2011 Book List

These are the books I read in 2011 and my short little reviews to go along with them. I loved a lot of these books and a couple... well I'm just glad I got through them (or in some cases not so glad).

1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - Oh how I love this book. It makes me happy in its sick and twisted way, remembering of course that "sad is happy for deep people" (that is one of my all time favorite quotes - it's from the "Blink" episode of Doctor Who). This time I reread it for a book club that I hosted.
2. Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist - This was definitely fluff, but fun. It is a romance between a maid and a rugged footman at the Biltmore Estate.
3. The Thin Woman by Dorothy Cannell - This was a fun murder mystery. I don't know if I loved all the fat jokes, but it was a fast, effortless read and the main character was very funny.
4. The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond - I think this was the best fluff I read in 2011. I loved it. It is the real story of how one of my favorite food bloggers, Pioneer Woman, met and married her husband, aka Marlboro Man. It was hilarious, sweet, and romantic.
5. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore - Lame. I'm sorry to say that, but yeah. It is a good book for a 12 year old  (it was really on about a 5th or 6th grade level) and though movie was kinda enjoyable, the book was poorly written and predictable.
6. O Pioneers by Willa Cather - I am going to seem like such a hater, because Willa Cather is a great author from all accounts, but I did not love this book. I wanted to, I really did, but it was so boring and I never seemed to connect with any of the characters. Then the ending was horrible. Horrible. I've heard My Antonia is amazing, so I think I need to read that one to feel better about Willa Cather. 
7. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan - This book really did change the way I think about food. It made me want to make everything possible from scratch and made me love butter even more than I already do. That chapter on margarine scared me! I really recommend this book.
8. The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker - Okay so this book may not be for everyone -there is some language and Elna can be a little crass- but it is hilarious. It is the memoir of a young LDS woman in New York City. Elna struggles with her testimony, the culture of the church, her weight, her family (oh her mother is funny), and living and dating in New York City. I think Elna's struggles are real and human and her voice as narrator is refreshing and honest. She makes some bad choices that are hard to read, but overall I really liked the book.
9. Elephant Run by Roland Smith - This book is a young adult fiction and takes place on a Japanese occupied elephant plantation in Burma during WWII. Interesting stuff. It was an enjoyable fast read and I think a great one for kids. Sophie read it after me and liked it too.
10. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - I read this one right before the movie came out because I always like to read the book first. The atmosphere of this book was great and I can see why it was a best seller. It was beautifully written and the main character, Jacob, was very sweet and sympathetic. It had some rough parts, don't go near the hooch tent, but that's what you get with contemporary fiction. And oh yeah, the movie was also great with Robert Pattinson playing Jacob.:)
11. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - I had never read this before and I loved it! An amazing classic. When I was reading it I convinced myself I liked it better than Pride and Prejudice, it was that good, but then with time lapsing I must admit I still think Mr. Darcy is the dreamiest so Pride and Prejudice is still my favorite Austen. I did gasp in shock during some of the worst Willoughby moments. He is awful!
12. The Message by Lance Richardson - I read this for a book club and it is the near death experience of Lance Richardson, who was a member of the church and has since writing this passed away. It was an interesting read, but for me a little uncomfortable when I thought he described things that may have been too-personal of spiritual experiences. It was an good book club discussion though.
13. The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright - Super fast, enjoyable, yet sappy read. I liked the idea of all these love letters, so sweet, but I thought the plot was lacking.
14. Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyers - I can't help but be sucked back into this one from time to time. I heart Edward. 
15. Devil In the White City by Erik Larson - Great great book. Wow H.H. Holmes was one scary serial killer. I must admit the Worlds Fair parts, as fascinating and informative as they were, were a bit boring. Every Holmes part kept me reading though and I highly recommend it.
16. Twilight by Stephenie Meyers - Okay, so #14 just wasn't enough. I really do heart Edward.
17. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua - This book is so controversial and fascinating. Amy Chua's style of parenting is abusive, but some of her thoughts were intriguing. I think you have to read it to understand. Her Chinese parenting certainly gets results. Her kids are amazing musicians and very successful in school, but she was so mean to her children. And I didn't like her stance that all Western parenting is indulgent and ineffective.
18. These Is My Words by Nancy Turner - I had heard this was great and it was really good, but took me a while to get into. And I didn't like the ending, but unlike O Pioneers I did love the characters and the romance. Altogether a good book.
19. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella - I read this on vacation and it was the perfect get-away type read.
20. Watermelon by Marian Keyes - I really liked this quirky little read. It is about a woman whose husband leaves her right after she gives birth to their daughter, horrible I know, and she decided to take herself and her new baby back home to her family in Dublin. It is a touching and funny book about learning to move on. And I liked being in Dublin.
21. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton - I liked this one. It was a generational story with romance and mystery. I did think it could have been tightened up a bit, the middle got a little boring, but all in all I really liked it. I plan on reading another Kate Morton soon.
22. And Then There Where None by Agatha Christie - I am such an Agatha Christie fan! This one is great. It was a complete mystery till the end for me, I could have never thought up the who-done-it part.
23. Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie - Loved this one! I loved having it be a Halloween themed murder mystery. Oh and the Masterpiece Mystery version of this on PBS was great!
24. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - I'm too honest in my book lists. I should leave out the embarrassing ones... Please don't judge. And anyways I skip entire sections when I read this book so I really only read about 80 pages and then pretend the rest didn't actually happen. I like my version of Breaking Dawn with no monster baby. :)
25. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood - I can't believe I made it through this book. It was painful, bleak, and completely pointless. Nothing good happens. Everyone is miserable. The "love story" is awful. This book is on the New York Times Top 100 Best Books of All Time, which is mostly the reason I kept reading, that and because it was for a book club. I can sort of understand why critics like it - it is very artistically written, but wow it was rough.
26. The Spy Wore Red by Countess Aline Romanones - I read this for a book club and it was really good. It is the memoir of a female spy in Spain during WWII. I like Aline. She was a spunky and gutsy spy. I don't know if I completely believed everything in her story (I'm sure she embellished) but I liked it and it was a nice change of pace from your usual not-so-fun-to-read WWII stories. 
27. Pumpkin Roll by Josi S. Kilpack - Please don't judge me for this one either. It is a LDS murder mystery novel with a sort of Mormon Ms. Marples. Total fluff. But seriously after I read The Blind Assassin I needed some brain candy. I didn't even love this book, but it was mindless and enjoyable and sometimes that's what you need, like mental mouthwash.
28. Persuasion by Jane Austen - Oh what a beautiful book Persuasion is. I loved every moment reading this. From Anne's horrible father to her hypochondriac sister to the wonder that Captain Wentworth is. It was the most real feeling Austen novel I have ever read. Anne especially felt so real. It makes you wonder if it was somewhat autobiographical given what little we know of Jane Austen and her brief engagement. 
29. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - I read this one to Ben and we both loved it, of course.
30. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier - Again. I just love this book. The atmosphere is amazing and I love being in that house, even though it's creepy. Mrs. Danvers is in my opinion one of the scariest characters ever. I'm talking scarier than Gage in Pet Cemetery. She makes your skin crawl. Ooh, she is bad. Great writing.
31. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley - Great book. I thought it was so romantic and I loved all of it. A few friends said it was boring, but I didn't think so. It kept my attention and I read it really quickly. Being on the Scottish coast with these characters was great while it lasted!
32. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - I finally gave in and read this. Adrian had been trying to get me to read it for years. I liked it. I didn't think I would, but I did. I was surprised by how much Orson Scott Card got right, I mean this thing was written in the 80's before the internet and he talked about "the nets". Really cool. And I loved Ender. How can you not? I'm excited for the movie to come out next year with the kid from Hugo playing Ender.
33. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith - Wonderful, beautifully written book. I loved Cassandra, the narrator. She was so witty and her narration was poignant and imaginative. All the characters were so complex and developed. I just loved it! Though, I wanted to kill Cassandra for not liking Stephen. Stephen is the sweetest character ever. Amazing book. You gotta read it.
34. The Queen of Hearts by Martha Brooks - This was a great young adult fiction that Corinne recommend on her book blog. It was such an interesting story about a young girl with tuberculosis in a Sanatorium in Canada during WWII. It's a coming of age story and though it was a quick read you really got to know the characters and their struggles. I especially loved her relationship with her roommate, Signy. Sophie read it right after me, she like it too, and it was neat to discuss with her.

