Wordless Wednesday: Napa #5

Artwork made of old books. For more Wordless Wednesday photos, click here.

Little Face - Sophie Hannah (Kindle)

 I think I first heard about Sophie Hannah from Jackie at Farm Lane Books.  I'd also heard the author compared to Tana French (dangerous I know, especially since French ranks up there with Goddess in my book).  I bought "Little Face" and "Hurting Distance" on my Kindle ages ago, but never made the time to read her.  Then at our last Books, Babes and Bordeaux meeting, our host brought a few books out that were on her TBR list as suggestions for April, and OMG!  There was "Little Face"!  I think my eyes popped out of my head and I quickly piped up that I was voting for that one.  I could barely conceal my excitement, and was squirming like a fidgety kid.  I am obnoxious.  (The book competing against "Little Face" was "Water For Elephants".  Which OK, it is a good book, and we could have gone to the movies as a book club field trip.)  But "Little Face" it was.

Synopsis:  Alice is a new mom, having recovered from a long labor and C-Section two weeks prior.  She's been married for a couple of years and lives with her husband at her wealthy mother-in-law's estate.  She ventures out for the first time since Baby Florence's birth to run errands, but when she returns, she finds the front door open, her husband asleep, and the baby in the crib to be one she doesn't recognize.  Her husband's attitude abruptly turns vindictive and sinister, and she is accused of being a liar.  Nobody believes Alice, fearing she is just suffering from post-partum depression.  A week later, Alice and the baby disappear.

Detective Constable Simon Waterhouse and his snappy female boss Detective Sergeant Charlie Zailer are assigned to both cases.  Simon is known for his sharp investigative mind, but this time, his skills are in doubt when the department suspects he has gone soft for Alice.  The relationship between the two police officers are complicated and personal, which inspires jealousy and a lack of professionalism needed for an effective investigation.  As facts begin to surface about the murder of Alice's husband's previous wife, and his controlling mother, Simon fears Alice may have suffered the same fate.

In a narrative alternating between Alice before her disappearance, and Simon after her disappearance, we approach this mystery from the inside-out and from the outside-in.  What is real, what is an illusion, and are there any innocent parties here?  Fasten those seat-belts.  You are in for a twisty ride.

My thoughts:  For a literary mystery thriller, this book was solid.  You are immediately swept into the horror...a kidnapped baby replaced with a similar-looking one, but nobody believes the over-anxious mother.  Why would someone swap a baby?  How did it happen right under the father's nose?  Instant and violent emotion between husband and wife.  Guilt, blame, anger, doubt.  A father-mother scenario that resembles Norman Bates and his mama.  The whole thing was stomach-turning as well as page-turning.

Equally as intriguing was the mess of egos and emotions between Simon and Charlie.  Each have personal issues with themselves and each other, and the tangled quagmire created a juicy side-plot...one that the reader wants to see resolved.

There are respectable twists, there is murder most foul, there are several levels and categories of evil at work.  It was a tense read from beginning to finish.  However (and I'm being intentionally vague here for spoiler purposes) I felt that the ending was a complete and total rip-off.  I felt I had been lied to and that my trust had been betrayed.  I was angry for awhile.  And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I had been taken for a ride. 

I know your burning question really is...is Sophie Hannah comparable to Tana French?  Let me just settle this right now.  No.  Tana French is a master at characterization and interpersonal relationships, and in no way did this story measure up in that department.  Although there was a "connection" between Alice and Simon, it never went past a superficial level from my point of view.  And while Simon and Charlie's relationship was complicated and messy, I never felt heat and sparks and angst flying off the pages like I do when I read French.  Her stuff is palpable.

Will I continue to read Hannah?  Yes, probably, but I will read warily.  French's superb talent aside, Hannah is still a strong contender in the literary mystery thriller genre.  She has just better not pull the rug out from under me again.

Thoughts from Books, Babes and Bordeaux:  Emotions in our group ranged from skepticism to anger.  We all agreed it was a very quick read, but many felt there were things about the characters' behavior that just didn't add up.  As far as book club discussion, though, it was lively.  At one point we were all talking really fast and really loud at the same time.  We realized the last time we'd done that was when we talked about Henrietta Lacks, so in that sense, it was a successful evening (that and Heather's chocolate chip banana bread!).    

