Wow

I have kinda slacked in the reading/reviews department.  This saddens me on a few levels, mainly because I do really miss reading.  I love reading, but so many things have come up in life this year that really has made it hard to actually read.  The biggest one was we moved.  Instead of living in Las Vegas, Matt got a job offer in Seattle, so we moved to Washington.  Moving is stressful, crazy and very exciting.  But it did make it to where I just didn't pick up a book.  I guess maybe my life was that exciting that I didn't want to get lost in someone else's.

Now that things are calming down a bit, I am really looking forward to reading again.  My night stand is looking forward to being more than just something covered in dust.  Next years goal will not be as crazy as it was in 2010.  It won't be as low as this year's though.  I have some thinking to do, some planning to and some revamping up my sleeve.

So I hope that those few followers I had will stick with me.  Things will come around.  In the mean time, please check out my other blog that I actually have been updating and find me on facebook too!

Sowdering About in Seattle

Bossypants

Bossypants
By Tina Fey

277 pages (kindle)

Grade B+

There are two things I knew about Tina Fey before reading this book.  One, she was on SNL and two, she does an incredible impersonation of Sarah Palin.  That was IT!  However, after reading her book, Matt and I went on to watch all the episodes of 30 Rock and every Tina Fey movie we can find on Netflix.  We now love her.

I think she is terribly funny and Matt things she is incredibly beautiful.  He also thinks she is funny and I also think she is pretty but that is besides the point.

I really liked reading about how she started her acting carrer and how she really worked for it.  And I really admire her success.  She has done great with all she has done.  Her book is funny and quirky and even though I think this is one of those books that needs to be "read" on audio, I was still able to capture her voice in my head while I read it on my kindle.  What is great about this book, is that I consider stars to be superheros, or super humans, above criticism, critique and judgements.  I mean, they can't be 'real' humans, they are only on TV.  But after reading her book, you get to know that she is just as self conscience as I am, just as awkward.  And it's comforting to know that she is, after all, just human.

I would recommend this book to anyone that wondered if it was worth reading.  It is.  And it's quick too, I finished it in just a couple days.

So I will leave you with this quote from her book has been floating around pinterest for a while now and every time I see it, I read it and still smile.  It's my favorite part of her book.  It's a prayer to her daughter:

“First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,”she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.”

-Tina Fey 

Reel Life

Reel Life Starring Us
By Lisa Greenwald

304 pages (Kindle read)

Grade C

I got this book as an advanced reader copy, and actually had it read before it was released which has never happened to me before.  Then I attempted to get my review done and posted before it was released, and failed.  Miserably since it's been on shelves for like 6 months.

Anyway, it was a cute book.  I enjoyed it and it was a feel good type of book.  My only issue with it was that it was a little too young for me.  Now I love me some young adult, but this was like more like pre-teen.  I don't necessarily like the super younger novels.   However, I didn't feel like I wasted time on it so that was good.

I liked in this book how the main character Dina really stuck to her roots and did things the way she liked to do them without really taking much outside influence.  I guess as a mom that is all I can hope for in my own daughter, that she remain confident in herself so that she doesn't follow or fall into the wrong group of kids.

So, coming from a mom standpoint, I would let my kid read this book.  So moms, let your girls go for it.  It isn't life changing, but it's appropriate for the age group that it is geared for, and that is all we can hope for really right?

Reading

Reading has been terribly difficult with two children, one that is attached to my boob 89% of the time and the other that takes to sight of a book in my hand as a form of danger that she must protect me from.

However, I have found more time to read now than I did when I only had one kid. I make sure I make the time. It means that I get an hour less sleep at night than I actually could, but for me it's worth it.

I am now three months into the year and have finished a book on audio and will hopefully also finish a book in print soon. Baby steps, but it feels great to be reading again.

Two Kisses for Maddy

Two Kisses for Maddy
My Matthew Logelin

272 pages (read in print)

Grade A+

Imagine marrying your best friend.  You then decide to have a kid.  During your pregnancy you have to be put on hospital bed rest because of complications.  One day, the doctors tell you that you have to deliver early and they take the baby by c-section.  Then, before you are able to have a proper first meeting with your child because she is in the NICU, you get up out of bed, a blood clot moves into your lungs and you die leaving behind your daughter and your husband.

This is Matthew Logelin's personal hell.

I first found Matthew's blog (http://www.mattlogelin.com/) around the time that I had Lucy.  I couldn't get through many of his posts without sobbing like a crazy person.  And not just a tear here and there, I am talking full out SOBBING.  I had times that I would visit his blog, but they always left me in tears.  His daughter is the same age as Lucy.  His wife had an emergency c-section.  And where I lived, she died.  It was hard to think that this could have been me.  But his blog was terribly beautiful and I liked watching Maddy grow in pictures.

When I heard that he was writing a book, I waited.  I waited and waited, and when it was done, I pre-ordered.  I got the book right when I found out I was pregnant with Dexter, and I read it in two days.  And again, I SOBBED.  His writing is so raw, so honest, so perfect.  When I finished the book, I felt like we were old friends and I wanted to bring him a casserole of food because that is what you do when someone dies right?  I then tried to read parts to Matt, and couldn't get through my sobs to get them out right.  I was so happy he wrote his story, but I was so depressed about reading it.  But I am glad I did.

I would read this book again in a heart beat.  I am hoping one day I can get him to sign it.  I also would recommend this book to anyone I know, but please, don't read it while pregnant.  Matthew is a great author and a great photographer so check out his website too and look at his beautiful little girl.  And if you do take me up on my recommendation, make sure you have a box of tissue handy.  And not a small box either.

Today...

I picked up a book and read 2 pages.

Baby steps.

Welcome 2012

I have spent the last couple of weeks deciding what I want to do here on this blog.  It is evident that I am slacking hard core, and I haven't picked up a book to actually read it and not move it out of my way in months.  However, I miss reading.  And I still follow about 30 people's book blogs, and although I am not commenting on them, I am still reading them and following what is awesome in the book world.

I miss reading, and I am changing my book goals.  In 2010, my goal was 100 books, but I ended up reading 117.  In 2011, my goal was 111 but I read less than 30.  A big part of this was my changing careers to from a desk job to a stay at home mommy.  I no longer listen to audio books, although I severely miss them, and I don't get a lot of time during the day to pick up a book, because it seems my little Lucy has a book tracker and if I do, she hops in my lap and wants to do something else, regardless of what she was in the middle of five minutes ago.

Also, being pregnant with a toddler has been a little more challenging than I thought it would be.  As easy going as this pregnancy has been, as in, I haven't suffered any complications and he has been growing normally and every thing has been fine, it is severely exhausting being pregnant this time.

Enough excuses.  My goal this year on the book front is a simple, modest 30.  I would like to finish about 4ish books a month, which I don't think is asking a lot of myself.  I don't want to set myself up for failure, but I also don't want to give up on this blog, or my followers (if I still have any).

So, as it is January 1, 2012, I will start with the books I still have yet to finish, and then move on to the rest of my to be read pile.  This way, I also will not feel so bad that I keep buying books, or downloading free ones for my kindle.

So happy new year everyone, and happy reading!  I hope you won't give up on me  :)