Feeding Your Baby, by Judy More

This one I liked, and not least because it is British, and therefore filled with entertaining linguistic departures from my own vocabulary (For instance, pulses means beans and such, which I didn't know before). It also references all kinds of British formula and milk products I'm not familiar with, but the recommendations and the recipes are great. There are really good for-the-whole-family recipes I'm eager to try.

The Outside Man, by Richard North Patterson

I usually really like RNP, but this one is kind of all over the place. The story is murky, and mostly in an unpleasant-to-keep-track of way, and the characters just didn't resonate for me at all. Disappointing.

The Baby Sleep Book, by William Sears

There's a ridiculously long subtitle that I didn't include. This book is much better written than the Weissbluth, and occupies the other end of the sleep-training spectrum. Still not much help.

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth, MD

We are in the midst of some really challenging sleep issues, and I've been reading quite a few books about it. This one is on the more extreme end of things, and I can't say I liked it. Philosophically, I'm definitely not in line with Weissbluth so much, but the bigger factor for me was his tone and the quality of the writing. It strikes me as really poorly written, and the tone is so alarmist, like if you don't do it his way, your child will end up addicted to Ambien or worse, and a chronic insomniac and manic-depressive.

The frustrating thing about these books is that no one really knows anything, and you can find a book to support any course of action. As a research-hound, I'm feeling a bit at sea over this.

Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and a Dream, by H. G. Bissinger

First, may I say that Friday Night Lights is one of the best shows on TV, and it is a sad testament to the poor taste of the viewing public that it is not more highly rated.

Second, the book is fascinating, and it's neat to see little bits of the book that I recall directly from the series. I need to watch the movie again, too; I believe it's written more closely to the book than the series.

It's also cool that the book has such a sense of time and place. It's the 80s, and the political and economic backdrop is as much a character as any of the people in the book.

Pope Joan, by Donna Woolfolk Cross

My friend Tanya alerted me to this one, and somewhere in the back of my head, I remember reading it years ago. It was fun to read again, though. Lots of history, good character development, and kind of neat to think that it might very well be true.

Mommy Made and Daddy Too, by Martha and David Kimmel with Suzanne Goldenson

A new friend made through my mom's group lent me this, and I'm asking for it for Christmas. It's a really user-friendly introduction with lots of yummy recipes, and lots of good information on each food. I've made several of the recipes already, and Clara seems to enjoy them!

Super Baby Food, by Ruth Yaron

I had this on hold at the library when a friend gave me her old copy of it. It's a little bit overwhelming, but appears to be full of good recipes.

Plum Island, by Nelson DeMille

Another John Corey book, and just as fun. Gets a little tediously implausible at the very end, but still good.

Night Fall, by Nelson DeMille

DeMille's character John Corey makes me and Chris laugh out loud occasionally, which is saying something, especially with Chris.

I enjoyed it. Slightly rogue cop, going off the reservation to solve a covered-up mystery. The ending of this book is both satisfying and unsatisfying, the reasons for which will be obvious if you read it, I think.

It Had To Be You, by Cecily von Ziegesar

A Gossip Girl prequel. Kind of more goofy than the rest of them.

Because I'm Worth It, by Cecily von Ziegesar

Another Gossip Girl book.

You Know You Love Me, by Cecily von Ziegesar

One of the Gossip Girl series.

All I Want Is Everything, by Cecily von Ziegesar

One of the Gossip Girl series.

I Like It Like That, by Cecily von Ziegesar

One of the Gossip Girl series.

You're the One That I Want, by Cecily von Ziegesar

One of the Gossip Girl series.

It Had To Be You, by Cecily von Ziegesar

One of the Gossip Girl series.

Gossip Girl, by Cecily von Ziegesar

So, confession time. One of my latest guilty pleasures is the TV series "Gossip Girl". My penchant for reading books that have been adapted for screen has led me to read some of the series, which I will list after this, probably not in order.

The books are definitely engaging, and very quick reads. The TV adaptation is good. They've taken the essence of the series, and conflated some characters and story lines, and so far all the changes are good ones for television.

I have to say, these books scare me just a little, as they are targeted to pre-teens. They're pretty racy! Sex, drinking, drugs, etc. Entertaining reading, sure, but I hope there are no such books popular when Clara is older.

Later, At The Bar, by Rebecca Barry

If this girl hasn't read some Richard Russo books, I will eat my hat. Nice stories with that small, northeastern town flavor.

Hard News, by Jeffrey Deaver

Female protagonist, not the most realistic voice. Also a fairly unconvincing 4-year-old character. Still, an okay book.

Did I use any complete sentences there?

So Much To Catch Up On

Yeah, I know. It's been 2 months. I'm not sure I've kept very good track of what I've actually read, so there are probably going to be a few missing, and I'm certain they're not in the order I actually read them.

In other news, all is well in the Pierce family. We had a lovely Thanksgiving at home, our first time hosting, with a great potluck meal and 6 friends of various vintages. It was so nice, and fairly stress-free. Our friend Will cooked the turkey, which certainly contributed to my low stress level.

Clara got to try a bunch of new foods: turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, a tiny bit of hot cocoa, a crumb of pumpkin bread, some bites of roll. We're breaking all kinds of food introduction rules over here.

The Killing Kind, by John Connolly

P.I novel with supernatural overtones. Lots of fun. The dialogue and charcters are vaguely reminiscent of Parker's Spenser books.

Iron Orchid, by Stuart Woods

I love how Woods' characters wander through each other's books. It's fun to run into Will Lee and Katharine Rule and Stone Barrington in a Holly Barker book. His books are always good reading.

Perfect Nightmare, by John Saul

Perfectly disjointed, and full of characters you won't care about.

