sandykaypax's 2011 reads part 2

link to my first thread: here

2011 reads so far:

1.A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
2. Outer Banks by Anne Rivers Siddons
3. Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise by Sam Irvin
4. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
5. Girlfriends Forever by Susan Branch
6. A Total Waste of Makeup by Kim Gruenenfelder
7. The Solution by Lucinda Bassett
8. You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation by Susannah Gora
9. My Favorite Midlife Crisis (Yet) by Toby Devens
10. Excuses Begone! How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
11. Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen
12. Fine On Acting by Howard Fine
13. Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen
14. Frank: The Voice by James Kaplan
15. A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh
16. And Furthermore by Judi Dench
17. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
18. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
19. Let’s Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies by Pamela Des Barres
20. The Mindful Way Through Anxiety by Susan M. Orsillo and Lizabeth Roemer
21. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
22. Satan’s Sisters by Star Jones
23. Roseannearchy by Roseanne Barr
24. If You Were Here by Jen Lancaster
25. Lost and Found by Geneen Roth
26. Enter a Murderer by Ngaio Marsh
27. Summer in the South by Cathy Holton
28. Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell
29. Peace from Broken Pieces by Iyanla Vanzant
30. Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
31. Rumors by Anna Godbersen
32. Why? Because We Still Like You: An Oral History of the Mickey Mouse Club by Jennifer Armstrong
33. Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television by Judith Weston
34. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
35. Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
36. The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley
37. South of Broad by Pat Conroy
38. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
39. Flight Lessons by Patricia Gaffney
40. The Right Questions: Ten Essential Questions to Guide You to an Extraordinary Life by Debbie Ford
41. The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh
42. The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure
43. All the Best People by Sloan Wilson
44. LoveHampton by Sherri Rifkin
45. Burnt Mountain by Anne Rivers Siddons
46. I’m Over All That by Shirley MacLaine
47. Magnificent Monologues for Teens by Chambers Stevens
48. The Ultimate Audition Book for Middle School Actors Volume 1: 111 One-Minute Monologues by Kristen Dabrowski
49. Magnificent Monologues for Kids by Chambers Stevens
50. Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison

ETA: the rest of my 2011 reads.

51. Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
52. The Amazing Mackerel Pudding Plan by Wendy McClure
53. The Very Picture of You by Isabel Wolff
54. Bossypants by Tina Fey
55. Psychic Intelligence by Terry and Linda Jamison
56. Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
57. Sensational Scenes for Kids by Chambers Stevens
58. Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Woman by Patricia Bosworth
59. The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston
60. The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
61. Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres
62. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield
63. Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch
64. Thank You Notes by Jimmy Fallon with the writers of Late Night
65. The Farm Chicks Christmas: Merry Ideas for the Holidays by Serena Thompson
66. Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
67. Morning, Noon and Night: Living the Creative Life by Judy Collins
68. Have Yourself a Very Vintage Christmas by Susan Waggoner
69. 'Tis the Season! by Lorna Landvik
70. Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace
71. Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
72. Betsy-Tacy and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace
73. Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill by Maud Hart Lovelace
74. Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown by Maud Hart Lovelace
75. Christmas from the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch
76. Heaven to Betsy by Maud Hart Lovelace
77. Betsy Was a Junior by Maud Hart Lovelace
78. The Trees Kneel at Christmas by Maud Hart Lovelace
79. Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies

*waves hello*

Hi Sandy!
Starred!

Checking in, Sandy.

Pretty. Neat. Bare. Needs books.

Hope your doing some great reading Sandy!

starred!

Hey Sandy - just checking out the new digs and hope you're doing well!

Books for your new thread! ;-)

51. Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Links is Christie's second mystery featuring Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. I won't go into the plot details, but it was enjoyable.

Sandy K

52. The Amazing Mackerel Pudding Plan by Wendy McClure

This was a book of photos of actual recipe cards that McClure found at her mother's house. She makes funny and snarky comments next to each photo. A fun little quick read.

Sandy K

53. The Very Picture of You by Isabel Wolff

I am just having one of those days where I just can't seem to get my thoughts together enough to write coherently. So, I will just say that I really liked this book. It is sort of chick lit, yet with a bit more depth. The main character, Ella, paints portraits. The parts of the book dealing with the sittings of her various portrait subjects were enlightening, as I had never really thought much about that particular aspect of painting.

Sandy K

Cee, thanks for the "books"! That made me laugh.

This thread has been like a ghost town. I don't know what my problem is.

Thanks for stopping by: Kath, Brit, Valerie, Marie, MickyFine, mamzel, and Cee!

So, I have 22 more books to read between now and the end of the year to reach my 75 goal. I think I can, I think I can...

Sandy K

I think you can too... but only if you want to!
Nothing worse than forcing a read.. ugh!

2 or 22 .. it just doesn't matter as long as you enjoy it when you read .

I'll be srtuggling for 75 also -
Kath is right, but I still want to hit 75 - just once! And I'm getting close,
but the holidays are coming! oy

Ditto what Kath said. Better that you read stuff you enjoy than force yourself to read a bunch of books to reach the goals. We will celebrate no matter what when the end of the year rolls around! :)

My friends, of course you are right...I just need to enjoy reading and not worry about the goal. But...it's so close...

Part of the problem is that I watch too much tv instead of reading. I feel like the DVR makes me watch MORE tv. I'm glad that Project Runway had the finale last night, now I can cross that one off!

BTW, the Project Runway runner-up was an acquaintance of mine, Joshua McKinley. I am so happy and proud for him. He performed in plays and musicals at the organization where I work. I've known him since he was a kid. It's so odd watching someone that you know personally on a reality show. I had to stop reading message boards on Television Without Pity because people made such cruel comments. Things are definitely edited to show DRAMA. There were so many snarky comments about Josh becoming emotional because of his mother's death from cancer. I knew his mother, and she really was his biggest suppporter in his life. I hate to read comments from some anonymous poster that imply that Josh was playing that up for the cameras. That's why I love this group. It's not just a forum for meanness and snark. *gets down from soapbox sheepishly*

In other news, I have discovered Spotify and am OBSESSED. It's a free site where you can listen to music. It is not a piracy site--it is legit. Sort of like Pandora, except that you can create your own playlists and choose what to listen to. I have made a GIANT playlist of all my vinyl albums. It is so great to listen to the music in a digital format where it sounds like it was recorded yesterday. Unfortunately, not everything that I want is on there--Peter Gabriel's album So? The Go-Go's Vacation? WHY?! Must be a licensing issue. But they really have quite an extensive library on the site. Listening to Synchronicity by The Police right now, and next up is Sting's first solo album, ...Nothing Like the Sun.

