Cattastic Crafts

Cattastic Crafts: DIY Project for Cats and Cat People by Mariko  Ishikawa

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Cute book, I adore some of the projects, but other than the sock mice, nothing to give me an idea for my catphew's Christmas present.



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An Irish Country Love Story

An Irish Country Love Story by Patrick Taylor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When does the next book come out???

Continuing the lives of Dr Fingal Flaheritie, Kitty, Barry Laverty, Sue Nolan, Kinky, and the rest of the Ballybuckleboo residents. Barry pining for Sue who is exchange teaching in France, Fingal's home and office are in danger of being torn down for a new road, and a councilman sworn on vengeance against him is leading the charge. Lars is helping the Marquis donate property to the National trust to try and save it from the insanely huge inheritance taxes - but he seems to be spending a lot of time with the Marquis' sister Myrna. Sonny has an odd disease. Donal is embroiled in a scheme, Bertie is using his political wiles for good??



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A Killer Stitch

A Killer Stitch by Maggie Sefton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Small quiet mountain town... Yet another murder. (memo to me - if moving to a idyllic town, make sure the yarn store is one town over!) Same cast of characters. East coast CPA transplant Kelly sleuthing around, Steve the builder, ever patient, will Kelly ever take it to the next level with him? Burt the retired cop turned spinner, Curt the rancher coming out of his shell helping Kelly with the Wyoming ranch she inherited and trying to help her get an alpaca ranch of her own. Mimi, the motherly LYS owner, Jennifer waitress/ real estate agent whose friend is in trouble, Lisa, Megan, Lizzie all are there as well.

I had the wrong killer for about 75% of the book, but that's par for my course.



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When I'm stressed or want to escape. it's the perfect sort of book.

Urban Knit Collection

Urban Knit Collection: 18 City-Inspired Knitting Patterns for the Modern Wardrobe by Kyle Kunnecke

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Love this book. Definitely going to attempt his way of locking in floats. A lot of charts/colourwork/cables right up my alley.

The three I really want to make after Christmas knitting is done are:

Rosema Wrap
D'Amour Wrap
Farmer's Market Mitts



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Self Striping Yarn Studio

So nothing new to show you.  Started a pair of cabled knit socks and a crochet shawlette/scarf.  My husband sat on my beaded shawl and I dropped stitches (no lifeline lectures please) and I've been too hectic to sit down and figure it out.  I recently picked up 2 knitting books from the library so I'll post those instead.


Self-Striping Yarn Studio: Sweaters, Scarves, and Hats Designed for Self-Striping Yarn by Carol J. Sulcoski

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Excellent for the adventurous beginner who's had a few projects under their belt. It goes over the differences in yarns, variegated vs striped, near stripes, wide vs narrow stripes, even vs variable, self patterning yarns, transitions, sharp vs gradual, gradients, ply-shifters, repeats, predicting what your yarn will do, joining a new ball, common trouble spots and fibers.

Honestly, it appears that the patterns are well written, but the only one that actually tempts me is the Saturnalia Vest.



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Rise of the Rocket Girls

Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I wish I could give this book 10 stars!! Love the book. It is the story of the Jet Propulsion Lab, thus the story of missiles and exploring the solar system. It is a story that wouldn't be possible without the brilliant women who did all the actual math and physics to make it happen, and who then led the way to computer programs used by the missions. They won a battle against gender discrimination (for their time - and clearly not the war) managed to make the working mom prototype work at a time when only 20% of women worked after having children. NASA, the space programs, the planet owes these women a debt of gratitude.



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The Last Kingdom

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I need more stars!!! I accidently picked up "warriors of the storm" last spring, and it was book 9 in the saga of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, I loved that book so got book 1 to read. This book takes Uhtred from a 10 year old Christian boy whose father gets killed in a battle with the Danes, and whose uncle wants to kill him off so he can legally have the title of Ealdorman of Bebbanburg ( he took the title anyway, but Uhtred's death would be convenient) He amuses/impresses Ragnar - when he attacks him with a child's sword after his father is killed and Ragnar takes him and raises him as another son in the ways of a pagan Viking warrior. After Ragnar gets killed because of Danish political treachery is when the spinners of fates at the bottom of the tree of the world, Yggdrasil, really start making his life and choices interesting.

