Below are the most recent 25 friends' journal entries.

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Friday, January 8th, 2010
50bookchallenge [ literative ]	12:16p	Book Reviews :) The fake-cuts lead to the reviews and details :) I'm Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago by Hape Kerkeling Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy Angle of Impact by Bonnie MacDougal Already Dead by Charlie Huston Long Spoon Lane by Anne Perry Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett Nemesis by Agatha Christie The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Atlantis by David Gibbins The Red House Mystery by A.A.Milne - Spoiler-Alert! Cross-posted like crazy, i.e. to bookshare & bookish. (Comment on this)
trashy_eats [ quiggibub ]	6:00a	Domino's Have they really changed? I just watched a Colbert Report segment, and apparently their new business strategy is to not suck as badly as they traditionally have. Is the new stuff any good? (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
50bookchallenge [ warmradiostatic ]	9:23p	My 2010 Reads So far this year I have knocked out three books, I usually read more than fifty a year. I do keep track of the number of books, but since I read books on my Kindle and from the library, I don't do page counts. I am not sure that these three books could be any more different from each other, but here are my thoughts! 1. Under the Dome - Stephen King Genre: Fiction? My thoughts: I have no idea how to classify what this book is really about. I am not sure if it is about survival after a apocalyptic event, a study on small town life, or some sort of science fiction story. It was a book I read on my kindle simply because I didn't want to cart around the massive hardcover book. The book was long and I did feel there were a few spots that slowed the book down, but overall the book was able to keep the action level up despite the length. I think this would be a great movie/mini-series. I really liked the book until the last 15% or so. Without giving anything away, basically I would have preferred a different ending. I am sure many people would disagree with me on that. 2. Push - Sapphire Genre: Fiction My thoughts: I have wanted to read this for awhile. However, I think I was the victim of knowing too much about it before I read it. Previews for the movie make it clear that the things Precious goes through is mind-boggling. I can't deny that it is a powerful book, but I think knowing about the story forced me to read it with more detachment than normal. I felt it ended abruptly, but upon further reflection it really fits. This story is not able to be wrapped up in a pretty little bow. It just isn't possible. I would recommend this book but only if you are comfortable enough to deal with the intense subject matter. Some of it is very graphic and painful to read. I kept feeling like this was written about a real individual and I had to remind myself that of the fact that the book is a conglomeration of real experiences people have faced. It was a hard book to read. I don't know if I could read it again. 3. Labor Day - Joyce Maynard Genre: Fiction My thoughts: I thought this book was great and I would recommend it as a light and fast read. The story lets you go along for the ride but doesn't require as much emotional effort as the other two books. Click on the Amazon link for more info. (Comment on this)
50bookchallenge [ chai_balloons ]	8:09p	First Book of 2010 Title: Last Night at the Lobster Author: Stewart O'Nan Genre: Drama Grade: 5/5 Overview (taken from amazon.com): The Red Lobster perched in the far corner of a run-down New England mall hasn’t been making its numbers and headquarters has pulled the plug. But manager Manny DeLeon still needs to navigate a tricky last shift with a near-mutinous staff. All the while, he’s wondering how to handle the waitress he’s still in love with, what to do about his pregnant girlfriend, and where to find the present that will make everything better. Review: ( Read more... )   ( Read more... )   If you've previously read this book, or do decide to read it, and enjoy it, you might also want to read Snow Angels, also by Mr. O'Nan, it's just as good. (Comment on this)
50bookchallenge [ e_t_a ]	10:24p	bookchallenge, round 2 If I'd remembered to keep track, I probably would have reached the goal number the last time around. Oh well. Time for a restart. :) Let's see now. New time period: from the last week of December 2009 to the last week of December 2010, since I'm including books read in the last month. Goal: 50 books. Children's books will count as 1/2 a book, rereads as a full book unless I change my mind. 1. Ten Little Indians by Sherman Alexie: These are stories about love, loss, sacrifice, and what shapes us, whether it's basketball, the love for the written word, or infidelity. Mostly happening in and around Seattle, the main characters are Indian, primarily from the Spokane tribe - which makes sense, since Alexie himself is Spokane. I really enjoyed this short story collection; the characters are varied and thoroughly fleshed-out. 5 out of 5. 