On My Nightstand

Paris Hangover by Kirsten Lobe — I heard about this  book from the lovely Fiona from La Vie en Fifi. Thank you Fiona, because this book was soooo entertaining. I loved it. I absolutely loved living vicariously through this woman’s book, which I suspect is a roman a clef, but she claims is complete fiction. At first, I resisted her witty  humor, thinking to myself, oh, she’s trying too hard to be funny, I’m not going to laugh!
That changed. Only a short way into it, I was sitting in my car waiting to pick up my child from school and found myself howling in laughter while reading this book. People walking by probably thought I had gone off the deep end. Oh, if only I could be that funny in writing my novel. She really is brilliantly funny and anyone who loves Paris should read this.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson— My SIL loaned me this, so sadly it is on the  back burner while I read my library books, although one of my bookclubs meets on it in a few weeks so I will kick it up in priority. I’ pick it up whenever I get the chance and am about 1/5 th of the way through it and really, really like it so far.

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. I’ll be honest here. I’ve been anxious, really drooling actually, to read this book for about 5 months. I was no. 586 or something on the library wait list and it finally came in. I want to stop EVERYTHING in my life and read it RIGHT NOW.  But I’m restraining myself. I’m hoping against hope that it is as good as her book The Historian, which I still count as one of my favorite books (warning with that book you better like vampires!) I don’t even remember if this book is a vampire one or not. I don’t care, I just like this author!

Nurture Shock – my neighbor loaned me this and I am looking forward to reading it. Anything about parenting is worth checking out since my kids didn’t come with an owner’s manual.

Reading Lolita in Tehran — A thrift store buy I have just barely begun — on the back burner for now. So far, it seems like it is going to be really good.

The Nautical Chart by Arturo Perez-Reverte — I adore this author and snatched this up at the thrift store. Also in a holding pattern until the library books and book club books are read. I can’t complain — I love having TOO MANY good books waiting beside my bedside to read!

In my DVD Player

I mentioned last week that I saw “State of Play” with Russell Crowe, but I also watched “A Serious Man” — a Coen brothers film — this weekend. What a bizarre movie. It began strangely and ended strangely. I liked it, but felt like it was unfinished .. it sort of left me hanging a bit too much. I loved the Midwestern angle, though, because that is now where I live, so I could appreciate a lot of the references, which I always like with Coen films.

Apartment Therapy – Fiona at  La Vie en Fifi wrote about this recently and I am ripping through it after picking it up at the library yesterday! (although you are supposed to take 8 weeks to do the action plan). I’m taking notes and enjoying it enormously.

A Gate at the Stairs by Laurie Moore — This was on my library “wait” list for ages, but finally it is my turn. I started it last night and can’t wait to get back to it.

Parenting Without Fear by Paul J. Donahue  — this is a library book that may not be exactly what I was looking for when I saw the title … we’ll see

Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman — a friend loaned me this one

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson— My SIL loaned me this. I’ve been excited to read it for awhile. Misadventures with Andi also just posted on this.

Reading Lolita in Tehran — another thrift store buy I just barely began before I got a library book in. So far, it seems like it is going to be really good.

The Nautical Chart by Arturo Perez-Reverte — I adore this author and snatched this up at the thrift store.

In my DVD Player

Paris with Juliette Binoche — such a great story and beautiful scenery and inspirational style. i loved this movie.

On My Nighstand:

The Help  by Kathryn Stockett — This is for one of my bookclubs

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson— My SIL loaned me this. I’ve been excited to read it for awhile. Misadventures with Andi also just posted on this.

Reading Lolita in Tehran — another thrift store buy I just barely began before I got a library book in. So far, it seems like it is going to be really good.

The Nautical Chart by Arturo Perez-Reverte — I adore this author and snatched this up at the thrift store.

In my DVD Player

Up in the Air with George Clooney was entertaining, pretty good, not my favorite movie ever

Away We Go was a fun indie flick to watch this week

Boondock Saints 2 — perfect for St. Patrick’s Day week.

Your Carriage Madam by Janet Lane — got this out-of-print book from the library on recommendation of Marsi. I’m only a few pages into it, but love it so far. I’m already improving my posture.

Dusty Answer by Rosamond Lehmann — This is actually the current book I’m reading (along with Your Carriage Madam). It reminds me of Tana French’s Likeness is an odd way as it deals with inclusive groups of friends viewed by outsiders.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness – I saw this book on The Evening Reader’s blog and ordered it from the library.

Franny & Zoey by J.D. Salinger — Of course like people across the world I now want to re-read this.

The Nautical Chart by Arturo Perez-Reverte — I adore this author and snatched this up at the thrift store.

Reading Lolita in Tehran — another thrift store buy I will wait to read.

Brava Valentine  by Adriana Trigiani — I am trying very hard to wait to read this until my bookclub does.

Leone’s Italian Cookbook — my Italian father sent to this me as a surprise gift in the mail. (it’s off to the side)

UPDATE:

The Human Stain by Philip Roth — Some of you might have seen this book in my last posting. I returned it to the library without reading it. I do that sometimes when a book doesn’t immediately grab me and I happen to have a big fat stack of good books to read.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (not shown, it is now on my dh’s nightstand!): I finished this book on the place last weekend. We are discussing it at my bookclub meeting tonight

The Road by Cormac McCarthy — I started this in Sedona and it has completely captured my imagination, but I have set it aside because I just had a bunch of library books I ordered come in.