3.5 out of 5 stars          

Monday Movie Meme - A detour to talk about Kevin

Today for the Monday Movie Meme, the Bumbles have asked us for our favorite Katharine Hepburn film, after having spent the weekend in Connecticut near her old stomping ground.  Well, I am sorry to say that despite my love for movies, I've never been a fan of Katharine Hepburn.  It isn't that I don't appreciate her acting skills...Lord knows she was one of the best.  I just have never actually watched many of her films.  Of the 50-something movies she has starred in, I've seen only two (On Golden Pond, and The African Queen).  Therefore, I really don't feel qualified to have an opinion, and wasn't going to post this week.

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But then, my sister posted something movie-ish on Facebook that caught my attention, and thought I would share it with you.  Did you all know that "We Need to Talk About Kevin", the horribly disturbing but brilliant novel by Lionel Shriver, is going to be made into a movie starring Tilda Swinton (Eva), John C. Reilly (Franklin) and Ezra Miller (Kevin)?  I expressed to my sister my concern for the success of adapting such an internal novel to the movie screen.  Her response was "if anyone can do it, Lynne Ramsay can."  I am not familiar with any of her work, but my sister would know.  The movie is scheduled for release on September 2nd in the UK; no word on a US release.  It does not appear that Ms. Shriver is involved in the writing of the screenplay.

 So what do you think?  If the movie comes to the US (and I'm assuming it will), will you see it?  What do you think of the casting? 

Sunday Salon: The most bi-polar week of my life

Hello friends!  Well, what a week.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to forget something.  But there were so many ups and downs that I really had no idea what emotion I should be feeling at any given moment.  But we are a glass half full kind of group, so I will highlight all the wonderful aspects of the last seven days first.

Monday:  Armed with numerous gift cards for the Ritz Carlton Spa, I spent the day there on Monday.  I indulged in a service that involved a body scrub, hydrotherapy, a body wrap, and full body massage, followed by lounging and lunch by the pool.  I felt like I was a princess.

Tuesday:  Heathrow Literary Society met on "The Swan Thieves", a book I read about a year ago.  I didn't love the book but it inspired some passionate responses in me, and we had a great discussion.  Upcoming reads, June through October - Lit by Mary Karr, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, Clara and Mrs. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and Loving Frank by Nancy Horan.

Thursday:  Barnes and Noble Book Fair.  What is not to love?  I buzzed around hand-selling all kinds of wonderful books to my friends.  We had a huge turnout and as usual, was the social event of the season for my kids' school.  This is the one and only fundraiser for the school library, so it made my heart warm to see the support.

Saturday:  My daughter and I spent the day at Discovery Cove, a theme park owned by Sea World.  For an enormous price (although our tickets were purchased cheap cheap at an auction) we had a dolphin encounter, snorkeled a coral reef, fed exotic birds, floated in a lazy river, and enjoyed free drinks, snacks and meals.  Phenomenal experience, and one we would not only strongly recommend but would do again ourselves.

Sunday:  Mother's Day!  After church, we will partake in a champagne brunch at our country club.  Followed by some relaxing by the pool with a book?

On the downside, in my attempt at getting ahead on my posts so I will be ready to leave for three weeks in June, I royally screwed up a few dates on my pre-published articles.  No, I am not in Poland.  I will be leaving June 1st, not May 1st!  Therefore, you will be seeing that particular post again.

And of course, my dear sweet beloved piggy Rufus died on Wednesday night.  (Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has expressed your sympathies...you are all very kind.)  While I am blessed to have been able to hold him and talk to him while he passed over to piggy heaven, I am dragging some serious baggage around over the experience.  His passing has left a giant gaping hole in my heart and in my life.  Having been through this before, I know I will be slightly unstable for a period of time.  I will not drag out my sadness any more here on the blog, but be aware that if you know me in real life, you could possibly end up dealing with a few tears from me.  I can't predict when it will happen.

So do I laugh or cry or what?  All of the above.  I'm at peace with being the neighborhood fruitcake for the time being.

