Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink, PhD.

After reading about Mindless Eating on The Rich Life (On A Budget), I immediately put it on hold at the library. She mentioned as part of her weight loss journey. I was impressed by her results and how she said the book helped her shed pounds regardless of how she was eating. Mindless Eating is not your typical weight loss/ diet book. It also appealed to my love of research.
First off there are no recipes, no tips on how to lighten your meals, no encouraging stories of people who have lost hundreds of pounds. What there is a lot of research about why you eat, how you eat and how you can control what you eat. You might think you are in complete control of everything thing that you eat but you probably aren't. Advertising, smells, colors, other people affect what you eat. I buy Cheetos a couple of times a month. I "buy them for Jeff". When he comes over he likes to snack on chips especially Cheetos. But in reality I buy them for me. I like Cheetos but I want to feel like a good hostess so I make sure I have Jeff's "favorite" snack on hand. I bought these Applegate hot dogs based on advertising. We all buy things based on other factors besides hunger and good nutrition.
Here are some "tips" I learned from Mindless Eating:

• Use salad or dessert plates for your meals. The smaller plate will make your meal appear larger.
• Resign from the clean plate club. Try to leave a little behind from each meal.
• Plate your meals and leave the leftovers in the kitchen. No serving meals family style.
• Move snacks away from you. If you can reach it, it'll be easier to eat. When candy dishes were moved six feet away from office workers, people ate less.
• Similarly, find ways to create a pause before you eat. It might deter you from eating or eating too much.
• Wait 20 minutes before getting that second helping. It takes that long for our stomachs to signal to our brains that we're full. 

I also especially loved the chapter on eating out and the study on Subway. Just because Subway seems healthy doesn't mean that you can eat 2 footlong sandwiches and lose weight.
Mindless Eating doesn't promise to help you lose a lot. But by making some small changes this book can help you lose 10-30 lbs less a year. I really enjoyed learning how I am affected by so many outside factors. I've adopted some habits. I've been doing the salad plate trick for years and recently stopped serving food family style. I'm going to create more pauses in my snacking and find healthier snacks to serve my friends :) Regardless where you are on your weight loss journey, I think you will learn something new and find ways to make small changes that will help you in the long run. Others who shared their thoughts on Mindless Eating: Mark Larson, Our Fight Now, Watermarked One, and Deligted.

Weekend Cooking: Asian Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

This salad is one of those staples in our house. Sometimes I like to make some to enjoy as a snack but it's terrific to take to potlucks and BBQs. With the coolness of the cucumber and the tartness of the rice vinegar it helps break up the heavier foods. Plus since it has no mayo, it doesn't have to be refrigerated.

Asian Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

3 cucumbers
1/2 red onion
2/3 cup rice vinegar
2/3 cup simple syrup

Slice cucumbers and red onion into thin slices. I recommend using a mandoline to get them thin enough. Just watch your fingers. I don't think fingers would improve this salad.
Pour the rice vinegar and simple syrup over the cucumbers and red onion. Stir to combine. You might want it a little sweeter or a little more vinegar-y. Feel free to play with the liquid to get it right for you. I like to start off equal and add tbs of either until it's right for me.
Let salad sit for at least an hour before serving. The longer it sits the better the flavor will be.


Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Bought by Anna David

I don't know how Bought wound up on my tbr list. It's the kind of book I like to read though. A thinly veiled fiction about Hollywood and high end mistresses/call girls. Chick lit with a message. While I liked the message, the story didn't really do it for me.
Emma feels like she is stuck interviewing celebs as they enter parties and movie premiers. She became a journalist because she wanted to right hard hitting stories, not get quotes about what designer someone is wearing. While at a party, Emma meets Jessica, her ex-boyfriend's date. Emma finds out that Jessica is a girl for hire. Men pay Jessica for sex, companionship, you name it. But unlike a hooker, Jessica doesn't take cash. Jessica gets her rent paid for, new computers, high end jewelry and clothes. These gifts are Jessica's payment. Emma decides that Jessica and women like her are where her next story lies.
Honestly I had a hard time relating to Emma. I couldn't tell you much about her. If this was nonfiction and Emma was the reporter, that would be a good thing. You'd want Emma to let her subjects shine though. Since this is a novel, I wanted to understand Emma. Instead I got a characterture. Emma spends a lot of time being sad about her ex-boyfriend. Emma's angry at her married friends. Emma feels that her parents think her younger sister is better than her. Thank goodness she didn't complain about her weight because then she would have every other female in most generic chick lit. Emma had none of her own defining characteristics. Jessica on the other hand was a little bit easier to understand. She was a manipulative bitch but the kind who cries about not having female friends. I understood Jessica and kind of liked her character. She was transparent. 
Overall, I was meh on this one. The story had an interesting premise but the execution fell flat for me. Others who shared their thoughts on Bought: S. Krishna's Books, Books Are Fabulous, and Chick Lit Reads.