Dreaming in French by Megan Mcandrew — I began this last night. I can’t wait to get back to it. It is about an American couple transplanted in Paris told from their daughter’s viewpoint (so far that’s what it is about!)

The Likeness by Tana French — I think I heard about this by The Evening Reader’s  blog (see righthandside). Looking forward to starting this, as well.

The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio  by Terry Ryan — my OTHER book club picked this last week for this month. Will have to get going on it. I have either already read it or tried to read it in the past. I’m sure I will remember which when I get started on it.

Slam by Nick Hornby — once again set aside until my library books are read.

FILM/MOVIES/TV

We just finished the last episode in Season 1 of Battlestar Galactica last night. (on netflix). Now on to season 2!

I will be hitting the movie theater sometime this weekend for the second Twilight movie, even if I don’t know what is called off the top of my head, I’ll be there!

BLOG FOR PAY UPDATE

So far, I’ve been offered two opportunities to post on here for pay and turned them both down. The first was a while back and was about plastic surgery. The second came yesterday and they wanted me to write about — get this — crotchless panties. No thank you. I will, however, post something for pay in the future if I think it will be relevant or interesting or at least nonoffensive, to you, my readers. Thanks for understanding.

ON MY NIGHTSTAND

On my nightstand

 One less thing to worry about by Jerilyn Ross. My mother, a wise, wonderful, intimidatingly intelligent woman mailed this book to me on Saturday as a gift. I’m almost done. I’ve always been a bit of a worrier, but now have actually –  for the first time in my life — been having panic attacks. (a whole ‘nother issue I should probably write about someday)*. Anyway, I’m marking up this book like mad and almost finished reading it. It deals a lot with anxiety connected to fluctuating hormone levels and then treatment with cognitive therapy and other methods (just getting into the treatment part of the book).

When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson. I can’t believe I actually got back to this book. Finally. I finished all my library books and now am waiting for more on my request list to become available.

My next bookclub book is Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, but as I am something like no. 700 on the waiting list, so I know it is not going to become available before bookclub. Has anyone read it? Is it really worth seeking out or should I just skip it?

* One thing that has changed that has probably affected my anxiety level is ever since the weather became cold, I have stopped doing something I love — walking. I think just by starting to walk again every day, it can make a big difference for me. So this morning, during the short “kid-free” time I have three days a week (I have two hours to myself) I walked to the library to return some books that were due. It is about a mile round trip. In my big walking days I used to think it was the wimpy walk — the big one was down to the shopping area south of here. But it really feels good to just move my body again. I have been trying to spend this time working online or running errands, but I think it is crucial to use it to walk if it will help this anxiety I’ve been feeling.

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich — Got this from the library for one of my bookclubs. It is a fun read so far. I’m going to hurry and finish it though because I just picked up two new library books today.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery — The chic women over at French Chic recommended this book to me. I’ve been on the library waiting list for ages and really looking forward to digging into it.

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey — recommended by so many of you awesome women and also by my former priest! I am looking forward to starting this one as well.

Accidentally on Purpose by Mary Pols — Still re-reading this one by my former coworker for my other bookclub meeting next week.

I need to go back and watch the episodes of this sitcom based on her book. I caught the first one, but I have been so engrossed in reading that I have forgotten when it is on and missed it.  In fact,  I have been so happy with so many books lately that I haven’t watched TV for ages. Instead, I go upstairs and curl up with my latest book. I did watch one movie this week “Wolverine: The X Men Origins” or something like that (not sure exact title) It was a fun movie.

I should just aside the Kate Atkinson and chess books for awhile. They aren’t happening for awhile I can tell.

You can see by my living room what an important role books play in my life. I only save books I love.

On the lefthand side, the two lower shelves are for my children’s books. The shelf above that is all of my husband’s music books and scores. Then on the right bookshelf, the shelf right above the TV is for DVDs. We don’t buy them, but these are ones given as gifts to my children. So I really don’ t have a ton of books considering how much I read. I only keep ones that are meaningful.

On my nightstand

An Immoveable Feast by John Baxter. I pretty much ripped through this fun French read sent to me by Cherie! Thanks again Cherie.

The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allan and Bar ara Pease. This is a fascinating read. I am reading it slowly so I can remember all the important knowledge it has about reading body language. I recommend this to anyone and everyone. It is a library book.

The Mandarins by Simone de Beaviour. This is a library book I haven’t had a chance to start yet.

The Elementary Particles by Michel Houellebecq. I am three-fourths of the way through this library book, inspired by either the author of Entre Nous or the author of French Women Don’t Sleep Alone who mentioned that French women argue over the latest Houellebecq book. Great book. Very intellectual and lots of sex. I’ve heard it is dismal and depressing at its conclusion however. We’ll see.

When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson. A great book I will pick up and resume reading when I finish my library books.

Loop Loop and Here Kitty Kitty are books I own that I may not get to for a while.