Beautiful Boy, by David Sheff

A really well-written, emotionally charged, and truly terrifying book. I read it just after having my first child, and it scared the hell out of me, and made me think about how I will deal with the idea and temptation of drugs when Clara is older.

Sheff not only tells his personal story of being an addict's parent, but he supports it with lots of research, most of it very scary, about meth addiction. I don't think I realized how horrible meth addiction is.

It's heartbreaking to see Sheff looking to himself as a possible source of his son's terrible downward spiral, and the scenes he details of Nic being sweet and wonderful with his half-brother and -sister make it all the more terrible how far down he goes.

I don't know if Nic has stayed clean at this point. I'm almost afraid to try to find out.

Tweak, by Nic Sheff

I'm about to write a longer, more reflective review of Nic's father's book detailing his son's meth addiction. Mostly because it was a longer, more reflective book. This one was mostly self-indulgent, I thought, and a little whiny. Sheff seems to be trying to find someone else to blame for his addiction. The last bit about the most successful rehab is interesting, though. It's almost as if Sheff becomes a different person when he is writing about trying to become a different person.

This book is only interesting as a companion piece, as counterpoint to his father's book. It doesn't stand alone.

The No-Cry Sleep Solution, by Elizabeth Pantley

I read this so long ago I don't remember what it was about, specifically. I don't remember being wowed by it.

The Attachment Parenting Book, by William and Martha Sears

I admit, I had gotten the idea somewhere that Attachment Parenting was a weird, no-boundaries hippie thing, so I didn't read this until recently. I was pleasantly surprised to find it very common sense, and kind of what we're doing already. Who needs parenting style books?

Hit Parade, by Lawrence Block

See other Keller review. Same stuff. Fun, though. Good dialogue.

Hit Man, by Lawrence Block

A Keller book. The nicest hitman you'll ever meet. These books read like short stories with the same characters.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, by Dyan Sheldon

Maybe I'm just getting to be old and fuddy-duddy, but the newer pre-teen-ish books are so stupid, compared to the ones I read. Yikes.

The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson

I'm not sure I ever read this one as a kid, but I really enjoyed it. Some pretty serious issues in there. Made me think about how challenging it will be to talk to Clara about the hard parts of being human.

The Zero Game, by Brad Meltzer

The first 20% of this book was told in one voice, and then Meltzer killed that voice off, and switched to another we'd only heard a little of so far. Disconcerting. Not the most fun I've ever had reading, but not awful.

Gone Bamboo, by Anthony Bourdain

Sort of the continuation of Bone In The Throat, but with slightly different characters in similar situations. Equally fun.

Bone In The Throat, by Anthony Bourdain

More of the same fun mobster/chef action from Bourdain. Very engaging. You can see him imagining himself as the protagonist.

The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

This one was as good as I remembered it. I read all of his books as a child. Maybe they're squirreled away in a box in my parents' house somewhere. Really fun to read again.

The Color of Blood, by Declan Hughes

Irish P.I. novel. Pretty much like American P.I. novels, but with dialect. Fun.

Footloose, by Leanne Banks

The worst kind of chick lit, veering into outright romance trash. Not as much fun as it sounds.

The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold

I hated her last book, so when I picked this one up to reread, I was afraid I would discover that I was crazy when I read it before, and that it was awful. Not so. Maybe not as good as I remember it being the first time, but then, it's a rare book that is. She is very good at pain.

Tanner On Ice, by Lawrence Block

I really enjoyed this weird little book. It's my first Tanner book, and while the language seemed almost dated, it was right for the character somehow. Fun.

The Lincoln Lawyer, by Michael Connelly

I love re-reading these. Every one I read, I can claim more of the LA references.

What To Eat, by Marion Nestle

This is a really great book, and reminds me, in an odd way, of my religious studies classes studying the bible with Professor Greenwald. We looked at the bible historically, semantically, fictionally, etc., and Nestle examines food in a similar way. She looks not only at the expected calories and fat and carb content, but also the political history of certain foods, and the sometimes frightening strength of the lobbies behind foods. It makes me never want to trust anything on an label again. She outlines strategies for getting the most out of food on your plate and in the grocery store. Very interesting.

Way Behind, I Know

Well. It's been some time, so I'm about to do quick reviews of a bunch of books. They are in no particular order. All is well here. The baby continues to grow, we work and play and enjoy the weather in LA.

The Bobby Gold Stories, by Anthony Bourdain

My first novel by Bourdain. It reads like a fictionalized Kitchen Confidential crossed with a Sopranos script. Nice writing style.

In A Strange City, by Laura Lippman

Moderately good mystery. Not my favorite series of mysteries. Nice Edgar Allan Poe/Baltimore plot basis.

Gone For Good, by Harlan Coben

Enjoyable, but his books feature really similar plot devices, so they are best read separated by other literary fare.

Tell No One, by Harlan Coben

Solid thrillers. I like his books a lot, and maybe I like this a little better than the ones featuring Myron Bolitar, master sports agent.

Finally Caught Up

So, you may have guessed that I didn't actually just read all of those books I posted. They've been scattered over the last month or two. I don't know why I find it so hard to keep up to date. I guess it's just not in my nature. I can't blame the baby, because I did it before her.

Speaking of the baby:

Well, never mind. Can't upload. Will try again later.

Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain

I've so much enjoyed Bourdain's appearances on Top Chef, and his own show about traveling the world in search of weird wonderful food. One of my clients has this book on her shelf and every time I see her I say to myself, "gotta get that one." Finally, I have.

Fun book. Self-deprecating and wry, and a really interesting look into the cooking subculture. He's written some novels, apparently, and I've put those on hold at the library. I'm predicting they will be a little self-indulgent, but fun.

Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer

We just saw the movie, which was disappointing. Heavily over-directed. I read the book for the first time long enough ago that I couldn't remember what was tweaked a little and what was straight from the book. It's a pretty close adaptation, but there are conflated characters, and a couple of timeline issues. They also chose to present an absolute cause for the boy's death, while the book presented several possibilities.

Anyway, do both, or skip the movie, read the book.

Darker Than Night, by John Lutz

I read another one of this series a while back, a later one, and it's fun to put the pieces in place as far as character and relationships go. I'll read some more of his books.

Dead Watch, by John Sandford

A new hero for Sandford, and I'm not sure if I liked him. He seems a little too good to be true. Maybe he'll grow on me.

I miss Davenport and Kidd.

Marked Man, by William Lashner

Another one I don't really remember much of: I guess it's a standard legal thriller.

A Matter of Degree, by Tom Philbin

Interesting. The protagonist is kind of creepy, just a little too interested in the killers he chases. It reads a little dated, published in 87. I won't seek it out, but if I came across another of this series on a hotel bookshelf or something, I would read it.

Blinded, by Stephen White

It is not a good recommendation for this book that I had to google it to remember what it was about. Your basic thriller. I found the characters a little less than genuine.

Hit List, by Lawrence Block

This is my first Block, as far as I can remember, and I enjoyed it. I don't know what it is that makes assassins so compelling, but they seem to make really good main characters. I'm interested to read more John Keller books.

Blue Screen, by Robert Parker

I have to say, there is not much other than name and circumstance (and gender, in Sunny Randall's case) to distinguish Parker's non-Spenserian characters from Spenser himself. I'm not complaining. It's kind of refreshing, just to have a slightly different take, but the clever dialogue, overall toughness, and moral relativism is the same whichever protagonist we follow.

This one is good, just like the others.

Runaway Jury, by John Grisham

I read this a long time ago, but recently caught part of the movie on cable, and wanted to see how much it matched. It's an engaging story. Better than many of his have been recently.

The Other Side of the Story, by Marian Keyes

More fun than I thought it would be, and the author is very good at distinguishing the voices of the three "sides" of the story.

Watermelon, by Marian Keyes

Fluff. UK fluff, but fluff just the same. Fun to read for me right now in the throes of early-motherhood, since the main character has a baby in the beginning. It reads like an early book, though, and I wonder if her writing improved.

Cathedral, by Nelson DeMille

This one is a good read, and it's interesting how dated it feels. I don't think it's even 20 years old.

Anne of Windy Poplars, by L. M. Montgomery

I've just been re-reading the Anne books, and I hear on the radio that it's the 100th anniversary of Anne. Lovely, lovely books.

New England White, by Stephen L. Carter

I enjoyed his other novel so much, I was really looking forward to this one, and I enjoyed it, too. The main character is a side character from The Emperor of Ocean Park, which is kind of neat. Lots of overlap in terms of setting, characters, themes... It's also written from a different point of view. The writing is dense, but in a good way. You actually have to work a little to read this, and I think that's good.

Island of the Blue Dolphin, by Scott O'Dell

Another childhood favorite. I remember fantasizing about how I would live if I were abandoned alone somewhere. I learned after this reading that the main character was based on a real person, and that the island is one of the Channel Islands, which are off the coast about 2 hours from here. Crazy.

Misty of Chincoteague, by Marguerite Henry

A beloved childhood book. Simpler than I remember it being. Funnily, I also remember it being more from the horse's point of view.

Clara's New Quilt

So fantastic, from her Great-, er...I mean, Terrific-Aunt Susan. Couldn't match the nursery better if we had picked out each piece of fabric ourselves. Clara could stare at it for hours.

Just Because She's Cute

Being a Mama

So far, so good. We have been blessed (so far!) with a pretty easy-going girl. She's made great strides developmentally in just the last few days. It's pretty amazing at this age (7 weeks) how you can almost see the milestones happening right before your eyes. Clara is following things with her eyes, and turning her head to follow sounds. She's got really good control over her head right now, and is making all sorts of funny little conversational sounds. She's also just on the verge of a full-out laugh.

Her Nana is here to visit, finally, and it has been a real joy seeing them get to know each other. Nana has introduced the "motorboat," and "You Are My Sunsine," and Clara loves them both.

Rain Fall, by Barry Eisler

More John Rain. This one I enjoyed particularly, since I have been reading them out of order, and this goes way back to meeting a love interest who has been featured in later books. Sometimes it's fun to read a series out of order, as long as the books are meant also to stand alone. Little things fall into place.

Resistance, by Owen Sheers

I really enjoyed this. It's a novel about a small valley in Wales, where the men disappear as part of the insurgency in an alternate ending version of WWII, in which Germany wins. The women are left to farm and survive on their own, and to deal with the small German unit that shows up to investigate. The language is really crisp and simple, and the descriptions of the work they do are vivid.

The Memory Game, by Nicci French

I really liked this book, and the twist at the end surprised me a little, though the fact that there was a twist didn't. It's another British one, which is always fun, and her style of writing is vaguely reminiscent of Elizabeth George, though not with such an impressive vocabulary. I will definitely seek out more of her writing.

The Master Bedroom, by Tessa Hadley

This book was all right, I guess. I did get engaged with some of the characters, but it's a pretty ponderous tone. I'm also not a fan of departing from regular punctuation in dialogue, unless there's a compelling reason in the content of the story. I wouldn't recommend it, but I'm not upset I spent the time on it.

Gods Behaving Badly, by Marie Phillips

An engaging book, if a little too cute. Lots of great references to London, and to Greek mythology, some uncommon ones. It's an imaginative book, and the way she uses features of London to parallel bits of mythology is fun. Very diverting, and a quick read.

