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2010 Books in Review

Posted on December 28, 2010

My husband did this and he got the questions from Life With Books.

As always, you can see my entire book list here.

1. Best books of 2010? Dr. Neruda’s Cure for Evil by Rafael Yglesias, Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, Fury: A Memoir by Koren Zailckas.

2. Worst book of 2010? I don’t finish books I don’t enjoy, but Ghostgirl: Homecoming by Tonya Hurley is a pretty stupid YA book.

3. Most disappointing book of 2010? A Bad Day for Pretty by Sophie Littlefield disappointed me because I enjoyed the first book, A Bad Day for Sorry, this one was boring. I should say that mystery isn’t really my thing, though.

4. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2010? This one has to go to the entire Twilight series! I was already looking forward to reading the series, but I ended up loving it. I honestly don’t see the negative fuss about it, at all.

5. Book you recommended to people most in 2010? I would recommend: Dr. Neruda’s Cure for Evil as my typical really good literary fiction recommendation.

6. Best series you discovered in 2010? Twilight, it is.

7. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2010? Elizabeth Rosner, author of Blue Nude, will, I think, join my mental list of go-to authors like Chris Bohjalian, Francine Prose and Joshilyn Jackson.

8. Most hilarious read of 2010? I guess Gulliver’s Travels. I think it’s the only “funny” book I’ve read.

9. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2010? Um, Twilight.

10. Book you most anticipated in 2010? Twilight. 😛 Also, Fury by Koren Zailckas – I had been waiting for this to come out, because I love her!

11. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2010?

12. Most memorable character in 2010? If you count the reread I did, Snape! That’s the whole reason that I reread that one, he’s my favorite Harry Potter character and Half-Blood Princeis the book I have dubbed The Snape Show.

13. Most beautifully written book in 2010? Oh, I don’t know, maybe the Teresa of Avila book?

14. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2010? Fury is so good. Koren Zailckas is someone I really relate to, even though I haven’t necessarily had her exact experiences (I didn’t have a drunken girlhood, like in her first book..)

15. Book you can’t believe you waited until 2010 to finally read? Twilight series!

16. Honorable Mentions? I added this question because I think the survey lent itself to answering the same books over and over, but those certainly weren’t the only books worth mentioning.

Cop in the Hood is a good sociological-ish account of police and crime in Baltimore’s worst areas.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris is the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse vampire books. Um, they’re kind horribly written, but I might read more anyway. If you’re into mass market crap fiction, you’ll love it.

Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book by Brian Froud is a really neat book – I like the story and the art. It is an adult book, not children’s.

My Life Outside the Ring by Hulk Hogan is really interesting!

Dubliners by James Joyce, well, I don’t like short stories, but if you’re going to do short stories, this is how it is done.

So what about you? What were some of the best books you read this year?

Posted by Lauren
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Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 25, 2010

Posted by Lauren
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We’ve Been Good, But We Can’t Last

Posted on December 23, 2010

I’ve spent the last few days..

— making paper snowflakes. I remember doing this in college, hehe. If you don’t know how, you can learn how to make 6-pointed paper snowflakes at Strumpet’s Crumpets.

—wrapping presents.

–and playing with my camera..

Posted by Lauren
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Christmas Wishlist: Etsy-ish Edition

Posted on December 21, 2010

Or “The Paper Edition” or “Mail Edition”, haha, oops. And, consequently, most of my very favorite shops.

I already got my awesome gift, but it’s still fun to look.

1.)

Good Company – 11 x 11 limited edition print by groundwork

Confetti

A Grand Discovery

2.)

Air Mail Kit by Paper Pastries

3.)

Postcard Collection Lost on the Midway by theblackapple

Lost on the Midway Print 8×10

As Long as I Have You Print 8×10

The Big Moon Print 5×7

4.)

Pretty Little Garden Floral Washi Tape by Cute Tape

Days of the Week Washi Tape

Dot Pattern Washi Tape

5.)

Snowball Fight = 5×7 Print by papersparrow

Lone Musician 8×10

Lotsa Foxes Magnet Set of 8

6.)

You, Me, and the Crickets Handpainted Locket by kharaledonne

Send Me a Permanent Letter Hand Painted Locket

7.)

12-Piece Blush Postcard Set by quietgirlshop

8.)

3P4 US Mail Tote by Three Potato Four

Field Notes – Pennsylvania Edition

9.)

The Library Type notecards- set of 12 by theblueballoon

10.)

Telegram Stationery by 16 Sparrows

Letter Writing Alliance membership & stationery by 16 Sparrows

Posted by Lauren
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TBR Challenge 2011

Posted on December 20, 2010

My friend Christy finally got a blog and it’s a book blog, so now I will take this chance to copy her! haha

The group Book Addicts on Goodreads is having a book challenge for 2011. Choose 12 books and 2 alternates (in case you suck at choosing or your book randomly disappears or something) for the year. These books should be books that have been on your real or mental “to be read” list for at least a year. View the “official” rules if you would like to participate in this challenge in the Goodreads group. (P.S. Be my friend on Goodreads.)

