Pretty In Plaid

So one of my favorite authors, Jen Lancaster is going to be in Portland on May 18th at Powell's and I'm OH SO EXCITED! It's like she and I are soul sisters. I swear to god we could be evil twins. Anyhow...If you've not met her, watch this video clip. She's funny and snarky and sometimes a little mean. She cracks me up and I've LOVED all her books. I asked Mr. Tall for her newest, Pretty in Plaid for mother's day. We'll see. If I don't get it, you can bet I'll be at Border's picking it up for myself.

And that is all I have for now. I'm off to "be productive".

I'm Tired

Ok, I've got little to say today. I'm just plain tired...I worked 7:30-5pm yesterday...maybe a bit long...primarily I was finishing up my classroom library. I just need to label the new tubs of books and it's good to go. Thanks to my neighbor Tricia who helped me with the finishing pieces and my fantastic lit coach Jenny for some good advice.

So I'm also tired because I was out partying with my book club gal pals. Ok, not so much partying as intaking waaaaaay too much sugar at DQ in the form of a Georgia Mud Fudge Blizzard. And NO I didn't make it to the gym yesterday.

Speaking of book club, there was much discussion of the book, The Heat of the Night by Sandra Parshall. I won't go into details, but it was the author's first book. Our group agreed it was an ok book, but some of us were thinking it was a bit on the cheesey side and lacked some elements. One of my faithful readers (hi Leon) said that she used too many adjectives. So there you have it. I just thought it was ok, but too cheesey and predictable. The ending redeemed the book and made it so that I didn't regret reading it. I can't imagine how hard it is to write a book and put yourself out there to the world to be criticized like this. Sorry if you're reading Sandra, but did you see that I actually didn't regret reading it and enjoyed parts?)

So I'm off to a day of inservice in the form of lecture on collaboration in the form of PLC's. I hope I don't fall asleep cuz I'm just that tired. Have a good day!

A Couple of Book Reviews

So I'm finding myself without any inspiration for writing this morning so I thought to myself, why not just post about a couple of books you've read this month. So, here goes...

I read A Wolf At the Table A Memoir of My Father by Augusten Burroughs. I love Augusten's way with words. He is one of my favorite writers of memoir. He has this way of taking small moments, events, parts of his life and writing them with such a big way. He could take a boring day of my life and make it sound amazing I think.

This book was the hardest for me to read. It chronicles the authors relationship with his father. Let's just say that his father is the worst person on the face of this earth and treated Augusten as such. I kept wishing that instead of his dad playing all of the sick mental games he'd just beat the hell outta Augusten.

I'm not sure I completely recommend this book. If you want a raw, honest memoir of a screwed up upbringing read on my friends. It's shockingly honest and at times I just found my jaw in a dropped position and thinking...oh no he didn't....

The first book I read of his was Running With Scissors. OMG! This book kicked it all off for me. Once I read about how his mother sent him to live with her psychotherapist at the age of like 12 and then there is a pedophile living in that house and you can imagine what happens next, I was hooked. I read Dry, Magical Thinking, Possible Side Effects, Sellevision. All memoir except Sellevision.

Another memoir I finished reading Saturday night was The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. OK, I'm not sure which of these authors had a more screwed up childhood. If you've not read The Glass Castle yet, run, don't walk to your nearest book provider. Really. It is the story of how Jeanette Walls grew up in a very different way than most of the world. Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads....and the story goes on.

Walls' goal (at least how I understand) in writing this book was to provide perspective to people who will never experience the uglies of poverty in childhood. Like being dirty, having very few clothes, never having food to eat, rummaging through trash cans for food to eat. This story is so unbelievable. Read. It. Now.

And if you haven't entered my pay it forward giveaway v3.0 go now and enter. It ends August 23rd.

Book Review-Yellow Blues

I received a free book from Raincoast Books. Thank you very much. I LOVED this book. If you haven't heard about Mini Book Expo For Bloggers yet, GO CHECK IT OUT!!! Free books is all I have to say. Nuff said. Go claim a free book.

