Lovely Little Shelf

Friday Five (21)

January 27, 2012 – 10:32 am

1. My parents’ visit last weekend was really fun. They brought along my little brother and his son, so it was so, so fun watching the boys hang out. Cousins are so fun. This weekend we are having visitors again- our closest friend growing up and his girlfriend are coming up for a few days. There is really not much as great as old friends, especially old friends you haven’t seen in awhile. They’re getting here tonight and I’m counting the hours!

2. January is weird. I was getting discouraged because I haven’t been getting as much reading in as I usually do and just seem like I’m plodding through books. I have been keeping a spreadsheet of my books read since 2009, so I looked back and realized that January is always my worst month as far as book reading goes. This seems counterintuitive to me- I would guess that it’s cold and gross out and there’s nothing else to do, so I would read more… right? Nope. I don’t know what it is, maybe just plain old busy-ness, but I think I’ve read less than 10 books this month. Crazy. The good thing is that several of those (including the book I’m currently reading) are great books. At least I’m not picking duds!

3. Shaun got a new job that he starts next week! The effects on me are minimal really, but I’m still really excited for him! He’ll be doing something very, very similar just in a younger company that is kind of more in line with what he wants to do long term. Pretty fun stuff!

4. How does YouTube choose what will be the picture that “stays” at the front of a video? Why do I look so stupid in that picture down there? Is there a way for me to look less stupid? It bothers me.

5. I’m considering a major overhaul of my bookshelves. I have talked about this one other time, but lately I’ve become a little bit obsessed with changing them. I know it will be a giant pain in the butt but ever since I added the fourth shelf, I feel like you really have to stand far back to get the “effect” of the color-coded-ness, and our apartment is too small to stand very far back. I think that horizontal stripes will be more obvious. My fear was that it would be really hard to add books because my space is limited anyway, but probably in the next month or so I’ll be needed to add another shelf so there will be space at each end, making adding books easy. I’ve almost talked myself into it like three times this week. With the slightest nudge, I’ll probably start pulling books off of the shelves. Please nudge me.

By Jacki | Posted in default | Comments (2)

Bookish Thoughts: In Vlog Form

January 25, 2012 – 1:23 pm

For your enjoyment, I have answered some book-realated question for a little vlog thingy!

I even washed my hair… and got dressed. Before noon. Guys, this is big news.

(If one wasn’t enough, here is Julie’s from Book Hooked!)

By Jacki | Posted in Thoughts | Comments (6)

Bookish Thoughts: Raising a Reader

January 24, 2012 – 8:06 pm

I am kind of playing this parenting thing mostly by ear. I, for the most part, have no idea what I’m doing and just respond to Izey and hang out with him and love him.

There is one thing though that I’m pretty purposeful about and that is making sure that he has a love for books. I, as you guys know, love books, and I attribute that in part to the fact that my mom read to me every single day of my childhood. We had a bazillion books and even though she was a busy, working, single mom she was never too busy to sit down and read a book with us. I have a lot of fond memories of snuggling in beside her in bed while she read to me.

Here she is reading to Izey during her last trip up here. So frigging sweet.
momandize

I started reading to Izey the very day he was born and in my memory I haven’t skipped a day. In the beginning it was always initiated by me, but now that Izey is older, he brings me books to read about every five minutes. Sometimes I don’t feel like reading, but I do it anyway. I stop cleaning, blogging, whatever, and plop right down with him and read about the Hungry Caterpillar one more time.

In order to foster his (still young) love of reading, we have baskets of books in every room of the house and a bookshelf of books in his room. When he lays down for his nap, I put a pile of books at the foot of his bed so when he wakes up he can read for a little bit on his own before he hollers for me. Sometimes he is in there for an hour, awake and content to just have 5 or 6 fun books to read.

Another thing that I’ve been purposeful about is letting him touch/explore books that seem “too big” for him- paper picture books from the time he was 4 or 5 months old and I don’t scold him for pulling my books down and flipping through them. I don’t want him to be afraid to look at something that is “too advanced” so I’ve started young letting him think that any reading material is good for him. We started telling him young to “be gentle, it’s a book!” and so far he has not tore up one single book from my shelves and has only tore up one of his.

When he is playing happily and independently or when he is reading on his own, I often pull out the book I’m reading and let him see me reading for enjoyment. Once again, this is just how I was raised. My mom is a big reader and I grew up seeing her plow through books. Even now we are always swapping books and talking about what we are currently reading. Kids love imitating their parents and I think that him seeing me read could only be beneficial.

I’m not saying that I have it all together, I really don’t. I’ve only been doing this thing for about 18 months and I’ve screwed up a lot and will screw up way more as the months fly by… I guess I’m just sharing the little things that I’ve done in these months to try to give Izey the best chance I can to be an enthusiastic reader.

