My mostest favorite (um...not) neighborhood busybody and issue-of-the-moment crusader has taken up Breed Specific Legislation as her cause du jour. As we all know, I am a cat owner. As you may not know, I adore dogs. Rotties are among my favorites and I have met many Pits that are among the most beautiful and sensitive creatures I have encountered on this planet. My sister is a Chow girl and, lucky for her, a home owner in a state that bans Breed Specific Legislation (NJ).

Ironically, this neighborhood busybody does not live in my immediate neighborhood but she has managed to infiltrate all my neighborhood listservs so I am frequently subjected to her crusades against everything. I pick and choose my battles but seem to have kicked off a number of responses against her outcry today. Here is my response (which earned me a thank you for being rational from one neighbor so far) to her call for "outright ban that meets judicial muster" in response to a "Pit Bull mauling":

Breed Specific Legislation has been shown to be ineffective in dealing with issues regarding dog biting incidents. The Humane Society of the United States Statement on Dangerous Dogs and Breed Specific Legislation (http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/dangerous_dogs.html) sites good information on why this is the case. Additionally, many professionals that deal with dogs have position statements against Breed Specific Legislation. Irresponsible people that abuse animals need to be punished, not entire animal breeds.

Association of Pet Dog Trainers Position Statement- http://www.apdt.com/about/ps/breed_specific_legis.aspx

American Kennel Club Position Statements- http://www.akc.org/pdfs/canine_legislation/PBLEG2.pdf

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Position Statement- http://www.aspca.org/about-us/policy-positions/breed-specific-legislation.html

Several states, —including California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia—have laws barring municipalities and counties from targeting individual breeds.

I encourage all animal lovers to petition our city for smart legislation that holds dog owners liable for the actions of dangerous animals, has meaningful consequences for raising animals in abusive conditions, but does not target individual breeds based on stereotypes and media hype.

I have made it a policy not to login to LJ from the new job, but there is too much pissing me off today.

Despite the express wishes of the City Council, the Franklin School shelter may already be closed. This past weekend I was told that there was a DC "conspiracy theory" that starting in the 90s, the city would start doing what it could to move a majority of the poor and non-white people out of the city known as "The Plan". Actions like this and this don't make me wonder why people would believe that and make me wonder if it is documented anywhere I could get more info. I probably just have to find the right people to talk to but I am likely exactly not the type of person that information would be shared with.

McCain apparently didn't feel the need to go to the debate because someone on his staff is a clairvoyant and they already knew what the outcome was going to be.

We don't need abortion in this country, we just need more mandatory sterilization and reproduction conditions as terms of probation. But it isn't racist or classicist. I know because those smart white men that know better told me so. Meanwhile, more than one intelligent woman I know that doesn't want to reproduce for health or any number of reasons has been forced to grovel to health care providers for sterilization procedures and are continually denied and humiliated about their choices because how could they possibly know what they want. (If any of you are thinking of commenting, this post is not locked.)

And now we have the iGrope... when you care enough to practice your groping technique? Just WTF???

My day started off with a pissy neighbor from the listserv berating me for debunking her email to the list with snopes since she mindlessly forwarded non-sense to everyone. I nicely pointed out that it wasn't true and one item in the mail that might have been a tip off. She was then rude to me. Nice neighbor!

This day is just totally fired. Good chance you will find me in front of a big TV at 9 pm with a strong drink in a rowdy bar so I can work out this aggression by yelling at a larger than life image of McCain since he has decided to get out of the way of all the nothing he was doing (by the accounts I heard this morning that his economic adviser really didn't seem to be disputing).

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" - Attributed to Benjamin Franklin

Summarized from an article on The Curvature. All quoted portions are from their article. Please go there for further info and more links.

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) decided on new guidelines. They state "ethical practice requires doctors to refer patients to another doctor for any services (birth control, abortion, etc.) that they themselves will not perform due to conscientious objection." (I will leave out my little wtf rant that they need a guideline requiring a doctor to help their patients seek services they are legally able to receive in this country. Apparently my idea that a doctor should be helpful is warped.)