Sandy K

ETA: ...Nothing Like the Sun is Sting's SECOND solo album, not his first. The Dream of the Blue Turtles is his first.

I was disappointed that Josh didn't win. I really should say that I was disappointed that Anya won. She was a true Johnnie Onenote. I think Heidi had a girl crush on her and gave her way too much slack. I'm looking forward to the All Stars show. I think Mondo was ripped off, too.

54. Bossypants by Tina Fey

I loved this book! I laughed so hard while reading it, the kind of laughter where you feel weak and giddy and make embarrassing snorting sounds.

Sandy K

Hi Sandy!
Glad to hear that. This is one on my shelf... waiting...
:)

Hey Cee! I am a huge 30 Rock and SNL fan, so I don't know why I waited to read this one. Tina is also a feminist, working in show business, and as a theatre teacher and performer myself, I love her way of making points with humor.

Quiet day so far today...my mom is still sleeping, which makes sense since she was awake for almost 24 hours straight yesterday. Her dementia causes her to have such erratic sleeping habits. We try to make her go to bed at a decent hour, but many times she will just get out of bed and sit in the living room and turn the tv back on. I've gotten up at 4am to go to the bathroom and there she will be sitting in the recliner looking at a book. I've given up on trying to get her to go back to bed in those cases. She's 80 years old, she has dementia, she's not hurting anyone or keeping us awake or trying to go outside, so I've just let that battle go. We have very loud chimes on both of the doors so that we can stop her from going outside by herself. She only seems to try to go outside during daylight hours, thankfully.

I am still obsessed with listening to music on Spotify. I listened to Carole King's new Christmas album today. Enjoyable, really has that classic Carole King sound. Now I am back to listening to my giant list of stuff I had on vinyl. So far, I've listened to 2 Duran Duran albums--Seven and the Ragged Tiger and Rio. A-Ha and the Pet Shop Boys are up next. I am reliving my teens and early 20's! Sounds SO GOOD in clean digital format.

Sandy K

Dementia: I know what you're talking about, Sandy. My Mom has erratic sleeping hours also. Sleeps very late in the morning - noonish. And like you, I feel there is no need of making it into a battle. No one is being hurt. Just hard to get things done around here since I tend to be quiet for her and also tends to mess up our meal times.
I know there are lots of hours at night she is awake... I've caught her sitting up at ungodly times.

I may have a false sense of security, but Mom doesn't seem to want to go out alone (except on the back deck where she sweeps, reads, walks, or stares out at the cove. I wonder if there are any signs of imminent wandering to watch for??? I really don't think she would get far. Stairs... Rough terrain around here... etc Our dog would hear her and bark ad nauseum to get us up.
hugs -
{{{Sandy}}}

Cee, my mother used to take short walks up and down our street, but one day she went outside (in the winter) and walked around the block and kept going until she got confused and lost. I never heard her open the door. I had assumed she was in the living room. I had a very panicked hour when I and my sisters and my next door neighbor drove around the neighborhood looking for her. Luckily, an elderly couple saw her outside, invited her in and called the police to help her find her way home. She had walked over the boundary of our city and into the next suburb (we live very close to the boundary).

So, we installed the door chimes. It has happened once more, this summer when my sister turned off the door chime and went outside to do yardwork. Terrifying.

We live in a suburban area, though, so maybe your mom is used to staying on the deck. My mother had dementia for about 8 years already before we got to this point.

{{{Hugs back at cha!}}}

Sandy K

I think I may have to upload Bossypants to my kindle for my next trip!

The door chimes are a great idea!!

We found a woman in an icy rain once.. or rather she found us..
we lived near Boston and she rang the bell..
I put her clothes in the dryer and fed her some soup before I noticed her bracelet..
I had already called the police because I thought she was just confused.. she kept talking about
the car going over the hill. Then I found her medic alert bracelet.. I am glad she found us :)

Glad you enjoyed Bossypants.. it isn't calling out to me just now.. sometime it might..

Hi Brit! Yes, Bossypants would be fun reading for a trip! Do I remember you saying that you were going to Hawaii soon? You could probably get through the whole book on a long plane ride.

Hi Kath! You are a good samaritan. How lucky for that poor woman that she happened to ring your doorbell.

Having a weird night. An old acquaintance of mine posted some very acidic comments to me on facebook tonight. I'm not sure what to make of it. He took exception to a status that I posted. I thought I was being light and humorous, but he took it as me being officious. I apologized to him and he replied no need to be sorry. Then he said again that he was offended. ?!? Then he asked me to change my profile pic because it was "depressing people". My profile pic at the moment is an old photo of me and a dear friend of mine that died this year. This man wrote and directed youth theatre plays that I performed in. His birthday is this month and we are having a memorial service for him. My offended facebook acquaintance was someone that also performed in those shows. I don't get it. I am trying not to be upset. I have to see this person in 2 weeks at the memorial and I don't want any awkwardness. Yet, I feel he doesn't have the right to decide what MY profile pic should be. Right now, I am just not responding.

Sandy K

Sandy - Yes, I am heading to Hawai'i in a couple weeks. I think I will splurge and put it on my kindle for the trip! Thanks for the recommendation!

I'm sorry about those comments on facebook. You should just ignore him and maybe decide whether or not he is worthy of your facebook friendship.

26/27: I'm with weejane on this one. No one should be able to tell you what to do on your Facebook profile. I'm also sorry to hear you lost a close friend this year. :(

55. Psychic Intelligence by Terry and Linda Jamison

I've seen Psychic Twins, Terry and Linda Jamison on the Tyra Banks show, and they seemed like the real deal to me, so I decided to check out their book. The book was a how-to type book about getting in touch with one's own natural psychic abilities, with a little bit of the twins personal experiences thrown in. I actually would've preferred more of a memoir, but I still found the book interesting. We all have intuition--I was especially interested in the way the twins broke it down into types of clairs--clairvoyance (seeing), clairaudience (hearing), clairsentience (knowing), etc. They had little questionnaires to help one figure out which type of intuition one experiences the most. For me, it was definitely clairvoyance, a term which I had never fully understood until reading this book. One of the things that happens in clairvoyance is dreaming something that then occurs. This happens to me quite frequently. Of course, usually it's something really trivial--I dream about a celebrity and then I turn on the tv in the morning and there they are. Or I dream of a friend, and then they call me.

The clear seeing (clairvoyance) makes a lot of sense for me, because I have always been a very good speller. I can just "see" the word in front of me. I used to think that everyone did that. Of course, being an avid reader helps, too!

