challenges – Peaceful Reader

Book Challenge 2024

I’m so excited to share that I’ve already completed my 2024 Goodreads Challenge. I’ve read 68 out of 65 books. I feel so accomplished but along with that I realize it’s because I didn’t do some of the work projects around my house-I read instead! By the way the projects are still waiting. I spent my summer reading a lot of good elementary fiction for school and then in August I read a few great adult books as I was eating my way around Italy.

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (2024): What a fun concept! Lauren returns to her London apartment to be greeted at the door by her husband, Michael, except she knows she is not really married. A strange cast of characters and the revolving door of her attic keeps this debut novel popping!

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams (2024): Single mom Mallory Dunne gets the dreaded phone call that her young son has eaten a poisonous mushroom at summer camp and her world turns upside down as she cares for her child. Interwoven in alternating chapters is the story of Hannah Ainsworth, a Hungarian refugee, married to a cold-hearted British diplomat. As Hannah and Mallory’s stories collide we learn the truth about the choices both women made to keep themselves safe.

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware (2015): A little wedding mystery to shake things up. Mystery writer Leonora is invited to a girl’s getaway in the English countryside. Her invite comes from an old university friend and Leonora cannot figure out why she’s actually been invited to this particular bridal shower. This kept me reading late into the night to figure out what was going on!

I read all three of these books on my Kindle app through Libby. I’m not been the biggest fan of reading on my phone because it just keeps me on my phone more and it is easy to get distracted but in this case it worked and I didn’t have to lug books around in my bags plus I could literally pull it out every time we were on the train, in an Uber, or at dinner one night when the conversation was beyond me.

The end of August brought a few more great reading choices and that is what’s pushed me over my final challenge numbers.

The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold (2021): My brother-in-law/SIL sent this to me for my birthday. It is a favorite of theirs and they’d shared about it on our family trip to Asheville. I loved that they just sent me their copy, dog-eared and loved. I loved Station Eleven and this one had similar vibes as a post-apocalyptic world set in New England. 20 years ago after infected flies have taken out most of the population. The young cast of characters left behind are charming survivors who know far too much about the world and are on hopeful quests to find more of what is possible in this new world.

Yellowface by R.F Kuang (2023): This story is a twisted tale of lies and let’s us in on the world of publishing. I read this after Japhy recommended it; she listens to a lot of books through Libby. June and Athena both want to be world-famous authors but Athena is the only one with a rising star. When June gets her chance she snags what, she feels, is rightfully hers. So well done-I loved it. I want to go back and read Kuang’s previous novel Babel.

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (2023): This is one of my BOTM club picks that languished on my to-be-read shelf and then one day in September I just picked it up and started it. I love a really good meet-cute and this one was well-done. Based on the whole Saturday Night Live comedy scene with Sally as an older writer on the show and Noah Brewster, a world famous singer/songwriter who happens to guest on the show. I loved learning about this comedy world and laughed throughout this book. It also touched me with it’s raw emotion about women as we age and how we are viewed by others.

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane (2023): This is a riveting mystery set in 1970’s Boston’s Irish south side with a cranky, tough as nails narrator Mary Pat Fennessey as she searches for her missing daughter. The busing crisis to integrate schools takes center stage as Mary Pat tries to figure out what has happened to her daughter as well as questioning her own decisions and choices. Excellent writing.

Truly Devious series #1 & #2 by Maureen Johnson (2018/2019): Japhy recommended this series to me as well. This mystery, set in an exclusive Vermont school, flips between present with Stevie as our budding true crime detective trying to solve a kidnapping gone awry back in 1936. This young adult series is a quick and adventurous read and I’m looking forward to book 3.

Funny Story by Emily Henry (2024): Another romantic comedy set in Michigan with a cute twist on who is marrying who…? I like Henry’s writing and this story revolves around Daphne’s broken engagement to Peter and Daphne happens to be a children’s librarian! Fantastic and fun with some definite sexy moments; the sexy librarian rules!

What I’m reading now: Mosquitoland by David Arnold (bc of Electric Kingdom) and The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare. It’s also a great time to. pick up a banned book and give it a read.

My Best Books of 2018

I surpassed my reading challenge on GoodReads by 8 books, reading 58 books in 2018. Here are my 14 5-star book choices.

