Heidi's List of 100 Books

The Reason I Ignore My Book Blog

2011-03-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

There is a reason I ignore my book blog and it is not because I am not reading books. It is because I am too embarrassed to post about the books I am reading. So I am here to come clean. I read relationship books. For someone who is not in a lifetime committed relationship, I probably read them more than I should. But I like them. And somehow I think that intellectualizing my inability to find a lasting relationship by consuming large volumes of how to on such relationships is going to allow me to fix all the problems that are causing me to continue to pause at the door of committment. So I am coming clean because I want you to know that I haven't abonded the written word and because I think these two books are actually quite good and you may actually enjoy reading them yourself. Here it goes.

Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work and the Relationship Cure are both books by John Gottman. I like them because they are based on the prinicples of faith, hope and charity. They talk about being good friends and that good frienships come from basic and continual connection. The Relationship Cure is a specific guide to how to better connect with spouses, friends, co workers, siblings, and anyone else who is a part of your life. They have both been helpful to me.

I can't get into The Book Theif. Any suggestions?

#22 Rough Stone Rolling

2011-01-13T16:29:00.001-08:00

Preface to this post: People from the LDS faith, the faith that I belong to, believe that when Jesus Christ was on Earth, he organized a church. Some basic principles of the church were the authority of the priesthood, continuing revelation from God, and Gifts of the Spirit. After the death of Christ, almost all of the apostles of that church were killed and we believe, the world fell into a state of apostasy. Over time, many enlightened people began seeking out and finding truth and a religious revival occurred. During that time, we believe, that Joseph Smith was called by God to restore a church on earth that would be the same church that Jesus Christ organized during his life. We believe all of this is foretold in scripture including the writings of Isaiah. He prophesied that in the last days a marvelous work and a wonder would occur, that Israel would be gathered, and that Zion would be built in preparation for The Second Coming of Jesus Christ. I hope this explanation makes the following posts make more sense.

Please indulge me in one more post. I can't stop thinking about this book, but more, I can't stop thinking about how this book ties to the things I have been studying in Isaiah since spring. Reading and rereading, trying to understand what those words are all about. One thing that has become clear is that there has been a plan for a long time, for all time. Isaiah knew about this plan. One part of that plan was organizing the world into the tribes of Israel. The tribes of Israel had the truth about Heaven and Earth and Jesus Christ and the Priesthood, but they had a bit of trouble following the commandments they were given. So truth would sometimes get lost and then it would get found and then it would get lost and then it would get found. It was a tough road. But God made promises to Abraham, that someday it would get found and stay found. He promised that in a far away time, that Israel and truth and priesthood would be gathered again and would not be lost.

What do you do when you are God and you are full of grace and truth and you make a promise to someone. How do you keep that promise when you are relying on your children, who have struggled so much over time to listen to you, to fulfill things. Who do you chose?

Seeing this book from the lens of Isaiah and God's promises to Abraham and The Gathering of Israel makes me admire Joseph Smith with more energy. The truth's of the gospel had come and gone on the earth many times, but this time, they would stay and The House of Israel would be gathered. And Zion would be built. The most amazing part is that all of those things are happening.

It seems to me that God's method for developing a person or developing a people who can accomplish his work is through tests and trials. There are countless examples of this in scriptural and secular history. The early church members seemed to experience an extra dose of trials that were physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual. But they seemed to become the people that God needed to accomplish his work.

I think I am done posting about this book, but I still feel like talking about it, so strike up a conversation. And it's about time I get going on book #23. I am changing from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo to The Book Thief. I started on my trip to Hawaii and I am intrigued.

#22 Rough Stone Rolling

2010-12-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

There are so many things I want to say about this book, but first I want to tell a story.

When I was 21 years old I decided I wanted to be a missionary. I decided this because I felt an abundance of gratitude for the blessings the gospel of Jesus Christ had given me and I wanted to show God I was thankful by making the sacrifice of serving as a missionary. So, a few months after I made this decision, I was knocking on doors in Ithaca, NY and telling people that God had called a prophet in modern times and his name was Joseph Smith. But I found myself struggling, because I knew in my heart that I didn't really know that what I was telling them was true. So I did what I had learned to do from the time I was a little girl and I learned it from this story..

From Joseph Smith History

...I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine...At length I cam to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God.

So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding my self alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God.