Sandy K

56. Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

I am fan of Elin Hilderbrand. Her books always take place in a beach setting, usually Nantucket Island, where Silver Girl is set. They aren't great and lofty literature, but solid womens' fiction. The story had an interesting twist on the usual best friends-finding their way back after a falling out. Connie and Meredith are both 49 years old, and they've been friends forever. Connie is a widow, struggling still after 3 years with the loss of her husband and the estrangement of her adult daughter. Meredith is hiding out in Connie's Nantucket house because her husband has been caught perpetrating a Ponzi scheme on a grand billion dollar scale. Obviously, Hilderbrand based this aspect of the story on the Bernie Madoff scandal. Meredith, though innocent, is under investigation, as is one of her sons, and she's trying to make sense of the whole mess.

It wasn't my favorite book by Hilderbrand, but I still stayed up until 1am last night finishing it! I give it 3 stars.

Sandy K

Brit and Marie, thanks for the support! My friend's memorial is one week from today. I am looking forward to reconnecting with many old friends and remembering our friend Nick. He and I used to talk books all the time. I really miss that. I still find myself reading something and wishing that I could discuss it with him.

He and I both loved The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford. We were the kind of nerds that would quote those two books all the time. Several months ago, there was a lot of great discussion here on the 75 books thread about the Mitford sisters. Even though I didn't join in the discussion, it gave me a lot of comfort just to read the threads and think about how much my friend would've enjoyed the discussion.

Sandy K

Sorry about the loss of your friend, Sandy. It's hard to lose a whole dimension of your life where no one else can quite fill in - but it sounds like you have many fond memories.

Re clairvoyance, it's a dang good thing the things I see in my dreams don't come true! They are weird and usually not good.
I doubt I have any kind of clairaudience, since one of my ears is not so great.
So maybe, clairsentience. I'm always telling my Mom I know everything! lol
Sounds like an interesting book...

Moved by yr. descriptions of caring for your Moms -- both you and Claudia.

I want to add my sympathies too, to the loss of yr. Mitford-loving friend.

Terry and Linda Jamison seem like the real deal to me, too .
They said on GMA that all of there prediction websites and videos have been removed by?
I sure can't find any. And they seem to have gone quiet again, unless I am just not looking in the right places?

Clairsentience .. yes..

57. Sensational Scenes for Kids by Chambers Stevens

I am using several scenes from this book for my advanced acting class ages 9-11. It is so hard to find appropriate scenes for kids to work on in class. Ideally, one should work on scenes from actual plays in a scene study class, but these stand-alone scenes are just fine for my students. My students think the scenes are fun, and we are also enjoying improvising background info for the characters, since these are not from complete plays. I may buy this book instead of getting it from the library again. A winner.

Sandy K

duplicate post deleted by me

Cee and Lucy, thanks for your kind comments about the loss of my friend, Nick.

His memorial will be on Thursday, and I am in the midst of putting together some music that he loved to play during the evening. It will be a very small gathering, as his circle narrowed down considerably during the last 10 years of his life. We are showing a slide show of photos of him and many pieces of his artwork. He did several drawings for Cleveland magazine back in the late 80's-early 90's, plus he loved to draw little notecards and things for friends. The 3 songs that I've chosen to play during the slide show all have significance as songs that he loved, by artists he liked--Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries by Judy Garland, My Funny Valentine by Ella Fitzgerald and Some Other Time (from the musical On the Town, a show he performed in when he was theatre major in college) by Barbara Cook.

Kath--the Jamison twins website is still up. Maybe they were talking about clips on YouTube being gone?

So, I have 18 more books to read to reach my goal of 75 by the end of 2011. I can do it! I told myself when I started this challenge, that it didn't matter if I reached the goal or not, my main goal was simply to read more. But it's so close...

Right now, I'm in the middle of Patricia Bosworth's bio of Jane Fonda. I read Fonda's own memoir, My Life So Far a few years ago and quite enjoyed it. Bosworth is a wonderful writer, and she knows Fonda from their days together at the Actors Studio. I am at the part of Fonda's life in the early 1970's where she is very politically active and has just made the films They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and Klute. I don't enjoy reading about the political stuff as much as I enjoy reading about her film work and personal relationships with family and others.

Sandy K

yes... any clips or sites with their predictions..
Also.. I tried to get to this site a few months back and it was unavailable, too..
thanks for the heads up tho!

How odd, Kath...I did go to their site a couple of days ago, so maybe they fixed whatever the issue was.

Sandy K

Well... they had mentioned on one of the shows I saw them on..
GMA maybe? that their predictions had been taken down .. so
when I heard that I went looking.. and even on other peoples or shows sites..
any video with them was "removed" ... so they were right..
I bought the book after GMA and read it... Actually Dan wanted it..
I explained to him that it wasn't about their predictions but he still wanted it.
Clearly he didn't listen to what I said though, because he was disappointed that it wasn't about their predictions.. sigh.

Weird...why were their predictions removed? Maybe it was for legal reasons...whatever that means, lol!

Sandy K

Hello Sandy! I hope you have a good day!

Hi Sandy!! Just found your new thread and I'm so sorry you're going through dementia moments with your mom. When my MIL was staying with us she would pack up her clothes during the night, almost every night and we would put them back in place in the morning. Seemed like she would never sleep. So with sympathy and understanding I'm sending hugs your way.

Phooey on people who want to direct your facebook pic.

As for reaching 75............
glitter-graphics.com

I'm close too. And if I accomplish this feat, just once, I will be satisfied.

58. Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Woman by Patricia Bosworth

I really enjoyed this bio! I read Jane Fonda's autobiography, My Life So Far, a few years ago and found it fascinating. This bio by Patricia Bosworth filled in the gaps. I liked reading an objective view of Ms. Fonda's activism, politics, film work and personal life. The author had Fonda's cooperation and also was able to interview many key people in Fonda's life.

Sandy K

59. The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston

This book is absolutely delightful! It is like looking at a scrapbook of a young woman from 1920-1928. The story is slim, but captures the era beautifully. I borrowed this from the library but I am putting it on my Christmas list as it's the kind of book one can look at again and again.

Sandy K

Brit and Lynda, thanks for stopping by!

And thanks for the encouragement as I close in on 75 books! Only 16 more to go!