Awkward & Awesome Thursday

Awkward:

-Seattle's new plastic bag ban. I went to Macy's on Tuesday and bought 3 new bras. The saleswoman denied me a free small paper bag after seeing my backpack. I asked for the bag since my backpack had my leftover lunch in it and I wasn't anxious to mingle my new bras with leftover Indian food. But the saleslady insisted and almost shoved my bras into my backpack. Remember to bring own bags to Macy's. 

-A holiday in the middle of the week. Today's going to be rough.

-Ordering a hot chocolate at Jamba Juice and being told to go to Starbucks. Uh, it's on your menu. A sorry we no longer carry that item would have sufficed.

Awesome:

-Tomorrow's Friday!

-Summer has arrived in Seattle. Hello dresses!

-My free burger and drink at Red Robin on Tuesday. Yay for their loyalty club.

-JCPenney's new pricing and $4 clearance rack. Hello new clothes for cheap.

What's awesome and awkward for your week?

Library Loot

 Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader 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!









I wasn't planning on having any library loot this week. But I had a book to drop off at the library and I had some time to kill so I browsed the shelves. And I found some books I'm really excited about it.

A Million Suns

I was super excited to spot this one on the shelf. I really wanted to continue this series.

The Fault In Our Stars

I've heard nothing but good things about this one. 

Gone Girl

I've read both of Flynn's other books and enjoyed them. I've heard good things about this one too. 

What did you get this week?

Happy 4th of July to all my American readers.

These Is My Words by Nancy E Turner

I picked up These Is My Words after reading about it on The Sweetest Bookshelf's post on 10 books she considers the new classics. Her enthusiasm for These Is My Words along with the statement that "women everywhere should read it" made me put it on hold at the library. I have to thank Mary at The Sweetest Bookshelf for sharing about this wonderful book. I really enjoyed the story.
These Is My Words is told in diary format. At the beginning Sarah and her family are leaving their home in the New Mexico Territories and heading to San Angelo. Sarah is seventeen when the story starts and goes til she's in her late twenties. We see Sarah travel back and forth through the Arizona Territories and New Mexico Territories. The family goes through many hardships and we see Sarah grow from a child to a young woman. I could see how hard it was for folks back then. Traveling on a dusty road for months trying to get to their new homes. There was plenty of fear, fear of getting sick, running into Native Americans or bandits, fear of losing what you brought with you. But there was camaraderie among the travelers. Often people would share supplies or barter for supplies. Others would help when a child fell ill. I enjoyed the stories about Sarah's time on the road the most. Although I also enjoyed hearing about when her family settled and how they built their home.
Not only is a coming of age story but a romance as well. I enjoyed how that romance developed so I'll be vague about the gentleman in question. I enjoyed how the romance built up throughout the book. Everything took time which I appreciated. Even when Sarah turn eighteen she's still very much a child. She grows up slowly, partly due to all the traveling but also because Sarah's got a gentle soul. Sarah loves her family and does everything she can to make sure they are safe. Even though I thought of her a child for much of the book, Sarah does some unchildlike things to make sure those she loves are safe. I loved watching Sarah develop. Sarah was definitely a character that will stay with me.
If you haven't had the pleasure of reading These Is My Words, please find time to change that.  This is the first in a trilogy that I will be continuing. Others who shared their thoughts on These Is My Words: Reading for Sanity, A Book Blog. Period, and One Librarian's Book Reviews.
This was my second read for the Western Genre Challenge.

June Book Tally

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin
Amulet vol 2 by Kazu Kibuishi
Threads and Flames by Esther M Friesner
Stopping by David Kundtz
Poser by Claire Dederer
The Selection by Kiera Cass
These Is My Words by Nancy E Turner (review coming this week)
Locke and Key vol 1 by Joe Hill
Locke and Key vol 2 by Joe Hill
Bought by Anna David (review coming soon)

Best month of the year with ten read this month. Tough to pick a favorite. I really did enjoy all of them this month. I'm well on my way to a 100 books of the year!