I saw a pillar of light, exactly over my heard, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other- This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

I had learned that, like Joseph Smith, I could get an answer from God about anything. So I prayed, and I received an answer, not a vision like the one described above, but an experience that was just as certain. This answer was only the beginning. The peace I felt allowed me to share the story of Joseph Smith with more confidence. During that time I was a missionary, I must have shared the story of Joseph Smith 8-10 times a day, 6 days a week, for 18 months, who knows how many times I told that story. The amazing thing for me was that each time I told it, without exception, the Holy Ghost witnessed that it was true, and not just to me. I told that story to countless people and everyone who listened to what I was saying, felt the Holy Ghost too. How do I know that? Sometimes they cried, sometimes I could see it in their eyes, and sometimes they would tell me. A few of those people wanted to know more and a small handful of people changed their life because of that story.

So, what I am telling you is that I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet. I am not delusional. I am not weak minded. I would dare say, I am the opposite of those things. I know because the Holy Ghost testified to me in a very real way hundreds of times as that story came out of my mouth.

So, some things about Joseph Smith are hard to understand. They are hard because we don't know all the answers and his life is somewhat mysterious. They are hard because they are foreign. They are hard because we weren't there. They are hard because we want God's ways to be our ways. I don't have the answer.

But I do know that in the spring of 1820 a boy went to the woods to pray and God appeared to him and called him to a marvelous work. I know that the work involved bringing to light another book of scripture that witnessed to the world that Jesus is the Christ. I know that all of these things came about because of promises made to Abraham thousands of years ago. Most of all, I know that anyone who asks can get an answer from God.

I still feel like I want to talk about this book some more.

#22 Rough Stone Rolling

2010-11-21T19:03:00.000-08:00

I am in the middle of Richard Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling and it is totally engaging. I don't know how anyone could know the story of Joseph Smith and not be fascinated by him. Although Richard Bushman is Mormon, he is very fair. He almost presents the case of Joseph Smith being a fanatical visionary who invented a religion, but then, when all the information is looked at honestly, that answer is too simple to explain him. I have had two responses as I have read. One is an amazement of how much Joseph really knew and the other is amazement of how much Joseph didn't know. It is though he understands principles and has a vision of how the gospel of Jesus Christ will fill the earth, but he seems to know very little of the details. They seem to come to him a little at a time and through a process that looks a lot like trial and error. Not exactly how our expectations might lead us to believe a prophet should receive revelation.

One example occurs when Bushman is discussing the emergence of the temple endowment in Nauvoo. He comments on how it is connected to Jewish tradition. He explains how there is only a remote possibility that Joseph was even aware of these customs and then gives this statement, "He had an uncanny ability to recover long-lost traditions for use in modern times." It is the method of uncovering these traditions that is sometimes hard to accept, and yet feels consistent with how we know God communicates with each of us. The answers seem to come line upon line. And he uses information that is available in the world to get him started on the process.

I will warn you that if you have a romanticized notion of how the LDS Church was organized or who you want Joseph Smith to be, you might be disappointed in this factual account. Joseph was a convert to organized religion. He wasn't raised with Sunday School or much of any school for that matter. He didn't have a modern perception of what we think religion, particularly our own religion, should be like. He was rough in many ways. But I believe the Lord chose him because of his roughness, not despite it. The Lord needed a man who was good to the core, but strong enough to bring about a marvelous work and a wonder. The more I read, the more I am convinced, there was not better man for the job.

So far, I love this book. I let you know how I feel when I finish it. It's a long one!

#20 and #21 Catching Fire and Mocking Jay

2010-11-07T22:15:00.000-08:00

I loved these books that finished off the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. I know when I posted about Hunger Games, I was a little ho hum, but Suzanne Collins got so much better by the end. It reminded me of Harry Potter in that the books were simpler when they characters were simpler, and as the characters progressed and understood more, we as the readers were ready for more as well. The books fall in a genre called dystopia, you can also find The Giver and 1984 in this group. These are books that for tell danger in coming societies if we don't change our ways. The futuristic society of these stories fortell the dangers of greed, a system that relies on the poor to create a comfortable living for the rich, and government control. I love that Collins did not answer every question or resolve every concern, by the end of the book, but also left us with hope. I know you will get swept up in Katniss and her family, but you may need to stick around to the second book before you catch fire, at least I did.

#19 Eat to Live

2010-08-19T14:16:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you, but I am always interested in learning more about healthy eating and how food affects our bodies. It may because my mother would occasionally go through stages of no sugar in the house and I can remember occasionally accompanying her on visits to the herbalist. One thing I am grateful for is that we were too poor to grow up eating anything that came out of a box. I used to lament my homemade bread sandwiches with crumbles or our steady diet of beans and vegetables. We know now that so many of our tastes were formed during our childhood years. I never realized how blessed I was to develop my taste buds in a home with real food and a mother who was willing to cook for our family each day. I'm sure that seemed like tedious, never ending work for her, but it such a tremendous impact on my health today. I am so so grateful.