Sandy K

Dreary day here today...I've spent most of the day on the computer, reading message boards, etc. Since I only have 16 more books to read to reach the 75 goal, I've taken stock of what I have out from the library. I have about 200 pages left to go in The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. I had started it weeks ago, then put it down to finish other things. I also have the new books by Ellen DeGeneres, Jane Lynch, and Judy Collins. So those will be next since they are new, and I probably won't be able to renew them.

After that, who knows? I'll see how much time is left in the year. I'm already looking through my books on my shelves to see which ones would be quick reads.

My guess is at the end of the year I will be reading some mysteries, chick lit and YA!

Sandy K

Yes, sandy, gloomy it is and I don't anticipate seeing much of the sun for the next 4 months. The Fonda book looks good and I'll check to see if it's available.

See what being part of this group does to encourage your reading! At the start of the year you doubted you'd reach 75; now the target looks easily in sight, especially with a few quick reads in at the end. I hope your next choice is a good one.

60. The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

This is the first book in a series about the fictional Morland family of England. This first book takes place during the 15th century during the Wars of the Roses. The main character, Eleanor, is married to the son of a Yorkshire sheepman when she is a young teen and the book follows her life and the lives of her children and grandchildren. Very good historical detail. I will continue with this series. I don't know if I'll read all 20-something books! BUT I will at least read the next 2 or 3. Nice to find a new (to me) historical fiction author.

Sandy K

Hey Sandy,

I just saw that you added Ellen DeGeneres' new book. Have you read it yet? I saw it in the airport last week and it looked very funny. Let me know how you like it!

I hope you're having a nice weekend!

61. Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres

I love Ellen! My library had this with the new biographies, but I really feel that it should be shelved with the humor books. I could hear her voice in my head as I read this. I laughed out loud several times. A good mood lifter.

Sandy K

62. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) Acting Edition by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield

If you ever have a chance to see this play performed, GO! It is hilarious. My husband has the dvd which features Adam Long, one of the original cast members and playwrights. It's a fun way to help his eighth grade students study Shakespeare. My advanced teen acting class is working on the Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet sections of this play to perform for their end of class recital/sharing. They love it.

Sandy K

52: How is that one? I love my celebrity memoirs. :)

Hey Brit and Marie! I loved Ellen's book. I am a huge fan of hers from way back. It's not really a memoir, it's really a book of humorous observations and comedy.

Sandy K

Sandy - such a quick review! I'm adding Ellen's book to my wishlist!

One of our acting teachers wanted to put on The Complete Works of Shakespeare as this year's senior play. Not sure if she is going to or not. . .

Brit, the great thing about the Complete Works is that although it was originally performed with just 3 actors, you can really be flexible with the number of actors in the show. There are a few bawdy lines here and there that we adjusted, and we changed some of the topical references (which the playwrights encourage). My teen advanced acting class LOVES it. They all have varying degrees of exposure to Shakespeare, one or two have never read or seen any Shakespeare at all, most at least have read Romeo and Juliet in school or seen the Leonardo DiCaprio film. Plus, the show is hilarious.

Last night, I started reading Jane Lynch's memoir, Happy Accidents. I am really liking it. As an actor and educator, I am always interested to read about actors' processes, and it is satisfying on that front. But Jane is also very funny. I love the pages from her childhood scrapbook that she included in the book. She was a fan of the tv show, Happy Days, and she has a scrapbook page with a photo of Ron Howard next to which she has written "FOXY!" Below that is a photo of Anson Williams (Potsie) and next to that is written "pretty good foxy". LOL! That cracked me up.

Sandy K

57: I finished Happy Accidents not that long ago and totally laughed out loud at the part your referring to. Pretty good foxy, ha, I am laughing all over again.

I know, Marie, I keep thinking about "pretty good foxy" and chuckling. I have a feeling it's going to become a Sandy catch phrase...

I went into the kitchen to start making my meatball lasagna for dinner and realized that I never took the ground beef out of the freezer to thaw! AAARGH! Need a plan B for dinner tonight. I may suddenly be in the mood for pizza.

Sandy K

i am going to have to read thr Elen book, I love her too :)

pizza sounds good :)

The Shakespeare looks like a lot of fun! I like the look of the Sensational Scenes book as well. The pre-Monty Python group, Beyond the Fringe (Dudley Moore and other greats were in it) also do a mad gallop through Shakespeare that is very very funny.

63. Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch

I zipped through this memoir by actress Jane Lynch quickly. I first noticed Jane's zany performances in the Christopher Guest films, Best in Show and A Mighty Wind. Most people know her from her brilliant turn as Coach Sue Sylvester on tv's Glee. Her book is funny, honest about her fears of intimacy and her alchohol addiction, has just enough detail about her acting process to be interesting to those in and out of the business called show. I loved it.

Sandy K

64. Thank You Notes by Jimmy Fallon with the writers of Late Night

I watch Late Night with Jimmy Fallon sporadically, but I find him charming and funny. I happened to see this small book on the new releases shelf at the library, so I picked it up. I think I read the whole book in 15 minutes! Fallon does a recurring bit on Late Night where he writes thank you notes to random people and things. A couple of them that made me crack up:

"Thank you...flour, for keeping the paper sack container business alive. Don't want to change your packaging, huh? Whenever I buy you I feel like I'm Charles Ingalls buying something from Oleson's store on credit."

Ok, that may be hilarious only to me because I'm such a huge Little House fan.

"Thank you...Febreeze, for allowing dirt and filth to live freely among us in total secrecy."

Sandy K

Hey Kath! Yes, the pizza was good. I had the 2 leftover slices for lunch today.

Hi Lucy! I remember watching a vhs tape of Beyond the Fringe many moons ago. Maybe I will see if there's anything on YouTube...

Went to the library last night and got out 3 Christmas themed books: Christmas from the Heart of Home by Susan Branch, The Farm Chicks Christmas by Serena Thompson and 'Tis the Season by Lorna Landvik. The first two are cookbooks/crafts/lifestyle books, and the third is a novel. I plan on doing some sitting on the couch by the Christmas tree tonight and enjoying them. The Susan Branch book is one that I've checked out of the library sooooo many times. I would love to have my own copy, but it is out of print. I really should just buy a used one from Amazon for 30 dollars...

I also checked out Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan. I started reading it last night while I sat in Papa John's and waited for my pizza. Generational story of family that owns a summer home in Maine. I liked what I read so far--came home and skimmed a few reviews here on LT and the word "depressing" was used more than once...uh-oh. I will probably keep reading it, though.

Only 11 more books to go!!!!!!!!!!! Silly use of too many exclamation points like a teenage girl!!!!!

Sandy K

I think Jimmy Fallon is "pretty good Foxy!"