What are you doing to help your kids find a love of reading? What have you found that works/doesn’t work? Does your kid love to sit in a pile of books and flip through them one by one?

By Jacki | Posted in Thoughts | Comments (9)

Review: Three Cups of Deceit

January 22, 2012 – 10:20 am

threecupsdeceit

The Book: Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way, by John Krakauer

The Story: I don’t know how many of you have read Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson, but I remember for a hot minute that book was EVERYWHERE. When I read it, I wrote this review on Goodreads (oh days before my little blog!). Pretty much I was very unimpressed with the writing but did think that Greg’s story was phenomenal and inspirational.

Apparently, so did John Krakauer. Because he is an avid climber (according to Mortenson, he got lost after climbing down a mountain, ended up in his sherpa’s village and then committed to building a school for them), the story really touched home with him. He poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the organization that Greg Mortenson had started and even spoken at events to introduce the guy. They had never been friends really, but Krakauer did think that they had similar passions and wanted to get behind what Greg was doing.

After years of this, John met someone who he thought was a mutual friend of he and Greg. Greg’s name came up and the friend confided in John that he knew stuff about Greg’s organization that made him very, very uncomfortable. Because he had given/was giving so much money (and had had little suspicions of his own), John was instantly intrigued. He is an investigative importer- it’s what he does- so that kicked in and he started investigating and was really ticked at what he found.

Pretty much, Greg had fabricated a huge percentage of his story, and more upsetting- he was taking money that people were donating and using it just for himself. The board of his charity-organization was quitting left and right because Greg wouldn’t answer calls or be in anyway accountable to the money he was spending. Again, when John Krakauer contacted him to let him know that he was going public with this information, he refused to comment and pretty much acted like a jerk about the whole thing- to a guy who had bankrolled him in a big way- so Krakauer went ahead with the piece and this little 80-something page book is the result.

What I Thought: Like I said, I didn’t love or hate Three Cups of Tea. I thought what Greg was doing was cool but thought that the book itself was kind of dumb. When I heard about this book, I kind of rolled my eyes. I thought that the “big deal” was that Mortenson had kind of flubbed the order of stuff or whatever. I was totally willing to be forgiving because who on earth can remember the exact order of everything? Had that been the case, I would have said that he just had a bad memory. No. That’s not the case at all.

The money thing is SO CRAZY. Dude just makes money off of donations- people that go to his signings/talks, kids in schools where he presents his “Pennies for Peace” deal, and big time philanthropists. The money is SUPPOSED to go to building these schools in Afghanistan. There is no sign that that is happening. John Krakauer even went over to check out some of the “schools” that had been built and they were just standing empty- there was no research done into where to build them so the few that are standing are totally unused because they are not in areas with children. What?! Who does that?

I could go on and on about all these little facts that made me want to punch Greg Mortenson. This is just a short little book- more like a long article- and as I read it, I could feel my mouth dropping further and further open. It is absolutely shocking what a total arrogant crook this dude is. I walked away from Greg Mortenson’s book feeling a big inspired. I walked away from this one feeling almost sick to my stomach. I would love to know what has happened with Greg Mortenson and his organization since this was printed- if people that backed him pulled their funds and if Greg Mortenson is continuing to speak at schools. I hope that all of it is getting pulled out from under his feet because he absolutely deserves it.

Conclusion: If you read Three Cups of Tea, I really, highly recommend you read this.

By Jacki | Posted in Review | Tagged , | Comments (4)

Presidential Challenge: Millard Fillmore

January 21, 2012 – 11:22 am

millardfillmore
Millard Fillmore, by Paul Finkelman

So I told you guys last month that Zachary Taylor was actually pretty sweet for how unknown he is and the length of his presidency (only about 18 months). The biography that I read talked about how had he lived, the civil war may had been totally avoided. The weird part? His vice president, Millard Fillmore, was his polar opposite. They didn’t meet each other until inauguration and even then never became close. After Zachary Taylor died, Millard Fillmore immediately (like within days) fired his whole cabinet without having replacements and just… did his own thing entirely.

Dude hated blacks, Jews, Catholics, Masons… and made laws/decisions based on all of this. It was kind of a wreck. Any advancement toward a compromise that Zachary Taylor had made, Millard Fillmore set back years and years. Totally wild. I know that Pierce and Buchanan are often sited more for escalating things leading up to the civil war, but I think that there is a strong, strong argument for Millard Fillmore getting that ball rolling, especially when he approved the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. I shudder just thinking about it.

