Currently Reading #10: Best Magazines to Read

I love me a good book but David and I had access to a magazine subscription deal and out of all the options we chose these for a good mix of everyday and cultural needs. 

Currently Reading #9

The Vancouver Public Library has a book sale twice a year and its a great way to spend a few hours. The last one conclude in mid-Oct and I picked up a few fiction for $0.75 each. Even if I don't like them, the money goes back to the library and the $8 I spent in total (non-fiction was $2.50) was hardly a lot.

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

This is one of those direct-parallel two storyline (past and present) type novels and it features the Holy Grail mythology. I'm not a fan of Grail books but I saw this on library shelves so often and it did win some award in the UK so I figured, I'll give it a shot. 

The story features Alias during Inquisition era France who becomes aware of and becomes tasks with taking care of three books which combine to protect the location and secrets of the Grail. The enemies want the books for themselves. In present times, Alice digs up a cave which had some of the Grail artifacts and it is later revealed that she is an ancestor of Alias (of course she is). Again, the enemies want the books and Grail for themselves.

The books is quite lengthy but the pacing was good. The way the stories paralleled was so transparent and at times almost forced; it didn't make this the most nuanced of reads. I read this with passing enjoyment and it didn't leave much of an impression.

The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd

My colleague was a huge fan of Rutherfurd's London (which is an amazing 1150 pages long) and told me that it was worth a read and in no-way dull or slow. I didn't see London at the sale but I did find The Princes of Ireland. I haven't read this yet but I'm interested to learn more about how Ireland's history has unfolded. If I like Rutherfurd's style I'll pick up his other historical novels; Paris might be good and of course, London.

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

I really enjoy a good thriller/mystery and Pretty Girls floated around my periphery for a while. Claire, a suburban trophy wife and one-time criminal (she assaulted her tennis partner...), finds some disturbing things on her husband's computer after his murder. Mix in some rape allegations, a handful of missing women, an estranged sister and family drama and you've got the set up for a Pretty Girls. 

What are you reading?

Currently Reading #8: On Being Creative

It takes a lot to be creative. Unlike some artistic superstars out there, every word and photo for this blog is a hard fought battle where I have to pull, squeeze and wring from my brain the few drops of gold that are steeping there. But I still persevere and because I think creativity is a muscle, I have been playing around with some books to help me exercise that skill a little bit more.

Currently Reading #7

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

For whatever reason stories and movies set in WWII are very interesting to me. Here the narration splits between two storylines, one of a young boy in the Hitler Youth interested in radios and engineering, one of a blind french girl who's father is tasked with transporting and keeping safe the most expensive diamond in the world. Though it might be a lengthy book (...if you consider 540 pages lengthy, I think its more medium length) the narration compellingly describes the experiences of Saint-Malo, France during WWII. The characters and their lives are touching and everything is so artfully detailed and described.

1001 Movies you Must See Before you Die (2006)

I shouldn't say that I'm currently reading this because I've been 'currently reading' this for a very long time. I absolutely love films and I bought this book in 2006 as a way to help me keep track of which movies I've seen and how they've contributed to cinema in some way. I love how this book is broken up by decades, starts with the very beginning of film (shorts, black and whites, no sound) and includes international films as well.  They update this book every year or so and as films get added on, other films are removed. I'm pretty happy to keep this first edition even though the films don't go past 2006 since 1001 movies is a lot and I'm not too concerned about watching the 'right ones'.  I'm about 14% done the list now. It helps that I've seen a lot of movies from the 30s-50s and some of the ones from the 20s too. 

Currently Reading #6

If you haven't noticed I've been trying to do one book and one food post per month. I'm hoping to round out my blog topics and I have other interests, outside of beauty, that I would love to share. These three more books have been on my side table lately.

Delicious by Ruth Reichl

This fiction plates a treasure trail of letters between James Beard and a young correspondent during war time with a side order of food descriptions that can only make you hungry and curious. I didn't know that the editor of Gourmet magazine writes fiction and this one features what happens when Billie, while working at a food magazine discovers old hidden letters when digging through the magazine's library archives. Charming, would be an apt descriptor for this quick delightful read.