Will definately look for both Ellen and Jane and Jimmy's books at the library.

When I've forgotten to defrost the ground beef it's chili night.

65. The Farm Chicks Christmas: Merry Ideas for the Holidays by Serena Thompson

This was a pretty book to look at and read while I sat by my Christmas tree. I am not someone who really enjoys doing crafts, but there were still lots of good ideas for holiday decorating that just involved using things one already has around their house. It's definitely a more rustic/country themed book, but I loved the use of vintage Christmas decorations. We have tons of stuff in my mother's house that I can now think about re-purposing. There were also some cookie recipes that I will try in here. The photos and page design are lovely.

Sandy K

#65 Lynda, I agree that Jimmy Fallon is pretty good foxy, but Conan O'Brien is FOXY! For years, I thought I was the ONLY person who thought so. But I've noticed when I'm watching his show on TBS that there are usually some women in the audience that share my opinion. Smart, funny, and kind-very attractive.

Sandy K

Ha ha ha, I totally agree but I think I would switch it around. Conan O'Brien is pretty good foxy and Jimmy Fallon is foxy! I had no idea the latter had a book.

Ha, Marie! Most probaby would agree with you...but I love my Coco!

Waiting around for my sister to get home from work so that hubby and I can go out to dinner. Then I want to make a big dent in Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan. I'm only on page 54 out of 385 pages. I really want to finish it by Sunday. Anyone else read this one?

Conan O'Brien???

yikes.. lol.. not my cuppa tea at all.. but to each his own :)
I won't fight you for either .. so you can have my share !

Sandy... try the beer bread!!

Ooohhh. . . let me know how you like Maine. I read Commencement by her and really liked it.

Lotsa luck on finishing Maine by Sunday! I bet you can do it!!

66. Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

Maine is the story of 4 women--Alice, a widow in her 80's, her daughter, Kathleen, Kathleen's daughter, Maggie, and Alice's daughter-in-law, Ann Marie. The narrative alternates between the four women, and between the present and the past. Alice and her husband, Daniel, acquired 3 beachfront acres in Maine after the war. The family spends their summers there every year, even after Alice and Daniel's 3 children are grown and have families of their own. The story is about family and relationships of all kinds--mother/daughter, siblings, lovers, spouses.

I read a couple of reviews on LT that described this book as depressing. I did not find it depressing at all! Yes, many of the characters behave badly, and there are regrets and sadness, but what family does not have its share of misunderstandings and secrets? Overall, I felt that I came to know and understand the four women, warts and all.

Sandy K

67. Morning, Noon and Night: Living the Creative Life by Judy Collins

I loved this book. Judy Collins writes about creating music and lyrics, but much of what she writes about in this book can be applied to all of the arts. It reminded me a bit of The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (which Collins mentions--she does her own morning pages writing every day). But the structure is more gentle and loose. This is one that I would like to own, so that I can use it as an inspiration for my own artistic pursuits.

Sandy K

Thanks for the review of Maine! This book has been on my TBR since it came out!

68. Have Yourself A Very Vintage Christmas by Susan Waggoner

I found this book really interesting as someone who likes the fashions and decor of the early part of the twentieth century. I am not crafty AT ALL, so I won't be attempting any of the many crafts in the book, but it was still fun to read. I will say, though, that the directions for the crafts were very clearly written and had good tips on what materials to use and where to find them.

A sampling of the Christmas trends in the book from each decade covered:

The 1920's: Red is the dominant color with accents of white or cream. Green is only seen in actual greenery like holly leaves. Poinsettias were considered poisonous, so they are not seen at all. The red honeycomb bell, most often fixed to the center of the ceiling is popular. The trendy colors of the 1920's were pastels, so these are sometimes seen along with red. The mantelpiece or hearth is seen more than trees on cards. The world of Charles Dickens is a big influence, with holly, carriage lanterns and silhouettes seen as popular motifs. Children and toys are depicted more frequently than Santa. 1920's Christmas trees are round and fat. Beaded garlands are super popular on trees.

The 1930's: Due to Haddon Sundblom's ads for Coca-Cola featuring Santa (which first appeared in 1931), Santa Claus becomes a popular decoration for ornaments and decor. Red is still a dominant color, but is joined by vibrant green. Blue and white also enjoyed a period of popularity as cards illustrated completely in those two colors were a trend. The English Dickens-style landscapes are replaced by a more American look--think cabins in the woods, and pine trees instead of holly. Children are still popular, but now they are more scrappy and spunky--like screen stars Shirley Temple and Jackie Cooper. Dogs are scrappy, too--terriers and mutts are all over Christmas decor of the '30's. In 1937, Shiny-Brite glass balls are mass produced and are affordable and electric tree lights are more affordable, too. Reflectors for tree lights made of tin (and later, aluminum and plastic) show up.

1940's: Red and green are still the dominant colors, but because of the war, patriotic themes and decor in red, white, and blue are there, too. Candles in windows, to signify loved ones overseas, were helped by the artificial candle with an electric cord that was now available. Because rubber, tin, and paper were in short supply at home, cellophane and plastic were used for Christmas decor. The red cellophane wreath and red plastic cookie cutters were popular. (We have some of those cookie cutters! I had no idea they were from this era--just knew they were old.) As in the previous decade, dogs were still popular, but the Scottie reigned supreme--most likely because President Roosevelt's dog, Fala, was a Scottish Terrier. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer showed up on all sorts of things, because the song had been a hit in the Christmas season of 1939. Full-size trees were expensive and in short supply because most of the men that cut the trees were now serving their country in the armed forces. The tabletop tree was a popular alternative. The Shiny-Brite company still produced glass balls, but because the paint was in short supply, the clear glass ball with bands of color was produced. Shiny-Brite also perfected the mercury glass technique. The first bubble tree lights appeared.

1950's: After the war ended, the building boom played a big part in the changes in Christmas trends. Christmas trees became the focal point in the room, replacing mantelpieces, since most new homes either didn't have fireplaces or had low ledges instead of mantels. Trees were placed in picture windows so they could be seen from the street. The entire house was decorated, as entertaining at home was popular. All sorts of holiday novelty home items were available--cocktail glasses, doormats, hand towels, etc. Blue becomes a trendy color, and by the end of the decade, aqua and the combo of pink and charcoal gray is fashionable. Poinsettias finally become the popular plant, due in part to the Ecke family, poinsettia growers in California. Ecke sent plants to television studios for use on the sets of The Tonight Show and Bob Hope specials. People saw them and wanted them for their own homes. Outdoor light displays of homes begin. Flashing lights and midget lights are introduced. The aluminum tree is a trend, complete with color wheel.