So that’s that. He finished up Zachary Taylor’s term then ran a couple more times unsuccessfully then pretty much faded into obscurity.

I really did like learning a little bit about Millard Fillmore, only because I knew literally NOTHING about him before…. but, guys? Not the best biography. There were a lot of actual writing problems (sentence structure, SERIOUS repetition of whole phrases), but the real issue was that this guy, Paul Finkelman, straight up hated Millard Fillmore. He did not say one single positive, nice thing about him. Ever. He talked VERY little about his regular life (as in… I had to look on Wikipedia to find out that he had two children) and nothing about decisions that he made as president that did actually have positive results. The only thing he talked about was the slavery issues. Doing a bit of research myself online after finishing the book, I realized that there were a few other things that he had his hand in that turned out well in the end. After reading a biography, I probably shouldn’t have to Google/Wikipedia the subject, right? Right.

The thing is, I knew when I bought this book that it had low reviews. There are only a handful (like 3 or 4) biographies on Millard Fillmore- he’s one of those overlooked guys- and some had higher ratings, but they all cost OVER THRITY DOLLARS. Was I about to shell that out on an unknown? Never. This one was cheaper (but still like sixteen bucks!) so I went with that one. So. This isn’t a glowing review, but for like half the price, I honestly was pretty happy with what I ended up with.

If you want more info on the Presidential Challenge, read this and check out the current participants. If you want to join, email me or comment here and get started!

By Jacki | Posted in Review, presidential challenge | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Friday Five (20)

January 20, 2012 – 1:55 pm

1. The creepy thing about snow? I just looked out in the backyard and there are clear footprints that just march straight across the backyard. I know that they are not from anyone in my family or my neighbor (he’s super old and no way could he walk in snow) so it creeps me out a little bit to know that someone was tromping through the back yard…

2. We’re kind of having sick/tired/whiney day here today. Bleh. Longest frigging week ever and I’m so, so glad that it’s almost over. AND as and added bonus, my parents are coming to visit this weekend! I know what you’re thinking- and you’re right. My mom was just here last week, but my step-dad couldn’t make it then and they have some Christmas presents we couldn’t fit in our car that they’re delivering and… wait? Why am I making excuses? Having my parents visit is awesome and I’m way excited.

3. I have been having serious problems sleeping. I fall asleep fine, but probably 4 nights a week, I wake up in the middle of the night and am awake for HOURS. It is making me permanently exhausted. You should see the bags under my eyes. It’s unreal. Add that to the great zits perched on my cheek and the fact that I’m getting chubby from being pregnant but not looking seriously pregnant yet… it’s bad news, folks. Bad news. The sleep, the look, the whole deal.

4. Oh! Incredibly amazing news! I got a new phone! I have been using this old, busted, second hand phone for so long that I forgot how awesome having a new phone is!! I got the brand spanking new iPhone 4S and I’m totally obsessed. It just… works. When I push buttons, things happen. This was not true with my previous phone, so it is quite the treat. Also, I’m addicted to the game Temple Run. It’s so stupid but I’m in love.

5. I started my newest Presidential Challenge book today! Millard Fillmore, I’m going to know everything about you.

By Jacki | Posted in default | Comments (1)

This is true, you know…

January 18, 2012 – 11:40 am

…at everything…

By Jacki | Posted in Thoughts | Comments (1)

Review: The Fault in Our Stars

January 16, 2012 – 8:51 pm

tfios

The Book: The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

The Story: Hazel is a 16 year old girl that was diagnosed with terminal thyroid cancer two years ago. Because of some experimental drugs, she is still alive and still hanging on. She isn’t in school and most of her friends have ditched her, but she goes to support group and hangs out with her family and watches a lot of America’s Next Top Model. She’s stuck to an oxygen tank, but still chugging along with this kind of cancer-normal life.

One week, at support group she meets Augustus Waters. He has his physical faults- such as, you know, only having one leg- but mostly he is beautiful and smart and funny and… well, totally into Hazel.

What starts as just one little conversation turns into months of talking and sharing books and becoming totally wrapped up in each others lives and families and dreams. Finally being drawn out of her hermit-like life and being forced to deal with real issues that she’s been able to put at bay all this time lead her to ask serious questions about love, living, dying and what a real “legacy” looks like.

What I Thought: Ok, guys. This is going to be gushy and unbiased and one sided and totally honest.

Totally honestly? This is probably one of the best books that I’ve read in years. It’s amazing. AMAZING.

Here’s the thing: writing about kids with cancer is nothing new (Hello, Lurlene Daniels!). I went into this thinking that I knew exactly how it was going to play out… but I was wrong…. because while books about kids with cancer are about a dime a dozen, books written honestly are not.