Back to the book I got in the mail last week...Yellow Blues by Sean L. Moore. This children's book is delightful. I love the storyline. This little girl, June really want a pair of yellow rain boots, but her parents just don't understand. She is quite the young "diva" or "fashionista" you might say.

I say delightful is this book and I can't wait to share it with my first graders. I'm sure they'll get a kick outta this book.

Book Blowout Update

So, just to update everyone who may not be follower of my blog, I entered this little Book Blowout thingy. (maybe more like a challenge)

I guess my goal is to read 4 plus two that were already started. I finished one of the already started books, The Poisonwood Bible. You can read about it here.

I'm still reading Three Cups of Tea, but am almost finished. (thank god, or should I say thanks allah)

Last night I was not tired so I decided to read PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives by Frank Warren. I guess he's got a new book out too...A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecrets Book. So this guy started a community mail art project that blossomed into a hundred seventy thousand post cards...wow! I love getting mail. Maybe I should start something like this, but maybe it could be like write your secret on a $5.00 bill and then mail it to me?

Anyhow, the simple concept of the project was that completely anonymous people decorate a postcard and portray a secret that they had never previously revealed. No restrictions were (or are) made on the content of the secret; only that it must be completely truthful and must never have been spoken before. Entries range from admissions of sexual misconduct and criminal activity to confessions of secret desires, embarrassing habits (like eating boogers), hopes and dreams. There is also a Post Secret Blog...who knew?! I didn't really check it out, but feel free to peruse at your own free will. Really. Go. Now.

I couldn't stop reading. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Maybe I'll read it again, would that count for a second read? I love this book soooooo much (and think everyone else will too) that I'm including it in my Pay It Forward Giveaway!!! (seriously...get over there and enter!!!) Yeah, instead of logging it to giveaway at Bookmooch, which would earn me another 1/10 point so I could mooch something, I'm sharing the love. I know. Just send five dollar bills with your secrets :)

p.s. happy belated birthday to my brother who turned a number 7 years my senior yesterday!! hope you had a great day!!!

Growing Up

So I need to know....just when did this happen? When did my baby grow up into such a mature short person? I mean seriously...a few days ago she bonked her head whilst in bed. Mr. Tall Man and I were in bed and heard her cry out. We both pop up and she makes her way to our room after I call to her. She crawls in bed next to me and I cuddle her for like 10 seconds and then she's getting ready to leave. I ask her if she wants to snuggle next to me to sleep or go back to sleep in her bed. She quickly slides outta the bed and says, "No, I go back to my room, I'm ok now." (or something close to it)

Shock. Utter. Shock. I mean, really. What happened to my baby and who is this big girl?! Don't get me wrong. It makes my heart shine and shimmer and I feel kinda like the best mom on the block when she has these grown up moments. But she really is growing up and it's beginning to shock me on a daily basis. Now I truly get the term of, "wherever did the time go?". I see it in a whole new light.

And to make it all even more clear we pulled out the home movies from her baby days on Sunday. Mr. Tall Man decided to finally commit them to dvd form, for which I am greatly thankful. I don't wanna have to figure it all out. It was so weird watching her as a baby...I'm so glad we captured those moments on video because already I found myself saying, "I totally forgot that she used to do that".

On another note I must update the followers of my July Book Blowout. I finished The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. OMG! What an amazing book...I can't believe I almost didn't read it. Like really! I tried to start it a couple time a few years back and though, ick. Not gonna read it. I even sold my copy. Thank heavens my good friend Carolyn encouraged me to read it. AMAZING! Run to but it now. Don't walk. I was reviewed here and here and here.

A quote from the character Rachel that just makes me giggle and sometimes is my selfish mantra: "If you ask me, that's how it is and ever shall be. You stck out your elbows, and hold yourself up." This is in reference in how to save yourself if caught in a stampede of people. Rachel was a very selfish and wrapped up in self girl who never could see much past herself.

Another quote I really like near the end of the book was, "Every life is different because you passed this way and touched history." I thought...yeah...wow...It encourages me to be my best self I guess.

With that, I am off. Off to read a new book...not sure what is next, but I am think it'll be Three Cups of Tea (I think that is the title)