Stats:

Fill In The Gaps YTD: 0 (None this month)

War Through The Generations YTD: 2 (None this month)

The Western Genre Challenge YTD: 2 (These Is My Words)

Foodies Read 2 Challenge YTD: 5 (None this month)
Total to date: 52

Weekend Cooking: Ginger & Scallion Beef with Broccoli

When I pinned this recipe, I wasn't too sure Tai was going to like it. He normally dislikes stir-fries. Too many veggies. But this one only had two so I thought it was worth a shot. Luckily, he loved it. It was yummy. Tai declared it a keeper.

I made some small changes to her recipe so here's how I made it.

Ginger & Scallion Beef With Broccoli
(adapted from Fuss Free Cooking)

1 lb flank steak
1/2 lb broccoli florets
2 tbs grated ginger
2 green or spring onions, cut into 1/2 pieces
2 tbs oil

4 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

3 tbs oyster sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp chicken broth
1/2 tbs cornstarch

Thinly slice steak. Combine 4 tbs soy sauce, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar in a bowl. Place meat in marinade and let it for a few minutes.
Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan. Added grated ginger to oil. Let ginger cook for a minute. Add beef to pan with marinade. Cook meat til brown on both sides. Add onions to the pan.
Combine 3 tbs oyster sauce, 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp honey, 2 tsp sesame oil in a small bowl. Once meat is cooked, add oyster sauce mix to pan. Combine broth and cornstarch and add to pan. Boil sauce to thicken. Add broccoli to pan and stir til coated. Cook til broccoli is soft. Serve with rice, couscous, or quinoa.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Currently....

Eating...

Tai and I heard the Applegate commercial on the radio one day. You might have heard it, a couple are discussing hot dogs and antibiotics in beef. We're both concerned about what we are eating so we decided to try these hot dogs. Wow, they are delicious. These taste like what a hot dog should taste like.  These are now our go to hot dogs.

Using....

I bought this Olay knockoff of the Clarisonic a few months ago. I have a hard time getting rid of white and black heads especially around my nose. I didn't want to drop a couple of hundred on the Clarisonic so I decided to try the Olay version. I absolutely adore it. I suck at remembering to use it. I can't keep it in my shower (no room) but when I remember to use it, my skin feels so soft. I need to remember to use it more often.

Drinking...

This was a total impulse buy. I was cruising past the milk products and spotted this mocha iced coffee on the shelf. I bought it and forgot about til Tai spotted it in the fridge a few days later. He asked if he could have some so we shared a glass then poured ourself a glass each. It's delicious. Perfect for those afternoon pick me ups.

What are you enjoying this week?

Library Loot

 Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader 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!

The Girl In The Clockwork Collar

I really enjoyed The Girl In The Steel Corset and I'm excited to read the second in the series!

Food Lover's Guide to Seattle

This is the one I meant to get last week. Looking forward to seeing if I can learn some new tips about my favorite city.

The Joy Fit Club

After Diane posted about this book earlier this month, I put it on my hold list at the library. I'm looking forward to getting some healthy eating inspiration. 

What did you get this week?

The Selection by Kiera Cass

I picked up The Selection because of that gorgeous cover. How could I resist a book with a pretty dress? I did hear some fairly negative review. A few people on Goodreads couldn't finish it. But I love it. It was a fun, fast read.
America Singer lives in a post-disaster North America. Something happened and now the United States along with parts of Canada and Latin America are now called Illea. I really wished there was a map. I had a hard time figuring out the boundaries of Illea. There's a monarchy ruling Illea. The king and queen have a son and he needs to find a bride. There's a call for young ladies of Illea to enter into The Selection for a chance to be the prince's entended. It's all very Bachelor.
When I first heard about The Selection there was some comparisons to the Hunger Games. Put that out of your mind. At least in this book (it looks like there is at least one more) there's very little violence and most of the time the Selected girls aren't involved. America doesn't have to fight anyone to the death. America also isn't Katniss. I did feel some slight resemblances. Both are devoted to their families. Both leave boys behind to go off to their adventures. Both are from "lower" classes and have struggled. But whereas Katniss is strong and feels like she can do anything, America isn't. Not that I couldn't relate to Katniss but I felt that America was more like me. She's trying to do the right thing. I really connected to her.
Overall I enjoyed The Selection. It was the very definition of a beach read, light and fun. It was definitely brain candy. I will be read the next in the series. Others who shared their thoughts on The Selection: Book Journey, My Friend Amy, Makeshift Bookmark, Paranormal Indulgence, The Overflowing Library, Books Devoured, Read. Breathe. Relax., Reading With Tequila, Becky's Book Reviews, Steph Likes Books, and What I Read and What I Thought.

