Ten Questions about Life

I spied this meme on Seattle Stevie's blog a while ago and hung on to it for a day I needed a blog post. So here we are. 

1. Twitter or Facebook? 

I usually have Twitter open all day. I get the majority of my news from Twitter. I look at Facebook more at night. 

2. Morning person or night owl? 

I'm a night owl. I don't like waking up early.

3. How do you drink coffee? 

I love coffee. I prefer drip or french pressed coffee with cream and sugar but will indulge in mochas sometimes.

4. It’s 9pm and you’ve got the house to yourself, what do you do? 

Crawl into bed with book du jour or a pile of graphic novels. Play some music (mostly top 40) and relax. Maybe nap or turn in early. 

5. What’s on your nightstand right now? 

A collection of half drunk waters. A pile of magazines I haven't read in two years. My glasses. A dozen hair ties. 

6. What smell do you love? 

Watermelon.

7. What smell do you hate? 

Gross things like garbage.

8. Other than your current home, where would you most like to live? 

That's tough cause I love this area so much. Maybe Pittsburgh. I do miss it.

9. If you could eat only one nationality of food for the rest of your life, which one would it be? 

Japanese. Sushi!

10. When you were six years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

At 6, I wanted to be a ballerina.

Feel free to snag these questions and play along!

Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff

I read about Brooklyn, Burning when I read Tiny Ladies In Shiny Pants. I hadn't heard about Brooklyn, Burning before that and I was intrigued, a book about homeless gay teens in Brooklyn. I enjoy reading about lives that do not resemble my own so I put it on hold. Brooklyn, Burning's narrator, Kid, was one character I won't soon forget.

The story starts with Kid, cruising up to his hangout spot, Fish's Bar. Kid hasn't slept all night, too amped up to lay his head down. But in front of Fish's, is another person, someone Kid hasn't met. Kid interrogates the newcomer, Scout, and offers Scout a place to rest in the cellar of the bar. From there the story jumps back and forth between now with Kid and Scout and to a previous time (maybe last summer) with Kid and Felix.

Brezenoff doesn't sugar coat these kid's lives. People constantly recommend that Kid go home but his dad threw him out. Should Kid change who he is to stay with his parents? Can you only express yourself when you have the freedom do so? How long should you wait for said freedom? Also these kids have no where to go besides an abandoned, unsafe building. They are extremely vulnerable and little help was given to any of them. I was glad that Kid had his cast of friends but sad that none of them had much.

Brooklyn, Burning is an experience. I definitely recommend it. Others who shared their thoughts on Brooklyn, Burning: Hey, Library Girl, The Nocturnal Library, and Paperback Treasures.

This book satisfies the city category for the What's In A Name Challenge.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

If I Ever Get Out Of Here

I spotted If I Ever Get Out Of Here on an Inclusive Summer Reading List. Always looking to add diversity to my reading.

When Reason Breaks

Found on the same list as above.

What did you get this week? Add yours below!

Teaser Tuesday-I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"I'm sunk into a giant plush leather chair across from Sandy. He's just apologized about the screw falling out and joked that maybe Fish was right about the ghost, eh, CJ?"
pg 31 I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

After falling in love with Open Road Summer, I was eager to read Lord's next book, The Start of Me and You. Once again I was blown away by the characters and writing. I can't recommend The Start of Me and You enough.

Paige is headed back to school. Another year as the girl who's boyfriend tragically died. Paige wants this year to be different. She wants to be someone else. Not the girl who's boyfriend tragically died. So she creates a list to give herself goals to becoming someone else. Item number one is to becoming Ryan Chase's girlfriend. That plan is derailed after spending time with his cousin, Max.

Again, Lord has done an amazing job of taking these broken characters and giving them so much life they just jump off the page. Paige is amazing. She's struggling with the grief. She's got some great friends who rally around her. But, I loved Max. He's a Firefly fan. That got my attention immediately. He's invested in Paige from the start. But he gives her the space to be herself and not the girl who's boyfriend died. I also liked Paige's grandma. She has Alzheimer's which almost made me put the book down but Lord handles her memory loss so well that I was ok with it.

