Summer obsession #1

Oh, my friends, if you have not yet experienced the deliciousness of these two lovelies, you are in for a treat. REAL fruit. 80 calories. I could eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and, admittedly, I have). Obviously, you have to like pineapple and/or coconut in the first place. I keep thinking the coconut one would be divine dipped in chocolate...  Go. Get them. I'll wait here (in some parts of the country it's under Dreyer's).

p.s. Edy's doesn't know I exist. I just love these all on my own.

Tiny books, lots of happy

Right after New Year's I saw a little write-up about a company called Printstagram that made tiny books from your instagram photos. It was $10 so I thought why not? It took just a few clicks to choose which photos I wanted to upload and then I forgot all about it until they arrived today (from Taiwan?) and they're just about the cutest things you ever did see. They actually came in not one but three little volumes representing our 2011 year in instagram photos. They are even magnetic so they've taken up happy residence on our fridge. So fun! Now my mind is buzzing with possibilities...valentines, birthdays, little books of favorite things, future stocking stuffers...

$3.33 for each little book of photos. What's your favorite low-cost, high-happiness thing lately?

Back in the pages

 

It's strange, a few months ago it was like I fell out of love with books. I've been a lifelong bookworm but I just couldn't garner the excitement about reading that I have for the past 9/10ths of my life. Book depression maybe? The 37-year-itch? Student overload? Adult onset ADD? Whatever the cause, it made the rest of my life seem a little blah, too. I'd pick up a book, flip a few pages, put it down. Repeat.  I think I get some kind of vitamins from reading so I've probably been suffering from mental scurvy without the nourishment from books and stories.

Well, I'm back! (<-- read with Jack Nicholson voice if you so desire).  I think it has a lot to do with the last few books I've read so I thought I'd pass them along. If they can bring me out of book gloom, maybe you'll like them, too.

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I uploaded The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet to my kindle last summer but only made it a few pages in before turning to other, more beachy reads (hey, it was summer).  A week or two ago, I had nothing else to do (ha!) or read so I gave it another try. So my advice: give it a few chapters to draw you in.  While a pirate-like setting in a distant trading post in the late 18th century might not sound like your cup of tea, give it a chance.

In 1799, the Dutch East Indies Company is in Nagasaki Harbor, where Jacob de Zoet, a devout and principled clerk is trying to earn enough money to go home and marry his fiancee in Holland. As the years turn, he falls in love with a disfigured midwife and his principles are tested as he encounters devious and selfish men on both side of the cultural divide as well as challenges to his faith, principles and affections. My one complaint is that the ending part, the rest-of-his-life summary is too brief and felt tacked on.  

Mitchell is a fantasic storyteller. As one of the other reviewers noted, he won't baby you with constant action (and sometimes it's hard to keep track of all the characters, well-developed though they are) but his descriptions and characters and words dazzle.  I've started reading all of his others, hoping to maintain the book-thirst he gave me with this one. 

. . .

From my Good Reads review: Caleb's Crossing is a vivid historical novel based on Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck, a Wampanoag who was the first Native American to graduate from Harvard (1665), as told through the narrative of fictional character (and strong female voice) Bethia Mayfield. The two meet on Martha's Vineyard when they are both about 12; what follows as Bethia and then others educate Caleb is Brooks's lyrical story addressing faith, friendship, culture, love, education, and freedom. Lofty principles, yes, but approachable and real in the telling.

. . .

Honorable mentions: Lest you think I'm all high-minded in my reading, I also devoured Rob Lowe's autobiography Stories I Only Tell My Friends and really liked it. Not your typical celebrity bio, I found it a compelling and interesting read. (Guys, Rob Lowe can write!) But then again, I am a child of the 80s and fondly remember The Outsiders and St. Elmo's Fire and, later, loved The West Wing so I was interested in the inside stories. True to the title, it did feel like a good dose of all his best stories from over the years, complete with salty language now and then (profanity alert).

Also: In Every Last One, Anna Quindlen (whom I really love) creates a true-feeling, detailed picture of a modern day suburban family and then takes them through a harrowing, painful HUGE tragedy. This isn't going to be for everyone, but I admired Quindlen's deftness and insights. Also, in the author interview at the end, she talked about her favorite book lately, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, which made me pick it up and try again. So, thanks, Anna.

. . .

What makes a book a winner for you? Here are my criteria for a recommended, 4- or 5- star book: 

1) it makes me crave writing something

2) I would read it again. And, possibly, again and again and again.

3) I want to underline passages (and usually do)

4) it's difficult to put down

5) it transports me to the world of the story

6) it inspires me in some way

What about you? Any great reads lately?

. . .

Top image via Say Yes to Hoboken

Hit parade

1. Trader Joe's Hold the Cone mini ice cream cones. Whoa, nelly! The chocolate ones are my favorite but the vanilla are also in the zone of amazing. Only 70 calories each, so when you eat the whole box you don't feel quite so bad. Or so I'm told.  (What is that you ask? If I am still shunning sugar? And dairy? Well, yes. Usually. Technically. These are still wonderful little morsels when I'm not living up to that philosophy in practice.) 

By the way, I am a small little blog (as you know); T.J.'s doesn't know even I exist so suffice it to say they do not pay me to say such nice things. I just can't stand enjoying something like this without spreading the news.

2. Lee Woodruff is a gal I would love to be girlfriends with (although, perhaps I should put my best foot forward and NOT end the sentence with a preposition to impress her...with?). Do you remember how her husband, Bob, was injured by a roadside bomb while reporting from Iraq? And she wrote a book  with him about it? Well, she's a terrific writer and I love her blog. It doesn't hurt that her children are the same age as mine, complete with high school graduating daughter. She gets me, even though she doesn't know me. 

Recently she unraveled a great story about extravagant prom proposals, how it played out,  taking a mother-daughter trip to Paris, and leaving a body part there/being rescued. Enjoy. But I get dibs on being her imaginary BFF.

3. Speaking of amazing true stories, I've been following the inspiring, heart-breaking story of my high school friend's nephew who was in a terrible snow boarding accident a month ago, the day before he was scheduled to leave on a 2-year mission for church.  Gates is a testament of optimism and faith and love and determination. I don't know him but I'm inspired by his (and his family's) great spirit and tenacity. Start with the first post and work chronologically from there is my suggestion. It wouldn't surprise me if you added him to your prayers, too.

4. Lauren pointed this out to me a couple of days ago & it made me laugh:

What's on your hit parade this week?