Hazel and Augustus are not cardboard cut-outs of cancer patients (”I will inspire everyone to lead a better life! I will sew blankets for orphans!” and so on and so forth), nor are they cardboard cut outs of teenagers (”Oh my god, I totally have cancer which means I can’t shop! Woe is me!” and so on and so forth)… they are real, true blue, intelligent, feeling humans who are dealing with serious issues. I love that they maintain their sense of humor, their snark, their personalities but still manage to grapple with life-and-death questions. It is the most honest thing I’ve ever read.

And maybe even this (honest, teenage cancer patients) has been done before, I don’t know… what really set this book apart was the writing. Guys, I’m not kidding you, John Green can write like no one else out there right now. It’s not just words on paper- it is poetry, it is art, it is…. stunning. I read the whole book in about two giant chomps- I laughed, I cried, I turned the pages as fast as I could- and still have the book sitting here for a re-read. There were so many quotable, highlightable parts that I just couldn’t slow down to highlight. I can’t explain it because I don’t know how, but his way with words is amazing and perfect and swoonworthy.

I had to wait before I wrote a review because when I finished this book, I was totally smashed, slaughtered, gutted…. by the storyline and by the fact that I had just read something so amazing. I wanted to let it marinate so that I could attempt to write a balanced review. Guys, I can’t do it. It is nearly a week later and I can’t think of even the smallest fault in the book. It’s that good.

Conclusion: *sigh* Read this. Then buy it for your friends. Then re-read it. And then read it again. Seriously.

By Jacki | Posted in Review | Tagged , | Comments (6)

Bookish Thoughts: Bold Shelves

January 15, 2012 – 8:50 am

I really like black bookshelves. I think that they make the colors in books “pop” and that they just look clean and nice.

I saw these recently, though, and LOVED them. I love that they have a white back and black shelves:

Awesome, right? Not to mention the purple chaise. I die.

Anyway, it got me thinking about bold colored shelves, so I, of course, consulted Pinterest.
Ohhh the treasures I found.

My little head is all full of ideas now…

By Jacki | Posted in Thoughts | Comments (5)

Review: The Omnivore’s Dilemma

January 14, 2012 – 9:31 am

omnivore

The Book: The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan

The Story: Michael Pollan had been curious about where his food comes from for a long time. It’s just something that we, as Americans (or people living in a first world country) take for granted every single day, but it was something that Pollan had really put thought into. He decided to figure it out.

His goal was to follow industrialized food, “organic” food, and food that had been hunted/gathered. He wanted to start from the bottom and just watch the items in the meal until they made it to his plate.

While he ran into a lot of obstacles (harvesting yeast is hard, but not as hard as obtaining fresh salt or, well, seeing ANYTHING that the industrialized food factories do), he basically did what he set out to do and the result was this book!

What I Thought: The “where does my food come from” thing is something that is really fixed in my head. I grew up in a farming community and my mom was (and still is) very, very loyal to local farmers. We grew up talking about this type of thing and understanding the importance not only to our health, but to the environment and our community that we live this way. As I grew up and moved out, this became more difficult for me. Not only did I not have the money to spend on anything other than, well, boxed mac and cheese, but I went to college in a big city where it truly is harder to buy local. When I got married and moved to Akron, we became part of a CSA and regulars at the local farmer’s markets. All that to say, I went into this book already knowing what I was going to take out of it… or so I thought.

Even I, who grew up under the parentage of a total hippie, had no idea how brutal and disgusting the industrialized food situation is. The way they treat animals makes me sick to my stomach- and I happily eat meat. Bleh. I’m not going to gross you out here, but it’s bad, bad news. Seriously.

I think, though, that Michael Pollan did manage to come at this as unbiased as he could. He admitted that he (like pretty much everyone) enjoys a trip to a fast food restaurant every once in a while. He said that it is us, hungry, feeding machines of Americans that allow for this to go on. If we didn’t buy food packed with HFCS, if we refused to eat meat from cows given antibiotics or fed corn, there would be no reason for this huge industry to exist. That is 100% true.

I also really enjoyed the history of the organic food blow-up. That was an area where I really knew nothing and I thought it was interesting how it went from a small movement to this huge money maker and how some farmers have “sold out” and some have stayed really true to that original mission. Good stuff.

One thing, however… if you’ve already seen Food, Inc. and that was enough for you, you could probably easily skip this. While it did go much more in depth, it had a lot of the same key players (that awesome/awkward farmer from Virginia) and covered much of the same ground.

Conclusion: If you care about the food going into your body, I would say that this is a must-read. If not, McDonald’s on happily. You won’t be able to once you read this ;)

By Jacki | Posted in Review | Tagged , | Comments (4)