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Horizon (#1) by Scott Westerfield
Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai
All rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor
The tea girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
The honest truth by Dan Gemeinhart
Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
The Self-Driven Child: The science and sense of giving your child more control over their lives by William Stixrud
Real Friends by Shannon Hale
News of the world by Paulette Jiles
The dog, Ray by Linda Coggin
A long walk to water by Linda Sue Park
Echo by Pamela Munoz Ryan

My list includes 10 books written by female authors, two graphic novels, and 9 elementary fiction books. Only one nonfiction made my list which is okay because on average I don’t read very much nonfiction. I read 16,735 pages!

Here are a few more that, even though they did not recieve a 5-star rating, were also very good.

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn was good historical fiction.
Tiger Boy by Mitali Perkins and Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes shared a unique perspective.
Best book handed to me by a student was Watt Key’s Hideout.

My two most unusual books were both by Stephen King. I haven’t read any of his books for years. My book club picked 11/22/63 and it was good. It was also my longest book in 2018. Elevation was had a unique premise and was short but very interesting.

2018 was great in all ways except politics. It is a constant struggle to balance technology, reading, and family time but I hope for a good year in 2019. I was excited to hear Elizabeth Warren’s announcement this morning, I’m not sure if she is my ultimate choice but I hope lots of women throw their hats into the ring with her.

Right now I’m reading Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart, The Library Book by Susan Orlean, My absolute darling by Gabriel Tallent, Liberty by Kirby Larson and Wish by Barbara O’Connor, the last two are books I’m reading with students. As an early prediction, I am pretty sure The Library Book will be on my top list for 2019. I’m on my way to the library now to pick up two new books as well.

Happy New Year to you and may 2019 be your best reading year yet!

Everyone needs some meditation…

Last weekend I was able to attend an amazing one-day zen meditation retreat with my brother on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. The day was crisp, cold, and it had just snowed. March Madness.

We arrived at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center 10 minutes before the retreat was to begin. The roads were slippery and the drive wasn’t easy but we made it as we walked through the porch door kicking snow off of our shoes. There were people gathered on the porch all staring at the view out front-beautiful Lake Calhoun-or at the wall. It was a little surreal to walk in feeling like we had already missed an introduction or instructions of some sort. We did have one person tell us in a whisper to find a spot and that at exactly 8 we were expected to be on a pillow.

Not ever having been there it was confusing, plain and simple but on the porch there were hot pots of coffee and water with a basket of tea, people seemed friendly or at least interesting. NO one was talking though. I mean I know meditation is done in silence but I expected there to be a beginning meet and greet kind of time and there was it just came later than expected. We meditated for 30 minutes to start off and then we gathered in the main room and heard a lovely dharma talk and understood that the entire retreat was to be in silence. I missed that memo in the retreat outline-truthfully-it wasn’t there as I guess that is an understood norm for everyone else but me.

I am an introvert and struggle to make daily conversation and hate chit chat yet it was very hard for me to spend the day in silence. I do like to crack people up and often love to make jokes in inopportune moments. This would have been one of them if I wasn’t trying so hard to fit in. I was uncomfortable at first, everyone around me seemed to know so much more. Come to find out almost everyone else in attendance is a regular there. My brother and I were first timers and that made it quite a challenge. By the end of the day though I was thrilled with the experience. We did sitting meditation, walking meditation, and mindful work meditation (which for us was ironing cloth napkins). Even eating lunch was a meditation-and the lunch was vegetarian and delicious. I was able to focus on a few key items in my life that I struggle with and I did a lot of silent (of course)praying for my whole extended family. I loved my one-on-one session with Wanda Isle, our guide for the day.

It was an amazing experience. My brother and I chatted on the way home about our experience, some similar and some different. I was ready to get myself a pillow and a mat and start practicing every day at home. I had the best of intentions.

I looked for cushions and mats-they are expensive. I can just use a pillow though and yet I never once was able to sit down and do this like I know it should be done, not once during my week. I’m a little frustrated with myself. I did do walking meditation once at work when I had some stressful moments and it helped.

I do want to make this part of my regular day, every day. I will work to find some space to do this. I need help though.

I did it! I set a goal and persevered…

I managed to stick with it and finish the story I started for National Novel Writing Month-November. From afar I’ve watched other writers tweet and post about this amazing challenge and I was curious. I don’t know what spurred me on this particular month but I went for it.

And I finished with more than 50,000 words. I think my story has something to say to teens and young adults, it’s a little bit thrilling, and filled with a cast of cool characters. I am going to spend December combing back through it, revising it, and trying to add to it. I would love to find the right path to publication.