OK. Back to Eat to Live. I started reading this book because I have something called insulin resistance (everyone is talking about it these days) and I felt like I had to eat a high protein, low carb diet to deal with the symptoms of this disorder. I have been frustrated by that because it goes against the code of health I believe in called the Word of Wisdom. I have read and searched and prayed and thought about what to do. Then a friend with the same health condition recommended this book. The authors basic premise is that we need to eat more not less, but we need to eat more things with a high nutrient density. That means food that are filled with good stuff and have less calories. Which foods are the stars of this plan? You guessed it green vegetables. Which foods are the supporting cast? Fruit, beans, and other vegetables. Which foods should be occasional guests of the show? Meat and Sweets.
Here's a question for you. Which has more protein 100 calories of steak or 100 calories of broccoli? I know you aren't going to believe it, but it's the broccoli. And in addition to protein, the broccoli has all sorts of vitamins, minerals and cancer fighting, body healing amazing things.

So, if you are interested in learning more, I think you will like this book. It is called Eat to Live by Joel Furhman.

#18 Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

2010-08-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is a good read. I am not going to say it was a page turner, but instead it sort of moved quietly along, keeping me engaged in it's tale of young love and a human need to sort people by race and color. I feel like I am going to love the story more in days and weeks to come than I do now, like it needs to ripen a bit. Or maybe it will be somewhat forgetable. I am not sure yet. The thing I appreciated about the story is that it made me aware of internment of the Japanese during World War II. It is hard to believe that 50 years ago we were shipping people off on buses to live in work camps with barbed wire fences and armed guards. It is so difficult to relate to an era of time that has passed, even when it has passed so recently, when it seems so foreign to the time and place I live in now. I wonder what things my children will find hard to believe when I tell them about my experience with America as a child.
I would definitely recommend this book. It is a well-written, sweet story that you will enjoy, just don't feel surprised when you find it's ok to put it down and come back to it in the morning. It's just that kind of book.

#17- 1776 And Kings Shall Be Your Nursing Fathers

2010-07-30T07:52:00.001-07:00

I loved reading this book. Yes, it is a war story and yes, I got a little bogged down in the middle, but it is our war story which makes it so much more interesting. I loved that I read this book in July and that when I saw flags and soldiers and fireworks I remembered the story of the beginning. I love that I have been studying the House of Israel while I read this book. I could not stop thinking about the promises God had made to them and how he was fulfilling his promises through them. Did George Washington know he was part of the story that Isaiah was telling. Did he know he was changing the world forever? Did he know that all the world would look at the example of that rag tag army and plan governments designed after what happened here? Did he know that his battle for freedom would open the door for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be restored. I'm guessing he didn't know all of that, but I bet he felt something. As the fog rolled in to keep his army hidden or the storm ragged to allow him to surprise the enemy, I think he must have felt something. I am so happy I picked up this book and read it. It makes it even more amazing to see the red, white, and blue wave. It helps me to remember that God keeps his promises.

I think I might tackle David McCullough's John Adams one of these days.

#17- 1776 It's All New to Me and It's a Little Embarassing

2010-06-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

David McCullough's 1776 has been sitting on my shelf for a while, but I didn't feel inspired to read it until my recent trip to our nation's capitol. It has turned out to be the perfect time to pick it up because I feel like I am living the days with George Washington as he leads his troops ahead to the first Independence Day. I feel like the 4th of July will be filled with more meaning or at least more details than I have experienced in the past. I have been lucky enough to have been in many places in the world, but I am truly in love with America. I am in love with the people who were crazy enough to think they could fight the most powerful army in the world at the time and win. I am in love with their believing, adventurous, brave hearts. It makes me think about the House of Joseph and how they fulfilled their heavenly mission. Although they were so rough and tumble it would have been difficult to see them as the House of Joseph at the time they were fighting.

Washington just chased the British out of Boston and on up to New York. I can't wait to see what happens next. And yes, it's a little bit embarrassing that I don't already know.

#16 Olive Kitteridge- Is true love really so hard to hang on to?

2010-06-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2009. I have learned that when book has a sticker on it that says something amazing that it won an award for, my expectations that it will be a great book increase exponentially and I am often disappointed. I feel this way about Olive Kitteridge. It is a great book that is designed to weave the story of one woman's life through the tangled history of many small town experiences. I liked Olive and I liked the way she showed up in the various vignettes. The thing I didn't like about the book is a continual theme of lack of fulfillment in marriage. I promise I am not living in a dream world and I understand that there are moments in marriages that lack the magic that was found in the beginning of the relationship, but I guess I want to hang on to my romantic notions that people really fall in love and stay in love. I struggled with Strout's perception that all marriages, even happy ones, often have some amount of unfaithfullmess. Regardless, I did love all the interesting characters she created and developed and I felt like I had taken a walk through this little town in Maine by the time I was finished. I am not adding this one to my list of favorites, but I still think it is a well-written, enjoyable set of stories that kept me interested throughout.