TBR Challenge 2011

1. Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand
2. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
3. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
4. Trans-Sister Radio – Chris Bohjalian
5. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
6. The Other Boleyn Girl – Philippa Gregory
7. The Historian – Elizabeth Kostova
8. House of Leaves – Mark Z. Danielewski
9. Remainder – Tom McCarthy
10. The Yanomamo – Napoleon A. Chagnon
11. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers – Mary Roach
12. Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus – Ludwig Wittgenstein

Alternates:

1. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
2. Blindness – Jose Saramago

I chose three classics, three non-fiction and a slew of fiction. I own all of these books except for The Bell Jar, Trans-sister Radio, (I own like three other Chris Bohjalian books and of course I pick one I don’t!) and The Hunger Games.

This isn’t all I intend to read for the year – I also want to make 2011 another year of 100 books! (The last time was 2006.)

If you join in this challenge or any book challenge for the year, please add your post to the linky so we all can see!

Posted by Lauren
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Cabbage Patch Christmas

Posted on December 17, 2010

My favorite Christmas tape from when I was a kid was A Cabbage Patch Christmas. It was produced in 1984, by Steve and Tom Chapin. I don’t know where the tape disappeared to because I remember listening to it every year up until I moved out at 20 (my mom LOVED this tape, haha!).. it must still be floating around in PA somewhere.

I was ecstatic when two years ago I found the music uploaded by Vinyl Orphanage! They included the cover art as well (of the record, I had the tape, same art). Of course I downloaded it and um, and now you should too.

Cabbage Patch Christmas

My favorite songs on the tape were Gimme Gimme Take Take

and Children, Go Where I Send Thee

Did anyone else have this tape?

Posted by Lauren
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Colorado: Pike’s Peak

Posted on December 16, 2010

Colorado intro and Garden of the Gods.

The second day, we took the cog railway up Pike’s Peak. We didn’t get to go the whole way to the top because there were 80 mph winds that day. I was pretty disappointed in the whole experience, mainly because of that. One, we didn’t get to go to the top. Two, the view on the train is very one-sided and guess where we were? On the opposite side. The seats are also assigned. So, I didn’t really get to see anything. Three, we didn’t really get to stop anywhere to see any views. And four, we didn’t get the famous donuts at the top! I actually cried on the way back down because I realized how little I was going to see.. yeah, I’m a baby.

The whole thing frustrated me so much, I actually wrote a review and I hate writing reviews! (Go to the one by “Lauren J.) And I wrote one for Garden of the Gods too because I was so in awe and happy with that experience – and I had to get my Pike’s Peak jab in, haha!

Anyway, the best part of the whole trip though and probably enough to make it worthwhile was the mountain goats! I’ve never seen them before and they were so cute!

This might be one of my fave pictures, even with the light in it.. actually, I like the light in it.

This is one of those souvenir penny machines, where the penny smooshes down.

The goats!! Eee!!

doesn’t this look like a fake backdrop? lol

Posted by Lauren
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Early Christmas Present

Posted on December 15, 2010

I couldn’t wait until after Christmas to share! I now I am the owner of a Nikon D90! My first REAL digital camera. I bought it with the Nikon 18-105mm zoom kit lens. (I’m after a 50mm prime next – already shopping for future lenses!)

And, of course, some of my first test shots! Aww, it’s my family.

For those of you who don’t know, this is Molly Pigwidgeon, who is a mini Aussie shepherd, who mostly gets called Stinky Puppy. She is a year and a half and completely insane, down to ear piercing screeching. But, she’s always cute.

This is Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Anastasia Nickolaevna of Russia, who usually gets called Ana or cat. She is about four years old and is actually a boy.

This is Samuel Lee Jones. He’s 26 years old and well.. a mutt.. of some sort. He usually gets called Sam.

Posted by Lauren
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Christmas Decorations

Posted on December 15, 2010

My mice (favorite thing ever!!) & my “human beans” hahahahah!!

These are my favorite ornaments, I really like the old, small wooden ones and the handpainted ones.

Sam doesn’t like the first one – I have a whole set of those homemade ornaments from pins that they did way back, haha. Most of the ornaments I have are from the tree we had growing up, so I have all old stuff (which is fine by me!) And of course, this other one is my baby one!

Posted by Lauren
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Colorado: Garden of the Gods

Posted on December 14, 2010

Colorado introduction post.

We went to Garden of the Gods two days- the first day, we just drove and walked around the main path. Two days later, we came back and walked the main path more and then took a trail. It was my favorite part of the whole trip. And, since this is the first time I’ve ever been in Colorado (farthest west I’ve ever been as well), I had never seen red rocks before, either.

Probably my favorite part of the entire trip.. we were walking along the trail when this deer comes up within 10 feet of us.

Sam was not happy that I climbed this rock. 🙂 It was thin and fairly high, which you can see in the second to last picture – Sam’s taking that from the ground. But, it’s not as scary as it looks, there are rocks and a path in front of me as well, which you can see in the first pictures (See? People walking around). Anyway, it was awesome and the view was amazing.