BOOK REVIEW

A few days ago, I picked up "Small Change, The Secret Life of Penny Burford," by J.Beliinda Yandell. I couldn't put the short 150 page book down! What a cute and inspiring story! I don't want to ruin the book for others so I won't go into much detail about what it is about. The story starts with a house wife who slowly sneaks a coing or two of her husband's. Without him ever knowing, Penny saves hundreds of dollars with her change adding up. She does great things with her extra money. I personally learned two lessons from this book-service as well as what happens when you save a small amount of money at a time. Usually small coins like pennies don't get used much-you find them lying in the road or in the couch cushins. After reading this book I am going to be a lot better about saving every little penny I find.

"It's what you do with it that counts."

A good Christmas book.

I  love reading Christmas stories this time of the year.  This book was a very tender story.  It is about a handicapped boy and his father and a dog. The father tries to teach his handicapped son a lesson, and, in the end, it is the son who teaches the father the lesson!  It made me want to get a dog!

BOOK REVIEW

This week I finished reading Sarah's Key, by Tatiana DeRosnay. It was a shocking story about a little Jewish girl in 1942 who's home in Paris was raided one night and her family was forced to leave. Sarah's four year old brother was scared so she locked him in a hidden cupboard, took the key with her thinking she would return for him the next morning. Sadly, Sarah and her family were taken to a stadium where they were locked up several days and then taken in cattle trains to concentration camps where the children were separated from parents and most were killed in the gas chambers. This story switches from 1942 to modern times where a magazine writer is trying to unlock some secrets about what happened that horrible time in Paris. This book was very sad to me thinking about the inhumane way people were actually treated. What is really hard to believe is that this didn't happen all that long ago. There are still people who are alive today who witnessed all that went on. There are a lot of people out there who seem to forget what others suffered during those times or actually choose to believe that those events never even took place. I know I will not forget.

THE LIBRARY

I absolutely LOVE the library and this is why:

• It's like going to the book store except everything is free!
• I can go there when I'm sad, lonely, bored, broke or just want some peace and quiet.
• Because of the online system I can request any book that I want and have it sent to my cute little local library. Within just a few days I get to pick up my books and it's like Christmas.
• Even if you don't like books you can find lots of CD's and movies. I love checking out some of my favorite classic t.v. series on DVD.
• I'm not able to go back to college right now but that doesn't mean I can't continue learning. I can pick up anything on any subject that I might possibly want to learn about-travel, cooking, marriage, how-to books, history and much, much more! Just today I found some books on soap making since it's something I've always wanted to do.
  
• I love shopping but sometimes I don't have the funds or room in my home to always be buying things so the library helps with my shopaholic needs!
• I can go to a book store and write down the names of anything that looks good and request it later. I've never had the library not have a book I've wanted.

I am so grateful that we live in a country that provides us with something as wonderful as the public library system. Whenever I get mad about paying taxes I keep that in mind. Even if a person has no money, they will never be denied the chance to read and continue learning and that is something that is very important to me.

MY FAVORITE CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOKS

Even as an adult I still love picture books because I feel like I get so much out of them. They can give simple lessons or just put a smile on my face. I have so many favorites but I tried to narrow them down to 12. I can't wait to have kids of my own someday to share the stories I love.

1. Oh The Places You Will Go, by Dr.Seuss. I got that book on my high school graduation and it really meant a lot to me.
2. You Are Special, by Max Lucado. Such a sweet story about how everyone is important.
3. Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch, by Eileen Spinelli. This book is such a cute Valentine's story and it really teaches a good lesson about being kind to others.
4. Fanny's Dream, by Caralyn Buehner. This story is a real life Cinderella story.
5. I'll Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch. My mom read it to me when I was little and it is a great story about a mother's love for her child.
6. I Like Me, by Nancy Carlson. I read this book when I need a self-esteem lift.
7. Christmas Oranges, by Linda Bethers. I've read this story a few times and it always makes me cry.
8. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See, by Martin Bill Jr. I think this book is special to me because it is the first picture book I remember reading in kindergarden.
9. A Chair For My Mother, by Vera Williams. I first saw this book on Reading Rainbow and I love the story of how a mother, child and grandmother saved times to buy a special comfy chair but then it gets destroyed in a fire.
10. If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, by Laura Numeroff. What can I say, I love cookies!
11. Miss Nelson Is Missing, by Harry Allred and James Marshall. This is another Reading Rainbow favorite and it's just a cute story.
12. Amelia Bedelia, by Peggy Parish. I read these stories over and over and always got a laugh out of them!
    