My reading has been just as erratic.  I did finish "Bent Road" by Lori Roy on audio for book club in a couple of weeks. I still need to sort out my feelings on this one.  The characters all drove me nuts, but the story was a twisting, winding wad of dysfunction.  Stay tuned on this one, as we will be speaking to Lori at our meeting.  Then I started Joshilyn Jackson's "The Girl Who Stopped Swimming" on audio.  Well, you just have to love her stuff.  She is so totally entertaining.  I should have that one wrapped up in another day or two.

Reading in print has not been quite that productive.  I did finish Daniel Palmer's "Delirious", and it towed the line on my mental thriller checklist.  Lots of nutty, crazy, thrilling stuff going on here, and he managed to keep me on the edge of my seat up until the last page.  I then started "Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy" by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson (subtitled "The Belle of All Things Southern dishes On Men, Money, and Not Losing Your Midlife Mind").  I met Shellie at the UCF Book Festival, and she graciously gave a few of us this early copy of her upcoming release.  Good LORD she is funny, in a sarcastic Southern way, bless her heart.  I'm just not in the mood to be tickled, so I haven't advanced all that far.  Maybe next week.

I'm DESPERATELY trying to get caught up on my reviews, but it is slow going.  My only deadline is June 1st.  I'm only five reviews behind. So maybe I will make headway this week, even though it looks to be a busy one.

So there you have it.  I would like to wish all mothers (including wifes who act as mothers to grown up man-children, and mothers of pets) a Happy Mother's Day.  May your day be filled with happiness, relaxation and reading!   
   

Weekend Cooking: Southern Plate - Classic comfort food that makes everyone feel like family

Southern cooking is the definition of comfort food...fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, grits...yum!  Nobody knows this like Christy Jordan, who lives in Alabama with her family, and is a ninth generation Southerner.  In this cookbook, she shares with us the recipes and stories that have been handed down through her family and serves to honor their memories.

She breaks her cookbook down into seasons...Summer Days and Family Reunions, The Cooler Days of Fall, Christmas, Spring, and Family Favorites.  Just turning the pages makes your mouth water, with big beautiful pictures to feast your eyes upon!  Homemade banana pudding.  Blackberry cobbler.  Cornbread.  BANANA PECAN FRENCH TOAST?????  I think I just gained five pounds.

Which brings me to the only downfall of this treasure.  It ain't for the dieting folks (including me).  To enjoy most of the recipes, you must turn your back on calorie worries.  Still, for a holiday or special occasion, these concerns can be briefly ignored, right?

I turned my daughter loose in the book, and she tabbed everything she was interested in making.  In the interest of the junk in the trunk, we made two dishes.  Sour Cream Hash Brown Casserole and Lucy's Chocolate Pie (which we made for Easter).  Both were sinful and wonderful.

Sour Cream Hash Brown Casserole

Two pound package of frozen hash browns
16 ounce carton sour cream
10.75 ounce can cream of celery soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup margarine, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Ritz cracker crumbs

Combine all ingredients except cracker crumbs.  Spoon into greased 9 by 13 inch casserole dish.  Sprinkle cracker crumbs on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.


Lucy's Chocolate Pie
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup self-rising flour
2 egg yolks
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 baked pie shell

Meringue:

3 egg whites

1/4 cup sugar

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and flour.  Mix well.  Beat in the egg yolks and add the milk.  Place over medium heat and cook until thickened, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  Stir in the butter, vanilla, and salt.  Pour into the baked pie shell and top with meringue.

To make the meringue, whip the egg whites until foamy with an electric mixer on high speed.  Add the sugar.  Continue beating on high speed until soft peaks form.  Pour on top of the pie and spread to the edges to seal well.  Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the top is golden.  Allow to cool completely and refrigerate before serving if you like.

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Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend.

29 Days... To Your Perfect Weight - Michele Bertolin and Richard Fast

Before I start talking about this book, I want to make sure everyone is aware that this is not a "get skinny quick" fad.  So don't let that title scare you off.  This is about making lifetime changes to your attitude towards food and health.

Now, a little confession time.  My whole life, I've always had a vicious cycle of weight losses and gains.  My pattern is to lose weight, and swear that no food tastes as good as being thin feels.  But once I've hit my goal, I relax and before you know it, I feel frumpy and pudgy and need to lose again.  It is frustrating and completely unhealthy.  Why can't I just live moderately?  I don't think anything in my life has ever been moderate...it is not in my constitution.  But I know I need to figure this out.  Which is why I very quickly accepted the opportunity to review this book. 