Weekend Cooking: Lime and Coconut Chicken

Another pinned recipe. This Lime and Coconut Chicken sounded like something we might like. And boy was I right. I made this for lunch one Saturday. And we loved it.

I followed the recipe pretty closely. But I used chicken thighs and did not pound them flat. I figured I would marinate the meat a little longer which did the trick. I served it over couscous which was a good choice. The sauce was delicious. I recommend making a little extra sauce. This one is a keeper!

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see thewelcome post.

Poser by Claire Dederer

I picked up Poser off the shelf because I remembered hearing good things about it. I'm really glad I did. it was an enjoyable memoir.
I didn't know when I picked it up that Claire lived in Seattle. Actually Claire's a native Washingtonian like me. So I enjoyed reading about places I knew. Plus she makes fun of some specifically Seattle things which I also enjoyed. But as I got deeper in the memoir I found I could relate to Claire a lot. We both have anxiety disorders, we both feel like people are judging us, and we both felt like we weren't good enough. I really enjoyed Claire's journey because I could relate. Yes, she does talk about yoga. I wasn't as interested in the bits about the history of yoga. I actually skimmed those bits. I cared more about her life and her yoga practice than how yoga evolved. Reading Poser was like talking to a friend for me.
I highly enjoyed Poser and would recommend it especially to my fellow PNWers. Others who shared their thoughts on Poser: Imperfect Happiness, Books On Top, Book Dilettante, The Joy of Booking, and Eat Right and Om.

Awkward & Awesome Thursday

Awkward

-I bought a deep fryer last month and haven't blogged about. I need to make some more beer battered fish. Then I'll blog about it.

-Our budget. Ouch. We did a mid-year review. Not doing as well as we planned mostly due to my habit of eating out for lunch. No more. I'm on week 2 of bringing my own lunch. I could use some ideas of what to bring for lunch. I have a fridge, a microwave, and a toaster at work. I despise sandwiches and leftovers. I'm trying to avoid frozen dinners. Salads will only get me so far. Help!

Awesome

-Carly Rae Jepsen's album. I love Call Me Maybe and I sing it at the top of my lungs (when I'm home alone). 

But I also like her cover of Both Sides Now orginally done by Joni Mitchell:

-This video:

Always makes me smile.

-It was warm enough yesterday to wear one of  my new dresses!

-Copper River salmon was $9/lb when you bought the whole fish. Woot! I have 4 lbs of salmon in my freezer. The nice fishmonger even filleted it for me!

What's awesome and awkward for you this week?

Library Loot

 Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader 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!

The Food Lover's Guide To Seattle

I just realized that this is the wrong book. It appears there are 2 books with the same name. Oh well. This one might have some interesting info too.

Waking The Witch

The next in the Women in The Otherworld series.

Blackout

The last in the Newsflesh series. Really looking forward to this one.

Throne of The Crescent Moon

I can't remember where I heard about this one. Epic fantasy with a Middle Eastern bent. Sounded interesting.

What did you get this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. 

Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR List

These books aren't necessarily coming out this summer. These are books I'm planning on reading this summer.

Selection

Kind of a cheat as I've already started this one.

Scarlet

I love the Robin Hood legend so this one seems up my alley.

A Million Suns

I loved Across the Universe. I can't wait to continue Amy and Elder's Story.

The Treachery of Beautiful Things

I admit the beautiful cover caught my eye but with blurb: "A darkly compelling mix of romance, fairy tale, and suspense". How can I go wrong?

Blackout

Another kind of cheat. I just picked this one up from the library. I'm looking forward to the last of the Newsflesh series.

Tumbleweeds

The newest from Leila Meacham who wrote Roses. It looks like another sweeping Texas saga. With that title could it be anything else?

Great Aunt Sophia's Lessons for Bombshells

The title alone grabbed me. It sounds absolutely delightful!

Pride And Prejudice

Perhaps a lazy summer afternoon would be the right time to pick this one up?

