Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box by Madeleine Albright (review)

While America doesn't have any crown jewels and our politicians may wear a token flag pin when it suits them, jewelry can nonetheless be used as a form of communication.  Madeleine Albright found that a well-chosen pin could say volumes as she navigated the delicate international waters as the Secretary of State from 1997-2001. Her book, Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box, is a quick look at her colorful and symbolic collection of brooches and pins.

More of an illustrated memoir than autobiography, this coffee table book offers some fantastic recollections from Albright's adventures and beautiful photos of her pins.  This formidable lady has hundreds, if not thousands, of pins!  What started as an alternative to wearing necklaces turned into her signature style as a diplomat (this is a brief photo tour that gives you a taste of her collection). It was fascinating to read how much thought she put into the message her jewelry could communicate -- a sun for hopeful negotiations, doves for peace, spiders for a touch of deviousness.

What impresses me about Albright's collection is that on the whole, her brooches are inexpensive.  They're culled from estate sales, gift shops, antique stores, and bargain boutiques.  Most of the pricy pieces (real gemstones, precious metals) were given as gifts by foreign dignitaries, but mostly they're the kind of pins that you can find without breaking your wallet.  I'm sure the collection as a whole is now deemed priceless by the Smithsonian, but individually, her pins are affordable and accessible. 

I love the swallow pin!

Contrary to my own personal style, Albright also doesn't take her pins seriously.  I was struck by the playfulness of her pieces -- seahorses, beetles, kangaroos, turtles, crabs, shooting stars, a flying saucer.  They display a whimsy that is fun and joyful.  Of course, she has a host of stern-looking eagles and even a rocket launcher to counter, but the point of wear what you like is still well taken. 

 
I picked up this book up from the library because I love pins.  Some women expect diamonds and gold as gifts, an expensive engagement ring, or a pretty bauble on every birthday.  You'll find none of this with me.  What I relish is a beautiful antique pin.   

It started with my great-grandmother Nellie Bell.  She passed away when I was in grade school, so my memories of her are pretty limited.  I'm not even clear on how this pin found its way to me, only that I've loved it since the moment I laid eyes on it. 

Includes matching clip-on earrings

As a kid, I never dreamed of wearing this pin.  Pins were cheesy and old-fashioned, so not cool.  Nonetheless, this flower pin stayed in my jewelry box until I had the good sense to wear it on a whim during my first year of teaching.  Suddenly, a plain black shirt had elegance and people would stop to compliment me on my exquisite pin.  I mean, when you get an 18-year-old student to say you have a pretty pin, you're on to something.   

Since then, I've slowly added to my pin collection.  These have been found exclusively at antique stores or flea markets by myself and others who are excellent gift givers.  None are over $20.  I prefer organic shapes and flowers in rhinestones or basic metals.  I shy away from anything that might be deemed as cheesy, which is far too easy to stray into when combing through drawers of junk jewelry.  

The middle pin Mike got me for Christmas this past year (doesn't he have good taste!) and the blue rhinestone one a coworker found for me.  The rest I've snagged from antique stores.

The pin on the left is one of my favorites - a friend found it for $3 and I wear it all the time.

My latest addition.  Need to find a way to turn the earrings into pins without ruining the original setting.

As I was digging through my jewelry box to take these pictures, it dawned on me that I had a "secondary" collection of pins from my college days: 

• Starting my freshman year, I was a member of Tau Beta Sigma, a greek service organization for band, and wore my membership pin on many occasions.  
• I wore a yellow ribbon pin on my marching band uniform in support of Mike, much to the silent chagrin of my director.
• My marching band hat also had a pin that was a replica of the university seal, which was given to me when I graduated as a senior.  
• I later joined an English honor society (Sigma Tau Delta) and added another pin.  

 These I all wore on my stole when I graduated with my masters

And if Mike wouldn't kill me for taking a picture of them, I would love to show you all of the military ribbons he's earned over the years.  But alas, Captain America doesn't want any recognition for his military service, poo on him. (HEY! I signed up before 9/11/01. That means I was one of the last actual volunteers before everyone got all 'I want to deploy and blow up a foreign country' and decided that joining the Air Force was better than going to college. It was a job and I did it. :P)

Much like Albright, I find that even my very small collection is made special by the stories and personal connections.  There's a certain history associated with each piece that doesn't come with the clearance sale necklace from a department store.  They also spark conversation because pins are still an unusual fashion accessory when traveling for business, going to work, or out on a date. 