"29 Days" is a program that can be applied to many areas of life.  In fact, there are four books in the series that address not only achieving your perfect weight, but also achieving financial independence, quitting smoking, and becoming a great listener and communicator.

The Book:  The first half of the book covers some fundamentals that apply to anything that requires a change in behavior.  Most of this information I've heard before when I was working the corporate world and attending various inspirational seminars, but it is good to review the facts.  How do we make and break habits?  Why change is so difficult, and how gentle progress can help us bypass our hardwired brains.  Discovering the power within us that we can access to support our desire to achieve anything in our lives.  It always sounds good on paper, but if you only read these words, it isn't enough.  We know this stuff, but how do we apply it to our lives and make it work?

The Program:  Here is where the rubber meets the road.  In the case of achieving our perfect weight, the program starts out SLOOOOOW.  And this is a good thing.  There is nothing more intimidating than trying to eat less, eat right, exercise your rear end off, and not eat a cookie, and do it all cold turkey.  Plus often, we just abuse ourselves without really knowing what we are trying to achieve.

This program holds your hand, and day by day, helps you be aware of your eating patterns, your motivations for losing weight, and small changes you can make so you can slowly take that weight off without it being traumatic.  In week two, you start to set goals that are measurable and achievable.  You learn about portion sizes and intake versus output, the power of drinking water, and making healthier choices.  Only in week three do you actually start actually "doing" weight loss things.  It is gentle, it is encouraging, and it is educational.

Although the book leads you through the daily steps for each of the 29 days, this program offers an online coach, where you receive your morning and evening messages via e-mail.  When you click on your e-mail, it takes you to the 29 Days website, where you can keep an online diary and record your thoughts and frustrations and insights.  This is so incredibly helpful for anyone who is on the go.  I began to look forward to my e-mails.

My experience:  Before I could properly review this book, I had to "do" the 29 day program.  I was a little nervous and alot skeptical.  But when the program started and I began reading my e-mails, it was so easy.  It was as simple as just training my mind to think about things throughout the day, and just objectively observe my bad habits.  Within the first few days, I could list ten things that I was doing to undermine a healthy lifestyle.  Things that could be eliminated easily.

So after a couple of weeks of telling myself all the things that I was doing to sabotage myself, I kicked it into gear...I made sure I drank lots of water, exercised daily, watched my food portions and tried to limit snacking to healthy stuff.  No food diaries, no counting calories.  For me, that is the quickest way to burnout.  And it was all pretty low-key.  But then again, losing weight has never been my issue.  It has been keeping it off.

Besides the twice-a-day e-mails, there was another very clever tactic I'd never seen before.  Right when you start applying your knowledge in week 3, you are asked to write a letter to yourself.  One that you can pull out, in two weeks, two months, or two years from now, when you are ready to go back to your old habits.  You tell yourself how it feels to be uncomfortable in your clothes, and give yourself encouragement to keep it up. I used the limits of my writing skills, and I know when I hit my wall, this letter is going to give me a big kick in the ass.  Which I think is very cool.

So after a couple of weeks of applying the 29 Day mentality, I've lost five pounds.  Which definitely does not get me to my ideal weight, but its a good start.  I've got a good attitude, and I think these are rules I can live by.

4 out of 5 stars

           

RIP Rufus

After a real rough month or two, we lost our sweet piggy last night about 10:45pm. 

A week ago, he had surgery for a benign abscess, and it seemed Rufus was recovering nicely, and had gotten back his appetite after a few days of hand-feeding.  However, right after I gave him his meds last night about 7:30, he made a couple of strange noises then began showing signs of something like a stroke.

I feel extremely fortunate that I was here when it happened, and was able to hold him and comfort him over the next three hours while he slowly passed away. 

He was a very lucky pig.  We rescued him from an animal shelter four years ago, and since then spoiled him rotten.  He was an ideal pet.  He was my daughter's study buddy, snuggling next to her while she did her homework.  He would curl up with my husband or I with a blanky and a treat while we watched a movie, and would fall asleep if we rubbed him between his ears.  He was always happy to accept a carrot snack from visiting friends and family, and would sometimes even ring a bell on one of his toys when he felt he was overdue for one.

I am so very sad.  I will miss him terribly.