2. The Summoner by Gail Z. Martin: First in a fantasy trilogy called Chronicles of the Necromancer, the story introduces a nicely built fantasy world of magic, goddesses, and ghosts. While 'a prince on the run and a ragtag group he finds along the way must stop an evil power from taking over their world' is not anything new, the characters are interesting, gender-varied and believable, and I like the system of magic and politics between the various countries. 4 and 1/2 out of 5. 3. The Blood King by Gail Z. Martin: Second in the trilogy. The drama and anticipation built up nicely, but I thought the conclusion itself was kind of abrupt. We'll see if the third book picks up speed or meanders... Even with the pacing, I enjoyed the story and new plot entanglements. 4 out of 5. 4. Witch & Wizard by James Patterson (and in small print Gabrielle Charbonnet): This was a christmas gift from a friend, sweet but misguided. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone else. It seems to be trying to appeal to YA and fantasy readers, but the language and style isn't really coherent. There are randomly invented slang words, abrupt violence mixed with childish language, and no real depth to the story or characters. It feels deliberately dumbed down to create a (false) sense of mystery: if I had to describe it with one phrase, I'd say it was ham-handed. Honestly, there's a distinct difference between a story for young adults and a story that hasn't been written well. 2 out of 5. (Comment on this)
bentolunch [ cherishedfemme ]	10:26p	Eager to begin a bento lifestyle! Hello! I've been a follower/lurker in this community for quite some time. I would really like to create my own bento but I don't know where to begin really. So I have some questions if anyone could please assist me? 1. Where can I buy bento boxes/supplies? 2. Is there a certain kind of food to use in bentos? 3. How would I keep something hot? 4. Is it expensive to do everyday? 5. Are there any tutorials on-line I can look at? Thank you for your time. ^_^ (5 Comments |Comment on this)
50bookchallenge [ ardaigle ]	10:09p	Books 42 - 44...so close, but yet so far. I'm officially concluding my first attempt at 50 books in a year...not a solid win, but certainly I read a lot more than I did last year, and isn't that the point? These are the last two entries before I start over again. I'll give it my all this year and see what transpires... Title: Green Angel Author: Alice Hoffman Themes/Topics: Nature, Triumph over Tragedy This is a little outside of my realm as it is young adult literature, but as it is Hoffman I enjoyed it. She has the ability to paint such a clear portrait of the main character and her transformation from youth through tragedy and loss to an awareness of self. I would define this as a coming-of-age story about the ability of the human spirit to recover from great loss. Title: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornest Nest Author: Stieg Larsson Themes/Topics: Mystery, Conspiracy, Violence, Infringement of Rights I don't want to say much to fans that have read the first two of this trilogy but this just as imaginative and addictive as the rest. It took me a little longer to get hooked into this book but it was very compelling and a satisfying read. My only disappointment is that Larsson died in 2004 and will not be able to share any more of his creativity and talent with the world. Title: The Well of Eternity (WarCraft: War of the Ancients Trilogy, Book 1) Author: Richard Knaak Themes/Topics: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, War, Evil As a person who has never played WarCraft, it was interesting for me to read this book. My boyfriend plays and I read it to learn a little more about this game that I find so pecular. It was tough for me to get into this at first, probably because I'm not really into sci-fi. Once I got the hang of the jargon, I found it to be an interesting story and I wanted to see how it would end, which is the most I can ask from any book. I'm sure I'll continue with the Trilogy, but I still am adamant that I will not play the game, just not my style. (Comment on this)
50bookchallenge [ maribou ]	9:01p	Last Morning The Last Place on Earth, by Mike "Nick" Nichols An incredibly stunning collection of photographs of wild places in Africa, published in a very large format (about 16" X 11.5") and with graceful framing text by the likes of David Quammen (who told me to seek out megatransect stuff in the first place) and Mike Fay (the originator of the Megatransect - the guy who Nichols and Quammen were following through the bush - more about him later because I'll be reading excerpts from his journals shortly). Amaaaaaaaaaazing. If you can ogle this you should. As an aside, I do not know what it says about me that I generally find myself most moved by photos of reptiles and amphibians... but this book has some keen shots of those, in addition to the equally gorgeous pictures of chimps, gorillas, leopards, bongos, elephants (LOTS of elephants), etc. (7/200) First Darling of the Morning, by Thrity Umrigar Short, easy-to-read-but-literary memoir (a series of short essays, really) about growing up in Bombay. Powerful and endearing. Recommended but with the caveat that none of the stuff on the cover of this book led me to believe that some of the family stuff (only a few essays, but) would be as dark as it was. May be triggery for those who had a physically or emotionally abusive parent. (I don't usually bring this stuff up, but like I said - there was NO warning of this in what I'd read about the book or saw on the cover before reading it - kind of a shock to read such things when you are expecting more or less "light and happy" and sitting in a public place.... most of the book is quite delicate & cheerful in tone, and it's not that the sad parts don't fit, they totally do, I just wasn't mentally prepared for them. The Booklist review on the amazon page I linked to *does* give a good idea of this content so you may want to read it if you are concerned.) (8/200) Current Mood: possibly improving? Current Music: I just listened to an entire Leonard Cohen concert DVD (Comment on this)