Albright was in office through my junior and high school years, and in truth, I know very little about her or her achievements.  While I wished Read My Pins had more to actually read, it was a great introduction to a piece of political Americana.  Her collection is now at the Czech National Museum, which I drive by every day.  I can't wait to see these pins in person!

Do you have any special pieces of jewelry?  Do you collect anything?       

Best Books I Read in 2012

Despite one of the busiest years in recent memories, I'm surprised by how many books I conquered in the last twelve months.  My reading schedule was sporadic at best, but I managed to cover a wide variety of genres and authors.  I utterly botched my goal of doing a blog review for each one, but here's an overview of my book shelf from 2012.

Top Picks

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (crime thriller)

Have been egged on for years that I should read this and finally did.  What was I waiting for?!?!  Decimated a whole weekend with this companion.  I can't find a single thing wrong with it - if you love crime fiction, you need to read this immediately.  Don't let people say the first 100 pages are boring - they don't know what patience is.   

Have prudently put off buying the other two books in the trilogy, for the temptation to consume them in one sitting would be far too great.  Am eying upcoming weekends for clearance though, lol.   

The Snowman by Jo Nesbø (crime thriller) 

Apparently the new crime writers are all from Scandinavian countries.  Wow, I honestly have all praise for this Norwegian mystery.  This is the 7th installment of a 9-book series, but detective Harry Hole is immediately accessible and fascinating.

If you like books about gruff detectives and clever serial killers, and descriptive violence doesn't put you off, you'll enjoy curling up on your couch with this one.  But maybe with the lights on.  Can't wait to explore the rest of the series. 
 
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins (YA dystopian fiction) 

I went directly from the movie theater to pick up the first book in the afternoon and finished it later at 2am.  I really wish these books had been around when I was a kid - I would have been all over them.  Easy reads geared at middle-schoolers, but nonetheless entertaining and raise some interesting issues about our future.  Eagerly waiting for the second movie to come out this spring!  

Different Seasons by Stephen King (short stories)

Several years ago, I read "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" because I always loved the movie, but for some reason, I never explored the other three tales until now.

"The Body" you're probably familiar with because of the movie Standby Me - it was comfy enough coming-of-age tale. "The Breathing Method" has the same groove as telling good ghost stories around a campfire.

But I was absolutely gripped by "The Apt Pupil."  A young kid discovers a hidden Nazi in his small town - the story descends from there.  At every turn, your mind keeps asking, "is he really going there???"  King knows how to spin a yarn that immediately sinks its hooks into you without letting go.  Twisted plots, characters of dubious intention, a touch of the paranormal: you. just. can't. put. the. damn. book. down.  

Full Dark, No Stars  by Stephen King (short stories)

As much as I enjoyed Different Seasons, you can tell King has come a long way since 1982.  His latest collection of short stories covers his usual gamut of the terrible, supernatural, and the downright disturbing. But if you like gothic fiction, that's exactly what you crave from King.  

I was completely captivated by each story and while I read this while traveling, it's no airplane read.  I wish more (mainstream) authors would explore short stories and novellas, or maybe they just know that King would blow all of them out of the water. 


The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (true story)
  
Amazing story right here - found it while looking for popular books to feature in a literature class this summer.  Chronicles how one woman's cancer cells, taken unknowingly, have led to as many medical breakthroughs as they raise ethical issues about patient consent.  Not usually partial to nonfiction, but this reads like an episode of CSI or Criminal Minds.

 
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell (cultural/sociology)

Another book introduced to me at work.  This is a fantastic read and really generates a lot of discussion - highly recommend to anyone.  Definitely need to check out his other books. 

Honorable Mentions

Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King (detective fiction)

The twelfth edition in her Mary Russell series, this book was on target - I was neither delighted nor disappointed.  This is hands down my favorite book series (continuation of Sherlock Holmes but from his new partner Mary's point of view), but the last few editions haven't captivated my attention.  

I can see perfectly what the author is doing - playing around with the narrative and format to bring new options to readers.  They just don't have me on the edge of my seat like some earlier ones.  But that's ok - I'll gladly spend an afternoon with Ms. Russell and I impatiently wait to read her next adventure.  

 
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (fiction)

This book is much richer than the movie (no surprise).  It was a pretty decent read, though it's not one that I would return to again and again.  When you hear the book described - a fictional story about black maids in the 60s as told by a modern white woman - it's easy to misjudge it completely.  Read it first and then form an opinion.  