The Third Plate by Dan Barber

This book has been a major inspiration. Dan Barber, Chef and owner of Blue Hill restaurant in NYC and Stone Hill Barns, discusses the responsibilities chef have to ensure sustainable food production. Chefs inspire other chefs and diners to try new foods with the unintended consequences that come with increased demands for these new items. He showcases how good farming can support good (heartier, healthier and tastier) foods.  Example after example illustrate how our current farming systems sacrifices soil health and nutrition. Just reading about his experience tasting and cultivate ancient grains and baking breads from them has me convinced that the average consumer has no idea what wheat actually tastes like anymore. I will end here by encouraging you to pick up this engaging and genuinely readable book. It guarantee it will reshape how you think about what you eat.

The Snow Queen by Michael Cunningham

I just started this one. I've tried reading another Cunningham book before but don't remember finishing it. Something about Cunningham's style doesn't quite gel with me but the premise of this one (promising to be beautiful, comedic and tragic) seemed like a good reason to try this author again. We follow the lives of Tyler, Beth and Barrett as they navigate their respective hardships. Tyler is an addict. Beth is dying of cancer. Barrett, having lost love repeatedly, has turned to religion. We'll see how it all turns out.

What's on your side table? 

Currently Reading #5

Lately, I've discovered a few books I didn't think I would like, but have ended up really enjoying.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

 I don't usually read autobiographies/memoirs but a few books by female comedians and entrepreneurs have been making their way around the internet lately. I tried reading Lena Dunham's but that didn't really take and I haven't quite gotten started on GirlBoss or Mandy Kaling's yet. For whatever reason, Amy Poehler's Yes Please has worked for me and this funny, though so far, randomly integrated, collection of stories has been an unexpected pleasure. Maybe its her frank nature or maybe its because she reminds me of Vanessa's style of humour, but Poehler has somehow succeeded in grabbing and maintaining my attention more than the other authors previously mentioned have. Not a must read, but something quick and entertaining even for non-SNL lovers.

The Sandman by Lars Kepler

I'm only going to compare this to the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series out of laziness and the loose thread that this and that are both thriller novels set in Scandinavia. The villains seem purely evil in the most believable of ways (which make them all the more horrifying) and Jooner Linner (the main character) is more than your typical hard working investigator. Not all mystery books from that region do it for me. I've tried reading some other translated authors but Lars Kepler's books have the perfect pace and level of darkness that I enjoy.

the life-changing magic of tidying up by marie kondo

This book has also been making its way around social media. The premise made me curious, if there was some magical way of making my life more meaningful and less cluttered, sign me up. But I wasn't entirely on board with this in case it turned out to be too new-agey or exceptionally dry. My friend, Tian, was done with her copy so she lent it to me. A push in the right direction. Though at times it does go in for the false cheery confidence I dislike,  Marie's interesting and expertise in tidying up is genuine and her methods seem sound. I'm especially looking forward to using her technique on my glut of makeup once I have it all in one location. Who wouldn't want to keep more of 'what they love' and get rid of everything else?

What have you been reading lately?

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Currently Reading #4

When I go to the library and borrow books, I feel like I have parcels of presents just waiting to be opened. I'm not even kidding or exaggerating. Does anyone else feel like that? Anyways, here's what I've got on the go right now.

Currently Reading

1) Obasan by Joy Kogawa

Am I the only BC resident that has never read this during their school years? This common novel study book never made it into my class and I mostly avoided it because of incorrect assumptions that a) school books are boring b) Canadian lit? baahh? I saw this and was reminded that I have never read it and after having read it, was reminded that books are on novel study lists for a reason.

Quickly devouring it in two days, this book is a poetic (but not slow) fictionalized memoir about living on the West Coast of Canada as a Japanese Canadian during the Second World War. It gave me a good education on how this population was shuttled off and forcibly oppressed by the government and an interesting look into Vancouver, BC and Alberta during the time.

2) Crazybone by Bill Pronzini

Picked this up 'cause I was looking for quick mystery read. It's pretty good so far and most of the books in this series are around 200 pages making them easy and swift. I just started but its going quite well and might draw another one from this series.

3) The 100 Year Old Man who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

This book has been floating around my 'to read' list for a long time and with a 40 person long hold list, it seemed like The Rapture would occur before I would get a copy. But, randomly spotting the paperback on the shelf made me lunge for it like a crazy person, leaving me feeling like I won a very small lottery. A sort of magical and fanciful read which is subtly hilarious, the characters are endearing and charming as the accidentally kill criminals and try and escape from the police.

What have you been reading? Any suggestions?

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Currently Reading

Currently Reading

I quite like it when some of you guys talk about the books your are reading. I also quite like it when more than one, but not more than five books are mentioned. So here are three that I'm currently getting through.