We Heart Patient Readers

"Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul." ~Joyce Carol Oates

I’m on the East Coast and it’s almost dar las doce time. Which means I’m officially tired. I know Rae is plum tuckered out too these days. What’s a blogger to do? We’re sorry for fading on all of you. But we plan to make it up to our patient readers. George R.R. Martin, fantasy writer, said “A reader lives one thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” George has got that right. Please don’t mistake our recent silence for living just one life.

Lest you think we’ve forgotten you, know this—I’m currently living the life of 104-year-old woman. Ona Vitkus is spunky and memorable.  The One-in-a-Million Boy is quite a delight so far.  We’ll report on Monica Wood’s best seller next week. Experiencing life as a bartender has been one fine ride. I’m finishing up one of Rae’s favs by Ivan Doig: The Bartender’s Tale.  What a listen! Can’t wait to write about Doig who personifies the great American storyteller. And my boys were having trouble with a read we chose, so we put it down. (Hate to do that.) To reignite our night-time ritual, we turned to Roald Dahl. He never disappoints. A trio of book reviews coming your way very soon. In the meantime, we’re hopin’ you’re living several lives too.

Posted by Tracy

Let's Change The World

"...the people who seem closest to God are often not dressed up and sitting in pews, but dressed down and sitting in folding chairs in recovery meetings."

I've been sick. Again. Winter 2017 will not go down as a favorite of mine. Considering we hit 87 degrees here today, I think it's safe to say the season is officially in my rear view. Hallelujah. I'll wait a good week or two before I start complaining about the heat. You're welcome.

Now with a head clear of cold meds and a belly fulla Tray's Mississippi Mud Pie, it's time I posted that promised review of February's book club pick: Love Warrior. This book left me with conflicted emotions—more on that later. Here's what I loved: her brutal and honest critique of our society's skewed and dangerous definition of beauty, especially when it comes to weight. The damage it inflicts on young girls and women of every age is staggering; her story of becoming a bulimic at age 10 personalizes the alarming statistics. A movement is afoot to drain the media of it's powerful hold over our girls of every age and I'm all in. It's time girls grow up confidently chasing their dreams instead of chasing after media-imposed ideals that are nothing more than myths. Read the article Starving and Stifled: Women are Counting Calories instead of Changing the World and you'll be all in too.

Glennon's story drew me right in, making me feel as though I was along for every bit of her beautiful, heart-wrenching ride. At times it felt like I was intruding on a life—she shared so much. I fell in love with her little family and therein lies my conflict: I wanted the happy ending, the one I got in the book. But this is real life, not fiction, and the end isn't really the end. Life goes on, their marriage falls apart just as the book is being published, and I feel robbed of my happy ending. And then I'm reminded it's their story and their idea of a happy ending doesn't have to look like mine.

Posted by Rachel

We Like Pie, You Like Pie Too?

“Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.” —Jane Austen

Time to quote the 44th President of the United States: “I like pie. You like pie too?” It’s Pi Day. Mathematicians are celebrating the constant pi—me and Rae, well we’re with Barak on this one—we’re honoring the scrumptious stuff. The only thing better than warm pie a la mode is having a good read to savor alongside it. Like Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. If we haven’t suggested The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society before now, we apologize for being flaky.  Here’s one other that looks tempting to read sooner than later: Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick. Written for middle-schoolers, it earned the elusive 5 full stars from Amazon. One Kirkus reviewer said “the reader falls in love with the brothers, laughing and crying by turns and rooting for both of them until it almost hurts.”  Count me in.  

Should you find yourselves in need of a delicious pie recipe on the day we commemorate the concept of pi (or pie depending on your priorities), here’s a matchless Mississippi Mud Pie recipe.  Be warned—it’s rich!

Mississippi Mud Pie

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup butter
3 large eggs
1 cup & 2 Tbsp. sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
Pie shell of your own making or Marie Calendar’s shell if you have to purchase one

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees please
Melt chocolates with butter until smooth; set aside to cool slightly.
In bowl, whisk these ingredients together: eggs, sugar, corn syrup & vanilla
Whisk in the chocolate and pour into crust.
Bake in lower third part of the oven for 40-45 minutes or until filling puffs up and top is deeply cracked & slightly crisp.
Set pie on wire rack to cool.
Pie will sink, crack & get firm during cooling process.

If you want to go all out, top with fresh homemade whipped cream.

Posted by Tracy

Man Crush Monday

Beware the hot guy?  Did that come out of Rachel’s mouth? Bite that pretty little tongue Rae and I’ll do your grocery shopping. I’ll even draft up a thank you note or two. My overworked friend has me thinking about the most attractive male characters in literature. Don’t scoff. If you’re being honest, you’re probably drawn to them too. Hot doesn’t always mean brawny with tousled hair and a mega-watt smile. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)  It can mean so much more. If you’re in the mood for a sexy, unforgettable male character in your life, maybe you should consider a few of these reads:   

Mr. Darcy

How could he not top the list?  Mr. Darcy is good looking, generous, rich, and real. He uses sound judgement too. Not to mention, he views Elizabeth as an equal in their relationship.  Maybe one of his most attractive qualities is that once he makes up his mind about a relationship, he’s all in.  Does that define a romantic hero? Even though love is messy, Mr. Darcy is up to the task.  It doesn’t hurt that my visual of Mr. Darcy comes in the form of Colin Firth. 

Read more about The Darcy Effect here. But then you’ll want to promptly re-read Pride and Prejudice.