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt then asked they remove this section. "In other words, the Bush Administration sees no ethical obligation for doctors to refer their patients to medical services that they personally don’t like."

Based on this request, a conservative faction within ACOG has now successfully moved for a special meeting to reevaluate the guidelines.

So, not only is there a group of doctors that does not want to provide certain types of care for women that legally they have the right to obtain under the laws of this country, they want to be able to deny them any assistance they could provide on where they can obtain those services.

As noted, please see the link above for more info. The letter writing campaign info can be found here.

A Thousand Splendid Suns
Letourneau's Used Auto Parts
Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone
Wakefield
The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7)
A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
The Wasp Factory
Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey
Their Eyes Were Watching God
The Road
The Female of the Species: Tales of Mystery and Suspense
Zorro: A Novel
Casanova in Bohemia
Captain Alatriste
The Steep Approach to Garbadale
The Supernaturalist
Ines of My Soul
The Lost Colony: Artemis Fowl, Book 5
The Children of Men
The Scroll of Seduction
The Stolen Child

Book #23 for 2007
Book Title: A Thousand Splendid Suns
Author:Khaled Hosseini
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 384
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: A+
Why I read it:I have read other books by this author.

( Synopsis under cut... )

My Thoughts: Anyone that does not shed a tear in the first 50 pages of this book is at best heartless and worst soulless. I cried more than Steel Magnolias, Terms of Endearment, and Beaches combined. I have read a lot of fiction written by women from other countries about how women in other countries live but I don't think any of them have been quite as moving as this man's fictional account of the lives of women in Afghanistan. He does a lot of human rights work, so while it is fictional I can't imagine that it is highly exaggerated.

Book #22 for 2007
Book Title: Letourneau's Used Auto Parts
Author:Carolyn Chute
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 244
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: C
Why I read it:I have read other books by this author.

( Synopsis under cut, no personal review this time... )

Book #21 for 2007
Book Title: Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone
Author:Jenni Ferrari-Adler
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 288
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: B
Why I read it:It is about food, and I won a copy!

( Synopsis under cut, no personal review this time but I will probably do one later when I have the book in front of me again... )


Also Read this Year:
Wakefield
The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7)
A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
The Wasp Factory
Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey
Their Eyes Were Watching God
The Road
The Female of the Species: Tales of Mystery and Suspense
Zorro: A Novel
Casanova in Bohemia
Captain Alatriste
The Steep Approach to Garbadale
The Supernaturalist
Ines of My Soul
The Lost Colony: Artemis Fowl, Book 5
The Children of Men
The Scroll of Seduction
The The Stolen Child



Pages read to date: 7531

Found a dress I love. It looks great on me. It has a mesh overlay. Every single one they take the security tag out of has holes in it because they are too stupid to realize tags are too heavy for the mesh. I want to cry now. They went upstairs and got me a new one. I found the holes right away.

Book #20 for 2007
Book Title: Wakefield
Author:Andrei Codrescu
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 288
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: C
Why I read it:I have read other books by this author.

Synopsis (from Powell's): What is the connection between breast enlargement and building renovation, yoga retreats and gourmet restaurants, cell phones and globalization? Wakefield, both the title of Andrei Codrescu's tragi-comic novel and the name of its alienated hero, poses these and other compelling perplexities of the modern age.( Read more... )

Pages read to date: 6615

Until 5pm PT on Monday, 10/1, you can get $30 from Sixapart to donate to DonorsChoose.org. Click here...NOW!!!

Tofu Recall!! Quong Hop & Co. Recalls Tofu Because of Possible Health Risk

Interested in starting a garden at your neighborhood school? Do you
support gardening as a means to promote better nutrition, science
education and environmentalism in D.C. schools?

Mayor Adrian Fenty has declared Oct. 15 – 20 "School Garden
Week" as a way of energizing gardening activities among parents,
teachers and students citywide. This is a chance to get out and
support your local school garden. Among the planned events: a panel
discussion on how to start and maintain a school garden; a garden
volunteer work day (Friday October 19); a bus tour and a bicycle hop of successful D.C.
school gardens.

