Jennifer’s blog

Family

2008-06-16T09:33:44Z

Yesterday, we had a barbeque for father's day. My brother and his wife have a hard time with cooking supper for their family. They have two young boys and we stressed on my brother that they need to eat properly. His wife doesn't cook and since she works evenings my brother has to take care of them by himself. When she gets home, the boys are in bed. While we were barbecuing my mom asked C to get the hot dog buns ready. She asked me what to do you butter, I told her the sides. I continued working and then noticed that she buttered the insides. So, we had to show her the difference. Keep in mind this is a woman of 30 years old.

I think it is incredibly sad that no one showed her how to cook hots dogs...

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Update on Ebookwise

2008-06-12T02:14:48Z

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I really love my ebookwise. I found a great site to download free ebooks (www.ebookhood.com) and it is amazing. I found "The Host" and all three in the Twilight series. Also, Catch-22 and Doctor Zhivago. These are book I own and would not want to pay for again, at least I don't have to carry around my hardcovers. I hate carrying around my books because I hate when they get bent or scratched. This machine is amazing! The backlight makes reading in bed very easy, since Daniel hates the light being on.

I can also upload all the books from Project Gutenberg. I know i'll still buy books, but maybe some books I'll just buy in ebook format. I want to give James Patterson a try, but don't really want to buy all the books.

All We Ever Wanted Was Everything

Janelle Brown

It's a chick lit book, and I bought this in ebook format. I know I'll only read it once. I really need to try and use the ebooks because I have no more space for books!!

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Waiting by Ha Jin

2008-06-04T00:03:04Z

Waiting: A Novel

Ha Jin

I really loved this book. I'll post more when I have more time.

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ereading...

2008-06-01T23:44:20Z

After a lot of thought and consideration, I decided to give ereading a chance. I use to read a lot of ebooks when I had my palm pilot but always thought the small screen was a little annoying. I've been looking at a lot of ebook readers, but the price is astronomical, 300-800$ was too much for me. The Sony Reader and the Amazon Kindle look great but they have no backlight and cost 300$. I love reading in bed, and the light is mostly tuned off. A backlight was a must. So. here is what I have come up with...

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It is called the ebookwise. The technology is a little older, but it has a backlight. On the plus side I paid it 115$. Many times books get left at home because it is too heavy to carry, and this should help me. It's about the size of a paperback book. Ebooks are not available for all books, but after skimming the site many books on my tbr list is on the website. The books are cheaper, and many of them I already own in paperback or hardcover. So I wouldn't mind buying it for my ereader. Some books cost 3$ while others cost 10$. I'm hoping that I can buy some on ebooks and not bother with buying the paper format due to the fact I have NO MORE Shelf space. It's going to be great for vacation because I can load it up with books, and there we go...I have lots of choice while on the go. There is also a phone plug, and i can download books while connected to the phone, not to the computer. Great while I'll be on vacation. I hope I really enjoy it. I use to read ebooks all the time in University.

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Books, Books and more books...

2008-05-28T23:19:17Z

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Too many books bought!

Chronicles Of Narnia Set (7 books)
Eat, Pray, Love
Animal Farm, 1984 (one book)
The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Perilous Journey
Loving Frank
The Color Purple
Prisoner Of Tehran
How To Speak Dog
How Dogs Think
Dog Whisperer
Farewell Arms
The Ladies Of Grace Adieu
A Wrinkle in Time Set (5 books)
The Friday Night Knitting Club
Home by Maju Kapur
Oil by Upton Sinclair
Three Cups Of Tea
Infidel
Waiting
Runaway
Unaccustomed Earth
Onyx and Crake
Audition Barbara Walters
Dr Zhivago
While I was Gone
Left To Tell
The Peacock Throne

It's safe to say...I have a problem. I bought a whole shelf space of book. Most of hardcovers I bought for under 10$. The bookstore is on the corner near my work...

Jennifer= 1 hour lunch= Chapters book store

Another book related problem I had this month: I was standing at my bus stop reading my book. I had my favorite bookmark clipped to my book (its magnetic). Suddenly the wind came and my bookmark flew into the street. I was about to step off the sidewalk and then the bus came... and stopped on top of my bookmark!!! I was so upset. It's the cutest bookmark. I came home, told Daniel, and he told me to order three. This way if I loose once, I can't say I only have one left. Yes, we work great together.

Here is the beloved bookmark. Keep in mind it's magnetic.

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I received them today, and I'm really happy.