Raylan Givens

Raylan is my latest literary crush. Elmore Leonard crafted one helluva man in his novella Fire in the Hole. Raylan is a gritty character, but he’s equally charming. He is a U.S. Marshall in a Kentucky coal mining town, which means rednecks, shotguns, and tough talk are abundant.  What makes Raylan a hot guy in the truest sense of the word? Because he believes a promise is binding and honor is everything. Raylan’s foil, Boyd Crowter, is an exceptional male character too—just on the other side of the law.  But like they say, there is honor among thieves.  You can watch Raylan and Boyd in an awesome TV series called Justified—one of my all-time favorites—although not made for the faint of heart.

Atticus Finch

Yes, it’s easy to swoon over Gregory Peck, but even more sexy is a lawyer with impeccable morals. His progressive politics and clean discernment make him a stand-apart male character.  I can’t recall him ever having to re-think his position on an important issue. I crave that kind of wisdom.  The thing that makes Atticus more attractive than so many other men is his unique parenting style that is not unlike my own father’s: he treats his children as adults.  He does not shrink from answering Scout’s (and Jem’s) questions—he uses those opportunities to pass along his impressive values to the people he loves most.  It doesn’t get hotter than that. 

Posted by Tracy

Beware the Hot Guy

“Women are never tired of bewailing man’s fickleness in love, but they only seem to snub his constancy.” 

Alrighty, folks. I've got bills to pay, grocery shopping to do, and thank you notes to write before my tired head hits the pillow, but I promised two long-overdue book club reviews this week so hell and high water will just have to wait. I've got promises to keep.

In the interest of time, allow me to sum up Far from the Madding Crowd in a few sentences: Beware the smooth-talkin, super hot guy who seems too good to be true. He always is. Best to avoid brooding and boring too, there's bound to be some crazy pent up in there. Stick with steady, kind, and humble; that's your ticket to happily ever after.

Good ol' Thomas. He must've been passed over one too many times for the sleek sweet-talking type and this novel was his sweet revenge. If it weren't for his sweeping generalizations about women, I'd really feel for him. Weaker sex comments aside, I quite liked this book. Drama, humor, a juicy love triangle and cute sheep—this book has it all. With far less gloom than Tess of the D'Ubervilles. Who knew there was a Hardy with a happy ending? 

*If you read this with us in January, or February, or whenever, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

Posted by Rachel

March Book Club Selection

"The story of your life never starts at the beginning. Don't they teach you anything in school?"

You may think us nervy posting a new book club selection considering we still haven't reviewed January and February's picks. We're not nervy, just tired. And for those of you who are new here—time-challenged. Let it be noted that I did manage to read Far From the Madding Crowd in January and finished Love Warrior before the stroke of midnight February 28th. Those are some big ol' baby steps out of me. Reviews of both coming next week. 

We've heard nothin' but love for The One-in-a-Million Boy from sources we trust. Even better—Tray is 80 pages in and already smitten. This feels like a good one, folks. So on this day we celebrate Dr. Seuss and Reading Across America, let's all revel in the anticipation of a great read. 

Posted by Rachel

Why the World Wags and What Wags It

“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing."

“Giving books that lift always feels right.” I’m quoting Rae right there—as per usual, she’s spot on. A friend of mine that I work with just lost her mom unexpectedly. She was only 74. I’ve been racking my tired brain to figure out what I can do for her while her heart is breaking. I should probably knock on her door with a bucket and a mop in hand.  (A clean floor can make up for a lot that’s gone wrong, for me anyway.) Flowers before spring blooms can feel refreshing too. Of course, I’m always inclined to give a fitting book because there’s so much solace in them. Besides they have longevity.  And they lift.  

In trying to decide which book is the right one for my friend, I riffled through several in my head that have the power to assuage a bit of pain via perspective. My Grandfather’s Blessings, The Last Lecture, As I Lay Dying, Tuesdays with Morrie, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, The Year of Magical Thinking, and When Breath Becomes Air all come to mind; however, A Grief Observed may be at the top of my list.  C.S. Lewis, another imaginary best friend, possesses a rare and beautiful wisdom. The honest and raw admission of a stalwart believer’s faith put to the test will resonate with a soul occupied by grief.  How Lewis gradually regains his footing will offer comfort and hope to the anguished reader. 

In the accompanying note I write, I’ll draw yet again from The Once and Future King. The advice Merlyn gives to young King Arthur is invaluable: “The best thing for being sad is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder in your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewer of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then—to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it.” And who better to learn from than C.S. Lewis? 

Posted by Tracy

And The Winner Is...

“There are more important things in life than winning or losing a game.” —Lionel Messi

You are so right Messi.  And books likely qualify as “more important things.” Rachel and I aren’t mathletes.  Let’s be honest, my 12-year-old can run arithmetic circles around me—so we enlisted a numbers wizard to help us tally and we’ve found our winner!  Of course, you’re all winners, but we mean the winner.  And the Grammy goes to Matt Dimick.  (We think Matt is one lucky guy.)

If you didn’t win this time, don’t fret. Rachel and I agreed we should do this sort of thing more often.  It may not be a pick six (man, I miss football), but we guarantee our giveaways will consist of awesome pages—the kind that stay with you. In fact, if the book that arrived from Amazon yesterday is half as good as I suspect it is, I’ll immediately buy a copy for one of you guys. How about that?  Thanks for being part of this. We love talented readers almost as much as we love genius writers!

Posted by Tracy