#15 How We Decide- You're going to love this one

2010-06-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

How we decide by Jonah Lehrer was such a great read. Interestingly enough I read it as I was trying to make a very difficult decision. I would like to say that it gave me all the answers, but as much as it is great to have an amazing brain to work with, I am still grateful for advice from friends and God when you have a really tough decision to make, but that is all a little off the point. Lehrer takes a very complex process and breaks it down into manageable pieces. It is fascinating to hear his research and explanations on how the brain figures things out. It made me appreciate the capacity of this creation of God's that we understand so little about. I would highly recommend this book. I have been told that is along the same lines as Blink, but a better read.

#14 The Red Tent- This ain't no bible story

2010-06-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

I have to say that enjoyed the first half of Anita Diamant's The Red Tent, but it had a little more getting to know each other than I really needed and so I didn't finish reading it. The story is a fictitious version of the events of surrounding the family of Jacob and his 4 wives Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah, and the only daughter mentioned in the bible, Dinah. This book handles the touchy subject of polygamy in a way that makes you believe that it could be possible for a man to to love and appreciate two women, even if the women don't always see eye to eye. The LDS church has a history of polygamy and it is sometimes difficult to imagine how the women of my own history could have survived and even thrived in these sorts of relationships. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I am all for a polygamist lifestyle, but I thought this author made a valid attempt to show the beauty that could come from a family like Jacob's. Don't read this book for a historically accurate view of the events surrounding Jacob and the House of Israel, but you might pick it up if you are curious about a uniquely different kind of love story. I'm interested to hear if anyone else has read this book and what you thought.

I have negleted my book blog

2010-04-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that I have a few new followers so I felt compelled to explain my lack of posts on this blog. My apologies. Life got busy. I have started reading "Rough Stone Rolling" which is a book I have wanted to read for a long time, but I am not really far enough to make any meaningful comments. So don't give up on me. I will get back to reading soon. Please continue to tell me about the books you are reading. I am always excited to add new ideas to my list.

#13 My thriteenthe book was The Thirteenth Tale

2010-02-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield was a very fun read. I'm going to warn you right away that there is some strange stuff going on in this book and that I almost turned back about a quarter of the way through, but I stuck it out and really enjoyed the adventure. The story is about a young woman who gets asked to write the biography of a famous author. The famous author has never truthfully told the story of her life and on her deathbed, she is ready to finally leave the truth behind. There are many twists and turns. There are unique characters that you may never meet the likes of again. There is a story that unwinds and unwinds and unwinds until you finally know everything. I promise it will keep you guessing. I definitely recommend this book, but not to your 14 year old daughter. Enjoy!

#12 Economics in One Lesson-Day One

2010-02-04T08:38:00.001-08:00

Last night I was laying in bed with a miserable cold that I managed to contract last week and my stuffy nose and achy body would not let me sleep. So I turned on the light and picked up Henry Hazlitt's Economics in one lesson and started to read. What can I say, It's actually kind of interesting. The basic premise so far is that everyone out there is cuckoo. We have been taught that situations that create need, such as war, that appear to boost the economy have actually just diverted need. The demand for new homes, factories, and cars after a country has been demolished by war is a falsely created demand that would not have been there without the destruction. Had the country not have experienced war, there would have been a true demand for homes, cars, TVs, refrigerators, and other stuff because the people there would have been in the economic situation to have those things.
I am sure that is a poor explanation of what Hazlitt is trying to say, but I am only on the 2nd chapter. I will let you know if my understanding gets any less fuzzy.

I'm a little behind

2010-02-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

It's great to hear that I have a few followers out there, so I thought I might apologize for being so slow on my next post. I do want to read Henry Hazlitt's Economics on one Lesson, but it looks so uninviting sitting on my night stand. The print is so tiny, that I feel like it will take forever to get through, so there it sits. Should I give up and move on to something else, or tackle this educational read. Stay tuned to see what I decide to do...

#11 The Wednesday Wars- A story of cream puffs, shakespeare, and yellow tights.

2010-01-03T21:03:00.000-08:00

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt is a great read in young adult fiction that is also entertaining for adults. I admit, it had a bit of a slow start, but it did not take long to fall in love with Holling Hoodhoood and his Presbyterian ways. The story is warm and funny and only slightly unrealistic. In fact you can almost imagine your self in Holling's 7th grade class. A great read and fun to have a story written from a boys perspective.