SO MUCH TO READ, SO LITTLE TIME

I don't know if anyone is out there who reads this, but I'm sorry I've been slacking on posting for this blog. I wish I had an extra hour in the day just to read because I have such a big stack of books and need to read! Anyway, you can check out what I'm reading and www.goodreads.com
I'll try to be better at not making this blog so boring!

CHECK IT OUT

I wanted to try something new for lunch this week, so my mom and I went to the Oasis Cafe at 151 South 500 East in Salt Lake City. We walked into the peaceful restaurant where there were water fountains and hanging flower baskets. Because the weather was perfect we decided to dine outside. The menu served all kinds of vegetarian dishes as well as a variety of sandwiches and salads. We each chose a sandwich with melted brie cheese on cranberry pecan bread and a spinach salad. Our meal was quite tasty and we agreed that in the future we could split the large portion. After our lunch , we decided to check out Golden Braid Books which is actually connected to the cafe. We walked into the herb scented store that seemed to have a spa like atmosphere. Relaxing music played, water fountains ran and little wind chimes tinkled. I love discovering new book stores! This unique store contained all kinds of books about yoga, relaxation and anything else to feed your spirit! There was also a gift section full of aromatherapy products, cute notebooks and CD's. We probably spent a good hour exploring the shelves. Just being in the store was very relaxing and because I have a lot of anxiety that I'm trying to deal with, this store had just what I was looking for. I ended up purchasing a CD of relaxing music and two aromatherapy pouches. If you ever need a little Oasis during a hectic day, I would highly recommend checking out the cafe and Golden Braid Books!

Fruit Dip

OK, this has nothing to do with reading but I had a request for a healthier recipe so I thought I would share my favorite dip. I recently made it for a baby shower and it is so simple!

Orange Cheesecake Dip

4 oz. neufetchel cream cheese softened (it's like low fat cream cheese)
1/4 cup sugar- you might even be able to use a sugar substitute, but I haven't tried yet.
1/8 cup orange juice
4 oz. light cool whip
fresh fruit in season

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar. Gradually add orange juice, beating until smooth. Add cool whip and mix until well blended. Chill. Serve with fresh fruit.

A Great Cookbook!

I picked up the Hungry Girl Cookbook last night and I just love it! For those of you who don't know, the Hungry Girl is a woman after my own heart because she loves food but tries to find ways to make her favorites in a healthy way. Lisa Lillien started out with a fun website: www.hungry-girl.com and now has her own book loaded with easy and tasty recipes as well as great tips! This book was just fun to read and I can't wait to try some of her guilt-free recipes! If you love to cook and are a health nut, than you HAVE to get this book!

Book Review

Last night I finished These Is My Words, by Nancy E. Turner. A fictional story inspired by the author's family memoirs, this story is like the diary of a young lady from the late 1800's. Sarah Prine is a woman who didn't have the chance for a real education but learns a love of books and reading. The story takes place in the Arizona Territory and it seems like the settler's endured more trials and suffering than happy times. I would reccomend this book as it really gave me a greater appreciation for how the women of years ago had to live. I realized that we have it so easy living in a modern world.

Recipes

I will admit that I am a magazine junkie! I just can't help myself when I'm in the grocery store and I see that eye-catching cover claiming I can lose 10 lbs. in one week or cook chicken fifty different ways. I also really love magazines for the great recipes. I find that I hold on to old magazines way too long because there's a great recipe in it that I want to try. I am trying to be more organized so I bought this cute recipe keeper at Barnes and Noble (I've also seen it at Costco) and cut out all of the recipes that I want to try, put them in sheet protectors and into my binder. It even has sections for appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts and miscellaneous. Instead of having magazines pile up or loose recipe clippings lying around, you're able to put everything into one tidy binder. Then if I try a recipe I don't like, I just toss it. This sounds sad, but sometimes I think I just have more fun reading the recipes than actually cooking!

Another cute bookstore!

I was recently on a trip down south. Anyone who has ever traveled with me, knows that if there is a quilt shop, antique shop, yarn shop, or book shop on the trip, you can count on stopping. My sister was so good to stop with me here and look around a bit! She even found a book for herself as well! This shop is in Moab, Utah. It has a great selection of local interest books, and a huge selection of rare and used books in the back, as well as many other books. It also had alot of fun and unique journals and book marks for sale.

It is called "Back of Beyond Books", and is right on the main street in Moab, Utah.

The Host

I just finished reading The Host by Stephanie Meyer and it was interesting. I was skeptical since the plot sounded a little strange but because everyone was reading it I gave it a try. I devoured the several hundred pages in just a few days. Whether intended by the author or not I found a great hidden message. So if a book about aliens taking over people's bodies doesn't sound like your cup of tea, just give it a try anyway. And you have to stick it out through the first few chapters. After that, you will be hooked!