Again, Emery Lord's characters have stolen my heart. I can't wait to see what she does next. Others who shared their thoughts on The Start of Me and You: The Perpetual Page Turner, Katie's Book Blog, Novel Novice, and Rather Be Reading.

What To Eat This Week

Oops. I took no pictures this week. We ate out twice, I made salads twice and we had burgers again.

Tacos

Sticky Lemon Honey Ginger Chicken

Avocado Caprese Chicken Salad

Dinner out

Balsamic Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Burgers

Split Pea Soup

What's your menu this week?

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

A coworker recommended The White Tiger. Her recommendation stuck and I put The White Tiger on my holds list at the library. I'm really glad she recommended it. The White Tiger was such an amazing read.

The story is told over seven nights while Balram is writing to the Premier of China. Balram hears that the Premier is coming to learn about India's entrepreneurs. Balram is a great entrepreneur and wants to share his story with the Premier. The story jumps around from Balram's childhood to today. It's a dramatic story full of suspense. The story was very unique to me and I found it gripping. Balram's story is full of angry and frustration. Born poor, Balram decides to try to find a way out of the poverty in India. It's a struggle and not easy. The caste system in India is rigid. Balram has to make choices about what he feels is right or wrong. Balram was a unique and fascinating character I won't soon forget.

I recommend The White Tiger. It was definately outside of my comfort zone but a fantastic story about a life so different than mine. Others who shared their thoughts on The White Tiger: The Bookbag, Reflecting By The Shore, and Reading On A Rainy Day.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Saint Anything

I've heard such good things about Saint Anything but I actually know very little about the story line.

The Sparrow

For my irl book club.

What did you get this week? Clare's got the linky this week?

Teaser Tuesday-The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"I mentally reviewed any possible reason that she could be mad at me. But she looked more concerned than mad as I sat down across from her."

pg 50 The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Twenty-five Things You Didn't Know About Me

I spied this meme on Julie's blog a while ago. I saved it as potential blog fodder and now here it is.

1. I’m happiest when… I'm with Tai.

2. …Especially if it… involves hanging out with our friends.

3. I’ve always wanted to… see the Serengeti.

4. My family and I… are close.

5. I was a terrible… Math student. 

6. My first job was… working at a local chamber of commerce. 

7. I could probably eat cheese burgers everyday. There should not be a “probably” in this equation. (Ditto, Julie!)

8. I stole… a razor when I was a kid. It fell off a display and into my coat hood. I felt horrible and I made my parents take me back to the store to return it.

9. I was born on the same day as… my dad.

10. My all-time favorite film is… The Incredibles.

11. I do a pretty mean… steak.

12. I’m still mad… I didn’t study abroad. (Again, ditto, Julie)

13. I met my husband… online.

14. I always knew I wanted… a dog. I've have 2 before and I'd love to have another. 

15. I’m not afraid to… dance my ass off.

16. I make the best… protein pancakes.

17. I have almost no… sandals. I tend to wear covered shoes. I need to buy more sandals this summer.

18. I always cry when… something bad happens to an animal. 

19. I’m a Washingtonian, but I will always have a soft spot for the Midwest. 

20. I spent 12 years… at an all-girls school.

21. I wish my folks… had moved more often.

22. At 5, I was deeply in love with 2 boys in my class and everyday I changed which one I would marry.

23. I believe if everyone took time to get to know others, the world would be a better place.

24. I can’t stand… mean people.

25. Whenever Sex and The City  is on, I’ll watch it.

What To Eat This Week

The weather is funny here. One day it will be 80 then it's 60. I'm trying to be flexible with my meals. If it's too hot, I can't make something where I'm slaving over a hot stove. And still not a lot of inspiration so more basic meals.

Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche-A family favorite. I'll be making this more over the summer.

Bacon, Chicken, and Zucchini-We had high hopes for this one. It was ok, not spectacular. I might play with it again.