1960's: The flocked tree is in. Aqua is still on trend, joined by white, silver, and platinum. Bright colors of many hues like orange, purple, yellow, chartreuse, and hot pink are seen. Bright aqua and vivid green are a trendy combo. A sleek, sophisticated stylized look is hot. A contrasting trend is Nature--Deer, Della Robbia trees and wreaths made of fresh fruits and plants, and the old-fashioned look of turn-of-the-century popcorn balls, gingerbread men, gumdrop strings and fat twists of yarn.

Sandy K

I raptly read the review above about developing xmas tree traditions, decorating colors, etc.

Ditto... Thank you for that time capsule of Christmas :)

Thanks, Lucy and Kath! I really enjoyed reading that book and looking at all the pictures. That post above is the most time that I've ever spent writing a post on LT, so I'm glad that you liked it!

Sandy K

TaDaa: My family's Christmas tree from 1966 til 1974 :}


Great review of a very interesting book, Sandy.

76: Love your review!

69. 'Tis the Season! by Lorna Landvik

This was a fast and light read. Told completely in the form of emails and letters, Caro Dixon is an heiress who is constantly in the tabloids. When she hits bottom, she realizes that she doesn't really have any friends. As part of her newfound sobriety, she writes letters of apology to all those that she has hurt, and 2 people from her past continue to correspond with her--a former nanny, and a man who owns a ranch that she spent time at when she was a teen. The book is predictable, but funny and fun. I sat in front of my Christmas tree and read it in an evening.

Sandy K

#80 Lynda--THANKS for posting the pic of your old aluminum tree! HA! My best friend's family had one of those, too--but with all pink glass balls. It was relegated to their basement rec room, and they always had a real tree in their living room. We thought the aluminum tree was SO COOL and couldn't understand why her mom didn't want the silver tree upstairs. LOL!

#81 Hi Marie! Thanks!

A chilly, gray day here in NE Ohio. I wish that it would just get a little colder and SNOW, already. I guess we may get snow on Friday, but we'll see. I live about a half-mile from the lake shore, so often the snow doesn't stick here, because the lake is still relatively warm. I want there to be snow on the ground from December to January, and then it can all go away.

Gonna have a meatball sub for lunch with my awesome homemade meatballs today. That will warm me up, I hope! I even went to the grocery store this morning and bought a fresh sub roll for it. Good bread is very important for a good meatball sub!

My mother stayed up ALL NIGHT last night. Finally, at 9:30am today, I made her go in her room and lie down. She had been up for 24 hours straight. She claimed that she wasn't tired, but she fell asleep right away. She is like a little kid now. When she's up at night, she forages constantly for food and I find stuff in weird places. I am missing a small frying pan today. Thank goodness that she doesn't remember how to use the stove.

Sandy K

I woke up this morning with a hankering for some comfort reading. I looked over and saw my new copy of Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace that I bought at the Borders final sale. The Betsy-Tacy books by Lovelace are some of my all-time faves. Emily is a stand-alone book in the series--it was the only one that I didn't own. I read a couple of chapters this morning and already I'm transported back to 1911 Minnesota. The new paperback edition also has a wonderful introduction and additional biographical info on Lovelace and her friend, Marguerite Marsh, the inspiration for Emily.

I may just re-read the whole series again this week, if I get on a roll. Only 6 more books to read to reach my goal of 75 in 2011! I am so close I can taste it. It tastes like chicken. LOL!

Last night, I went to Target to do some Christmas shopping and I bought myself a springform pan. I am going to attempt to make my very first cheesecake. That is my grand plan for tomorrow. I'm the kind of nerd that is actually excited about making a cheesecake. I am suppressing my urge to go crazy and make a pumpkin swirl or chocolate cheesecake, and I'm going to make a basic plain one.

Sandy K

Sandy... no worries about numbers here.. remember!

Nothing like a good long stint of comfort reading! I am not a huge fan of
cheesecake.... plain is about the most I can handle :P
It seems like it would be hard to make :P

Yes, I know, no worries about numbers...but now I am soooooo close. I am a classic Gemini/last born child/ENFP that has a hard time finishing what she starts so I really want to reach the goal!

My mother finally woke up around 4pm after sleeping all day. She walked into the kitchen and asked "How did I get here?" The house she has lived in for over 50 years. Sad. She didn't seem too concerned beyond that moment, though. I made her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she ate half, and then tried to pour iced tea onto a piece of bread. Sorry to depress anyone out there, just had to vent for a second.

Sandy K

God bless you and your Mom, Sandy.

On the cheesecake - be sure to bake it thoroughly. I have had a bit of trouble with undercooked center. Let me know when it's done and I'll be over!

Good luck with 75! Try a graphic novel or 2 from the library - they are quick and different... good different.

Hey Cee! Yes, an undercooked center--that is EXACTLY what I am worried about. I have a cookbook (really a thick magazine) put out by Junior's Cheesecake of NYC that I will be using for the recipe. They have very detailed tips and instructions, so fingers crossed.

If I read a graphic novel, my husband would probably faint from surprise and joy. He LOVES them. The ones he reads are too scary or superhero-ish for me, though. So many people here on LT have read some interesting (non-scary) looking ones, so maybe...

Sandy K

How to get very close to 75 in a few days:

My Graphic novel recs (NOT scary):
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Stitches by David Small
and
Radioactive: A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss

A fun, fast read:
Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley

Thanks, Cee! I went to the library website and put a hold on Hugo Cabret. I just saw the film recently and really liked it. My local branches didn't have any available copies, but I am number 1 in line on 24 available copies in the system, so I should get it quickly.

I looked for the Morley book and it is available as an ebook. Hmmm...wondering if I can get it to read on my pc or if I need an e-reader? Interesting.

Sandy K

Sandy - You are waaaaay closer to 75 than me! I'm really enjoying Hugo Cabret. I would be interested to know what super-heroish graphic novels your husband reads. . .

Good luck with the cheesecake! I have not ventured to making one. . . the only time I used a springform pan was to make a mocha icebox cake from the Barefoot Contessa.

What? Mocha icebox cake? I need it. Was that in one of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks or a recipe from her tv show?

Off the top of my head, I know that he likes the Powers series, and Iron Man (all of the Avengers, really). I'll have to ask him. Oh, and author Alan Moore...can't remember what he writes...my brain is full...there was a movie version with Billy Crudup...gah! What is the name?

eta: Watchmen! That's the name of the Alan Moore series of graphic novels. I had to go to imdb and look it up.