bentolunch [ diello ]	10:59p	Question Does anyone have any egg shapers? And if so, how do they work? I cannot for the life of me figure out how to properly shape my boiled eggs... they always crumble. I have better luck getting my rice to shape with these little presses. But I really would like to shape eggs for my bentos, too. Any clues? (12 Comments |Comment on this)
50bookchallenge [ cornerofmadness ]	10:34p	Books 1-3 Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve ( Tom ) Dogs: Blood and Carnage#2 by Shirow Miwa ( dogs ) Il Gatto Sul G. III#3 by Tooko Miyagi ( violins ) Current Mood: busy Current Music: NCIS (Comment on this)
50bookchallenge [ bookworm84 ]	9:52p	No. 2 for 2010 Title: Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief Author: Rick Riordan Rating: 5/5 Book: 2/50 (4% completed) Book in personal challenge with niun: 3/50 Fantasy, 3/50 Mystery and 0/25 Classics Pages: 375 pgs Total Pages 829/15,000 pages (5.53% completed) Next up: The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening & The Struggle by L.J. Smith I picked this book up because I want to see the movie and when I realized that they were books, I knew I had to read the book before I saw the movie. It's just the way I am. I like to develop my own ideas of the characters and events, etc. This book was hard to put down. Each page leaves you wanting to find out if Percy and his friends will make it through their adventure. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series! xposted to 50bookchallenge, 15000pages and bookworm84 ( Book Description from book jacket or back of the book: ) (Comment on this)
Friday, January 8th, 2010
bentolunch [ trekkiegrrrl ]	3:15a	Bento # 683 & 684 Snow snow everywhere. We don't usually get all that much snow in winter here, but it's been three weeks straight with the stuff now. And it's still snowing. Quite unusual - but rather pretty. If only it would keep off the roads and railway tracks *L* Well anyway I decided that the white rice in today's bento could double for snow, so I put mittens and a scarf on Froggie™ and sent him out to play ;) Bento # 684 stir-fried sweet-and-sour pork and veggies. Rice. Adorned with cucumber, sweet red pepper and carrots. The hiragana reads　ゆき - "snow" - and below the cut is yesterday's lame excuse for a bento... ( # 683 here ) (13 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
bentolunch [ sparklypoof ]	9:11p	today's lunch - more cute shapes! my husband's lunch today. on the left, more chicken nugget halves, chopped up fresh green beans, and shaped sweet rice w/furikake. on the right, a star-cut-out cheese, dried apricots, peanut butter-filled celery w/carrot stars and 3 raspberries. I don't like having so much of the bottom showing through, but didn't want to just line it w/lettuce for lettuce's sake... my lunch today. another "face" on the left, w/the same ingredients as above, and on the right, more carrot stars, cucumber halves, asparagus, a rather large "baby" tomato, 2 laughing cow swiss cheese, and some raspberries. I feel like lunches end up being roughly the same all week, for the most part, as I use up ingredients... :\ at least they're all cute, right? I got some bigger veggie cutters that I need to use, too. hm, mebbe tomorrow, if there's anything left to cut! Current Mood: cold (Comment on this)
50bookchallenge [ slimequeen ]	7:03p	#2: The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart This first book of Stewart's acclaimed Arthurian Saga examines the childhood and maturation of Merlin. From his birth, Myriddin Emrys is set apart from other children, and not merely because he was born a bastard to a Welsh princess. He is strange and precocious, using his intellect even when his burgeoning magical powers didn't serve him. After his grandfather the king is killed, Merlin flees from the household. God leads him on a strange path northward into foreign lands, but Merlin doesn't fear. He has seen his own death, and he knows that in the intervening years Britain will change and he will be an instrument of many kings. Honestly, I avoided reading this book for years because I think King Arthur has been done to death. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book since I wasn't familiar with Merlin's mythology and thought the plot came together beautifully. However, as Uther became a central figure, I liked the story less. This is completely my own bias. Mary Stewart is an excellent writer, and it's easy to see why this series has remained a consistent seller for decades. However, I won't be continuing with the next volume. Current Mood: thoughtful (2 Comments |Comment on this)