I read some great books that are sure to be long time favorites like I Capture the Castle, Ender's Game, Persuasion, The Winter Sea, and The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. I read some stinkers like I Am Number Four and The Blind Assassin. Thankfully I read a lot more good than bad. My best for 2011 has to go to... Persuasion. Anne Elliot is an amazing character and even in the midst of her person pain she was always truly good, giving service and comforting others. I want to be like Anne.

Of course I've already started my 2012 readings and have quite a number of books sitting on my to-be-read-soon shelf. I'm going to try to read another Susanna Kearsley book since I loved The Winter Sea and I really want to read Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. I hope they're good. I wish you wonderful reads in 2012!

Ben's Baptism

Ben had a very special day on Saturday, he was baptized, confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and received the Holy Ghost. That is a big and important day! We are so happy with the decision he made to be baptized. Even though he is only 8 years old I can honestly say he took the decision to be baptized very seriously. At his baptism he had many friends and his Grandma and Grandpa there to show their love and support for him. Thanks to everyone who came and also to those who couldn't be there, but sent cards and well wishes. Adrian baptized and confirmed Ben and Sophie gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. It was a wonderful experience and Ben says he felt good inside and warm even though the water was cold. :)

Sophie's Recital

Sophie's annual piano recital was this last weekend. She played Fur Elise by Beethoven and Prelude in C Major by Bach. She has been working on Fur Elise for quite a while and it was great to hear her play it so well. We are so proud of Sophie and the progress she has made. She plays beautifully. When Sophie was born both Adrian and I looked at her hands with her too-long-for-a-newborn fingers and said someday she would be a great pianist and we were right!:)

Merry Christmas

A very merry Christmas from our home to yours!