Scott Pilgrim

Each year I fantasize about setting a month aside just to read graphic novels. I would easily meet my 100 book goal. I can read multiple graphic novels a day usually. And there's a ton like the entire Scott Pilgrim series I'd like to read. I just don't think I could stick to a diet of graphic novels for a month. I know a novel or two would creep it's way into my pile.

How To Cook A Wolf

After reading An Everlasting Meal, I've been wanting to read Ms Fisher's legendary work. I think summer might be a good time. It easy to like cooking when there's so much fresh food available. 

What's on your summer tbr list?

Threads and Flames by Esther Friesner

Threads and Flames caught my eye on the library shelf. When I read the blurb, I saw it was about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. I had recently learned about the fire while reading The People's History of the United States. I was eager to read more so I decided to give Threads and Flames a try. I'm glad I did. It is a beautiful piece of historical fiction.
The story begins with Raisa in her small Polish town. She's recently escaped a fire and is in the home of an older woman who took her and her sister in after their parent's died. Raisa's sister Henda has already moved to America and Raisa expects to join her there someday. I really enjoyed hearing about Raisa's small town life. It really built her character and Friesner built a lot of detail in Raisa's small town. After a while, Raisa heads to America to join her sister. I really enjoyed hearing about her trip from Europe to America. My great aunt on my dad's side told me what she remembered about the crossing from Russia to America and Raisa's journey sounded similar. Threads and Flames is what you want historical fiction to be-plenty of true facts surrounding a well written character. I immediately liked Raisa. She never knew what she was getting herself into but she was determined to find her way. The supporting characters (Zusa, Brina, Mrs. Kamensky, Gavrel) are interesting and likable. I enjoyed how everyone interacted with Raisa.
Overall, I highly recommend Threads and Flames. It was a well done piece of historical fiction. I felt like I had been transported to 1910's New York City. Others who shared their thoughts on Threads and Flames: The Fourth Musketeer, A Reader's Adventure, and The Book Scout.

Weekend Cooking: Sweet Potato Hash

I enjoy making breakfast on the weekends. But we get tired of the eggs-bacon-toast routine. I'll make french toast for a few weeks but then that no longer becomes exciting. A few months ago I found this recipe for sweet potatoes with andouille sausage. We had enjoyed it and I wanted to make it again. But on this particular morning, we didn't have andouille sausage. We had pork belly.
I had gotten pork belly as part of the meat package from Full Circle. I had no idea what to do with it. Yes, I'd eaten pork belly at a restaurant but this pork belly looked like bacon. Hey, wait a minute. What if I cooked it with the sweet potatoes, made a hash. Would that be a good breakfast? Hell, yeah.

I like topping things with eggs.

New breakfast achievement unlocked!

Sweet potato hash

2 large sweet potatoes (or yams if that's what you have), cubed
1/2 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 pound pork belly (bacon would also work)
3 tbs Emeril's Essence (Old Bay would also work or your own combination of spices)

Heat oven to 375.
Fry pork belly. You need to render the fat here. I fried the pork belly until it was pretty crispy. All that leftover pork belly fat will be mixed with your potatoes later. Save fat, put crispy pork belly aside for now.
Mix sweet potatoes, onion and pepper in large roasting pan. Pour pork belly fat over potatoes/onions/pepper mix. Add seasoning and mix to coat potato/onion/pepper mix. Cook for 40 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.
Chopped up pork belly and stir into hash. Cook for another 10 minutes. Plate hash and top with a fried egg.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see thewelcome post.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin

After reading Olduvai's enthusiastic review of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, I immediately put it on my library queue. I'm glad I did. I was not disappointed.
I don't read much high fantasy. But I did really love the world Jemisin built here. Yeine comes from an outlying provence to the capital of this world, Sky. Yeine has been summoned as she is an heir to the throne. Her mother was daughter of the current ruler. Sky is full of politics, magic, and intrigue. Yeine is completely out of her element. She's half Arameri and half Darre but she's been raised by the Darre and identifies with them. In Sky those against her are betting on her to rely on her Darre strengths (boldness, being forthright and agressive). But to succeed she'll need to get in touch with her Arameri side and be more cunning and backhanded.
So there are also these gods in Sky. Once great powerful beings are now forced to wear a human shell. They control much of the magic that keeps Sky running and they can also be controlled by the Arameri, the inhabitants of Sky. I was particularly intrigued by Nahadoth, the Nightlord. He really reminded me of the vampires in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Sexy, dangerous, more than meets the eye. Nahadoth begged to be explored. I hope there is more of him in the next book.
Overall, I enjoyed The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. It was a good read, very solid and engaging. Others who shared their thoughts on The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms: Olduvai Reads, A Striped Armchair, The Written World, A Librarian's Library, Fyrefly's Book Blog, and Reflections of A Bookworm.