bentolunch [ aki_amano ]	8:44p	Bento Question Hello all you cheery bento-ers. I have a question for you. I'm a college student who lives a 20-30 minute walk from campus. I get up early and am on campus all day without access to a fridge. I don't have the money to eat in the cafeteria every day and I'm really into making bento. My question is, how can I keep food from going bad if it's with me all day? Also, what are your favorite bento items that don't need refrigeration? Thank you for your help! (9 Comments |Comment on this)
food_porn [ nyusha81 ]	3:29p	Simple is best: Eggs and Caviar   (14 Comments |Comment on this)
50bookchallenge [ harmonatrix ]	7:55p	Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom Book# 2 of 50; 616 of 15,000 Pgs by December 2010; 2nd Read Title: Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom Author: Julie Kenner Genre: SciFi / Fantasy Add'l Info: Paperback; 307 pages; Kate Connor, Demon Hunter Series (1 of 5 (so far)). Synopsis:( From The Book ) My Thoughts: Rating: 8 out of 10 Since I now own two more books in the series, I've decided to read the first 3 again. This is my second time reading this book, and I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time. Kate's sarcastic wit, love of family, and (rusty) butt kicking abilities, are an odd but fun mix! Admittedly, some of the plot points are predictable, and I found the final scene in the book a bit lacking, but over all, Carpe Demon is a great introduction to Kate and the cast of characters that make up her life in San Diablo, California. In Depth: I'm actually not going to do this part this time, as I don't think I can do so without possibly spoiling book 2 in the process. That's the drawback with knowing some of what's ahead. Up Next: California Demon: The Secret Life of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom X-Posted @: As well as: 15000pages & harmonatrix May also be x-posted @ books & readplease Current Mood: good (Comment on this)
50bookchallenge [ lemaster_69 ]	5:46p	A good start I skipped the challenge last year but decided to start up again this year. 1. An Unchanging Faith in a Changing World by Robert Bowman and Stephen Boa. Nonfiction book about cultural challenges to traditional Christianity. 2. Reclaiming Virtue, by John Bradshaw. A philosopher looks at prudence and how we can develop what's described as moral intelligence. Current Mood: content Current Music: none (Comment on this)
50bookchallenge [ make_meabird ]	2:44p	Book 1: Stones from the River Stones from the River Ursula Hegi Historical fiction 525 pages Returning to Burgdorf, the small German community she memorably depicted in Floating in My Mother's Palm, Hegi captures the events and atmosphere in the country prior, during and after WW II. Again she has produced a powerful novel whose chilling candor and resonant moral vision serve a dramatic story. With a sure hand, Hegi evokes the patterns of small-town life, individualized here in dozens of ordinary people who display the German passion for order, obedience and conformity, enforced for centuries by rigid class differences and the strictures of the Catholic church. The protagonist is Trudi Montag, the Zwerg (dwarf) who becomes the town's librarian; (she and most of the other characters figured in the earlier book). A perennial outsider because of her deformity, Trudi exploits her gift for eliciting peoples' secrets--and often maliciously reveals them in suspenseful gossip. But when Hitler ascends to power, she protects those who have been kind to her, including two Jewish families who, despite the efforts of Trudi, her father and a few others, are fated to perish in the Holocaust. Trudi is a complex character, as damaged by her mother's madness and early death as she is by the later circumstances of her life, and she is sometimes cruel, vindictive and vengeful. It is fascinating to watch her mature, as she experiences love and loss and finds wisdom, eventually learning to live with the vast amnesia that grips formerly ardent Nazis after the war. One hopes that Hegi will continue to depict the residents of Burgdorf--Germany in microcosm--thus deepening our understanding of a time and place. I am so glad that we picked this one for our first book club read of the new year! The only reason that I did not give this book five stars is because it seemed to drag and lag on at the beginning and end of the book. There were times that I found Trudi to be annoying, honestly. However, I do not know how it is to grow up in that time period and to be like her, so I cannot say if her reactions to people/things is wrong, but I don't think she had a heathly outlook on things all of the time. If you are into pre-WWII and holocaust survival stories, then I highly recommend this book. I am now reading another book by Hegi, Floating in My Mother's Palm, in which Trudi plays a minor role. (Comment on this)
bentolunch [ micka ]	2:29p	1.5 bentos! Today's lunch counts as 1 bento. Neat little pita-esque Sandwich thin, cut in half, silver thing is a wedge of creamy Swiss Laughing Cow cheese, baby carrots, blue berries from the freezer stash, grape tomatoes, turkey and ham slices (rolled up and skewered), and mayo in the penguin container. Tony Chachere's in the bear container to the right. Counting a bottle of XXX Vitamin Water 10 and a clementine orange, this one comes out to about 350 Calories. And here's yesterday's .5! ( Read more... ) I'm so happy to be back to Bento-ing! :D Current Mood: amused Current Music: Dido: Life For Rent (Comment on this)