This month has been a month of firsts and I’m so glad I can add #nanowrimo15 to my list of accomplishments. Groovy Girl danced along side professionals from the MN Ballet; this was super thrilling to her, my husband and I took a mini-vacation together (these are pretty infrequent), and I got together with two college friends that I hadn’t seen for many years and I missed them in my life so much-nice to write 50,000+ words in a month and have a wonderful gathering with old friends.

{Me, Betsy, Angela @Dixie’s on Grand Ave.}

The other major first is that we’ve been preparing Groovy Girl for a long-distance adventure. Passports, bags, summer clothes, bug spray, and books have all been purchased so she can head to Nicaragua on a mission trip through Rotary and our church. Groovy Girl and I have contributed to the shoe box project which helps kids transition to school, and now she will have the opportunity to help in person. She leaves early Wednesday morning and will be gone for a week. Bon voyage. We know she will come back a changed young woman.

I’m saying farewell to November with a huge smile on my face. I’m welcoming in December knowing I will be able to relax a little more, and face new adventures as well. Hopefully I can get back to writing here on a more regular basis. We ate some delicious food on Thanksgiving and it wasn’t turkey-I want to share those recipes with you soon. Until then-be peaceful…

The Pursuit of happiness through cookies.

I recently finished listening to Bruce Feiler’s audio book, The Secrets of Happy Families and thoroughly enjoyed most of it.

Several points that stood out to me was the chore board, the family mission statement, the deep family conversations, and the variety of new ways to connect with your kids and parents. We’ve always held firm to family dinners around our kitchen table and have fascinating conversations about our days which I always believed gave my kids the idea of empathy towards each other and the world as we discuss politics and events. The family dinner is discussed in the book and Bruce agreed that it is important to gather at the table it is even more important what you talk about the table so I’ve worked harder at discussing family history. With two kids at the table I asked if the kids could think of where their grandparents had gone to school; both high school and college. I was happy that every one enjoyed the conversation which was meant to talk about how each family has had good and bad experiences and all survived better for both experiences.

One of the latter chapters talks about bonding through challenges. The example Bruce uses is through an ex-Navy person who now leads people on grueling challenges which creates a bond between participants. I, myself, am NOT up for that challenge but I came up with a small mini-challenge for my own two-Make cookies together! Didn’t you wonder how I was ever going to pull this around to real food?

Our two younger kids are 7 years apart and have very little in common, their words not mine. Groovy Girl is all dance, glitter, AG dolls, Barbies, and drama while College Boy is all slightly sullen, bossy, king-of-his world attitude and they clash like Kronos’ kids. It was just me and the kids looking for something to do together while Dad was off practicing with his bluegrass band. I casually offered the challenge to them as I handed them the recipe which came attached to a recent purchase of canola oil. While I don’t usually use recipes attached to packages this one appeared easy and kid-friendly.

I got the big mixer out for them and walked away. Groovy Girl, bless her heart, knew to get all the ingredients out first. College Boy took control of the mixer after his sister turned it to supersonic speed on her first go. They worked together quiet easily. She measured, cracked, and stirred, then handed each ingredient to him to add to the dough.

As they worked I shot a few photos on my phone and listened to them chatter about other baking experiences with me. Groovy Girl felt bad about a recent baking experience with her and I where she blasted the mixer, letting flour fly all over the kitchen and College Boy recounted a similar experience when he was younger, which made her feel better. They even smiled at each other a few times. Food is a great bridge for people of all kinds, We join with our families, sharing recipes, sharing traditions, exchanging recipes, and loving each moment. I know my children will bring cooking into their own homes, remembering the times they spent with me in the kitchen and at the table.

The cookie recipe they created together:

Brown Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup Crisco Shortening (I know-blech)

1/2 cup (unsalted) butter

1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 large (farm fresh) egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups (unbleached) flour (maybe even a mix of wheat and white)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat shortening, butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla in medium bowl of with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Add gradually to creamed mixture, beating on low speed until blended.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place two inches apart on un-greased baking sheet.

Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen.

*I wouldn’t cook them until they get golden brown unless you like your cookies crispy. I took several pans out at about 10 minutes because we prefer a softer cookie. Also to the second half of the batch we added chocolate chips as College Boy feels strongly that there is no true purpose for a cookie to exist with out chips in it. I probably won’t make it again, opting to make our regular chocolate chip recipe instead but the experience was worth it.

Enjoy Weekend Cooking at Beth Fish Reads where you will find many food-related posts.