Awkward & Awesome Thursday

Awkward:

-I need a raincoat but not finding one. Boo.
-Running into old acquaintances. Oh, hai. I used to know you.
-Having sweet older ladies try to set me up with their sons. Sorry ladies, I'm taken.
-Related to above, when people ask you personal questions at work. More than just small talk. Makes me uncomfortable.

Awesome:

-Lunch and pedicure plans this weekend with my favorite ladies.
-A Saturday night dinner date with another couple. We're going out for sushi. Yum.
-Prometheus in 3D. I've been looking forward to this one for a while.
-The guys at Jamba Juice remembering me despite not going there for 5 months.
-Crunch is finally open. Now I just have to join.
-I bought 3 of these beautiful maxi dresses from Target. I can't wait for them to get here and for the weather to be warmer.

What's awkward and awesome this week?

Library Loot

 Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader 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!

These is My Words

I spotted These is My Words on The Sweet Bookshelf. Her brief description intrigued me. And it looks like I can used it for the Western Genre challenge. Yay!

What did you get this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Yes, this is the year I'm going to read P&P but I can't believe I've made it this far without reading it.

2. 1984 by George Orwell. Another one I can't believe I haven't read. I missed reading it in high school and college.

3. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I love books about Arthurian legend so it's shocking I haven't picked this one up yet.

4. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. This is one of my favorite movies so I'd love to see how the book compares. 

5. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. A book about werewolves written by one of favorite writers? How have I not read it?

6. Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley. Another movie I enjoyed. I know I'll devour this series once I start it.

7. It Looked Different On The Model by Laurie Notaro. Another of my favorite authors. It's been it out for almost a year and I haven't picked it up.

8. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. This one I've heard about since I was in high school. I need to read this one soon.

9. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I've seen this movie hundreds of times but never read the book. 
10. Summer In The City by Candace Bushnell. I have this one on my shelf. I was looking forward to it but it's suffering the same fate of all books I own. Library books take precedence. 


What books have you read that you can't believe you haven't read yet?

The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg

While browsing for books for the Western Genre Challenge, The Year We Were Famous caught my eye. The story of a mother and daughter crossing the United States on foot. In the 1890's. Sounds intriguing. I'm glad I gave it a chance. It was certainly an interesting story.
Clara and Helga Estby decided to walk across the United States to help save their farm in Mica Creek, Washington. They owed a $1000 in back taxes and couldn't think of a way to raise without doing something drastic. Helga was opposed to leaving the farm and moving to Spokane, Washington, the nearest large city. Clara was looking forward to leaving Mica Creek, going to college, and being away from her mother. Helga was bipolar but no one then knew what that was. Helga had episodes were she stayed in bed while Clara ran the household. Clara wanted her mom to get up and solider through these sad times but Helga couldn't. But then Helga would spring out of bed and want to clean the whole house despite the hour or what else was going on in the household. These manic periods upset Clara too since she knew Helga would run out of steam and head back to bed.
As far as I can tell on Wikipedia, Clara and Helga are the first women to have walked across the United States. A mysterious sponsor offered $10000 if they could reach New York by the end of November. I was in awe of how these women set out without a change of clothes, very little food and water to walk from Washington State to New York. They knew very little about the conditions of the rest of the country but went anyway. I enjoyed learning about Clara and Helga and loved their story. I highly recommend The Year We Were Famous. Others who shared their thoughts on The Year We Were Famous: Barn Talk, Caroline Bookbinder, Becky Levine, The Fourth Musketeer, and Damels in Regress.

May Book Tally

For All The Tea In China by Sarah Rose
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose
Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong
The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg (review coming next week)

Another great month. I tried to write a review for Insurgent but failed. It was great sequel and I can't wait for the next book.

Stats:

Fill In The Gaps YTD: 0 (None this month)

War Through The Generations YTD: 2 (None this month)

The Western Genre Challenge YTD: 1 (None this month)

Foodies Read 2 Challenge YTD: 5 (For All The Tea In China)
Total to date: 42