T is for Trespass, by Sue Grafton

These books are so much fun, it makes me want to go back and read the whole alphabet. Not sure that I will, but I enjoyed this one. Grafton departs from form just a little, giving us a second point-of-view. I wonder what she'll do with "U"?

Anne of the Island, by L. M. Montgomery

Anne gets slightly less interesting as she ages, but Montgomery's other characters make up for it entirely. Davy Keith is always fun, and the new folks Anne meets at college are entertaining, too.

Anne of Avonlea, by L. M. Montgomery

I can't remember how far I got with these books when I was a girl, but my plan is to work my way through all of them, and perhaps into her other series as well. I love the character monologues and the language. So much fun. I hope that Clara will love them someday, too.

The Hearing, by John Lescroart

I can't believe I never read this one. Loved seeing Glitsky's courtship of Treya, such as it was.

Betrayal, by John Lescroart

I would love to know how to pronounce his last name.

These characters, including the city of San Francisco, are so familiar. I love reading these books, even when they strain plausibility.

The Emperor of Ocean Park, by Stephen L. Carter

This is the first serious book I read after giving birth. It took me a really long time to get through it, partly because it is long, and partly because of the baby. I almost felt that it was too long, but every time it started to get ponderous, something happened that kept me engaged. I love the main character, and how the most interesting character traits are their flaws. Really engaging book; I will look for more from him.

The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis

It's all so obvious, now that I know things about religion. I wonder if kids who grow up in traditional Christian churches recognize the allegory when they read these?

The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis

This is one of my favorites. Puddleglum is one of my favorite Narnian characters.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis

More fun in Narnia.

A Few Hours After Birth

The Horse and His Boy, by C. S. Lewis

More Narnia.

Prince Caspian, by C. S. Lewis

More Narnia. So much fun to read. Can't wait to read them to Clara.

The Magician's Nephew, by C. S. Lewis

Re-reading the Narnia books again, and the Christian allegorical stuff is even more obvious than when I re-read them last. I love the green and yellow rings in this one.

Rite Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, by Stephen King

I picked up this book to be one of my disposable books for the hospital, and I read just the beginning of it there. I love this story, and I really think they did a lovely job of adapting it for the movie.

Cold Service, by Robert Parker

Love Parker. Always good. I started reading this one just as labor set in, and finished it the day we brought Clara home from the hospital.

And the next day, we had a baby.

Just realized that my last posts were the day before we welcomed our daughter Clara into the world. Somehow, I've managed to read since then, though nothing particularly meaty. She is wonderful, and we will tell her story in another blog that we'll get around to starting eventually.

At any rate, I predict less frequent posting, but I will try to keep up.

The Motive, by John Lescroart

More of the same from Lescroart, and always good.

The Last Assassin, by Barry Eisler

I just realized with this book what Eisler is doing with perspective. All of the action/operational parts are from Rain's point-of-view, while we occasionally get chapters from the lives of other characters. It's a neat way to get us firmly in John Rain's head, while also allowing us to know things he doesn't. Clever, and pretty seamless, since it took 3 books for me to notice it.

Killing Rain, by Barry Eisler

Another book about assassin John Rain. I'm enjoying these. The detailing is great, sort of like Tom Clancy restrained, and the characters are fascinating.

A is For Alibi, by Sue Grafton

Going back to the start of the whole alphabet-Kinsey thing. Very entertaining. Quick read.

How Green Was My Valley, by Richard Llewellyn

I love this book. I read it a long, long time ago, but it felt wonderfully familiar. I love the poetic prose, and the crazy Welsh names. Such a lovely story of family.

The Book of Ruth, by Jane Hamilton

I kept expecting to recognize this one from having read it before, but I guess I missed this one along the way. Also kind of horrifying, like the Meg Tilly book, and with a similarly clear narrative voice. This one was interesting--the narrator's voice changed as she aged, in a very clear and believable way. I liked it.

Magic City, by James W. Hall

Thorn and Sugarman and Miami and the Florida Keys. Nothing new here, but a good story.

Singing Songs, by Meg Tilly

I read Tilly's Gemma a while back and really enjoyed it, as much as you can enjoy horrifying abuse stories. This is her first novel, which grew out of some of her short stories, and it doesn't hold together quite as well. Written in the voice of a young girl (Tilly's younger self, I presume), the voice is really clear, which makes the sections describing abuse that much more awful. But as a full piece of fiction, it didn't hold together for me.

The Dead Stone, by Vicki Steifel

I abandoned this book about a quarter of the way in because it was nearly incomprehensible, it was so convoluted. Then, due to poor library-management on my part, I ran out of books, so I picked it back up. I am disappointed to report that it did not improve. I almost abandoned it again, but by that time I was more than halfway through, and I figured it would not take very long to finish, especially since I was only reading about half the words on any given page.

Why do I do these things? I can't say, other than a sick kind of optimism. And she's won all kinds of awards and whatnot, which I guess doesn't mean much unless you know something about who's giving them. I have this image of a bunch of crappy thriller writers getting together to take turns lauding each other.

Capitol Murder, by William Bernhardt

Legal thriller. Not great, but the characters are familiar; I must have read something else of his along the way.

Straight Man, by Richard Russo

Russo is one of my very favorite novelists of all time, and I think he might be my most-re-read author. Straight Man was the first book of his that I read, pulled off the never-ending bookshelves of my friend Andy while I was staying at his apartment in Oakland one summer, between summer camps. I laugh out loud still at this one, and if you've ever been part of academia, you will be more likely to do so, too.