Books Read This Month:

Prince Caspian
Mysterious Benedict Society
Interpreter of Maladies
Left To Tell
The Kitchen Boy
The Year Of Magical Thinking

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...

2008-05-28T20:31:05Z

Discouraged....enough said... tomorrow is a new day...

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Putting aside a book...

2008-05-20T22:39:25Z

Interpreter of Maladies

Jhumpa Lahiri

I will no longer be ashamed when I put aside a book. Last year I started reading "The Interpreter of Maladies." The first story was so amazing, that I just couldn't get into the other stories. I couldn't put up with it anymore and I put it aside. After reading reviews, and feeling like I missed something...I picked it back up yesterday. I started over, and I am loving it this time. When I read it last year, I really wasn't in the mood to read a short story collection. I couldn't stop thinking about how great the first story was, and how the other stories just didn't measure up. I've just proved to myself that it is perfectly alright to push a book aside and pick it up at a later date. Sometimes, as a reader you need to read what you are in the mood for. The first time I read the book, I had so many expectations. This time I had none, less than none because I remembered hating it. I'm very proud of myself for picking it back up. Maybe I could try a Margaret Atwood novel next....

The Handmaid's Tale: A Novel

Margaret Atwood

In college I had an english class devoted to Margaret Atwood, and the teacher was so monotone. The material felt pushed onto me, and we spent a month and a half on Atwood's "The Journal's of Susanna Moodie." I must include the fact that this book is a collection of poems. I'm not a fan of words being strategically placed on paper for meaning.

Example from one of her poems:

I will prowl and slink
in crystal darkness
among the stalactite roots, with new
formed plumage
uncorroded
gold and
Fiery green, my fingers
curving and scaled, my

opal
no

eyes glowing

I just detested the class. I hear many people praising Atwood and I can't help but sigh. I wanted to throw away my Atwood novels. If you know me, you know I treasure my novels, that is how much I hated that class. I just didn't see what Atwood fans loved. I think it is time to try again. This time on my own terms, and without expectations.

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Book Club

2008-05-18T18:46:38Z

I joined a local book club that meets once a month. I'm going to try it out, and hope I enjoy it.

Our first meeting is June 14, and we will discuss:

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

Immaculee Ilibagiza

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In 1994, Rwandan native Ilibagiza was 22 years old and home from college to spend Easter with her devout Catholic family, when the death of Rwanda's Hutu president sparked a three-month slaughter of nearly one million ethnic Tutsis in the country. She survived by hiding in a Hutu pastor's tiny bathroom with seven other starving women for 91 cramped, terrifying days. This searing firsthand account of Ilibagiza's experience cuts two ways: her description of the evil that was perpetrated, including the brutal murders of her family members, is soul-numbingly devastating, yet the story of her unquenchable faith and connection to God throughout the ordeal uplifts and inspires. Her account of the miracles that protected her is simple and vivid. Her Catholic faith shines through, but the book will speak on a deep level to any person of faith. Ilibagiza's remarkable path to forgiving the perpetrators and releasing her anger is a beacon to others who have suffered injustice. She brings the battlefield between good and evil out of the genocide around her and into her own heart, mind and soul. This book is a precious addition to the literature that tries to make sense of humankind's seemingly bottomless depravity and counterbalancing hope in an all-powerful, loving God. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

It seems that the second meeting is full. I'll keep checking back if anyone can't attend. The second book will be:

The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel (P.S.)

Barbara Kingsolver

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Summer reading list...

2008-05-17T18:02:32Z

Here is a few books I intend on reading this summer.

The Color Purple

Alice Walker

The Host: A Novel

Stephenie Meyer

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress: A Novel

Dai Sijie

Love in the Time of Cholera (Vintage International)

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini

While I Was Gone (Oprah's Book Club)

Sue Miller

Doctor Zhivago

Boris Pasternak

Unaccustomed Earth

Jhumpa Lahiri

Of course I'm waiting for:

Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)

Stephenie Meyer

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Another Accessory....

2008-05-13T22:29:57Z

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I bought the book chair today in both the large and mini version. I love reading in bed on my stomach and this will help hold my book. I also like to read at the table when I'm cooking and since I frequently need to run to the stove, it will hold my pages nicely. I bought the mini version to take on vacation. It will still hold large books.

Another reason for buying this is my dog... when I read on my bed, Toby likes to walk over my books. Which makes me terrified of having a bent page. At least he can't step on it now. I can imagine reading on my side will be a lot easier too.

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