Monthly Archives: June 2007

Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously
By Julie Powell

If you’ve been reading this blog, or my cooking one – pitiful as it is – for very long, you probably have some idea of how much I love to cook.  This book came about at the perfect time for me.  I turned 29 in January.

Nearing 30 and trapped in a dead-end secretarial job, Julie Powell resolved to reclaim her life by cooking, in the span of a single year, every one of the 524 recipes in Julia Child’s legendary Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her unexpected reward: not just a newfound respect for calves’ livers and aspic, but a new life–lived with gusto.

So, did you ever hear about the Julie/Julia Project?  Julie Powell decided to do the above, cook all those recipes, and document it all on her blog.  And this was back when no one even KNEW what a blog was.  She became very popular and by the end was a sensation and landed a book deal for her trouble. 

I found myself really identifying with the slight, not exactly mid-life, but crisis all the same, that Julie finds herself in at hitting the age of 29.  I don’t know that I would go to the extreme of cooking all the recipes in Julia Child’s cookbook (I’m not much for calves brains and chicken livers!) but I could identify with the “where am I going with my life” aspect of Julie’s story. I too feel like I’m in a deadend job.  Sometimes I wonder what I’m doing with myself.  Why am I not doing what I want to be doing most?  I haven’t found a crazy plan to fix myself yet like Julie did (or did I?  T-Minus 11 weeks until the little man is here!). 

I found Julie’s writing to be refreshingly honest and candid.  Her humor is infectious.  She holds nothing back as she describes the various recipes she cooks (and how gross some sounded!) and how her crazy scheme affected her life, family and marriage.  I’ve heard some say they are wary of books by bloggers.  I’m sure you’ve heard, some people think bloggers can’t really write.  Whatever.  (See that!  I colored that green for a reason!) This book is not just for foodies, or bloggers, but anyone who has struggled to find her (or his) place in life and just want to be given the chance to be happy with their life.  Highly recommended.

The Rest Falls Away: The Gardella Vampire Chronicles
By Colleen Gleason

In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy of vampire slaying, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake. But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous, moonlit streets, Victoria’s heart is torn between London’s most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her enigmatic ally, Sebastian Vioget. And when she comes face to face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make the choice between duty and love.

What is it with me and these vampire books?  I just can’t get enough of them!  (Still waiting with bated breath for Eclipse in August! Gah! I can’t wait!!!)

This one is the start of a romantic/horror series by Colleen Gleason who also writes at her blog For All The World To See.  I’ve seen her on many other blogs lately, promoting the new book in this series Rises the Night, now out in stores.  And I simply must get my hands on it soon because I am hooked on another vampire series. 

Regency England.  Macabre.  Vampires.  Romance.  A decent amount of sex that isn’t TOO smutty, but just right and just the way I like it.  This was a perfect read for the beach and I whipped right through it.  I loved the main character; the Venator (vampire killer) Victoria Gardella.  She begins her career as a Venator in this book, the latest in a very long and distinguished line of vampire killers.  Her characterization was excellent.  She’s young and inexperienced, but thirsting (no pun intended) to prove herself and I liked how Gleason showed that.  It’s nice to come across a strong, independant, yet still feminine heroine.  The plotting was quick and never lagged.  This is a perfect read for vacation or just a hot summers day. 

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book 1: The Lightning Thief
By Rick Riordan

When I was in college, I was required to take certain courses that were not included in my major (I majored in English).  I tended to go with the easy stuff; art, geography, music appreciation, etc.  One such class was mythology.  I went into it expecting something kind of boring.  I wasn’t a fool, we read Edith Wharton’s mythology in high school, and I was bored stuff.  I wasn’t expecting much better from the college course.

Boy, was I in for a surprise.  I breezed through with an A and a new appreciate for Greek, Roman and Norse gods.  The battles!  The lust!  The murder, love, betrayal, torture, death!!  Mythology had it all!  And then some!

So, imagine my delight, when I picked up with little gem. Slightly reminiscent of Harry Potter; our hero, Percy Jackson, has been “special” all his life without knowing why.  Always causing problems, labeled a troubled youth and sent away to boarding school, Percy is coming into his 12th year and he finally discovers just why he is special.  His father was a god.  Now, caught between bickering gods and fleeing monsters, Percy must recover something very special, and get to know himself and his father along the way.  Not to mention meeting quite a few gods and goddesses who would like to send him on a one way trip to Hades. 

Percy was, in my mind, a great, true character.  He acted just like a 12 year old.  Obnoxious.  Confused.  A little geeky.  Adored his mother.  Hated his stepdad.  Intensely loyal to his friends.  And, unlike another book I read of a similar subject that I will not mention here because I have to review it for Estella, the gods and goddesses acted exactly in the way I expected them too.  Petty, self-absorbed, violent.  The writing was tight, fast-paced and exciting.  It all came together for a very enjoyable read.  I can’t wait to get the next in this series.