Christmas Times in Pictures

We decked the halls and trimmed the tree.

 We had school Christmas parties. Fun!

Nina had a Ballet/Tap class Christmas party. 

The girls all went to a local production of The Nutcracker and it was great! We hope this becomes a girls tradition.

We made Christmas goody plates for our friends and neighbors.

Adrian and I went to West Side Story for our December 21st anniversary (it's not our real anniversary, but our first kiss anniversary - I know we are goobers for celebrating it every year :)). Adrian and I have officially been going steady for 15 years. West Side Story was fantastic!!

I hope that you are having fun Christmasy times with your family. Merry Christmas!!

My Sweet Boy

Have I told you lately how much I love this boy of mine? He is the sweetest kid you will ever meet. Really. And that's not just because I'm his mom. He is so kind to others and doesn't have a mean bone in his body. Ben is turning 8 soon and getting baptized in January. He is excited to be baptized and is taking the step really seriously. We were driving in the car the other day and he said, out of the blue, "Mom, I'm ready to be baptized because I know the Plan of Salvation really well." He went on to tell me about The Plan pausing only to ask me if we are judged before or after the Resurrection. It was a precious moment for me. I am so happy that he wants to be baptized and understands what this step means in his eternal progression. I am strengthened by his pure child's faith. Thanks for being you Ben.

Happenings Wrap Up

I can't believe it's already December and I haven't written about any of the stuff that has been happening. Feel free to skim, because I have to catch up!

I'm finally blogging about Jann's and Cami's visit! It was wonderful and I loved having them here. I miss you guys! The Saturday before the So You Think You Can Dance concert, Jenny, Cami, Jann, and I went to the Molly Brown House in Denver for some local fun. The tour was actually quite hilarious with a tour-guide who spoke in a very, hmmm how do you put this... dramatic way. Very dramatic. The try to hide your giggles kind of dramatic. The tour was a bit boring, because it was a lot longer than it probably should have been, but it was also fascinating to me because I didn't know a whole lot about Molly Brown. I've never even seen The Unsinkable Molly Brown. What wrong with me? I need to get on that. That weekend we also had some yummy food and Zombie Flux times (that game rocks). Then on Monday the concert was amazing as always and so much fun. We saw Mandy Moore, the SYTYCD choreographer not the singer, at the concert and it was so weird. Maybe she's from Denver? I don't know, but it was cool. I got to see the Circus Dance which was one of my favorites from the season. Fun fun night!

Then on November 17th I went to the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn with Jenny and beforehand a Breaking Dawn party at our friend Tracy's. That party was SO awesome. We had tomato curry soup in styrofoam cups (you know Bella and the blood drinking), Twilight themed cupcakes and all manner of yummy treats. Tracy went all out. Then for party favors we got Twilight journals, bubbles with "just married" on them to blow during the wedding scene of the movie, and Twilight bookmarks and candies. It was amazing. Then off to the movie we went. We did a double feature with Eclipse at 9:30pm and then Breaking Dawn at midnight. Did I love the movie? Yes! How can I not?!! Did I think it was cheesy and the wolfy parts were horrible? Yes! But that's okay. I'm just happy to be in Forks. Wow, the honeymoon was steamy, but I didn't mind.:) And I thought the special effects to make Bella emaciated were quite cool and oh how wonderfully gory and disgusting that birth was. I'm a weirdo. I like those things. So for me the movie was great and I do look forward to the next one in a year when Bella is a red eyed vampire. Fun!

Thanksgiving came next. It was a lovely day. We teamed up with our friends Christine and Devin and their kids for the dinner and had it at our house. It was great not to have to cook everything and it was so nice to have friends to talk with during dinner. The food was super good. Adrian made a great turkey, brining is the key. I made some rocking Pioneer Woman mashed potatoes with 2 sticks of butter, cream cheese, and cream. Oh my. So good. There was also deviled eggs, rolls, salad, sparkling cider, cranberry sauce, and of course pie. Christine made a fabulous coconut cream pie that I inhaled. Yum. And the kids all loved the easiest chocolate pudding pie the best. The time you spend cooking something has absolutely no affect on my children. They would love it if we had chocolate pudding pie for every holiday and totally ignore the pumpkin pie that I made from scratch. I'm trying not to be bitter. After the wonderfulness of dinner we chatted some more and then went to The Muppets Movie. Wow, that was a blast from the past. It was great, the kids loved it, and I got "Mahna Mahna" stuck in my head all night. Fun times.

Whew, I'm caught up. Thanks for reading (or skimming through) all that!:)