year.  Kudos to my BIL who helped hand wash those items too, so it wasn't just the ladies cleaning up.

Sadly, I didn't take any pictures (I can't imagine why since I was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off) and afterwards David told me he was so impressed that he thought our table and the meal looked like something out of Good Housekeeping.  Maybe next year I'll slow down and remember to take some pictures.  But, I wouldn't have changed a second of the whole experience.  You regular blog-readers know I love to cook and I absolutely love spending time with family...so, what could be better for me than this experience?  Nothing.  Though, I will say that I was completely and totally exhausted after everyone left...I had no idea how long I'd been going, going, going and going until I actually sat down 5 minutes after my in-laws drove off.  Phew!

After all of the Christmas hullabaloo was complete and everyone went home, my brother and his family ventured up from Florida.  I was so excited to see the lot, considering the fact that I hadn't seen them in four years!  Yes, four years.  It is so hard to see family (even siblings!) that live states away, especially when they're military and are constantly either on the move, deployed and whatnot.  Regardless, it was so refreshing to see them again. 

Their last day in Oklahoma they drove up to stay with David and I.  I really enjoyed their visit both in Oklahoma City and up in Tulsa...my brother, SIL and I stayed up until one o'clock in the morning chatting and enjoying each other's company.  It was wonderful, I so wish they lived closer!

I did manage to snag a pic of our nuclear family minus my sister (who lives near DC) and her family.  I really wanted this for Dad and he was so tickled to get a picture of 2/3 of his family, all in one shot.

Nah...my brother and I don't look aaaaanything like my dad, now do we? 

OK, so my brother and his crew left yesterday...so, today is the first day I've had where there wasn't some sort of friend or family gathering (or us hosting someone).  I managed to get all our Christmas decorations put away (minus what David has to do for me) and now I'm finally sitting back down to catch up on reading blogs and catch my own blog up with this post. 

So, what does most everyone do this time of year (actually a few days ago)?  Resolutions!  I thought I'd share my resolutions with you.  I only have five, but each of them I am going to take seriously.

1. Read 100 books within 2013.  I read 87 this past year, but in 2011 I did manage to read exactly 100.  I'd like to get back up to 100, but I'm going to blame Les Misérables for my short-comings this past year...that doozy of a book should count for at least five.
2. Read 12 classics within 2013.  I managed to do that this past year, but only just barely.
3. Read all of the books I currently own at home in my to-read pile...that's 53 books...over half of my reading goal for the whole year.  I have a really bad habit of reading books that are circulated in book club or that other friends recommend...and I don't read the ones I already own and are sitting at home patiently waiting for me.  Hopefully I can fulfill this resolution, but honestly, it's the one I'm most worried that I won't be able to stick to in the end.  We'll see.  I will not count any books I purchase for myself or are gifted to me from this date forward.  At some point, I think I might add a tab above to monitor my progress...no better way to fulfill a goal than to shame yourself into publicly displaying your progress, right?
4. Lose enough weight to fit into both my favorite pants and David's favorite pair on me.  Both pairs of these pants I could wear prior to quitting my desk job and us moving to San Antonio.  I won't list a number because I don't feel there's a specific number I'm aiming for, I just prefer for the clothes I most enjoy to fit again.  I already go to the gym 3-4 days per week, but I need to step up my game both there and within the kitchen.  More cardio and less sweets!
5. This one's kinda personal, but hey this is my personal blog.  So, without further ado...to not smell like a gym rat when David comes home for lunch on weekdays.  I'm really bad about still being in my sweaty gym clothes when David comes home for lunch (he eats with me most every workday) if I've gone to the gym that morning.  In my previous resolution, I've already told you that I go to the gym at least 3 days per week.  My goal for the new year is for my husband to see me clean and dressed both at lunch time and when he comes home from work...not just in the evenings.

Did you make resolutions?  And if so, what were they?