My Twenty Wishes

I wrote earlier that I was inspired by the book Twenty Wishes and so on Friday I sat down at my desk with various scrap booking supplies to make my very own motivational page. I am far from creative when it comes to making a page, but I'm the only one who has to look at it everyday. When I finished, I stuck my page up onto my magnet board so I won't forget what I am aiming for. I made a list of wishes that have always been on my mind. I only have fourteen, but as I get a new idea I will write it down. Some of the wishes might take me a life time to accomplish some I may make come true in one weekend. I heard once that a goal not written will probably never happen. As each birthday passes, I start to panic and think "oh my gosh, what have I done with my life?'' The days pass so quickly, yet I rarely do what my heart desires. Just like the women in Twenty Wishes, I hope my own list will get me on the right track to following my own dreams. I don't want to look back one day when I am a hundred year old woman and panic and realize I never accomplished the things that I truly wanted to do. For anyone who is reading this I challenge you to sit down soon and make your own list of Twenty Wishes. You can write down any dream that you have ever had no matter how impossible or silly it might seem. Then do your best to live life to the fullest and work on making those wishes come true!

"Good thoughts are no better than good dreams, unless they be executed."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Red Leather Diary

The story of how The Red Leather Diary came to be is amazing to me. A few years ago in New York, a young journalist happened to come across a dumpster full of old steamer trunks containing many antique items such as flapper gowns, dishes and the most priceless discovery-a diary that a 14 year old girl from the 1930's had written in every single day for 5 years. Apparently an old apartment manager was cleaning out the basement storage room. After a lot of research, the journalist was able to track down the author of this diary and the 93 year old woman is still living today so now her private diary is a book for hundreds to read. I love history so it would be my dream to be the one to discover this treasure. I'll admit the book was a little unusual; Florence the author was a bit eccentric and I found myself skipping through a lot of parts. The story did get me thinking and I realized just how important keeping an updated journal is. What if someone finds my journal 75 years later down the road? What would they learn about me? I won't be on this earth forever but by leaving a detailed journal I'll be able to leave a little part of me. I also realized a lot of the times I write I am sad or angry and I don't want someone else reading it and thinking what a depressed person I was. I am going to try recording other details about what's going on in the world. I hope that one day my children and even grandchildren will be able to read and enjoy my journals and learn about who I really am.

Summer reading.

"A book is like a garden carried in the pocket." ~Chinese Proverb
I have been busy planting my vegetable garden and flower beds. As I work, I have plenty of time to think. I was thinking about summer, and one of the things I love about summer, is lots of time to read. Reading on a trip, reading by the pool, reading in the shade of the back yard on my garden swing, reading in the house when it's too hot to go outside. Lazy, crazy, days of summer reading, I love it! Here is my Summer Reading List:
1. A Girl of The Limberlost.
2. Three Cups of Tea.
3. Carrot Cake Mystery.
4. Before Green Gables. (I am very excited about this one!)
6. Some of my Newberry Books!
7. The Peacegiver.
Oh, so many books and so little time!
What's on your summer reading list?

Twenty Wishes

Within just a few days I finished Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber. I couldn't put it down. It's what I call a "feel good book." This book is part of the Blossom Street stories and I have really enjoyed all of them. In this particular story, a group of women who aren't happy and going through a lot of struggles get together one night and decide that they need to each make a list of 20 wishes and accomplish things they never have done in life but have always wanted to do. As each women starts to complete their lists, they become much more happier with life and learn that they can do anything. One little girl in the story stated, "you have to let your head know what your heart wants." This story really inspired me and infact I am going to start my own list of twenty wishes!

Marriage

Since I recently celebrated by wedding anniversary, I would like to share one of my favorite marriage books: Eternal Marriage and the parable of the silverware, by F. Burton Howard. I like reading relationship books, but this short and sweet story is special to me. In this book, Elder Burton shares the story about his wife who saved money in their years of marriage for a nice set of silverware. His wife took tender care polishing the silver and hiding it when not in use. The silver was only used for rare special occasions. Elder Burton thought his wife was a little eccentric but later understood that if you want something to last forever, you treat it differently. The message shared in this book is that marriage needs to be treated for the priceless gift that it is. It becomes more special and priceless as time goes by and when it becomes tarnished we can polish it lovingly. I try to remember this story when my marriage is having some difficult times and it is always so uplifting to me!

Plain and Simple.

" Plain and Simple, A Woman's Journey to the Amish." This has been one of my favorite books for a very long time. It is the true story of a woman who goes to live with the Amish to find out about their way of life. She learns alot about simplifying her life in the end. I love reading about the simple, and sometimes not so simple lifestyle of the Amish, they have always interested me.