And if you have a camera, enter your child in this first-
ever "School Garden Photo Contest." There are prizes for students and
their teachers. Deadline for submission is Oct 1.
For more information on "School Garden Week" go to:
DC School Garden Week.

**If you are not familiar with the concepts behind integrating gardening into school curriculum, The Edible Schoolyard is an excellent website for one such successful project.

I will be out there on 10/19 so if anyone wants to join me, let me know.

Book #19 for 2007
Book Title: The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn
Author:Janis Hallowell
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 416
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: B
Why I read it:I found it on sale and it didn't sound bad.

Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble): Told from the viewpoints of four unforgettable characters, The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn is the story of an ordinary girl who is believed to be a modern-day Holy Virgin. ( Read more... )

Pages read to date: 6327

And I have heard morning edition all the way through and am on round 2... Copied from crossbonesdj:

Here is how it works. Copy this list. Leave in the bands you've seen perform live. Delete the ones you haven't and add new ones that you have seen until you reach 25. An asterisk means the previous person had it on their list. Two asterisks means the last two people who did this before you had that band on their list.

1. Siouxsie & the Banshees ***
2. Bauhaus***
3. Sisters of Mercy***
4. Peter Murphy ***
5. The Cure ***
6. Femi Kute
7. Rasputina ***
8. Tori Amos ***
9. Ani DiFranco
10. Faith and the Muse***
11. Christian Death (Roz)*
12. Lyle Lovett and his Large Band
13. Philip Glass
14. Blackilicious
15. Jack Wagner
16. Gwar
17. Psychedelic Furs
18. Twilight Singers
19. Ministry*
20. My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult*
21. Beastie Boys
22. Die Warzau
23. Rammstein
24. Sugarcubes
25. The Pixies*

Here are some interesting items:

Yesterday some blogs marked the first anniversary of the over-the-counter availability of Plan B but also highlighted that the fight still isn't over.

Here is an interview with Sara Laschever, one of the authors of Women Don't Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation—and Positive Strategies for Change. It is a book I know a few women on my friends list have read and one that is still sitting on my book shelf only partially read (bad me).

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment! It was signed into law on August 26, 1920. The day is recognized (by law since 1971) as Women's Equality Day.

Of Church and Steak: Farming for the Soul

The comment from Joel Salatin (I keep seeing his name pop up more and more) nearly made me nose water on my keyboard. And I had read about The Religious Working Group on the Farm Bill before. There is also a Catholic priest in Brazil that has been getting a bit outspoken lately on food and environmental issues lately... I will have to see if I can dig up some links.

I decided to make a poll based on an article cheetahmaster posted:

Poll #1043551 Yearly reading...
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

How many books do you typically read in a year?

How many books have you read so far this year?

I know where a couple people fall in there, but not everyone.

I ♥ Kinder Eggs. I fell in love with them when I lived in England. I was just alerted in the DC LJ community that they may actually be illegal in the US. I could not believe this... this had to be some stupid misunderstanding, right?

Wrong.

Americans have just proved they are the ultimate in teh dumbs.

We can't have candy that has a toy inside.

This is just beyond ridiculous. They have been illegal here since 1997. Because of stupid people who can't be trusted not to give children under 3 chocolate with potentially small plastic parts in it. !!!!! All the parts are contained in a plastic container... if you must have the toy and you have a child under 3, break the chocolate egg apart, give them that and take the damn toy away! But no... because people are potentially too dumb to do this, no one can legally purchase Kinder Eggs instead.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission- CPSC and Kreiner Imports Announce the Recall of Kinder Chocolate Eggs Containing Toys

Hazardous Egg Reappears on Store Shelves

This just makes me want to go on a street corner and scream. If you are too dumb not to feed your children plastic, don't have children! Stop ruining it for the rest of us!

Book #18 for 2007
Book Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7)
Author:J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 759
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: A
Why I read it:I read all the other ones.

Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble): Begun a decade ago and encompassing six shelf-bending novels, the seventh and concluding volume of the international literary phenomenon that is the Harry Potter saga comes to a bombshell-packed -- and oh so satisfying -- conclusion in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, arguably the most wildly anticipated release in modern publishing history.( Read more... )

Pages read to date: 5911

Book #17 for 2007
Book Title: A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal
Author:Anthony Bourdain
Genre: Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Travel
# of pages: 284
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: A
Why I read it:Curiosity. And I picked it up at the same time as the other one for about $5 each at Strand :-)

Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble): This time, the tables are turned on Anthony Bourdain. The gonzo chef who wrote what he calls "an overtestosteroned account" of his life in the restaurant business is no longer in control in the kitchen -- he's a guest at the table, hoping for a perfect meal.( Read more... )

Pages read to date: 5152

Book #16 for 2007
Book Title: Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
Author:Anthony Bourdain
Genre: Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Restaurants
# of pages: 307
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: A
Why I read it:Curiosity. I love cooking. I always think if I had all the money and time to do it I would like to have a restaurant.

Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble): When Chef Anthony Bourdain wrote "Don't Eat Before You Read This" in The New Yorker, he spared no one's appetite, revealing what goes on behind the kitchen door. In Kitchen Confidential, he expanded that appetizer into a deliciously funny, delectable shocking banquet that lays out his 25 years of sex, drugs, and haute cuisine.( Read more... )

Pages read to date: 4868

Book #15 for 2007
Book Title: The Wasp Factory
Author:Iain Banks
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 184
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: A+
Why I read it:After my last read, I had to go with something I knew would not let me down so I actually reread a book which I don't think I have ever done before.

Synopsis (from Wikipedia): Written from the first person perspective, it is a narrative told by seventeen-year-old Frank Cauldhame, describing his childhood and all that remains of it. Frank observes many religious rituals of his own invention. As the novel develops, his brother's escape from a mental hospital and impending return lead on to a violent ending and a twist that undermines all that Frank believed about himself.( Read more... )

Pages read to date: 4561

Book #14 for 2007
Book Title: Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey
Author:Chuck Palahniuk
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 336
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: C
Why I read it: I always read Chuck Palahniuk.

Synopsis (from Powells): Rant takes the form of a (fictional) oral history of Buster "Rant" Casey, in which an assortment of friends, enemies, admirers, detractors, and relations have their say on this evil character, who may or may not be the most efficient serial killer of our time.( Read more... )

Pages read to date: 4377

I was a bit bummed in January when I was not quick enough to snag a reservation (even with the extension) at Farrah Olivia. Vince and I are fans of Iron Chef America and became curious about Chef Morou when we saw him battle it out with frozen peas.

However, this time around I made my reservation the first day so we got an 8:15 reservation Saturday night.

The entire menu was available on the restaurant week plan, some items just required a supplemental charge. We both stuck with the standard menu. I added the wine pairings which gives you 3-4 ounces of wine per course.

First up was an amuse bouche, which I declined due to gelatin content. It was a watermelon panna cotta of some kind. Vince isn't a huge watermelon fan so I took a wee bite. I didn't like it either... the flavor was somehow odd. However, when the chef heard I declined his amuse, I was presented a small cup of the silky cream of corn soup (with Parmesan and swirl of tomatillo cream). It was delightful though I would say both presentations were slightly large for an amuse.

For the first course Vince had selected organic greens with crisp shallots and carrot vinaigrette. I had the heirloom tomato salad with artisan cheese, olive oil and a balsamic vinegar I believe (it is not on the website menu). The crisp shallots actually tasted like onion rings and made us wonder why you would do that to a shallot and not just use an onion. Other than that, not bad. As long as you have fresh tomatoes, I am happy :-)