#10 Taking Charge of Your Fertility

2010-01-03T20:58:00.000-08:00

OK, I debated about whether or not to post Toni Weschler's Taking Charge of Your Fertility, but it really is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone, so I am going to include it. You might wonder why a single girl is interested in taking charge of her fertility. The book teaches you about how a woman's body works. This is not exactly the stuff you learn in 8th grade health class. I found it really interesting and empowering, not to mention, miraculous. This a must for anyone trying to get pregnant or trying to not get pregnant, but also a great read for anyone who wants to understand their body, considering that their body is a girl's body.

#9 The Lovely Bones

2010-01-03T20:52:00.000-08:00

I think it is a good thing if you feel passionate about a book. Unfortunately, I feel passionately that I hated this book. I don't hate a lot of books, sometimes I think they are poorly written, sometimes I think they are boring. I didn't think this book was poorly written or boring, in fact I could not put it down, but I still hated it. It tells the story of a girl who is kidnapped and murdered by a neighbor when she is 14. Then she watches from heaven as her family falls apart and her killer runs free. I knew that this is what the book was about, but somehow I thought it would be a good story. It wasn't. There is a movie coming out, that has moderate reviews. I have not decided if I will see it. I'm curious if there is anyone out ther who has read this one and has an opinion on it. Clearly, I did.

#8 Three Cups of Tea- Is Educating Girls the Way to Save the World

2010-01-03T20:43:00.001-08:00

I think the answer to that question is yes. The last half of Three Cups of Tea tells about Greg's mission to combat extremist by building schools in Pakistan and eventually in Afghanistan. The people there are starving for education. The government does not provide schools in rural areas, and the parents are desperate to educate their children. The extremist Islamists build schools and educate children in anti-western and extremist principles. Unfortunately, the children are taught to hate America. Greg Mortenson is trying to combat this trend by providing an alternative to parents. He helps the members of a village build a school and provide a non-extremist education to the children of the village. He has discovered that if girls are educated, they become mothers who are educated and they teach their children correct principles. When young men are asks why they did not join extremist organizations, they often say that they knew their mother's would not approve. Greg Mortenson's story has been on my mind since I finished this book, and I have a feeling it will be on my mind for a long time. I strongly recommend reading this book.

#8 Three cups of Tea- I can't say enough about how much I love this book

2009-12-19T08:21:00.000-08:00

This book is moving to the top of my list as my favorite book I've read so far. What an amazing true story. This book is appealing because it is the story of a man who seems like an ordinary person, but is so full of love and compassion that is able to accomplish unthinkable tasks. I love the story of his path. How he wants everything to happen in a moment, but is required to exercise patience. Mostly I love that although the path is hard, it seems as though divine providence is guiding him. Just when it seems that all is lost, the way opens. It is a beautiful story. I am now in the part of the story when he is building 3 schools each spring. The year is 1998. Knowing what is coming in history, I am worried that terrorism and Islamic radicalism is about to destroy his efforts. Sometimes I forget that in these warring nations filled with men seeking to destroy our freedoms, there are beautiful people and children. It is too easy to forget.

#8 Three Cups of Tea- I can't wait to dig into this book

2009-12-14T09:23:00.001-08:00

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson has been on my list for a while. I have heard great things about the real changes this man has been able to make through education. I became even more excited after Mr. Mortenson presented at BYU. His stories of the value of education, particularly the value of educating girls, drew me in. I have a firm belief that education is the way to change the world. I am excited to read this one and I am hopeful there are some more of you out there who have read this as well. Let me know what you think.

#7 The Help- A Glimpse in the Dark of the Deep South in the 1960's

2009-11-30T20:03:00.000-08:00

I loved this book! It was recommended by my friend Camille and I would highly recommend it as well. I read the description a few months ago and I wasn't that interested. Sometimes reading about civil rights, just makes me feel guilty for things I had no control over. This book is more than a depressing story about the African American plight. It is about people. It tells the stories of all kinds of relationships and choices and consequences. It makes you realize how things can seem so important in the moment, but in the eyes of history, when you know the world is changing, how ridiculous important things can become. It also tells the story of how inhuman, humans can behave. It made me think about how I respond to people, not just to people who are of a different race, but to all the people in my life. I hope you will love this book, but if not, I hope at least this book makes you think.

#6 The Hunger Games- What's a Little Violence Between Friends?

2009-11-30T19:54:00.000-08:00

I finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and I would definitely recommend this to adults, but not to kids. It is young adult fiction, but I found the violence to disturbing for anyone under 15ish. We have grown accustomed to pretend violence among kids in books like Harry Potter and recently in the vampire series Twilight. But something seems more real about this story. It is a bit of a cross between The Giver and Lord of the Rings. With that said, I liked the book and it is definitely a page turner. I was much more interested in the action than the love story, which is strange for me, but the love story felt a bit false. Then ending leaves you hanging and hungry for more. I haven't picked up the sequel yet and I am excited to read it, but I better get in line. These books are tough to get at the library. I might have to get a little violent myself, if I want to get a copy in the next decade.