Sandy K

Hey Sandy, by all means "vent"! It offers so much relief and it's so easy to do. I wish I had kept a journal during my MIL's stay with us. So many things she said or did were so off the wall that it may have offered some assistance in getting her diagnosed.
Keep on working for your 75, it's so in reach!

Thanks Sandy! I'd like to start reading the Avengers or something along those lines!

The recipe is from her book that came out last year, How easy is that? The recipe is ridiculously easy! Here is a link:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mocha-chocolate-icebox-cake-recipe...

Enjoy!

oh goody, Icebox cake! thanks !

Parnassas is a good read, I agree with Cee...
Don't know about the others, but Hugo looks good, as does Wonderstruck..

I'll add another recommendation for Hugo Cabret! it was an amazing book. I want to see the movie.

And I'm glad to see your thoughts on Maine. That's been on my TBR for a while. Sounds like it is worth a read.

I agree with Lynda that venting is a good idea. My mom has been dealing with similar issues with my grandma. I know that sometimes she laughs to keep from crying. Take care of yourself.

70. Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace

Maud Hart Lovelace is best known for her Betsy-Tacy series of books, set in fictional Deep Valley, Minnesota at the turn of the twentieth century. The series follows Betsy Ray from age 5 all the way to young adulthood, culminating in her wedding and first year of marriage. Emily of Deep Valley is a stand-alone book, sort of a spin-off from the Betsy books--it takes place somewhere between the last and second-last books, and contains several characters from the series, with Betsy herself making a cameo appearance.

Lovelace grew up in Mankato, Minnesota and all of her Deep Valley books are based on actual people and events from her life. Emily of Deep Valley is a coming-of-age novel about Emily Webster, an 18 year old girl who longs to go to college, and perhaps work in sociology, like her hero, Jane Addams, the founder of Hull House. But Emily is an orphan who lives with her grandfather and she stays home to take care of him while her friends go off to various colleges. Emily and her grandfather befriend two Syrian immigrant boys, who live nearby. There was a Syrian neighborhood in Mankato, and Lovelace used her experiences with the Syrian immigrants as material for this book, and also in one of the earlier books in the Betsy-Tacy series, Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill.

I hadn't read this book in probably 25 years. I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading it. Lovelace has a wonderful gift for making the past come alive in her books. I could relate to Emily's struggles to "find herself" after graduating from high school. The secondary characters of Grandfather Webster, Kalil and Jusef, and others were delightful. Lovelace doesn't shy away from the prejudices that many of the residents have against the Syrian immigrants, yet she has a light touch--the book never gets heavy-handed.

Reading this made me dig into my closet and pull out all my other books by Maud Hart Lovelace and begin re-reading like mad!

Sandy K

Oh, Sandy! You're so close! I'm cheering you on!

71-74. The Betsy-Tacy Treasury by Maud Hart Lovelace

contains 4 books:

71. Betsy-Tacy

The first book in the series. Definitely a children's book, the writing is simple and charming. 5 year old Betsy Ray meets soon-to-be best friend Tacy Kelly when her family moves into the house across the street. They play in a piano box, take their suppers to eat on the hill next to their houses, play with paper dolls, play dress-up and go calling on neighbors. A lovely look back to turn-of-the-century America. In the last chapter, they meet Tib Muller, who lives in a chocolate-colored Victorian house with a turret and stained glass over the front door.

72. Betsy-Tacy and Tib

Betsy and her friends, Tacy and Tib are now 8 years old. This book was always one of my favorites of the series. The girls get into several very funny scrapes, like making "Everything Pudding" , which means taking a little of everything in the kitchen and mixing it all together. Betsy tells lots of stories and makes up poems. We meet Tib's Aunt Dolly from Milwaukee, who will appear again later in the series. The girls go to the fair and see the Flying Lady, and re-create the show for the neighborhood.

73. Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill

Betsy, Tacy and Tib take picnics up on the Big Hill and meet Naifi, a Syrian girl, who lives in the Little Syria neighborhood just over the hill. Betsy's older sister, Julia, and Tacy's older sister, Katie, figure prominently in this book. The girls get into a fight over an idea that both groups have about the Queen of the May poem that Julia recites. A contest to get votes for Queen of Summer turns into a terrible quarrel between the sisters.

74. Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown

The girls go to see Uncle Tom's Cabin at the Opera House, Tib gets a ride in the first horseless carriage in Deep Valley, they become friends with Winona Root, classmate and daughter of the editor of the local newspaper. Betsy goes to the brand new Carnegie Library downtown, and befriends Mrs. Poppy, the wife of the owner of the Opera House and the Melborn Hotel. This is the first book in the series in which Lovelace describes the traditions of Christmas of Betsy and Tacy, including their annual Christmas shopping trip in which they each buy a Christmas ornament. The theatre figures prominently in this book, leading to a surprise at the end.

Reading Emily of Deep Valley inspired me to go back and re-read more Maud Hart Lovelace. I've probably read this series of books more than any other. The characters truly seem like friends to me. I wish that I had a daughter so that I could pass these books on to her.

Sandy K

Hey Brit! Thanks for the cheering! Only 1 book to go!

Sandy K

What a good way to reach 75 - old favorites are always nice quick reads. I liked the Betsy-Tacy-Tib books you just read when I was a kid, but I don't think I ever read the later books in the series. I might have to look them up one day!

1 book to go! What will it be????
The tension is mounting....

One more to go, One more to go, One more to go. Gooooo Sandy!!!!

What Cee said ........

Ha ha, love the cheerleader gif. One more, woo hoo!

***eagerly awaiting the arrival of Book #75***

I DID IT!!!!!! I reached my goal! Hooray!



75. Christmas from the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch

I love this book. I've gotten it from the library so many times, because sadly, it is out of print. Every page is decorated with beautiful watercolor pictures. It's a cookbook, lifestyle book, and an art book. So Christmas-y!

Sandy K

To all that cheered me on: THANKS, PALS!!

Perfect!

Congratulations, Sandy!

YOU DID IT!

75 BOOK GOAL MET!

HOORAY HOORAY HOORAY!! Congratulations!!! (I'm not so handy with the graphics - but I have a HUGE smile on my face for you!)

Thanks, Lynda, Pat, Cee, and Brit!

Awesome fireworks, Cee!

Sandy K

Hurray! 75 books in a year! Woo hoo - good job!

Congrats!

Felicitations on reaching the magic number, Sandy!

Well done!