It's funny to me that my favorite characters in literature are middle-aged men, but Russo makes them so relatable and real and funny. He has a real gift for dialogue, as well.

If you've never read him, this, or Nobody's Fool are your best bets as Russo-gateway-drugs.

Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery

Just as sweet a book as I remember it being from my childhood. I am definitely going to pick up the rest of the Anne series soon. Charming characters, and wonderful dialogue. Anne's long stream-of-consciousness monologues are very funny.

In For The Kill, by John Lutz

Standard police/serial killer thriller. Not written particularly well, and intelligent-appearing characters do a lot of really stupid things.

The Nursing Mother's Companion, by Kathleen Huggins

As I said in the last post, much more dry to read than the other, but still full of information.

So That's What They're For: The Definitive Breastfeeding Guide, by Janet Tamaro

I think I can't really know how useful this book is until I'm doing the real thing, but it was chock full of information, and she uses a fairly entertaining prose style. It was easier to read than The Nursing Mother's Companion, and much less dry.

Projection, by Keith Ablow

Picks up where Denial left off and continues in the same vein. This one read more quickly, and slightly better. I don't know if it is actually better, or if my literary senses were just a little numbed by the first one. Maybe I'll try a third, just to see.

Company Man, by Joseph Finder

A reassuring thriller, after the Ablow book. A few segments where suspending your disbelief if just a little harder than it should be, but still a good read.

Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman

I just had a discussion last night about Neil Gaiman, and how he started out writing graphic novels. I know him from the book Good Omens, which I highly recommend, especially to anyone who enjoys Hitchhiker's Guide sorts of books.

This one was really delightful. Sort of a contemporary take on traditional African animal-based folktales, with plenty of magical realism and clever dialogue. A lot of fun.

Apparently, he also writes children's books, and I can only imagine how much fun that would be.

Denial, by Keith Ablow

Not great. Easy and quick, but not believable enough to really make it thrilling. I grabbed two of his books off the paperback shelf, so we'll see if it's just this one.

Requiem for an Assassin, by Barry Eisler

Not bad. I will probably grab a few of his earlier books featuring John Rain. Vaguely reminiscent of Gabriel Allon, though less fully-realized, I think.

Dark Gold, by David Angsten

Another disappointing thriller. Good idea, but it goes horribly astray in the execution. Why do I even bother finishing these books? I think it's because I am an optimist and I keep thinking that the author will redeem the book somehow.

The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

There is an accent mark in the author's last name, but I've never mastered that, nor do I have the inclination to do so, so you'll just have to trust me. Chris has been reading this to me and the baby over the last week or so, a little bit at a time. Very sweet, wonderful story, and Chris' delivery was excellent.

One Last Scream, by Kevin O'Brien

The only reason I would recommend anyone read this book is to wonder at the extreme stupidity of the main character. I realize that for thrillers to work, people can't be making the right decisions all the time, but this woman really takes the cake. She veers from being wildly intelligent and analytical (she's a therapist!) to completely hare-brained and clueless. The story itself was kind of neat, just poorly executed. The characters were all a little unbelievable and inconsistent. It went quickly, anyway.

Baby Bargains, by Denise and Alan Fields

We (mom and I) used the wedding version of this book planning my wedding, which was very helpful. This book initially overwhelmed us, and we had to put it down for a while. Once we got serious about picking things for the baby, and actually buying stuff, it was great to have as a reference for specific items. Overall, it's a lot of information, and very useful.

The Ghost, by Robert Harris

A pleasantly diverting sort-of thriller, very British, very quick read.

A Crib Is A Very Big Thing

We bought a crib this week. It's nice, clean lines, a stain so dark it almost looks black. I really like it. And for some reason, this, unlike any of the other baby stuff we've amassed so far, really got to me. As we were driving out of the parking lot after loading it, my hands were shaking a little. And after our wonderful friend Will helped Chris put it together (and in combination with a few other irritants that evening), I had a very brief, minor breakdown. Tears, irrational talk, etc. I felt a lot better afterward, though.

In retrospect, I think the crib is the biggest thing we've gotten so far. It takes up a huge amount of space in our nursery/guest room. Likewise, the baby will take up a huge amount of space in our life. Thus, the minor freakout. We've got about 6 weeks to go, give or take. Unbelievable.

In other baby-related news, we had our one-day intensive labor-prep class, which was mildly disappointing (very talky, not much hands-on), but did feature a minor celebrity! "Angela," from NBC's The Office, was in our class with her husband. They've just started filming again after the strike and she's spending a lot of time behind copiers and cubicle walls.

We also had an excellent meeting with our doula after the class, and she did a bunch of hands-on stuff with us, and I am more confident than ever that she is going to be a huge help to us. I really like her.

The Unlikely Spy, by Daniel Silva

Silva's first book, and so different from his others. I've now officially read everything he's written. This one is set in WWII, though is follows along the themes of his contemporary series: espionage, war, secrets, assassins, etc. It strikes me, reading this, how well Silva nails the language and cadence of many, many nationalities. He must either have had an interesting life, or one so boring that all he did was read.

In The Woods, by Tana French

This is the most engaging, can't-put-it-down book I've read in a while. Set in Ireland, it follows a pair of police detectives through a murder case with ties to one of the detective's childhood traumas. The relationship between the detectives and the third detective assigned to help them nicely parallels the childhood relationships of the traumatized one. The mystery is thick and full of twists and turns, and while it doesn't answer every question, is ultimately satisfying in the end, even if I felt a little sad not to know every secret at first. Really fascinating.