#6 The Hunger Games- Am I the Only One?

2009-11-14T21:01:00.000-08:00

I started reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins because it came in from the library and I only have it for a couple of weeks. I have been anticipating this book because so many friends told me how good it was. I am not going to disagree with them. It is a compelling story. It has been tough to put down and I have almost finished the 300 page book in 24 hours. But I have to admit that I am shocked by it's casual portrayal of violence. Am I the only one out there who feels this way. I believe that this was the authors purpose. To show us how numb we could become to human life. I kept thinking that things would work out and that no one would actually die, but that has not been the case. It reminds me of the shock I felt in The Giver when we discover that the father's job was to basically kill children that did not "belong" in their society. So what are your thoughts on this one. And please don't tell me the ending. I am on pins and needles to discover it myself.

#5 The Art of Simple Food- What a difference a Chicken Makes

2009-11-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, making homemade chicken broth takes 5 hours. Yes, you have to wait two hours for it to cool before you put it in the fridge. Yes, I requires you to touch a whole raw chicken. But there is no comparison in the flavor of your soups and stews. The other advantage is that in the process of making broth, you cook a whole chicken which you can use in other dishes. The breasts turn out so delicious.

Here's how it goes. Get a really big pot. Put the whole chicken in the pot. Pour in 1 1/2 gallons cold water. Bring it to a boil and then turn the heat down to low. Skim off the foam but leave the fat. Add a whole carrot, a halved onion, head of garlic, a celery stalk, salt, black peppercorns, and a bouquet of fresh herbs. After 1 hour, remove the chicken breasts and return the rest of the chicken to the broth. Simmer for 4-5 hours. Strain. Allow to cool before you put it in the fridge or freezer.

The next day I made chicken noodle soup with onions and oil, broth, carrots, turnips, and the left over chicken. I added noodles to the broth and let them cook during the last 20ish minutes. It was so yummy!

#5 The Art of Simple Food

2009-11-08T19:27:00.000-08:00

So, I got a little behind on my posts this week. Sorry about that. The next section of The Art of Simple Food covers sauces and vinaigrette. Although, I haven't tried making it yet, I learned that aioli is a fancy word for mayonnaise. I did make the simple vinaigrette which is so easy to whip up and delicious on everything (I ate it on tacos). Here's how it goes...start with 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, add salt and pepper, whisk in 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil. That's it. You can add fresh garlic if you want, but then it will need to be eaten quickly or refrigerated. It tastes delicious on salads with fruit or vegetables.

The next section is about salads, which you make think is odd because who needs to learn to make a salad, but I loved the info she shared. First of all she encouraged you to salt each of the vegetables you will add to the salad before you add them to the greens so that their flavors come out in the salad. Also, you should dress the greens with dressing (she suggests you toss them with your hands) and then add the other items to the top of the greens and add more dressing on the top. Do not toss again or all your additions go to the bottom. It is amazing how much better a salad tastes that is prepared this way.

I am going to skip the next section which is about bread because I am not much of a bread eater. In my next post I will fill you in on the wonders of making fresh chicken broth. Yummy! I know you can hardly wait.

#5 The Art of Simple Food

2009-11-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

A note before I start my commentary on this book. This is not a cookbook; it is a cooking book. Although you will find recipes in the book, the book if filled with instruction about how to cook. I told my roommate yesterday that I feel like as I read the book, I am actually taking a class. I have been applying the things I am learning, and enjoying some delicious meals. This makes me even more excited about the book. I hope some of you are able to locate a copy, so that we can learn together.

The first two sections of the book teach you about the ingredients and tools you should keep on hand. Most of the food items were not a surprise and were things I already like to use. I did feel envious of people who have windows were they can grow fresh herbs all year (I live in a basement apartment). One ingredient that surprised me was canned anchovies. I have never cooked with anchovies and would not consider them a staple for my kitchen, but maybe I will have to try them.

One thing I appreciated from this section is the information on eating what is in season. I am beginning to understand the rhythm of what you find fresh in the grocery store during various seasons, but I am definitely still learning. It is difficult to know what is in season, because we can get strawberries from South America in early fall, but does that mean they are actually nice and yummy? I am trying to pay attention to what actually looks delicious and fresh. Right now it seems like apples and squash are the thing to eat.

She also gives some good information on pans. She likes cast iron and earthenware pots and pans because they are thick and distribute the heat well. She also teaches about various cutting techniques, which was new to me. This is good info, but I am still too impatient to cut up anything fine. A rough chop is always quick and easy.