Crazy For Cookbooks

I have been enjoying cook books since I was very young, starting with the Betty Crocker For Kids book. Before I was married, it was always a dream to have my own baker's rack in my kitchen so I would have a place to store all of my cookbooks. More than actually cooking from them, I really just like reading all of the recipes. Since I started accumulating way too many books, I've had to limit myself to just collecting ones that are unique to me. I love food and cooking so much I'll definitely be sharing some of my favorite recipes from my collection.

"Doc Susie"

"Doc Susie", by Virginia Cornell. My husband bought me this book many years ago when he was on a snowmobile trip in Yellowstone. At first, I thought "ok" but then, when I read it, it has become a favorite. It is a true story of a Country Physician, Susan Anderson, M.D., who lived in the Colorado Rockies in 1900. She had many trials in her life, including health problems of her own. This is a story of an amazing and brave women!

Diana Barry's Favorite Raspberry Cordial

"But it isn't good manners to tell your company what you are going to give them to eat, so I won't tell you what she said we could have to drink. Only it begins with and R and a C and it's bright red color. I love bright red drinks, don't you? They taste twice as good as any other color." Anne of Green Gables (by L.M. Montgomery)

I just love Anne of Green Gables! I can watch the movies and read the books a dozen times over! With summer on the way I thought I would share the famous raspberry cordial recipe. Anne is given the chance to invite her best friend Diana for tea and plans on serving her favorite drink. Unfortunately, the drink ends up not being the raspberry cordial, but something else. You'll just have to read the book if you want to know the whole story!

Raspberry Cordial

2 packs of frozen unsweetened raspberries
1 1/4 cups of sugar
4 cups of boiling water
3 lemons

Place unthawed raspberries and sugar into a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring once in awhile, for 20-25 min. until all the sugar has dissolved.
With a potato masher, mash berries and syrup thoroughly.
Pour mixture into a wire strainer, extracting all the juice. Discard pulp.
Squeeze juice of 2 lemons into raspberry juice.
Boil 4 cups of water and add it to juice. Let the raspberry cordial cool, then chill it in the refrigerator.
When the cordial is ready to server, float a thin slice of lemon in each glass.

"The Persian Pickle Club."

"The Persian Pickle Club" by Sandra Dallas. This has got to be one of my all time favorites. Again, a book about quilters. This book takes place in the 1930's, one of my favorite times to read about, the Depression Era. I love reading about how, even in hard times, people can still have fun and enjoy life. This is the story of Queenie, a young farm wife, and her quilting group. It is also a mystery, and I love how all the women in the group ban together in hardtimes. I like to think that my "group" would do that for me too! This is a book I read over and over.

The Sugar Camp Quilt.

"The Sugar Camp Quilt" by Jennifer Chiaverini. I just finished this book and I loved it. This book takes place in the 1800's. It is about a family who hides and helps slaves escape to freedom. I have been reading all the books by Jennifer Chiaverini and each one has such a sweet story, and a lesson to be learned, not to mention how it makes me want to start quilting again. I loved all the history that was in this book as well. This was a fun read, and one I could NOT put down.

My Favorite Mystery Series

I love a good mystery and read several different series, but my favorite is the Hannah Swensen books by JoAnne Fluke. Hannah owns a cookie store in a small Minnesota town and always ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time and has a knack for solving crime. There are already 13 books out in this series, the Carrot Cake Murder being the most recent. The best part about these books is that they each contain several tasy recipes and I always devour these stories just as fast as I would eat a jar of cookies!

Used Book Stores.

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." ~Charles W. Eliot

If there is one thing I love almost as much as reading, it would have to be used bookstores! I love spending time in them, looking for a book on my list, or just one I didn't know about. I just found this darling little bookstore in Midway, Utah. It is called "Rebook". It is an old Victorian home, they have made it into the cutest little used bookstore! I just wanted to stay in here all day and sit in one of the cozy chairs and read away.

And, I even found one of the books I have been wanting to read. "A Lantern in Her Hand". I can't wait to read it, it sounds so good. I found another book and John found one he bought too! The owner was so fun to talk to, she too loves books, her name is Judith and she made me feel so welcome in her store. She hosts a monthly book group, and although I told her I didn't live around Midway, she insisted on getting my e-mail to invite me to their book group each month and let me know what they are reading. I have already gotten one invite. I may just go up there once a month to the book group!

Read All About It

I decided within minutes to do a blog about books since that is one of the things in life I am most passionate about. I hope to fill my blog with reviews of books I've read, ideas and anything and everything that has to do with a book. I hope other book lovers will contribute their thoughts and ideas as well.

ENJOY!