  
 
50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James (erotica, barely)

Yeah yeah, I hopped on the bandwagon.  Remember that my husband was away for most of this year ... eh hem.  Did I read the whole thing?  Yes.  Did it maybe aid with some stress relief?  <cough>  Was I motivated to read the other books?  No.  There's better stuff out there, just saying.  


 
 

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (dystopian sci-fi)

One of those mandatory English major novels that I'm embarrassed I've never read (to be fair, it was never assigned).  Overall ok, not my favorite, but certainly glad I read it because the story is much deeper than the snippets of cultural references you get.



The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg / The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It by Kelly McGonigal (sociological, self-help) 

Both books offer intriguing insights about what motivates us and how we get stuck in a groove.  Both are worth a read (though I liked McGonigal's book better) - really helps you start looking at your own unique habits to see which ones are helping you and which ones need to be redirected.  There's no secret to making or undoing habits - it's trial and error - but you have to be aware of what your habits are in the first place to make any changes.  

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson

 

Recommended by a friend, this is one of the weirdest books I've ever read.  Jenny Lawson is now a famous blogger, but her childhood and early marriage are one long potty joke.  Seriously, this book will crack you up as it explores the unusual twists and turns of Lawson's mind.  Only recommend if you can handle heavy doses of gross, swearing, disturbing, and hilarious.  

 

 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (YA sci-fi)

I read it because my work book club picked fantasy and I wanted to revisit this because I never really understood it as a kid.  I still didn't like it.




A Discovery of Witches / Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness (magical fiction)

Whereas I absolutely adored the first book, the second book was almost a complete miss for me.  Was it the 16th century setting that put me off because it's not an era I'm fond of or familiar with?  Might the explosion of characters and historical references been hard to keep track of?  Could my expectations have been misled, as the first book had more DaVinci Code-esque pacing whereas the second was pretty static? 

I wait patiently for the third installment.  I do want to know where the story goes and how it might possibly wrap up, but if I have to slog through another 600-pages of blah, I will be sad indeed.  

What were your top reads last year?

This, That, and the Other Thing

Mum's the word on the blog as of late.   Life has been pretty hectic lately and I've had little time to recount my adventures.  So here's a quick overview of what I've been up to this summer before I go back to the craziness of my schedule.

An Indulgent Weekend of Memories

I recently sojourned back to my hometown for a doubleheader of social event - the wedding of my oldest friend and my 10-year high school reunion.

The wedding was seriously one of the best I've ever attended.  Held at a local park, there was only close family and friends, maybe 45 people at most.  Everyone sat down to a picnic-style lunch and then they had their ceremony.  Everything was simple, refreshing, and meaningful.  A perfect example that weddings don't have to be a big production.

Simple but tasty cake and cute homemade table decorations

Wild flowers formed the ceremony centerpieces

After a quick break, I journeyed to the opposite side of the lake and took a trip into the past.  Maybe 25 of my 100 classmates came, but honestly, it was really nice.  Those that came really wanted to be there.  To talk and connect, not just reminisce.  I genuinely had a fantastic time catching up with people and spent 6 hours doing so.

It was also a good lesson in judging people.  When you come from a small town and you're one of the few who has moved away, you tend to think that you've escaped the shackles of stagnation and gone on to something better.  It's easy to look down on those who have never moved away from their place of birth, particularly when you see the town never changing.

But as I listened to my classmates who are still locals, I grew to understand and respect their decisions.  They talk about how their families are still there, aging relatives need a helping hand, they found jobs like anyone else, they have a strong network of friends, and it's a good place to raise a family.   

(source)

I mean, isn't that largely what everyone wants out of where they live?  When I consider that Mike and I are still searching for the right place to truly call home, I am glad for them.  It's a true gift to be where you want to be.

Teaching

In addition to my magazine job, I also teach several times a year for a private Iowa university.  I made this connection when we lived back in Cedar Falls and I now split my teaching duties between the Cedar Rapids and the Waterloo centers.  I generally teach four courses a year (8-week schedule) and classes are offered sporadically.  Because students don't always need what I can teach (gen. ed.), my services aren't required on a routine basis.  

I love teaching.  Anyone who knows me can tell you teaching isn't a skill of mine, it's a personality trait.  There's many ways to become a teacher, but I've always gravitated to it naturally.  It's just a part of me that needs to thrive.  