75 books - congratulations!!! Glad you reached your goal with an old favorite!

congratulations on reaching your goal !!! :)

eta
edited for spelling as my mistake has been carefully pointed out.
That will teach me to try to make quick visits to LT between chores!

LOL - ah, Kath! You are the funniest typo lady I ever met.
You come up with some good ones. ;-)

btw, the "d" and "l" are not even close on the keyboard. I know, cuz I hafta look!

Congrats on reaching the big 75!

76. Heaven to Betsy by Maud Hart Lovelace

This is the fifth book in the Betsy-Tacy series, and the first of the 4 high school book in the series. The book spans Betsy's freshman year of high school.

Sandy K

Thanks Marie, drneutron, Amy, Kath, and Terri!

77. Betsy Was a Junior by Maud Hart Lovelace

I skipped over the second high school book in the Betsy-Tacy series, Betsy In Spite of Herself, because I couldn't find my copy of it! I know that I saw it sitting on a table, but my husband moved all the books on the table and now it's MIA. So, I jumped ahead to the next book. Betsy's older sister Julia goes off to college, and Betsy, inspired by her sister's talk of sororities, starts one of her own with her friends.

One of the things that I love about these books is that Betsy is always on a quest for self-improvement. I relate to that.

Sandy K

Going to bake my second cheesecake today. The first one was a hit. This one is going to my husband's boss, who loves cheesecake, as a Christmas present. He likes Twix bars, so I'm making a plain cheesecake with a shortbread crust topped with fudge and caramel--my version of a Twix bar!

I also plan to bake peppermint snowball cookies today. We'll see if I actually do it. I meant to get started on the baking this morning, but my sister came over, I dilly-dallied with things on the dvr, and then decided that I should make lunch for my mother BEFORE I got started so that she would be out of my hair, and then I needed to eat lunch, etc.

It's all good, though. I have the boom box set up in the kitchen to play my Christmas music while I bake, and a couple of Christmas books nearby to read while things cook. I went over to the children's section of the library and took out The Trees Kneel at Christmas by Maud Hart Lovelace (I'm on a Lovelace kick) and Miracle on 34th Street by George Seaton. I never realized that the movie was based on a book! So, those should be fun and quick reads.

Sandy K

Having just gained two pounds reading your thread, I too am surprised that Miracle on 34th Street is a book!

Want cheescake now! ;-)

Sandy, those Betsy books must have gone completely under my radar when I was a kid. Cool how she's always out to improve herself. What a good message for kids.

There's one more batch of cookies for us today, cinnamon sugar cookies. My son and I put on our Santa hats while we bake and just act silly.

Merry Christmas to you and your family and all the best in the new year. A little snow might be nice, don't ya think?

Merry Christmas, Sandy!

78. The Trees Kneel at Christmas by Maud Hart Lovelace

This lovely book tells the story of Afify, a Lebanese-American girl living in Brooklyn, NY in the 1950's. Her grandmother tells her the story of the trees in Lebanon "kneeling" down on Christmas Eve at the hour of Christ's birth. Afify is determined to see this for herself in the park near her house, and plans to sneak out of her home with her younger brother while the rest of the family is at midnight services. I loved the descriptions of the Lebanese food and traditions in the book--the baklava and various pastries, especially. Lovelace is so skillful at making you "see" the things that she writes about.

Sandy K

Lynda and Cee, Merry Christmas to you, too!

My Twix-inspired cheesecake turned out well. My husband gave it to his principal for his final Secret Santa gift at the Christmas party last night. I may have to make one for myself!

I got up early this morning and went to pick up our Honeybaked Ham for Christmas dinner. I only had to wait about 10 minutes, and I stood in line reading Miracle on 34th Street. I had some breakfast with my best friend nearby, and now I need to finish wrapping presents! Going out to dinner with my in-laws and then church. Feeling grateful for all my blessings!

A Merry Christmas to all my LT friends!

Sandy K

Merry Christmas, Sandy! And thanks for bringing Maud Hart Lovelace's books to my attention. My library has all the Betsy-Tacy books and I'm planning to try the first one early next year.

Merry Christmas Sandy!!

Merry Christmas, Sandy!

Merry Christmas Sandy!

79. Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies

I picked this up in the children's section of the library for a fun holiday read, since I love the film version. It was...interesting. It turns out that the book and the film version were written almost simultaneously. Valentine Davies worked in the film industry, had the idea for the story, film was slated to be made, and then the powers-that-be at 20th Century Fox allowed a book version to be published to coincide with the film.

I enjoyed reading this, but I really feel that the film is better. It's weird, but I felt that there wasn't enough dialogue in the book. Small scenes, such as the one where a boy asks for a fire engine from Santa, and the boy's mother doesn't want Kris Kringle to say that the boy will receive it because the mother can't afford it, are rendered much more effectively in the film because of the excellent performances of the actors. The character of Susan, the little girl who doesn't believe in Santa, seems like such a minor character in the book, but she anchors the film, due in large part to the performance of the exceptionally talented young Natalie Wood.

I give it 3 stars because the story is still touching, original and wonderful, BUT see the 1947 film FIRST, then read this book.

Sandy K

Pat, Brit, Micky, and Marie--Christmas greetings to all of you! Hope that everyone is enjoying the holiday season.

Pat--I hope that you enjoy the Betsy-Tacy books! They are my comfort reads.

Sandy K

Just keeping you on my radar ! hope all is well :)

I had no idea Miracle on 34th Street was a book, but it's not too surprising. It's always interesting when the movie is better than the book. That has happened a couple times to me.

ETA: If you have not seen the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo it is an **excellent** adaptation of the book! Have you read those books, Sandy?

Hey Kath! All is well, thanks!

Hey Brit! I probably won't see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...the book sounds a little too intense for me. We did go see Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, which I thought was very well done.

Sandy K

Well, I can't believe that 2011 is almost over, and not only did I reach the goal of reading 75 books, I read 79! One of my goals for the year was to read more, and to write more (I'm a big message board lurker, and I would always rather talk than write). I enjoyed ALL of the books that I read this year, of course, some more than others.

Favorite reads of 2011

Non-Fiction: The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure
The Right Questions: Ten Essential Questions to Guide You to an Extraordinary Life by Debbie Ford
Morning, Noon and Night: Living the Creative Life by Judy Collins

Biography/Memoir:Bossypants by Tina Fey
Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch
Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Woman by Patricia Bosworth
Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise by Sam Irvin

Fiction:
Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace (re-read)
Summer in the South by Cathy Holton
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

See you all in the 2012 75 group! I cherish the new friendships that I've made here this year. Thanks to all who have posted and lurked on my threads.

Sandy K