Course two: Vince had- tandoori spiced salmon | fermented yuca couscous | black yogurt and I went with anise gnudi | morels | white asparagus | fresh peas | truffle oil. Mine was an easy choice as it was the only one. Sometimes I like that and sometimes I don't. The waiter started to explain gnudi to me but being the smarty pants that I am I had already looked it up... essentially it is similar to a gnocci but made with fresh ricotta. Bon Appetit describes it as a ravioli filling without the pasta wrapper. Vince liked the salmon and at first liked the couscous but then started to have an odd fascination with it bordering on dislike. It was crunchy. So we had a long conversation in the car later on various cooking techniques to create toasted couscous (my vote is for dry toasting in a pan like you would spices then cooking with less liquid than normal). He liked my meal more though. I have to say that the peas, while fresh, did not have the best flavor. It is just not their time of year. I think I would have tried to find something else green to use in the dish... I am not sure what though. A leafy would have been nice but it is a bit past kale and spinach season too. There was also a fine dice of tomato in the dish and they had a slight smoky flavor (I taste each component individually as well as get that perfect forkful of everything together). And the morels were lovely. I ♥ good mushrooms. The anise bordered on overpowering at times but it never quite pushed me over the edge. Overall, a satisfying dish, just not my typical style. It was much too heavy for the summer (though, and Vince disagrees, I find gnudi a bit lighter than gnocchi) and I am much more of a heavy on the fresh veggies and skip the cream whenever I can kind of person.

And, on to dessert. The choices:
-a creme brulee (I forget what flavor was available)
-citrus cheesecake
-ice cream (raspberry white chocolate I believe)
-sorbet (mango, lime, rum)
We both went for sorbet. Let me preface this- neither of us are huge dessert eaters. Maybe we have a little chocolate here and there though not much anymore. We made creme brulee once this year since my dad gave me the torch for a gift. Other than that... port is a dessert. Maybe we will splurge once in a while at Coppi's if they have something new or I am dying to have a Viennese (yes, big thing of espresso, little bit of gelatto... not most people's idea of dessert). We each got 3 big scoops of sorbet with some slices of strawberries. We both would have been happy with one scoop of sorbet and a lot more fruit. Up until that point, the portions had been nice. Then it was like the dessert was super-sized. And the flavor- well, we both agreed there was a bit too much going on. I think one of the flavors, if not two, could have been dropped. After all the flavors in the food it was just a bit overwhelming.

When we were waiting for the check, we were presented with a little plate of home made candy and a little pastry. We both agreed we would have preferred that as dessert although neither of us likes white chocolate and there was some there (we both tried it, but, neh). The dark chocolate mint piece was fabulous as was the little pink pastry with jam.

I don't remember what the wine pairings were. They were nothing remarkable, but they were satisfactory for the $15 and did not overwhelm the food. I believe it was a Savignon Blan with course 1, a Cabernet second and a Moscato d'Asti with dessert.

We did like the decor and size of the dining room though. It was cozy without being cramped and it was inviting. Overall, we were not displeased for what we spent but it did not unseat Viridian as our favorite so far this year.

I stumbled upon Turquoise one night when I was exceedingly stressed out from work and had been working a lot. It was late (going on 10), I was cranky and hungry, I was sick of restaurants, my trip had just been extended for the first time and I was about to say screw it and eat a really unhealthy portion of chips doused in all the vinegar I could handle when I found a little strip of restaurants nestled in a quiet street between my office and hotel. There was italian, again. Indian, again. Thai, again. But then I saw Turquoise and figured what the hell.

It was amazing... I found the place so relaxing. I had some wonderful white wine ( Antonini Ceresa Falanghina, Italy 2005 that first time), Zeytinyaglı Bakla ( Broad beans cooked with herbs, peppers, garlic, olive oil served with yogurt) and Mantar Kızartma ( Mushroom cooked with garlic, tomatoes and onions topped with cheese minus the cheese). The ambiance and decor were fabulous. The food was lovely and there was plenty to choose from for a vegetarian. I felt absolutely recharged, relaxed and satisfied when I left.

I loved it so much, I went back 3 more times in the next 7 days (it would have probably been more if I had not stayed at a friend's house that weekend to cat sit). I went once more by myself, brought my friend Katja another time (we did a huge selection of appetizers that were both quite happy with) and once with two co-workers who both had different lamb entrees they both enjoyed.

If you are ever in London, check it out. The address is 25-26 Red Lion Street, Holborn. It is a short walk from the Holborn tube station and also convenient to the Chancery Lane tube station.

