Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Feeling Slumpy

I've been in a reading slump here. I've begun four different books - one started well and though I lost interest I'm continuing with it, another from the library will go back after about 10 pages, two more that I tried and couldn't get on with. I don't know what it was, but finally I decided that perhaps I had too much on my mind to read fiction - which has happened to me in the past - does it ever happen to you? And I needed some nonfiction. Well, was I ever right, because I chose something I should have read years ago and is absolutely blowing my mind. More to come on that, but here are a few books I read before my slump:



Mothernight by Sarah Stovell - I knew I had to read this after Elaine and Karen's reviews a while back. The Book Depository finally had a copy and it became mine. Leila is seventeen years old and is returning to her father and stepmother's home for the first time since childhood. Leila was effectively banished after a terrible tragedy involving her infant brother. Leila returns home with Olivia, a boarding school friend with whom she has an intense relationship, and comes back in contact with Rosie, a childhood friend with whom she had a disturbing and uneven friendship with. Despite the setting of this novel, under the hot summer sun, I found this book to be wonderfully creepy, cold and disturbing. I loved reading the different character's points of view and how they manipulated one another. The tension in the story builds and secrets are uncovered slowly and carefully by the author. A terribly entertaining book and terrific cover as well.

The Dark Lantern by Gerri Brightwell - I had been interested in this book since I'd been browsing at Barnes and Noble, but when Danielle reviewed it I knew it was a must-read. This book is full of all the ingredients that make a great read for me: the upstairs/downstairs servant issues, filthy, foggy Victorian London, a host of people who are not what they seem, and a little bit of history, in this case, the study of anthropometry, the science of identifying criminals by body measurements. I enjoyed learning about anthropometry and its comparison with fingerprinting. The supporters argued that it was too difficult to catalog all the fingerprints and much easier to look up things by precise measurement.

Jane Wilbred takes a position as a maid in the Bentley's home and is soon swept up in the unusual goings-on of the household. Her mistress, who would rather her own secrets not be found out, uses Jane as a spy and sends her on mysterious errands. Jane cannot tell who can trust and who she cannot - it seems at times there is no one. This was another entertaining book with a satisfying conclusion.

Something I've been thinking about for a while is putting together a cookbook for myself. Besides my cookbooks, I have lots of pages of recipes that I use regularly and that float around my kitchen trying to get lost. I had thought about using Tastebook, but I'd have to type out all my recipes and what if I made a mistake? Now I'm thinking about buying a pretty binder and plastic page protectors and setting a book up this way. Any better ideas? Just cataloging them on the computer is not going to work because the computer is not in the kitchen and I need a hard copy.

14 comments:

Maw Books said...

Such a teaser, not telling us the name of the book that is blowing your mind away!

I recently compiled my family's cookbook. For some odd reason, I was the one nominated. I collected the recipes, made title pages on the computer and typed up all of the recipes. To give to family members, I ended up making a pdf file and burning everything to a CD. Everybody printed out their own copy, put in plastic page protectors and then a three ring binder.

I love the setup because the wipe clean really easy. It's also easy to add in additional pages or recipes with the page protector set up.

It was a lot of work. We had photos, stories, etc. I think it ended up being 200+ pages. I hope your project is certainly not as time consuming as mine was!

Les said...

I have all my recipes (tried and true) typed up and organized in two large 3-ring binders. I use clear sheet protectors and am quite pleased with the system. I also have my cooking blog, which has a large portion of the same recipes. As I've made the recipes, I've stopped to take a picture or two to post along with the recipe on my blog. This gives me a chance to double-check for any modifications I may not have noted on the original recipe. Someday, I'd like to have all the cooking blog posts compiled into a book, perhaps using Blurb.

Carrie K said...

I use clear sheet protectors for my recipe and knitting binders. It's just easier in the long run.

Isn't it funny how we need a fiction/non fiction break? Books speak to us, and it's never more apparent than when a book isn't quite connecting.

Bookfool said...

Wow, you guys are so organized. I was just going to respond to the slump question. I go through the odd slump, now and then. Depending on the time period (I've gone through phases), there are varying genres that I consider great for Brain Breaks when I've overdone it. Right now, Young Adult novels and memoirs are two of my favorites. I don't seem interested in Chick Lit at all, right now, and Chick Lit used to be my brain candy of choice. Sometimes I'll flip through dozens of books, reading the first paragraph or page, till something grabs me.

Bree said...

Brain slump - I hate it when this happens. Thank goodness its only rarely, but I've been know to go a whole month without reading a book and then I feel like crap. Like BookFool, I usually pick up a Chick Lit or Mystery to get me out of my slump.

Cookbook - I have kept my recipes in a 3 ring binder for years. I like to keep the riped-out pages from magazines or where ever because I like pictures to accompany recipes. Just last year, I decided to do 2 binders - one with recipes I haven't tried (that one's bigger) and one with tried and liked recipes. Each binder is then divided by category - beef, chicken, pork, side dishes, desserts.

Tara said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
BooksPlease said...

Yes I go through reading slumps every now and then, when nothing appeals, even though there are plenty of books in my tbr piles. It's usually after I've read a really good book or books on much the same theme or in the same genre. Then I need a complete change - maybe watch a film, or do something that doesn't involve reading.

The cookbook idea sounds a good project. I have one I started years ago where I pasted in recipes I cut out of magazines - I'm sure there are much better scrapbooking things these days and it might be just the thing to do until you surface from the slump.

I'm intrigued about the book that's blowing your mind!

Don't know if you already know but I've moved my blog to here.

Tara said...

Natasha, soon I promise! Your cookbook sounds amazing, but a lot of work. I can see why you did it that way since you were sharing it with so many people. I'm sure they will be around for a long time.

Les, I like the idea of taking photos and then keeping them with the recipes. I tend to make notes on my recipes with dates when I change things, too. Those Blurb books are gorgeous - wow!

Carrie, okay it's looking like plastic sheet protectors it is! I totally agree with you about books speaking to us - mine were not!

Bookfook, aren't they?? Me too, with the chick lit - not appealing to me anymore. In fact the book I read ten pages of fits into that category. Good idea about reading the first page. Will have to try that.

Bree, I think mystery would be a good slump-breaker for me since I don't read a ton of it. I keep loads of recipes just stuffed into folders - mostly ones to try. I wonder how many I'll eventually get to! I like your idea - I don't want to re-type everything, just maybe use the pages I already have.

Booksplease, I know what you mean - so many books but nothing is pleasing. I did notice your new site! It looks lovely. I am tempted to change but scared too.

Literary Feline said...

I am glad you were able to find a book that kick started your reading again!

I've had my eye on Mothernight for a while now. It sounds like a good read. The Dark Lantern sounds good too!

Tara said...

Literary feline, me too - I do feel refreshed somehow. Both were good read, not terribly complicated, but entertaining and absorbing which is what I needed.

melanie said...

oh no, i hope you didn't catch the slump from me. :)

Tara said...

Mel, I don't think so...it's just that time of year!

Carrie K said...

ok...looked on amazon for mothernight and they say its a preorder?

im confused...

and youre right the cover is delicious! sometimes a deciding factor in my love of a book...

Tara said...

Carrie, Mothernight is currently only available in the UK- well, not in the US, anyway. I ordered it from the book despository online - free shipping anywhere and no minimum! And the prices are often discounted, too. check it out! I've bought a fair amount from them and have been very happy.