the litwits

Lately I've been thinking about making a bucket list of all the things I want to do before I'm 30. Just for the fun of it. I do have a few years to go before reaching that age, but judging by how fast the past year raced by (my baby's almost one ohdeargod), it can never hurt to start early.

One of the things I've always wanted to do was join a book club. I love reading; I love talking about books; I love drinking and eating and laughing with friends. So, last month, I emailed a bunch of great gals and started a club. The litwits. I can't take credit for coming up with the name, but isn't it great?

Our August book was The Help. We had a kick-off event at my house, where we all brought three books, then drew names until all of the books had been picked up by someone new. It was a great way to get the literary discussion rolling. (Take the word literary with a grain of salt. There were definitely a few chick lit books being exchanged.) We all read the book, discussed on a private Facebook forum, and gathered again for a group movie date to see our book on the big screen. It's turning into great fun.

Here's our upcoming book list, if you're interested in playing along:

September - Whistling in the Dark
October - Left Neglected
November - When God was a Rabbit
December - Sarah's Key

26 in 52

I resolved to read at least 26 books this year. So far, I'm a bit behind, but I'll mark my progress here and hopefully it will guilt me inspire me to spend more time reading. I'm a bit behind, but March Break is just around the corner! (Read: Hand the baby to Husband and relax in the bath with a good book.)

Wiped: Life with a Pint-sized Dictator

By Rebecca Eckler

All I have to say about this book is "Ha!" Eckler uses nearly ever cliche in the book as she chronicles her motherhood journey — the good, the bad and the poopy diapers. This is a great read when you're in the middle of raising your own pint-size dictator. It puts a lot of the trials and tribulations in perspective, with a few laughs for good measure.

The Book of Awesome

By Neil Pasricha

Lovely friend T bought this book as her gift for our annual Christmas potluck gift exchange. I hadn't heard of it before then, but the concept appealed to me — essentially a book of awesome things. Thanks to my Kobo and an online promo code, I picked up a copy for $5. Some of the stories in this book made me smile, others made me laugh out loud. Husband thought I was a little nuts when I burst out laughing while reading this in bed one night, but once he got his hands on it, he loved it as much as I did.

In progress reads ...

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child

By March Weissbluth

Bitter is the New Black

By Jen Lancaster

What are you reading?

black, white and read all over

When eReaders started to make their way onto the market, I scoffed. "I'll never read an electronic book."

Well, here I am, eating my words. Delicious.

I used some birthday loot to buy myself a Kobo just before Christmas, and I have to admit, I really love it. For the record though, it will never take the place of good, old-fashioned library books. In fact, I've shelved my Kobo this week to read my one-week library loan of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Have you read it? Is it as great as everyone says?).

There are lots of eReaders out there to choose from. I made my decision quickly, and using only a few criteria. Mainly, I didn't want to pay and arm and a leg, and it had to be compatible with our local library's eBook lending service. The first of my demands eliminated the Sony eReader, which only cost about $30-$40 more than the Kobo, but was still out of my budget. The library compatibility issue eliminated the Amazon Kindle. I went to Chapters, tried out a Kobo, and made an impulse purchase.

Admittedly, there are a few downsides. It doesn't keep a charge as long as I'd like, and once the battery is hovering near empty, it takes longer to move from page to page (and by longer, I mean a few seconds, but it's still not as fast a flipping a paper page by hand). It was also difficult to figure out how to add library books to the Kobo. Luckily, I was able to search out this blog post that gives convenient directions.

Otherwise, it's been great so far. It came loaded with 100 classic novels. Many I've read, many I've wanted to read for years. Buying and uploading books from the Kobo site is super easy and I've picked up a bunch of new books for less than $5 each. And of course, my conscience and the environment appreciate the paperless option.

romance with novels

Remember these lovely designed Penguin Classics that I blogged about once upon a time?

Well, guess what?! There aren't just 10! There are 20!

I am in love with them!

I may not have mentioned that Husband bought me three of these (Jane Eyre, Great Expectations and Crime and Punishment) for our anniversary — since the traditional first anniversary gift is paper.

And for my birthday, I just ordered these:

I can't wait for them to arrive!