I am so behind in my posts, so what better time to get caught up then while things process.

First off, as I mentioned well over a month ago we finally went to Restaurant Nora which is something I have been wanting to do for quite a while.

But, since I have waited so long to post, I don't have the exact list of what everyone except me had since the menu changes and I thought I would get around to this a lot sooner. Ooops!

Anyway, I think it is safe to say that I was the only one 100% satisfied with my meal. Maybe that is the advantage to being a vegetarian in a seasonal restaurant in the summer. I did not have to order the entire tasting menu because they had a lot of the items so were allowing people to order tasting menu items individually. I had:
Local Heirloom Tomatoes & Baby Leeks with Grilled Marinated Maitake Mushrooms, Watercress, Basil Seed Vinaigrette
Oregon Morel Mushroom tart with Goat Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper Emulsion
Raspberries & Blackberries with Champagne Sabayon, Crispy Macadamia Nut Cookie
Basically, I just skipped the Risotto on the veg tasting menu that night. Risotto isn't my favorite restaurant food anyway as I have previously mentioned. No one wanted to have wine with me so I went for a half bottle (they don't do by the glass). I was eying up the SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG Riesling 2005 Kamptal, Austria and asking a lot of questions about it. I generally like Austrian Rieslings as long as they are dry. And I do mean dry. I am not fond of the sweet German stuff at all. For some reason the waiter actually talked me into a bottle that was 2/3 the price... who am I to argue? So I ended up with the CHABLIS A.O.C. 2005 Gilbert Picq. I notice now that it is the only non-organic one too... hmmm. To get back to the food though, I was very satisfied. The mushrooms were fabulous. The tomatoes were amazingly flavorful. Everything was just wonderful.

Now, for the rest that I remember- Vince and his sister split a calamari appetizer with harissa. They thought that it, and my, appetizer were over salted. Vince's sister and brother-in-law both ordered some type of stuffed chicken for dinner, much to Vince's disappointment since he wanted to order it too but wouldn't when there was already two orders of it, and both seemed to enjoy it. Vince had the lamb that they had that evening and wasn't thrilled with it but wasn't disappointed either (he is hard to astound with lamb). I think dessert for everyone else was chocolate cake for Vince then some kind of pie (peach?) and ginger ice cream for the other two which seemed to work out.

Overall, not a fan of the decor at all. Vince and I did like the bar and the bartender though. So, I think if we did go back we would want to sit at the bar or at the one table that is in the bar area although that might get annoying since it is in the entrance. I am not sure this will be a regular place to visit... Viridian (see the risotto link) still seems to be our new place this year.

Book #13 for 2007
Book Title: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Author:Zora Neale Hurston
Genre: Fiction, Classic
# of pages: 256
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: A
Why I read it: There are a lot of "classics" I seem to have missed out on along the way.

Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble): In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston draws a sharp portrait of a proud, independent black woman looking for her own identity and resolving not to live lost in sorrow, bitterness, fear, or romantic dreams. Like most lives of black women of the early 20th century (or any time for that matter), Janie Crawford's life, told here in her own sure voice, is not without its frustrations, terrors, and tragedies — in fact, it is full of them. But the power of her story comes from her life-affirming attitude: Through all the changes she goes through — once divorced, twice widowed (once by her own gun-wielding hand)-she kept a death-grip commitment to live on her own terms, relying only on her own guts, creativity, strength, and passion, and the power she drew from her community, to pull her through. In Janie, Hurston created a character that reflected her own strong belief that the most important mission we have is to discover ourselves.( Read more... )

Up Next: haven't picked anything from the pile yet

Pages read to date: 4041

Book #12 for 2007
Book Title: The Road
Author:Cormac McCarthy
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 241
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: A+
Why I read it: I heard something about it somewhere that caught my attention.
Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble): A searing, post-apocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece.