A Place Of Hiding, by Elizabeth George

I really love her books, and I picked this one up to reread when I was between library visits and only had a bunch of baby/birth books, which are not exactly escapist. I do have to say that I generally enjoy the books featuring Lynley and Havers a bit more, but this one was fun, too. Dense, and very, very English.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume

More blasts from the past. I can't remember what age I was when I read Judy Blume, but I'm amazed how little I remember from these books, and how entertaining they are to read now.

Stuart Little, by E.B. White

A classic that I had forgotten so much about. Clever, clever writing. I was moved to read several parts aloud to Chris as I worked my way through it. I wonder how White thought of it?

Sunstroke, by Jesse Kellerman

I'm assuming a connection to Jonathan and Faye, though I could be wrong. It was a pretty good book. An odd mix of thriller/mystery and an almost magical realism thing. Enjoyable. I will read some more of his and see what's what.

Muse, by Michael Cecilione

Pretty good thriller. Fun read. The main character's actions are a little hard to buy, but if you suspend your disbelief, you'll do fine.

Playing Dress-Up

So, things have been slow recently, and so I'm extra pleased to be doing some additional work this week. A massage client of mine who has become a friend has become an independent seller for Worth, a clothing line out of NYC. It's high end, designer-inspired clothes made from truly exquisite fabrics. They get their textiles from the same mills as Chanel, Armani, etc. And the leathers! Oh, my goodness, you could put these leathers on your bed and sleep in them, they're so unbelievably soft. It's a really easy line to sell.

Anyway, my job is general assistant, gopher, computer-wrangler, etc. and while it is wiping me out physically, I am really enjoying it. The clothes are so much fun, and it's really nice to get to play with them. I wear gym clothes (nice, coordinated stuff, but still) all the time for my regular work life, and I dress up so very rarely that it's even fun to dress other people up.

For instance, dressing our first client today (a former Miss Some-State-That-I-Forget who was a runner-up for Miss USA) was like playing real-life Barbies. She had a perfect figure, and everything looked amazing on her. So much fun. My friend will do a show each season, and I hope to get to participate further. I'll be missing the summer show, most likely, as it begins 2 days after my due date.

The Suspect, by John Lescroart

More of the same from a great legal thriller author. Good read.

Jacob Have I Loved, by Katharine Paterson

I don't think I ever read this as a kid, and what a shame. A really lovely book that I would have related to as a pre-teen, I think.

Twice Kissed, by Lisa Jackson

Blah. Convoluted, dull thriller with overly long sex scenes. Wouldn't recommend it.

High Profile, by Robert Parker

I can't say that I find that there is much difference between the Jesse Stone/Sunny Randall novels and the Spenser novels (except for Hawk, who is one of my favorite characters ever), but I always enjoy reading them, and they always go very quickly, so it's good that Parker turns them out at such a speedy rate.

The Ghost At The Table, by Suzanne Berne

I liked this book a lot, though I thought it was flawed. It was one of those books where the parallels (in this case, the narrator's job to her life) are so obvious, you sort of feel bad for enjoying them anyway. Very artfully done. Berne does a nice job of setting up her protagonist for a fall at the end, and illustrates painful family dynamics really, really well.

A Beautiful, Southern California Day

It is a fine, clear, warm day here, which is not so unusual. There is truth to the assertion that you just get so used to the nice weather that you stop noticing it. And of course, up here in the Valley, it does get pretty darn hot, which is not much fun.

Today, though, I was in town, and took a different route back up to the Valley, which led me over a big hill and toward a sweeping view of the hills, and (because it's so clear today) the snow-capped peaks behind them. It was a pretty awe-inspiring moment. We do live in a lovely place, when you can see it for the smog.

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler

You may remember my Austen-fest of 2007, which I do every few years, so I was predisposed to like this. Unfortunately, once you get past the modern-girl-in-Austen-times plot, it was a pretty weak read. Lots of thinking, which is so boring in print, and a late magical plot twist that swept in at the end and left me feeling bamboozled. There are other, better Austen homages.

The Killing Hour, by Lisa Gardner

Passably good procedural/thriller. Convoluted story, but then, that's pretty much par for the course. I enjoyed reading it, but I will probably not search her out specifically again.

S is for Silence, by Sue Grafton

More of the same hijinks from Kinsey Millhone. Nice in-between-serious-book reads.

N is for Noose, by Sue Grafton

A good palate-cleanser of a book. I'm reading "S" now.

Up High In The Trees, by Kiara Brinkman

The cover rhetoric suggests that this book is The Little Prince for a new age, or something like that. Now I've got to re-read The Little Prince, because I'm not even sure what that means. It is a really good book written in the voice of a 3rd grade boy whose family is still reeling from the death of his mother. Pretty heartbreaking at times.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume

These books are so much fun to read. I had completely forgotten that this was set in NYC.

The Marching Season, by Daniel Silva

Another pre-Gabriel Allon book. I miss Gabriel!

The Mark Of The Assassin, by Daniel Silva

So interesting to read this, Silva's second book, after reading all the Gabriel Allon books (which came later) first. In retrospect, this book reads like a practice session for the Allon series. There's a character (the assassin) who shares a remarkable number of characteristics with Allon, though some differences, and an earlier incarnation of Ari Shamron. Adrian Carter is present as well. Really interesting.

A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeline L'Engle

If I haven't mentioned it, I suddenly find myself wandering over to the youth book section when I go to the library, picking up books I've read before (YEARS ago, obviously), but that I anticipate either reading aloud in the not-too-distant future, or encouraging our daughter to read. Daughter...that word always gets me! Crazy...

Anyway, it's been really fun reading these short, sweet little books. I forgot how weird this one was, but I enjoyed it just the same, and plan to pick up a few more of hers.