In my head, I hope I'm as interesting as McGonagall and not laughable like Trelawney (source)

This summer's teaching schedule has been challenging.  I have not only one but two courses I've never taught before - a public speaking class (not even in my field) and a popular literature course. 

This means that I had to create these classes from scratch - everything from lectures and PowerPoints to in-class activities and worksheets.  Not to mention the very structure of the course - assignments, text list, reading schedules, grading rubrics.  I'll be all the more prepared the next time I teach these courses, but preparing for these has certainly demanded more of my attention than I was counting on. 

I'm also teaching two courses right now when I normally do one at a time.  With a 4.5-hour night class, that means two of my evenings are completely accounted for and one involves a 2-hour roundtrip commute. 

Luckily, I have awesome students and they never seem to have a clue when I'm feeling less than competitent because I'm in new terrain or I'm a touch frazzled because I'm working two jobs at once.  

Fun with Friends

As I move into the second half of this deployment, my social schedule is much more managable.  It's true that most weekends I have something on the calendar, but it usually only involves one of my days and not the entire weekend.  The activities are usually low-key as well.

For example, I went on my first scrapbooking retreat earlier this month.  Some girlfriends and I rented a local place that was for quilting/crafts marathons and provided cute sleeping quarters.  It was nice to not go far but feel you were somewhere else.  

Mine looks NOTHING like this (source)

I'm not a crafty gal by any means.  I always loved arts and crafts as a kid, but I never found a medium that really spoke to me (or honestly, that I was good at, lol).  I have friends who knit, cross stitch, crochet, make jewelry, do photography, paint, and sew clothes.  I just like other people's art :)     

I scrapbooked in college but haven't touched anything in five years despite collecting odds and ends from trips and weddings along the way.  Certainly had enough material to work with! 

I find that while I don't gain any concrete pleasure from scrapbooking, like it would be something I was in the mood to do, it is an easy way for my brain to shut off and my hands to stay busy.  It's relaxing and helps me to slow down.     

Work + Life Balance

As I struggle to keep my schedule and sanity in check, I am implementing a new rule - weekend activities can only demand one full day of my time.  For example, I will be visiting my sister in several weeks.  I will go up on a Friday and come back on a Saturday, leaving all of Sunday to myself.   

I find that I really need a solid day or an uninterrupted half day to just be spontaneous, to have no demands or schedule, and to simply be a home relaxing.  I become irritable when my life is really scheduled and I'm always on the go, which has pretty much been the last couple of months.  This restores a touch of balance to keep me recharged for the next round of must-dos and take-care-of-this-nows. 

Movies/TV Watched Lately

Citizen Kane, Some Like It Hot, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?, and Silence of the Lambs (all for the film class I'm teaching)

We're Not Married (Marilyn Monroe)

Scrubs - now halfway through Season 5 (thank you Netflix and 25-minute episodes)

Books Reading
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (class)
The Apt Pupil (also Stephen King, for pleasure)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (amazing book, also for class)
The Hunger Games (re-reading for class)
The Help (you guessed it, for class)
The Outliers (have borrowed from a friend for too long and need to finish stat!)

On the shelf - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (patiently waiting in line) and Shadow of Night (resisting the temptation to start because I know I won't be able to put it down!)

How is your summer going along?

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (review)

Witches and vampires and daemons, oh my!

A Discovery of Witches is a wonderful book by Deborah Harkness.  It's a delightful blend of Harry Potter-esque magical realism, a nail-biting plot from Dan Brown, the lush historical details in The Historian, the science behind the movie Underworld, and (according to trusted friends) the sexiness of Twilight.  I was so in love with the story that I polished off this 575+ page novel in two sittings!

I honestly can't do the plot justice in a paragraph, so here's the inside book cover flap:  

Deep in the heart of Oxford's Bodleian Library, scholar Diana Bishop requests a manuscript called Ashmole 782 in the course of her research. Coming from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana sense that the ancient book might be bound up with magic - but she herself wants nothing to do with sorcery; and after making a few notes on its curious images, she banishes it quickly back to the stacks. But what she doesn't know is that the old alchemical text has set a fantastical underworld stirring. Soon, a distracting horde of daemons, witches, and vampires descends upon the Bodleian's reading rooms. One of these creatures is Matthew Clairmont, an enigmatic and eminent geneticist, a practitioner of yoga, and wine connoisseur - and also a vampire with a keen interest in Ashmole 782.