50bookchallenge [ gwynraven ]	11:28a	Book #2 -- Clifford Chase, Winkie, 240 pages. Er . . . I don't know what to say about this one. It's one of the most bizarre novels I've read in a long time. Best description I can think of is The Velveteen Rabbit meets Kafka's The Trial. Despite the sheer absurdity of it, it does have its moments of brilliance. Progress toward goals: 1.9% Books: 2/100 = 2.0% Pages: 601/30000 = 2.0% 2009 Book List cross-posted to 15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and gwynraven (Comment on this)
bentolunch [ ocean_storm ]	11:16a	( Bento's #3 & #4! ) Need to work on my color combination's to make it look nicer but eh, whatever works. Sorry for the weird thumbnails, got a bit over excited about having photoshop again lol (2 Comments |Comment on this)
50bookchallenge [ judeaslinksta ]	10:15a	Books 23 - 25 Halfway mark! Book 23: The Select by F. Paul Wilson. 394 pages. Genre: Psychological action thriller, perhaps. Medical thriller, anyhow. Plot: From the back of the book: "Quinn Cleary is smart, idealistic and poor. She's been accepted at The Ingraham, a prestigious medical school, where a select few receive the finest education free of charge. But something is terribly wrong at The Ingraham. Quinn notices subtle changes in the bright, hand-picked students. Then she stumbles upon the silent, staring patients in locked Ward C." Good, but predictable as heck. Quinn fits into the perfect stereotype of women protagonists in this sort of fiction. She's tall, stunning (but doesn't know it) and smarter than everyone else. I enjoyed the character of Dr Emerson, as well as Tim. The twist with Ward C was a little surpising, but that was the only thing about the book that I wasn't able to predict after the first chapter. Rating: 5 of 10. Book 24: Cover Her Face by PD James. 206 pages. Genre: Mystery. Plot: From fantasticfiction: "Headstrong and beautiful, the young housemaid Sally Jupp is put rudely in her place, strangled in her bed behind a bolted door. Coolly brilliant policeman Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard must find her killer among a houseful of suspects, most of whom had very good reason to wish her ill." The debut novel for PD James, I figured it was a good place to start, as I'd never read any of her stuff. It follows a very classic British mystery plotline with all of the suspects gathered in the room at the end waiting to find out whodunnit. The action is all very passive, you don't really realize how quick it's going. I like that, but it's hard to get used to after reading something a lot more modern where everything is happening at once. It was enjoyable though, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more of her books. Rating: 7 of 10. Book 25: We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee. 261 pages. Genre: Memoir. Plot: Benjamin Mee and his wife, his mother and his brother buy a failing zoo in Dartmoor. Told from Mee's perspective, the story covers mainly the before and during aspects of buying and setting up the zoo, which is at risk of being shut down permanently. Even though I knew going into it what the outcome was, I still felt a sense of relief at the end when they successfully managed to open to the public. Mee has a habit of jumping back and forth in time when telling the story, which is a bit confusing. The animal anecdotes were fun, moreso than his occasional ego trips in which he talked about his DIY prowess. I've put a visit to the actual zoo, the Darmoor Zoological Park, on my to-do list. Rating: 6 or 7 of 10. 25 / 50 books. 50% done! 7094 / 15000 pages. 47% done! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
bentolunch [ pikkopots ]	1:22a	Bento Central This is my turkey helper lunch from yesterday in my new Miffy box. I launched a new bento site today called Bento Central, which is sort of like an online bento newspaper. I'd love it if you all would give it a try! Current Mood: excited (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
50bookchallenge [ deadpoet83 ]	10:48p	My first books of 2010 I decided to do the 50 book challenge again in 2010. Mostly because my reading has been tapering off, due to theatre, video games, knitting, and various other pursuits, and I am trying to motivate myself to read more. 1. Black Swan Green by David Mitchell This is quite different from the other two books of his I've read (Cloud Atlas and Ghost Written), but I still loved it. It's basically a coming of age story, but it's done really well. It appears to be semi-autobiographical, and Mitchell really captures adolescence and the ways people hide themselves to fit in better, without sinking into being maudlin. 2. Survivor by Octavia Butler This is part of her "Patternist" series, which is not my favorite thing she's ever written, but is still intriguing. Butler also says that this is her least favorite novel she ever wrote. Overall, I liked it well enough, but I do think it lacked the depth and freshness of some of her other works. Current Mood: thoughtful Current Music: Fallout 3 (Comment on this)

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