Dead Connection, by Alafair Burke

The name Alafair Burke seemed to familiar to me, and I didn't figure it out until I got a little ways into the book and just happened to look at the "About The Author" page. She's the daughter of author James Lee Burke, who I like very much, and who used her first name as the name of Robicheaux's child in some of the books, if I remember correctly.

Anyway, a really good story. Circuitous, and almost too out there, but ultimately believable and well-connected. Enjoyed the characters, too. Looking forward to reading more of hers.

Things Are Very Slooooooooowwwwwww.....

We are in a good financial place at the moment, which is nice, considering our more expensive apartment, and our soon-to-be-born baby. However. Business is so incredibly slow right now for me. Now I don't work anything close to 40 hours a week, which is one of the things I really like about my job. Most weeks I probably hit somewhere around 25, give or take. This week, I worked nine.

Yep. Nine measly hours. This is a combination of the seasonal loss of some very good clients as they winter in Palm Springs, and a very slow start to the year. Traditionally, massage is a bit slow in the post-holiday recovery period, but Pilates usually takes off, what with all the resolutions and whatnot. Not this year. I don't know if it's the writer's strike (which appears to be ending, thank goodness) or the general crappiness of the economy, but people aren't starting Pilates practices right now.

It's not an immediate problem, but if this continues, I do worry about the next few months, as I will be stopping working in, wait, 11 weeks (Holy moly!) to have a baby, and recover from doing so. So it's not reassuring, though the worst that happens is that we dig into our savings a little, or maybe more than a little, which is disheartening at the least. I am considering attempting to pick up some hours at a different Pilates studio, but I'm not sure how likely that is.

BUT! BUT! We are healthy, we have a great new place, and great baby on the way (I can tell already), and I'm enjoying having the down time to relax, keep myself strong, and get the apartment settled. And we've narrowed the baby name list from around 50 to only 17 or 18 possibilities! Chris is also working a lot right now, having just shot a new commercial, as well as maintaining a busy schedule with his driving students. So we're okay. Just not ideal.

The Woods, by Harlan Coben

I've only read Coben's sports agent-as-reluctant-hero books before, so this was kind of neat to read. Much darker and less wry, this is one of those really convoluted thriller/mysteries, with all kinds of twists. I really enjoyed it.

On Becoming Babywise, by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam

A parenting book that many praises are sung of. Interesting, and mostly really reasonable. A proponent of flexible scheduling, which makes sense to me, and a little bit of cry-it-out, so the baby learns to self-soothe. I'm still thinking about it, and comparing other techniques.

The Post-Birthday World, by Lionel Shriver

It is rare, extremely rare, that I give up on a book without finishing it, and yet, I have. This one started out sort of interesting, with parallel stories following two possible outcomes of a woman's choice. Unfortunately, the woman is whiny, nihilistic, and boring, and none of the other characters ring true. It's also very long, and I couldn't stand the thought of it. I am ashamed, but I don't want to finish it.

I'm not going to tag this as a book, so it won't count toward my total for the year. Seems only fair.

The Run, by Stuart Woods

Another I-ran-out-of-Daniel-Silva-books-and-can't-read-more-baby-books reread. Good, especially set against the current presidential race.

The English Assasin, by Daniel Silva

Almost forgot this one. More thrills... We've ordered some of Silva's non-Gabriel-Allon books to read next.

Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson

I remembered very little of this one, and in my hormonally-charged state, actually almost cried at the end, which I tend not to do, even for very good, very sad books. Such wonderful voices for the characters, and such a distinct sense of time and place.

Ramona The Pest, by Beverly Cleary

Another childhood favorite. A joy to read. Can't wait to read with our girl when she gets here.

Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren

A much-loved book from my childhood. I dressed as Pippi, complete with uncomfortable wire-coat-hanger-held-braids for any kind of library day/festival. Just as charming as I remember.

The Confessor, by Daniel Silva

More good thrills.

The Kill Artist, by Daniel Silva

The first of the Gabriel Allon books. More of the same good thriller-ness.

Fifteen Candles: 15 Tales of Taffeta, Hairspray, Drunk Uncles, and other Quinceanera Stories, by Adriana Lopez, ed.

Another long title... This was a sort of mixed bag of stories by lots of different types of writers. Some well-written, some not so much. Interesting though.

Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation, by Pam England and Rob Horowitz

Hippie-dippie, new-agey, woo-woo stuff, for sure. Not quite our speed, but I can see it being helpful to other types of parents. It did make some anatomically valid points about how crappy it is to try to push a baby out lying on your back, which I am determined not to do. My sacrum has been cranky from very early on, and even lying in that position long enough for an ultrasound makes my back hurt for a good while. My midwife lets me lie on my side, and whichever Kaiser doctor delivers me will have to deal. It's the one thing I'm prepared to fight about.

The Second Chair, by John Lescroart

I reread this off of my paperback shelf when I ran out of Daniel Silva books and couldn't read any more baby/parenting books without passing out. Good thriller. I like his characters a lot.

The Happiest Baby on the Block, by Harvey Karp (book & DVD)

The book was really interesting, setting forth a theory that kids should really spend about a year in the uterus. Because of our advance brain size, that's impossible, so Karp contends that you should use calming techniques that recreate womb-like sensations, like swaddling, shushing, rocking, etc. Lots of references to the commonness of these techniques in more "primitive" cultures.

The DVD is great, as it shows the swaddling technique really well, and also shows the techniques working kind of like on/off switches for the babies used. It's also got great potential for comedy, if you are drawn that way (we are).

The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth, by Sheila Kitzinger

Also a really good one. This one was given to me, as well, and I'm glad of it, despite the truly dated photographs of happy seventies couples having babies.

Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn: The Complete Guide, by Penny Simkin, Janet Whalley, and Ann Keppler

Also a really solid book (that Simkin is so sensible!), which I think is going to be my best guide to the actual labor process, though we are also doing a one-day intensive labor-prep class.

The Birth Partner, by Penny Simkin

Chris is slowly making his way through this one, which I skimmed to make sure it wasn't sickeningly insulting, as most books targeted towards new fathers are. Really, they are pretty terrible, though I do acknowledge being very lucky to have a guy as great as Chris.

This is a really solid book, with everything you need to know to support a laboring mother, and then some.

What To Expect When You're Expecting, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel

Someone gave me this book, so I can't really say whether I would have bought it. It's very useful and full of information. I've heard that it is the kind of pregnancy book that terrifies people, but I don't see that. I am pretty good at filtering what's useful and what's not, though. It's handy to have around, but not indispensable.

The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby, by Ann Douglas and John R. Sussman

Much more manageable title, and a really helpful book. This is the second time I've gotten it out of the library, and I'm contemplating actually buying it (horrors!). I haven't bought a book that cost more than a quarter in some time, now that I've discovered the hold service at the library. Finally, I'm getting the benefit of taxes.

From The Hips: A Comprehensive, Open-Minded, Uncensored, Totally Honest Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and Becoming a Parent, by Odes and Morris

Holy Moly, that's quite a title, huh? I generally find that super long titles are a bad sign, and I can't say I found this book as helpful as the title suggested. Still, a generally solid book with lots of quotes from real life parents.

Baby/Birth/Pregnancy Books

I have read so many of these, or at least skimmed them, and most of them will get one brief line. What can I say, I'm a researcher-type.

A Death In Vienna, by Daniel Silva

More of the same...

Prince of Fire, by Daniel Silva

More of the same, etc., etc.

The Secret Servant, by Daniel Silva

More of the same, and fun to read.

One Drop, by Bliss Broyard

Subtitled "My Father's Hidden Life: A Story of Race and Family Secrets," Broyard's memoir of her experience discovering, then researching her father's hidden ethnicity was one of the most engaging non-fiction books I've read in ages. Equal parts soul-searching memoir, deep historical research, and family story, it kept me involved by jumping back and forth between present, past, and far past. Great book.

Fatherhood, by Bill Cosby

Fatherhood was my grandmother's birthday present to Chris, and he read it to me and the baby out loud both before and after the holidays. I think we still have about half of the book to go. I joke that he needs to make sure the baby hears his voice a lot, since otherwise she will think Corey Flintoff or Robert Seigel is her father, since we listen to NPR so much in the car.

Entombed, by Linda Fairstein

Typical thriller. Reminds me of several other books, but was really fun to read.

The Messenger, by Daniel Silva

I have read this before, it turns out, but long enough ago to remember very little about what happens to Gabriel Allon, art restorer and reluctant spy/assasin for the Israeli intelligence service.

This book kicked off a long series of his books, which Chris and I are still working through. I love the impeccable research he clearly does, and how his books have an almost frightening grounding in the reality of the world we live in today, despite the wild thrilling stories.

Blood Memory, by Greg Iles

One of several "disposable" books I bought at the Cancer Society Thrift Store for a quarter each. Good, diverting thriller.

Look Me In The Eye: My Life With Asperger's, by John Elder Robinson

Really fascinating memoir of a man with Asperger's, who happens to be the brother of Augusten Burrows (author of Running With Scissors), who writes the introduction for the book. It's interesting simply to hear an internal description of what Asperger's is like, but Robinson has done some truly unique and interesting things.

Much more interesting than watching Tyra Banks mispronounce Asperger's on America's Next Top Model.

Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt

Read this off the shelf at the home of some clients, for whom we were housesitting. Very good, very evocative. I plan to read more of his.

It's Always Something, by Gilda Radner

A friend of mine just produced and starred in Bunny, Bunny, which is a play based on a book about Gilda Radner. She was excellent, and it got me curious, so I picked up Radner's book. It was very interesting, if a little basic in style. It was, however, really sad to read it, especially her hopefulness at the end, knowing what happened to her ultimately.

Heartsick, by Chelsea Cain

Very good thriller. Begins in the middle of a story, which is unusual, but works well here. We get to discover as we go. Looking forward to more from her.

Bridge of Sighs, by Richard Russo

I'm so far behind, I'm not going to write as much as I might have, but what can I say? It's Richard Russo, who I love so much. It's very interesting to see the trajectory of his stories as he ages. This one is the first one with 2 points of view, and it's fascinating. It took a good while into the book to see how it all fit together, but once again we have the themes of aging, regret, and being a man in today's world. I can't tell you why I relate so much to his protagonists, all middle-aged or older men, but I do.

Highly recommend any book Russo has written. Straight Man is an excellent place to start, as is Nobody's Fool (made into a film w/Paul Newman).

2008 and I've missed a whole month already.

So. Clearly not as dedicated a last year at this time. I'm way, way behind, and will do my best to update the books I read at the end of the year last year, as well as those I've read so far. I've read quite a few already, as things are quite slow. Writer's strike? The economy? I can't say. Financially, it's not a great thing, but as far as life goes... With the move, and the baby on the way (I believe that's the first mention the baby's gotten on the blog, believe it or not--she'll be joining us in late April/early May) it has been nice to have time to settle in to the new, gigantic apartment and just plain take it easy.

The apartment is so fantastic. At least 3x the size of the previous, though it's only one bedroom more, it's truly possible to imagine life with a third person joining us. Still working on the name thing. Boy names we had, of course, but girl names are flummoxing us a bit. We have a very long list, but no real standouts, and no real themes. One of the girls in my prenatal yoga class says they try a new name each week and see how it feels. We may give it a shot.