What follows is a lively story that snakes it way through alchemy, genetics, witchcraft, wolf behavior, history, magic, legends come to life, ancient brotherhoods, secret texts, iconic cities, famous libraries, and castles.

If none of that interests you, this is not the book for you.



(source)

What I love about this book is how adult it is.  This is not some YA novel with simplistic writing that grown-ups are picking up.  This is a book with characters who have PhDs,  engage in discussions about academic, magical, and scientific discourse, and are open about sensuality (fair warning - this is not True Blood, nothing R- or X-rated here).

I didn't feel like I was consuming literary junk food when I read this book.  It is smartly written, doesn't back away from gritty scenes, drives the narrative with a lively tone, never dumbs down or mutes its characters, and keeps you on your toes without any cheap tricks.

 

Colorful, thoughtfully developed, and engaging characters abound in a plot that with a less skilled writer would have descended into a catchy airplane read but nothing more.  I, unsurprisingly, was captivated by Diana, educated and feminist but complicated.  She is quite the opposite of Meg from A Wrinkle in Time and I can't say enough about how I need strong women in my books.  

I'm very excited that this book is part of a trilogy.  The plot is expansive enough that it will need the extra breathing room to fully flesh itself out.  I might have to be one of those crazy people who pre-orders the next installment this summer!

Do you dig books with mythical creatures like vampires, werewolves, witches, and talking animals?    

Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain (review)

Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook by Anthony Bourdain is one of those books that has the rare quality of being hilarious, intelligent, and decadent all in one sitting.

I picked up Medium Raw at the Atlanta airport after some hideous adjustments to my travel schedule.  I was tired, had dined poorly that day, and needed a laugh.

Bourdain’s snarky wit came to the rescue. 

Funny thing though, I never really liked his show.  He was forever going off to places I would never go, eating things that were made of goodness knows what, and describing taste experiences I could never have.

This, of course, is the allure of his show.  I just never got into it.  Though to be fair, I always like his “bad boy” personality better than any of the glossy Food Network stars.

Medium Raw continues Bourdain’s flair for gripe, pointed criticism, and wicked humor that started in Kitchen Confidential.  This is actually the first time I’ve read Bourdain’s work, so I cannot comment on how his work has evolved, only to guess that his TV show, second marriage, and daughter have mellowed out this former drug addict a touch.

Bourdain’s style of writing is like gumbo – it’s spicy and meaty. It comes from rustic origins but it’s been polished over time.  There’s a little something for everyone.

There’s many favorable points for this book, humor being the biggest selling point.  I audibly cracked up several times over Bourdain’s adventures.

But the thing I love the most is Bourdain’s astute acknowledgement of the economics of food.

This is a man who knows and freely admits he has eaten some of the most incredible food offerings in the world – which come with a price tag most of us would gag at and food waste that is appalling.

He is keenly aware that the average Joe and Jane are just trying to get food into their kids’ bellies, not serve up a gourmet delight. That access to better food is hindered by dollar signs. That the state of mass farms and the meat industry are a serious problem. That the allure of food porn splashed on air and magazine covers is likely contributing to our complicated relationship with food.

Bourdain’s outsider perspective and working class roots honors the typical American and their routine experiences with food.  This is not a guy who grew up with steak tartar and vichyssoise, even though he offers enthusiastic descriptions of food I will never afford to look at.

Highlights of the book:

Virtue (Chapter 6) – in which Bourdain champions for basic cooking skills to be taught in schools to everyone.

Lust (Chapter 8) – short vignettes of Bourdain’s most heavenly food experiences.  I have never had pho before (a Vietnamese soup) but he had my mouth salivating.  His description of pain raisins and butter in Paris is particularly intoxicating.

Meat (Chapter 9) – a defense of our American right to eat beef untreated with ammonia and a call for better practices in the meat industry

Lower Education (Chapter 10) – a devilish ploy to shield his daughter from the evils of McDonald’s marketing and food

Lowlights:

Swearing – This point actually endears Bourdain to me, but if you can’t handle a George Carlin-style voice punctuated with every swear word imaginable, you will be offended.  However, if you take pride in your colorful vocabulary, then reading Bourdain is like sitting in the bar next to your favorite drinking buddy. 

