Wednesday, June 17, 2009

It's a good day for chocolate cake....

Because today is My Birthday!

I woke up to a homemade card that reads: I love you so,so,so,so,so,so,so,so,so,so MUCH! Fabulous.

I received some new earring to replace the ones that were stolen in November (house was broken into). Nothing fancy, just costume jewelery.

I am going out to dinner and then I am going to eat Chocolate Mousse Cake from Buttercream Bakery. They make wedding cakes and use all natural ingredients. Yum!

I am going to treat myself to some new Persephone books thanks to their 3 for 2 anniversary offer; it seems we share a birthday.

Finally, it seems like a good time to share some books that have creeped into my house lately.



Here we have some books I ordered from The Book Depository when they were having a sale.

Persephone's Miss Buncle's Book. The Cranks Bible which is a vegetarian cookbook with a Middle Eastern twist. Singled Out which I've had my eye on for ages. The Blackest Streets - subtitle is The Life and Death of a Victorian Slum - just my thing, and another Barbara Ewing novel - loved The Trespass a few years back.



Here are new advance copies that have arrived.

This Lovely Life: a memoir of premature motherhood - I've skimmed this one a bit - it looks heartbreaking, devastating, and wonderfully written.

Sarah Dunant's new book Sacred Hearts about a 16 year old sent to a convent against her will in the 16th century.

Gifts of War - a love story set against the backdrop of WW2.

Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine and the End of France - food, wine, France? Sounds good to me.



Here are the books I've purchased, new and used.

The Moonflower Vine - 'A timeless American classic rediscovered, An unforgettable saga of a heartland family' This was a bestseller in the 1960s.

Ruth Rendell. Of course.

Laurie Colwins's cooking memoirs - I got tired of seeing these all over the place and not having read them. I'm on a bit of a food memoir binge, anyway.

The Silent Raga - the story of two sisters in India - the cover is gorgeous - I couldn't resist.

American Cookery - A family saga complete with recipes. I kept picking this up and putting it back until finally I found a used copy and brought it home. Has anyone read this or anything by author Laura Kalpakian?



Finally, here are some books that I've won or mooched, or scored from paperbackswap.

Highlights here include What the Butler Saw:Two Hundred and Fifty Years of the Servant Problem and Barbara Vine's latest, The Birthday Present which is of course worth mentioning today.

Cheers!

33 comments:

Fyrefly said...

Only Sacred Hearts is at all familiar to me, but still a good haul! Happy birthday!

Now you've got me craving chocolate cake too, darn it.

bermudaonion said...

Happy Birthday! You've scored a lot of great looking books lately.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Tara! Great looking lot of books you picked up!!

Valerie said...

Happy Birthday!! Lots of books there. I have both of Laurie Colwin's. Have you read anything by Ruth Reichl also--I liked her books, too.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! When I want special cake, I go to a wedding cake bakery too - they seem to be very good at it!

avisannschild said...

Happy happy birthday! What a wonderful pile of books. And that birthday cake sounds divine! Enjoy!

Danielle said...

Happy Birthday! Sounds like you have a nice day planned--and chocolate mousse cake--yum! Now I don't feel bad about the book stacks that have appeared on my doorstep--I've had to split the list in half! It looks like you have some great books there--I loved Singled Out and the Kate Saunders and two new Rendell/Vine books! Now I need to look up some of the others that are new to me. Have a great day!

Memory said...

Happy birthday! You've got me craving cake now. That bakery sounds amazing.

Cornflower said...

Happy birthday, Tara!
That cake sounds wonderful, and the books aren't bad, either. Have a super day!

Ti said...

Happy Birthday to you! That cake you mentioned sounds absolutely divine. Definitely worthy of a bday celebration.

I had never heard of Persephone Books until your post. I will have to check out the website but books and cake sound like the makings of a really fine day.

Wendy said...

Happy Birthday, Tara!!!!

Eva said...

Happy birthday!! That Middle East veggie cookbook sounds awesome. :D

Carrie K said...

Happy Birthday, Tara!

The Blackest Street sounds intriguing.

How Not to Look Old?? lol.

Iliana said...

Happy Birthday fellow gemini! :)

I wish you a fabulous day. Although how can it not be fabulous with a handmade card, books and cake. hee. Enjoy it all Tara.

JoAnn said...

Happy, Happy Birthday, Tara!! Enjoy the cake...but How Not to Look Old??!!

Kristen M. said...

Happy Birthday! I hope you have a beautiful day and LOTS of tasty cake!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday! I hope you enjoy your cake, it sounds absolutely delicious.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday...enjoy the cake...it sounds so yummy!

Samantha said...

Oh Happy Birthday Tara :-)

Loved looking at all your new books. My Miss Buncle's Book is on its way apparently (maybe a read along candidate?)

And it looks like you have some great advanced copies there. I am particularly interested in This Lovely Life and Gifts of War. Will wait on your reviews.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, enjoy the rest of your day!

Singled out and The Blackest Streets are both fascinating works of non-fiction, hope you enjoy them.

Anna said...

Happy Birthday! Looks like you have a lot of reading to do. Enjoy! Aren't homemade cards the best?

--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric

Tara said...

Thanks everyone!

Valerie, yes! I've read all Reichl's books except her most recent. She's fabulous!

Ti, really! Oh, you are in trouble now (with Persephone). Ask them to send you a catalog and their biannual magazine. Their books are gorgeous.


JoAnn, yeah, I won that one, I thought I was going for a makeup book by Bobbi Brown...

Samantha, absolutely a read-along candidate! A bit lighter than our other reads, I imagine.

adevotedreader, glad to know you liked those!

Carrie K, yeah, I won that one...

Ali said...

Happy birthday! Hope you had a lovely day. I'm hit or miss with food memoirs, but they always sound so good to me. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of the ones you picked up.

Bree said...

Happy Birthday!!! What a great haul of books. Happy reading

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Happy Happy birthday. Hope the cake was good and your day was special. Many Many more :)

Bookfool said...

Happy belated birthday!!!

Tara said...

Thanks everyone for the good wishes!

Lisa said...

It's my birthday, too! Happy Birthday, Tara.

Cath said...

Happy belated birthday, Tara. And wow, all those wonderful books that somehow crept into your house while you weren't looking. The cheek of it!

Gentle Reader said...

Happy Birthday a little late! Hope that cake was fabulous, and that you've been having some fun with all those great new books!

Vintage Reading said...

Happy Birthday Tara - I'm a day late and a dollar short as usual - look forward to your review of the new Persephone.

Tara said...

Thank you all for the good wishes!

And a very Happy Birthday to you,too, Lisa!

Jenny said...

Happy birthday (sorry so late) and I can't wait to hear about the Laurie Colwin. She's one of my very favorite novelists, but I haven't read her cooking books yet. Have fun!