This was a good place to start. Next post I will comment on sauces and salad dressings.

#5 The Art of Simple Food

2009-10-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

I am in love with Alice Water's The Art of Simple Food. I got this book from my friend Camille for my birthday (Thanks, Camille!) If you want to learn how cooking works, this is a book that you are going to want to buy. This is a great read for this season of great eating. Alice Waters has started a Delicious Revolution that is centered in the principle of using simple, fresh, ingredients that are in season and sold or grown locally. The result is amazing flavor. Here is my favorite quote from the introduction.

Good cooking is no mystery. You don't need years of culinary training, or rare and costly foodstuffs, or an encyclopedia knowledge of world cuisines. You need only your five senses. You need good ingredients, too, of course, but in order to choose and prepare them, you need to experience them fully. It's the many dimensions of sensual experience that make cooking so satisfying. You never stop learning. (p. 4)

I am so excited about the things I am learning. The book is set up in sections and I plan to share a little tidbit from each section so you can learn with me. By the way I made the most amazing chicken noodle soup tonight with homemade chicken stock. It was amazing. I will share more when I write about the soup section. Stay posted!

#4 Mayflower

2009-10-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

Nathaniel Philbrick's Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War is a must read for the Thanksgiving season. I picked this one up because I have been feeling that my education had been somewhat inadequate and I had many gaps in my understanding of American History. I decided to start at the beginning with some of the first settlers in America.

The first half of this book told of the voyage on the Mayflower, the selecting of a place to live, and the beginnings of a settlement in Plymouth Harbor. I was drawn in to the stories of how the residents of Plymouth made alliances with the Indians, which allowed some of them to survive those first brutal winters. This is the reason we celebrate Thanksgiving, but you might be interested to know what was the same and what was different at that first feast. For one thing, the main dish was not Turkey!

I'll have to admit that the second half of the book was rather long and less interesting to me. It told of a war that was started by King Phillip, an Indian, and killed a large percentage the early settlers and Indians that were living on the east coast of America at the time. I appreciated learning about a part of history that I was unaware had happened, but I found the details about the war less interesting than the stories of the early settlement.

If you have read this book, let me know what you thought. If you have not, this is a great book to pick up as we are approaching Thanksgiving.

Coming Soon

2009-10-22T15:02:00.001-07:00

I have some great books to report on for your holiday season. They are coming soon!

#3 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2009-10-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Bloggers

I decided this final post should be in letter format to align with the theme of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I hope you all have picked up this book and have fallen in love with the jumble of characters living in Guernsey. I have to say I enjoyed the simple story line, with hints toward the serious topic of World War II. I was curious to see if the author could really tell the whole story through letters. I assumed the idea would break down eventually, but she (they) proved me wrong. Every detail was included by carefully selecting who was writing the letter and to whom they wrote. Very clever idea! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And this book made me think I need to take a real trip so I can write letters about my adventures. Or, just have a new adventure. Happy Reading!

Heidi

Dr. Suess

2009-10-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

My favorite Dr. Suess book is called And To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street. If you haven't read this one, it is about a boy whose dad always asks him what he saw on the way home from school. As he is walking home, all he sees is a horse and a wagon, which of course is not very exciting. So he spends his walk home, imagining all the exciting things that he could tell his dad that he saw on Mulberry Street. When he gets home, his dad asks him what he saw today, and instead of sharing all the amazing things he imagined, he simply reports that all he saw was a plain horse and wagon.
I love this story because I feel such a kinship with this boy. I feel like my life is full of interesting moments, events, and activities. Whenever I get on the phone with someone and they ask the dreaded question, "What have you been up to?", my mind goes blank. I usual reply is, "Not much." I even find myself sometimes preparing for the question during the week by carefully keeping note of all the exciting things that happen, but too often, like the boy in the story, all my careful planning causes me to see nothing more than a plain horse and wagon on Mulberry Street.

Which Dr. Suess book do you relate to the most?

Heidi's Rules

2009-10-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to have all of you reading with me! It's so fun to read your comments. I added some rules to the sidebar. They aren't really rules, just some ideas for making this blog work. You can read them to the right of this post.

I am excited to keep reading with you. Or at least reading and having some people to talk with about my books!

#3 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2009-10-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

So I am still in the middle of letters coming and going from Juliet and the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. This seems to be a group of hodge podge people who, for various random reasons, came together to read books on a small island off England during World War II. They are all coming to life and I find myself wanting to know who Dawsey will turn out to be, he is the one who first contacted Juliet, and Elizabeth McKenna, her sorted past has me wondering, but don't even get me started on Adelaide Addison, if you have read this book, you know what I am talking about. There are so many characters now, I feel like I am going to need a chart to keep them all straight. Anyone out there reading this book with me?