January Recap

Not a blowout month of reading but I’m good with it (seven total books) but several were breathtakingly beautiful. I started and ended the month off with fantastic books. I’ve only reviewed three of my Jan. books and I have to work on this. I don’t have to write about every book I read~I really only want to share the amazing book-the books I want you to read or the books to stay away from.

I do plan to write reviews still for Sing You Home (Dec.), The Book of Three (great fantasy) and Claire Marvel, which was as amazing as The History of Love.

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu. 312 pages. 2011.
emma and me by Elizabeth Flock. 292 pages. 2004.
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult. 466 pages. 2011
Bigger Than a Bread Basket by Laurel Snyder.
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. 1964.
The Geranium Farm Cookbook by Barbara Cawthorne Crafton
Claire Marvel by John Burnham Schwartz. 2002.

One book, emma and me, counted for my TBR Pile Challenge hosted by Roof Beam Reader and of course, the cookbook, counts toward my 2012 Foodie Challenge hosted by Joyfully Retired.

Exciting News Flash: I was asked by Lisa and Margo to participate in Kidlit Celebrates Women’s History Month for March. I am writing about one of the very first feminist, Joan of Arc, for a March 17th post. I was honored and thrilled to be asked to participate in this jubilee of special women!

My laptop is on it’s last leg but as long as I stay plugged in I seem to be okay. I started off January blogging every day and couldn’t continue when a bug crept in damaging major parts of my only 3-year-old laptop. Sad how things don’t last even a medium amount of time. We truly are a “throw-away” society, which makes me want to throw up a little.

Happy Reading.

I'm committed; 2012 TBR Pile Challenge

Sometimes Groovy Girl and I do story time in my room instead of hers. This happens when her room gets messy what with Barbie and American Girl parties all the time and her complete and utter pleasure in a play-filled room-except when it’s story time. Then she wants to lay with me in my clean room (yes, I have book stacks), in my big bed, with my warm blankie turned to high. I know you’re thinking-a heating blanket-how eco-friendly is that?? I love my electric blanket and it lets me keep our gas heat at a low, low temp. Each of us have them.

I digress. After Groovy Girl and I finished reading and as she was falling asleep in my bed (yes, I know she’s nine and probably should be in her own bed but very soon she’s going to be a teen and not want to read with me AT ALL so I let her snuggle) while I was quietly reading Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursa, which is such a good book but after she fell asleep I disengaged myself (from her and the book) and perched beside my bed where 3 tall stacks of books live and I made a list; a list of 14 books that have been sitting in a stack for over a year, waiting to be read by me (or anyone, I’m sure) and I’m using them to join Adam at Roof Beam Reader in his TBR Pile Challenge. I could do this challenge probably 10 more times and still have another stack. If you have stacks like I have stacks perhaps you should take the challenge like me.

Here’s my list.

1. Abarat by Clive Barker
2. While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky
3. When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
4. A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
5. Flying Changes by Sara Gruen
6. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
7. Postcards from No Man’s Land by Aidan Chambers
8. Losing Charlotte by Heather Clay
9. Joy School by Elizabeth Berg
10. Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller
11. Me and Emma by Elizabeth Flock
12. I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson

Two Honorable Mentions:

1. Twilight by Stephanie Perkins (I had to brush some cobwebs off this one)
2. Flavor of the Week by Tucker Shaw

I can think of a story for just about every one of these books; like that my stepdaughter told me #1 was her favorite book and that was like 5 years ago, or that #6 has an inscription from my stepmother in 2009 and that I asked my mom to buy #10 for me at the book store like 3 years ago. So I’ve dusted them off, put them all in a “new” pile and plan to work my way through. Thank you Allen! I’m committed!

February Recap

It was a good reading month for me. I’m off to a better start on all my reading challenges. I had promised to fulfill last year’s 100+ challenge before I started anew and I accomplished that this month. I’m feeling pretty happy about that

1. The Reluctant Tuscan by Phil Doran; old ARC from my favorite deceased bookstore in Little Rock, made the move with me here. I finally read it and need to pass it on. Anyone interested? Good story about trying to settle in, well, Tuscany. Reading from my own shelves project challenge.

2. Sophie the Hero by Lara Berger (elementary fiction)cute story about a young girl trying to find her own special talent. Read it with Groovy Girl.

3. Milo; Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg-best middle grade fiction book I’ve read in a long time, so innovative and personal. Everyone should experience Milo!! Library Project Challenge. Click here for my review.

4. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters-book club read for Feb., spooky but filled me with questions. Waters is an exceptional writer who I plan to read more of. Click here for my review.

5. Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella-bought this at our local used bookstore when Tina suggested I read it. I surprised myself by enjoying the heck out of it. Plan to read more of them. Perfect summer sitting-by-the-pool-read. Last year’s Reading from my own shelves project. Need to review.

6. Clara’s Kitchen by Clara Cannucciari– great Depression-era memoir cookbook. Food and Library Project Challenge. Click here for my post.

7. Come to the Table; The Slow Food Way of Cooking ed. by Katrina Heron-Lovely California farm stories withe recipes. Food and Library Projects Challenge. Click here for my review.

8. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison-I bought this one when it first came up, my mom borrowed it and “lost” it. I rebought it at the used bookstore one day and decided this was the book to read from Reading from my own shelves project for this month. Reading from my own shelves project. Need to review.

P.S. While I was feeling all spunky about reading 8 books this month my reading/blogging/librarian friend, TINA, commented that she had a good reading month with like 16 books!! How does she do it??

I also had a great month of Rodale Plastic-Free thinking. While I am already neurotically earthy this challenge did make me consider packaging more…I couldn’t buy a few favorite items and well, I lived through the month so I guess I don’t need my fancy orange juice, every month. Perhaps it will make it a rare and delicious treat. I did point out to my husband that I at least reuse the plastic orange juice jug time after time.

I do have a large collection of ball jars and Pyrex dishes for food storage. This challenge did make me think creatively outside the box, digging deeper for solutions.

I hope February was filled with innovative solutions, good cooking and lots of reading.

Plastic-Free February

We are celebrating the first day of February with a SNOW DAY!! One more day for Teenage Boy to study for his Chem. Test, one day for me to blog and Groovy Girl wants to make a cake…Yeah, Yeah, for snow days!!! In my browsing around this a.m. (after I made waffles in my jammies):

The Rodale Company is one that I trust…I’m not a big fan of large mega-companies but the people at Rodale stand for organic. I have several gardening books and have received many of their magazines in the past. Rodale.com is hosting a challenge for the month of February…to go plastic-free.

Why go plastic free? There are plenty of reasons to cut down. It’s made from either petroleum or natural gas, two nonrenewable resources extracted in ways that pollute our air and water. Plastic manufacturers add chemicals to certain types of plastics that can be highly toxic, like bisphenol A and phthalates. And very few types of plastic are widely recycled. (find the full article here Rodale.com)

Three Simple Rules:

1. No buying or acquiring new plastic.

2. No cooking with plastic or storing food in plastic.
3. Minimize all other plastic use.

Check out Rodale.com for a list of participating bloggers who will be posting regular updates. I will just be trying to do it and maybe posting how difficult it is. I just realized my glass Pyrex bowls (while wonderful) have plastic lids! I try not to purchase things that are overpackaged but we do use plastic food storage containers, especially for Groovy Girl’s lunch box. I’m going to set out on this challenge with one thing in mind really-to try not bring any new plastic into the house and that means buying in bulk with my own glass jars. I’ll let you know how it goes. Anyone else up for this challenge?

Plastic Tip for the day: Do not microwave your food in plastic containers. Use glass or ceramic dishes instead. The plastic leaks into your food and has been directly linked to certain cancers. **As Janssen points out there is no real evidence of this claim more a gut-feeling about a petroleum-based product holding my delicious food as it heats up hot and fast. I don’t like petro that much. **

Check out these plastic-free lunch containers…LunchBots. I want them…anyone have them already and are they wonderful?

2011 Reading from my shelves project

Last year I took on 50 books and did not finish the list so this year I’ve kept some of the unfinished and added a few. I’ve picked 24 specifically so I can read two each month,which seems like an easy way to stay on track. Thanks to Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea for rehosting this helpful challenge.

Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska
Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
The Snipesville Chronicles; Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When by Annette Laing
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg
Red Scarf Girl by Ji Li Jiang
The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Toughest Indian in the World by Sherman Alexie
The Reluctant Tuscan; How I Discovered my Inner Italian by Phil Doran
Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
The Shadow Catcher by Marianne Wiggins
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
Inheritance by Natalie Danford
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing; Traitor to the Nation by M.T. Anderson
Every Sunday by Peter Pezzelli
I don’t want to be crazy by Samantha Schutz
Lamb by Christopher Moore
Austenland by Shannon Hale
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

This year I will succeed at this challenge, This year I will succeed at this challenge, This year I will suceed at this challenge, This year I will, I will, I will….
***To join this challenge click here to sign up: Reading From My Shelves Project/2011