Writing Style - Amongst the salty language are lush descriptions of food, people, and places.  The book is infused with exotic passages, colorful imagery, and sharp intelligence.  Mix that with his deep cynicism and you find yourself needing a reprieve from the book at times.  You may need to take a little time to digest in between some chapters and recover from sensory overload.  

Chapters 12-18 – In which Bourdain runs attacks and praises on various food celebrities.  The problem here is that one’s interest wanes considerably if you don’t know who Alice Waters or David Chang is.  This section is clearly targeted at “the people who cook” portion of the title than those of us everyday foodies.

The Final Word
This was an excellent buy.  I purchased Medium Raw from $17.11 (with tax), which is much more than I would normally pay for a paperback.  However, the entertainment value was markedly high and the book saved me amongst dismal travel conditions. 

Its price has also been slashed by the amount of people I've loaned the book to.  Mike snatched it from my hands before I was even done with it. The book was then sent to my mother-in-law, who is a female version of Bourdain.  And she has instructions to turn over the book to my brother-in-law when she's finished.

I believe in setting a good book free for others to enjoy :)

What are you reading?

The Book Ban of 2011

Warning - I'm about to betray all of those in the English field and lovers of books.

I just instituted a self-imposed book ban.

(source)

A buying ban, that is.

The back story on this is that bibliophiles can collect books at an alarming rate.  Mike and I both love books, so you can imagine how many we have together.

We also have half another shelf with coffee table books.  This is pretty modest, really.

Several years back, I made peace with books and did a MASSIVE purge.  When you move a lot, books are literally a pain in the back.  I limited myself to books that I absolutely had to have - coffee table books, ones that had special meaning/were gifts, select textbooks, teaching materials, and classics I would reread again and again.

I got rid of everything that I could easily find at a local library.  The rejects went to Goodwill / the free bookshelf at UNI.

So, I was recently in Barnes and Noble drooling over some tempting offers when a thought began to gnaw at the back of my brain.   

I still have many books at home.  Ones I deliberately kept because I would reread them.  Why am I not enjoying them again?  

I thus decided that I would not buy any new books until I had reread all of the ones I kept.  Well, maybe not all, but I need to work my way through a significant portion before a new book joins them!

Why the ban you ask?  Aren't books relatively cheap?  Isn't the purchase of one book a simple reward, even an intellectual reward?

Absolutely.  However, I'm trying to view everything that we own as a resource.  Something to take advantage of.  Right now seems like the perfect time to do as I planned and get cozy with some old favorites.

Currently, I have these familiar friend on my nightstand.

The Hobbit

Such a cheesy cover!

I have a soft spot for Tolkien.  I read The Hobbit and the LOTR Trilogy way back in high school - my one and only time.  I loved them, was ahead of my classmates in reading them, and felt they were challenging reads.
 
Then the movies came out my senior year / first two years of college.  I loved those even more and they became a yearly tradition with my group of friends at the time.

Now that Peter Jackson is finally in production for The Hobbit, I'm closely following all news related to the movies.  With it on my radar again, I wanted to refamiliarize myself with Bilbo's adventures.

Let me tell you, it has been delightful making my way through Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain. I am positively giddy imagining how Jackson is going to handle some of the key scenes!  I canNOT wait until 2012 and 2013!!!!

It's also fun to see how much my reading skills have grown.  The Hobbit is positively simple and very accessible.  How was this ever hard?!  

I have 5 chapters left, which I should be finishing tomorrow, and then will proceed to the Trilogy. 

The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

I have always been a voracious consumer of detective fiction.  To my recollection, Sherlock Holmes was one of the first that I cut my teeth on.

As with Tolkien, it has been since high school that Sherlock, Watson, and I went dashing about the streets of London in hansoms and clever costumes. 

Side Note - my love for Holmes recently got transferred to my new favorite series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice or the Mary Russell books.  There's many fan series out there, but throw a sassy, academic female partner with Holmes and you've got my attention.

Anyways, when the latest Holmes movie came out with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, I was not pleased.  I am never a book snob when it comes to adaptation, but for some reason, Guy Ritchie's version of Holmes was not at all what I was expecting nor what I wanted out of a big-budget reinvention.  

I was so disgusted, I drew the ire of my movie companions that night.  So, to make amends and support my verdict, I'm going back to the source material to determine if I was a complete ass or justified in my opinion.  

So far, I'm sticking to my guns, but I'll make a full report once I've rewatched the movie :)

Question of the Day: Which books will never leave your shelves?  What are you currently reading?