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. They sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food-and each other.( Read more... )

Up Next: haven't picked anything from the pile yet

Pages read to date: 3785

Book #11 for 2007
Book Title: The Female of the Species: Tales of Mystery and Suspense
Author: Joyce Carol Oates
Genre: Fiction, Short Stories
# of pages: 275
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: C
Why I read it: She is my fall back author... I don't really seek her out but if I am really stuck for something I usually pick something up by here.
Synopsis (from Powell's): A young wife is home alone when the phone rings in "So Help Me God." Is the strange voice flirting with her from the other end of the line her jealous husband laying a trap, or a stranger who knows entirely too much about her? In "Madison at Guignol" an unhappy fashionista discovers a secret door inside her favorite clothing store and insists the staff let her enter. But even her fevered imagination cannot anticipate the horror they have been hiding from her. In these and other gripping and disturbing tales, women are confronted by the evil around them and surprised by the evil they find within themselves.
With wicked insight, Joyce Carol Oates demonstrates why the females of the species — be they six-year-old girls, seemingly devoted wives, or aging mothers — are by nature more deadly than the males.( Read more... )



Also Read this Year:
Zorro: A Novel
Casanova in Bohemia
Captain Alatriste
The Steep Approach to Garbadale
The Supernaturalist
Ines of My Soul
The Lost Colony: Artemis Fowl, Book 5
The Children of Men
The Scroll of Seduction
The The Stolen Child

Up Next: haven't picked anything from the pile yet</i></a>

Pages read to date: 3544

Book #8 for 2007
Book Title: Captain Alatriste
Author: Arturo Perez-Reverte
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
# of pages: 284
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: B
Why I read it: I really like his writing and he is pretty much the only mystery writer I will read.
Synopsis (from Powell's): Captain Alatriste is the story of a fictional seventeenth-century Spanish soldier who lives as a swordsman-for-hire in Madrid. Needing gold to pay off his debts, Alatriste and another hired blade are paid to ambush two travelers, stage a robbery, and give the travelers a fright. "No blood," they are told.( Read more... )

Book #9 for 2007
Book Title: Casanova in Bohemia
Author: Andrei Codrescu
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
# of pages: 336
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: B -
Why I read it: I really liked Messiah
Synopsis (from Powell's): In his national bestseller The Blood Countess, Andrei Codrescu brought to life the bloodthirsty royal Elizabeth Bathory, who embodied nearly all the contradictions of the seventeenth century. Now he depicts the astonishing life of the legendary Casanova, as the old adventurer relives his life while writing his memoirs in a provincial Bohemian castle at the end of the eighteenth century. Far from being defeated by age, Casanova delights in the maidservants, reacts with intellectual vigor to the unfolding of the French Revolution, and collaborates with Mozart on Don Giovanni. Long considered the rhapsodist of an age of aristocratic mirth, scandal, and innumerable affairs, Casanova was also a first-rate intellect who corresponded and argued with Voltaire and Rousseau. His published work, besides the celebrated History of My Life, includes a multivolume fantasy fiction novel that predates and anticipates Jules Verne; translations of Italian classics into French; and a number of plays that were produced on the great stages of Europe.( Read more... )

Book #10 for 2007
Book Title: Zorro: A Novel
Author: Isabel Allende
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
# of pages: 284
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: B
Why I read it: I read most of what she writes.
Synopsis (from Powell's): A swashbuckling adventure story that reveals for the first time how Diego de la Vega became the masked man we all know so well.

Born in southern California late in the eighteenth century, he is a child of two worlds. Diego de la Vega's father is an aristocratic Spanish military man turned landowner; his mother, a Shoshone warrior. Diego learns from his maternal grandmother, White Owl, the ways of her tribe while receiving from his father lessons in the art of fencing and in cattle branding. It is here, during Diego's childhood, filled with mischief and adventure, that he witnesses the brutal injustices dealt Native Americans by European settlers and first feels the inner conflict of his heritage.( Read more... )



Also Read this Year:
The Steep Approach to Garbadale
The Supernaturalist
Ines of My Soul
The Lost Colony: Artemis Fowl, Book 5
The Children of Men
The Scroll of Seduction
The The Stolen Child

Up Next: The Female of the Species: Tales of Mystery and Suspense

Pages read to date: 3269