Cheeseburgers again. I'm obsessed with the combination of grilled onions and thousand island dressing.

Low Carb White Castle Casserole

Ranch Chicken Kabobs

Fragrant Lime Scented Pork Chops

Avocado Chicken Caprese Salad

Dinner Out

Apple Bacon Smothered Pork Chops

Japanese Fried Chicken

What's on your menu this week?

Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer

I added Charlotte Sometimes to my tbr list after reading about it in My Real Children. I do like stories about time travel. While it was a good read, it was a little deeper than I thought it would be.

Charlotte Makepeace goes to a new boarding school in the late 1950's. She's nervous to be away from home. The other girls seem strange. Charlotte goes to bed that night and wakes up in another room in 1918. Charlotte has switched places with a girl named Clare and Clare has replaced Charlotte. Charlotte and Clare switch places everyday. The girls use a diary to communicate but still find it difficult to live each others lives. The story mostly follows Charlotte and her travels back in time.

I found it hard to believe this was a children's book. The concepts and feelings the girls had felt slightly more adult. While I enjoyed the story, the fact that these were children made it harder for me to imagine. Not that they time traveled but that they both understand and grasped the concepts. That was the most difficult part of the book. I really enjoyed reading about Charlotte trying to understand about WWI and learning how to fit in during 1918.

Overall I liked Charlotte Sometimes. I don't know if I'd read Farmer's other books. I enjoyed the story and the writing but Charlotte Sometimes felt like enough. Others who shared their thoughts about Charlotte Sometimes: The Book Smugglers, Gifted  by Juxtabooks, and Opinions of A Wolf.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and me that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Lots of squeeing going on today! I'm super excited about my loot this week!

The Heir

I'm excited about the next book in The Selection Series. I just loved the rest of the series.

The Start of You And Me

I loved Lord's other book, Open Road Summer, so I'm really looking forward to this one.

Smile

I feel like I've been waiting forever for Smile. I'm so happy it's finally here!

What did you get this week? Share yours below!

Teaser Tuesday-The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"In the afternoons, I went from my school to the tea shop to see him. This tea shop was the central point of our village; the bus from Gaya stopped there at noon every day (never late by more than an hour or two) and the policemen would park their jeep here when they came to bugger someone in the village." 
pg 19 The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Picking Bones From Ash by Marie Mutsuki Mockett

I don't remember how I heard about Picking Bones From Ash but I'm so glad I did. It was the perfect blend of historical fiction and magical realism. I look forward to reading more by Marie Mutsuki Mockett.

Picking Bones From Ash is about Satomi and her daughter, Rumi. The story starts when Satomi is a child and ends when Rumi is an adult. It also weaves from Japan to Paris to San Fransico and back to Japan. The story alternates between Rumi and Satomi. Mockett does an amazing job of creating characters that jumped off the page. Understanding what I do of Japanese culture only enhanced this book for me. When I'm looking about books set in Japan, this will be my bar. I loved how real the story was and how Mockett didn't pull any punches. I loved the complicated story between mothers and daughters and women and their lovers.

I loved Picking Bones From Ash. I will be looking for more of Mockett's work. Others who shared their thoughts on Picking Bones From Ash: Devourer of Books, Literate Housewife, and My Books. My Life., and Gender Across Borders.

What To Eat This Week

It's getting busy and it's harder for me to meal plan. It's more important now that I have less time to figure out food options but so time consuming. Relaying on old favorites again!

Ranch Pork Chops (top of the plate) and Pork Chops in Beer (left) with roasted brussel sprouts-I had a ton of pork chops so I made 2 different kinds. Both were winners so I would make them both again.

 Red Thai Curry Salad-Good. Very refreshing. Will make again.

Sweet Paprika Chicken-Holy cow, these were done so quickly. I used smoky paprika instead of sweet and it was delicious. I would make again!

Chicken, Bacon and Zucchini

Quick Sriracha Beef Lettuce Wraps

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Dinner out

Dinner out

Game day with friends

Jill's Pork Tenderloin

What's on your menu this week?