#3 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2009-10-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

I am going to try something new on this blog and try posting as I read. You can see on the sidebar that I am currently reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. This book was recommended by my sister-in-law Thomalee (Thanks Thomalee!). I wish I could tell you what this book is about, but I am really not sure yet. I opened it up last night and started reading it and I was surprised to find that is a series of letters between lots of people. In fact you really have to pay attention to know who is talking about what. I am intrigued with the story. Is it a love story? And if so, who is in love? Is it Juliet and Sidney or Juliet and the guy sending her flowers? And how does this literary society even fit in to the story? You can see I have a lot of questions so far, but I think I am going to like this one. If you have read this you are welcome to comment below, but the rule here is that you or I can never leave a spoiler, so please play by the rules. And if you haven't read this one, pick up a copy and join me.

Remembering Reading

2009-09-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

I have decided to also post anecdotes about reading on this site because it is fun to think about the pleasure of reading. I think I was too young to remember when my love affair with books began, but I do have early recollections of the way reading made me feel. My favorite series growing up was the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I don't know how many times I read this series as a girl. I can still recall vivid images of Pa playing his fiddle as the wolves howled in the distance, I remember Laura and Mary throwing the pig's bladder back and forth after the family hog was slaughtered, but mostly I remember Almonzo coming to pick Laura up to bring her home for the weekend when she was teaching school. I always thought I was like brown haired, slightly naughty, Laura, while my sister Michelle was like blonde haired, always perfect, Mary. I feel like I lived those years with Laura and if I met her today, I would expect that we would sit down and visit like old friends.

What books did you love as a kid?

#2 The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian

2009-09-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

Book #2 is The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian. I have mixed feelings about Bohjalian's writing. I read Midwives years ago and the story still comes back to my mind occasionally which for me is a sign of a good story. It brought me in and kept me interested throughout the book. I also read Before You Know Kindness which made less of an impact on me. The story was slow and I didn't feel as strongly as the topic. So when I saw The Double Bind on the library shelf, I thought it would be worth a try. The book is about a girl who survives a brutal attack that occurred in college while she was riding her bike. We meet her a few years later after she has graduated from college and is now working as a social worker in a homeless shelter. She meets a mentally ill homeless man who had been carrying around a box of photos for years. After he dies, she takes the photos and begins some research to attempt to uncover the story of the man's life.
The story doesn't really get more exciting than that. Throughout the book I caught myself asking, "Who cares?" more than once. The book is redeemed by it's ending which is clever and unexpected. If you know the ending, please don't leave any spoilers in your comments, just in case someone wants to pick this one up. One thing I liked about the book is that Bohjalian had gotten the idea from the story from an actual homeless man who had been a photographer and left behind a box of photos when he died. These photos were included throughout the book which gave the story some reality.
So if you have picked this one up or read any of Bohjanlian's other stories let me know what you think. On another note, I am finding it hard to check out and read books from the library. Most of the books I want I have to put on a waiting list and when they come in I am usually reading another book and I don't have time to pick the new one up. So then a few weeks go by and the book is due at the library. I am grateful for the library system, but it is a bit tricky to create a system of picking up, reading, and returning that actually works. Anyone else have this problem?

#1 The Shack by William P. Young

2009-09-14T22:19:00.000-07:00

This book is the first book I read as I began my project. I found it on the New York Times best seller list and it had an interesting premise. A man loses his young daughter in a horrifying kidnapping and murder crime and struggles to deal with his feelings of guilt, anger, and loss. God invites him to come back to the shack where the crime takes place and spend the weekend with him. So far it sounds pretty interesting, right? Things get a little strange when he gets to the shack and God the Father is represented by a large black woman, Jesus is represented by Jesus, and the Holy Ghost is represented by an Asian woman.

Although the strange portrayal of God didn't appeal to me and I grew tired of the long sermons on how things really are, I still liked the story. We all have demons in our lives that haunt us for years and the truth is we need God, maybe not God as a large black woman, but God Himself to help us work through them.

Let me know if you have read this book or have any insights to share.

An introduction to Heidi's list of 100 books

2009-09-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I decided to make a list of 100 books I want to read. I consulted many lists. Lists of the best books of all time, lists of books you should read before you die, lists of best sellers, and friends list's of their top reads. I currently only have a list of about 50 books, but I am confident by the end of this experiment I will find my list of 100.
Although I selected books that looked good to me, I am not claiming that this is a list of 100 books you should read before you die or 100 of the best books of all time. Instead, it is a list of 100 books that looked interesting to me and I hope it will be a list of 100 books that other people will share comments about.
I am not sure how long this project will take, but I am guessing it will keep me busy for a long time. So I hope you will come along with me and maybe will read a few books together.