Update: Incase you're interested, these books are available through Chapters online for $14.99 each.

summer reading

I mentioned a while back that I had read My Sister's Keeper and loved it. I was excited for the movie version, but felt pretty certain that it wouldn't live up to the book. Then, as my friends saw it, I quickly found out that the ending of the movie is not the same as the end of the book. Seriously? Who does that? I never did see it in the theatre. Did you read the book and see the movie? What did you think?

I need to re-read The Time Traveler's Wife before I see the movie in the theatre in August. I  picked it up randomly at a used bookstore a few years ago and it immediately became one of my all-time favourites. I'm sure it'll be one of those books that I'll pick up again and again.

I, for one, can't wait to see this Julie & Julia — and I have to read the book first, naturally. 

What are you reading (and/or watching) this summer?

it's time for a reunion

It gives me great pleasure, and makes my heart go pitter patter, to announce that by mid-July, we will have a new addition in our home.

Yes, this is TiVo, not a DVR, but you get the point. Yes! Recorded television is within my grasp. I can smell it from here.

I had a short affair with a DVR before I got married, but being a logical, money-saving adult, I chose to abandon my love in exchange for a cheaper deal from another cable provider. Well, that deal is over now, and it's time to rekindle our relationship.

As a matter of fact, for the same price that we were paying with our former provider, we will now also have a DVR and HDTV. Same price. And just in time for Big Brother, no less.

That also means that our shiny flat screen will now live up to its full, high-definition potential, and Husband will never leave the house when golf is on again.

tales of a female nomad

Thanks to Maggie (of Magchunk), I've finally found a can't-put-it-down book. Thanks for the recommendation!

I picked up Tales of a Female Nomad at my local library. It chronicles one woman's journey to learn more about other cultures and more about herself.

On her website, author Rita Golden Gelman explains:

I am a modern-day nomad. I have no permanent address, no possessions except the ones I carry, and I rarely know where I’ll be six months from now. I move through the world without a plan, guided by instinct, connecting through trust, and constantly watching for serendipitous opportunities.

People are my passion. Unlike a traditional nomad, when I go somewhere, I settle in with the locals long enough to share the minutes of their days, to know the seasons of their lives, and to be trusted with their secrets. I have lived with people in thatched huts, slept in their gilded palaces, and worshipped with them at godly ceremonies and dens of black magic. I have also cooked with women on fires all over the world.

When Maggie discovered the book, she invited her readers (that includes me!) to check it out — a mini Magchunk book club! When we're finished the book, we're going to have an online chat about it in the last few days of June. Don't worry, with a book this good, you'll have no trouble finishing by then. Feel free to pick it up and join us in the discussion!

i'm a collector

I didn't really realize I was starting this collection until it was already formed, and now I just can't get enough.

And there were two more hiding in the cupboard that didn't make it into this photo shoot. That makes 23 cookbooks that I own and love. That doesn't count the dozens of recipes that are stashed in that cute little red recipe box. There's enough deliciousness in there to make up at least another cookbook or two. Among my faves are the banana bread recipe from my Better Homes and Garden's cookbook, the chocolate chip cookie recipes from the Bake Sale collection, and pretty much anything from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook.

Here are some of the lovelies I plan to acquire next:

OK, so maybe I'll spend more time looking at the cover of this one than the recipes inside .. oh that Jamie Oliver.

I don't have any of Rachael Ray's cookbooks yet, but I love to watch her cooking show. She makes it look so easy!

Husband has his eye on this one. He thinks I should have it, and I agree!

Who doesn't love a good low-fat recipe? 

And this pair knows how to make the most delicious food and make sure that a moment on the hips doesn't equal forever on the hips.

Do you have any cookbooks that you couldn't live without?

how do you judge a book?

This is such a neat idea. I read about this another blog recently — I can't remember where, so if you saw it too, leave a comment to remind me. 

This has got to be the quickest and easiest reno tip I've ever seen. Just take the jazzed-up book jackets off of your favourite books and you'll discover that the book underneath often looks cleaner and more sophisticated. 

black snow

Today I will finally hold the printed version of Black Snow in my hands. My brilliant friend Jon Tattrie has just published his first novel and I couldn't be more proud. I was lucky enough to have a few reads of the book during the draft stages, but I can't wait to be re-introduced to the characters as I flip through the final, bound copy.

Black Snow is a love story set during the Halifax explosion. The 1917 disaster was the largest man-made blast the world had ever known. The first time I read it, I couldn't put it down. I hope you love the characters as much as I do. 

For more info on how you can get your own copy, click here.