Am I Missing Something?

Are there Twilight fans out there?

Is there something I'm not getting about these books? Should I be reading them? Everyone I know is talking about them. I guess I have a pre-conceived idea that I won't enjoy them, since I don't really like science fiction or fantasy stuff.

Examples: Rob had to draaaaaag me to those Lord of the Rings movies, and I still don't understand The Matrix and think it's probably one of the dumbest movies ever made.

Like me, you are likely seeing stuff everywhere about the new movie coming out. (Or maybe it's already out? I told you I was out of the loop.)

Tell me -- am I missing something???

Book Recommendations

I've been reading some good books lately, so I thought I'd pass some recommendations on to you....

Still Alice by Lisa Genova. This is the story of a woman with early onset Alzheimer's, and it's really a wonderfully written novel. It's sad and sweet and very, very touching. And now I've convinced myself that I probably have it too. ;)

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf. I seriously could not put down this tale of two missing girls, family secrets and tragedy. It wasn't a mystery novel, but it was a real page-turner.

Happens Every Day by Isabel Gillies. This is an autobiography about a real woman who gives up her life to follow her husband's career.... up until the minute he decides he doesn't want to be married anymore. It's a fast read.

I'm on the waiting list at the library for The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and I have This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper, although I haven't started it yet. Any other suggestions from you??

The Time Traveler's Wife

We interrupt these vacation updates with a book review.

I just finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife. I hated it. Every. Single. Page.

I really wanted to read it and thought I'd better do so before the movie came out in a few weeks. It took me several chapters to even get interested, and by then I felt I was too invested to just quit. I didn't like the story or Henry or the whole idea. The only person I really liked was Clare.

And to add insult to injury, I had to pay a late fine to the library because it was due while we were on vacation.

Have you read it? What did you think?

Book Me

Last time I asked for your book recommendations, you sent me some good reads! I'm in need of some new reading material again.... thoughts or suggestions?

I've read the following, which are always recommended: Same Kind of Different as Me; The Shack (I may be the only person on earth who didn't like this book); My Sister's Keeper and pretty much everything else by Jodie Picoult; The Glass Castle; most all Curtis Sittenfeld books.

The floor is yours. What should I be reading?

PT

I started physical therapy yesterday. My orthopedic surgeon thought my ankle was still a little too stiff, and I have the most trouble going down the steps and doing little things, like kicking off my shoes. My toes are too weak! (Sounds pitiful, doesn't it??)

So I met with the PT group yesterday and they gave me some new stretches. Plus, they'll do some massage therapy and work on getting the skin around my incisions back to normal (it's super dry, mainly because I'm too chicken to really touch it). I'll go twice a week.

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Thanks to those who share good recipes for all of the veggies we got from the CSA. I ended up making a delicious gratin with the potatoes, grilled squash marinated in the herbs, and Erin's cabbage recipe with olive oil, butter and a diced apple. Delicious! I'm still munching on the cucumber, and last night I used the last four potatoes to make cheesy smashed potatoes, using the Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese wedges. I'm glad we used all of the veggies.


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I'm reading "Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress" by Lee Woodruff. Recommend it for short chapters covering different areas and stories in her life. Some are super funny, and some are super moving. It's a good read so far.

I have a giant stack of books to get through in the next few weeks: After Etan, The Time Traveler's Wife, Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult, and about a half-dozen more.


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We had another stellar experience with Lowe's in-store pick-up this evening. Rob placed an order at 10:45 a.m., and we arrived to pick it up at 5:30 p.m. They looked at us at customer service as if we'd walked up to the counter and ordered a Big Mac. Totally confused. After 15 minutes, they finally tracked down the item and brought it to the customer service desk. This is the item that was supposed to have been ready for pick-up at 12:45 p.m....