We know he lives through the shield walls and battles, because the book is told as a memory by an older, judging by the commentary wiser, Uhtred, and I know some things that will come to pass in the first 8 books because I read book 9 (still want to know what happens with Bridda) Book ends with Uhtred, 20 years old, proven as a warrior ("one in 5 men are true warriors in the shield wall, one in 20 love it - those are the most dangerous") married, and the book ends when he sees his son Uhtred for whom he wants to one day reclaim Bebbanburg .



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Sweet Tomorrows

Sweet Tomorrows by Debbie Macomber

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Final :( installment of The Rose Harbor saga. Two happily ever afters. Elvis the dog (much like Rover Jo Marie's dog, Macomber makes pets live and breathe and be part of the story not just the scenery) Learn the "unclassified" version of Mark's story.

Read this in one day, started in the am at laundry, picked up before dinner, made the mistake of picking back up after dinner and ended up reading until 1:30 am --- on a work night!

Sad that this series is over, but hopeful Macomber is developing another soon.



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Get Smart!: How to Think and Act Like the Most Successful and HIghest Paid People in Every Field

Get Smart!: How to Think and Act Like the Most Successful and Highest-Paid People in Every Field by Brian Tracy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Meh... Figure out your goals, focus on how to get there, implement the habits that allow you to achieve them, Change one habit at a time, copy habits of people who have achieved the goals you want, wishing is not working, successful people work 60 hours/week 6 days a week (nope not for me) Invest early - compound interest is the greatest power. Prioritize. Ditch what isn't working. Get rid of the negative influences. Same thing we've all read before, strangely we don't all act on it.

I would however recommend it to young people just starting out. The reason we've read it before is it is true, maybe a younger person would be ambitious enough to act on it. It is well written. I think the complete emphasis is money as the definition of success however.



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Bay of Sighs

Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


One day I'll learn to wait for an entire trilogy to be out before I start reading. I was a bit doubtful about Annika and Sawyer's story, but it was done well. Riley and Doyle's story is starting to emerge as well. I was a little disappointed at how Bran and Sasha seemed to be totally pushed to the side in this one



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And On That Bombshell

And On That Bombshell: Inside the Madness and Genius of Top Gear by Richard Porter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Great book by one of the producers who was at the new Top Gear for it's entire run, from the pilot that failed until the sudden and somewhat sad end. I'd be lying if I didn't confess that Top Gear (the UK version - the US version was crap) is one of my all time favorite shows, one I continue to re-watch on Netflix when I don't want to watch anything else. It talks of the rise of the show to a global phenomenon, why the BBC stopped using them in brainstorms (it's hard to pinpoint what makes chemistry work) the Stigs, the Reasonably priced cars, The VTs, the travel journeys that worked, how Bolivia tried to kill them, the fiasco in Argentina, a behind the scenes look at the presenters. I loved this book.



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The General and the Genius

Sorry this post is  late- finished the book late last night. 


The General and the Genius: Groves and Oppenheimer — The Unlikely Partnership that Built the Atom Bomb by James Kunetka

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book. Much of what I have read has either focused on the strictly technical/scientific aspect of the work, Richard Feynman's part of the work and how he dealt with his ailing wife during the project, the decision to use the bomb, and drop the second one, the after effects of dropping the bomb/having the bomb.

This book does delve into some of the technical aspects (arguments over the gun vs implosion, and the different detonating devices etc) but not in an overly technical way, so that people with no science or technical backgrounds will still understand it. It talks about the challenges, the sheer infrastructure and logistics involved in the challenge, the bottlenecks caused by uranium and plutonium productions, the arguments between people who would go on to be seen as geniuses in the field. It is a lot about personalities. How they interacted, how they reacted to different decisions and situations. It is mostly about the relationship between Groves, a hard driving, get it done goal oriented career military man who wanted the weapon to end WWII, before the Germans developed something and then after the Germans' surrender wanted to use the device before the Army invaded Japan - at the presumed cost of thousands of lives American as well as Japanese, and Oppenheimer, a brilliant scientist who lurked at the edges of the physics of his day, ambitious, but never quite achieving the peer recognition he aimed for, chain smoking, self doubting, nervous introvert not necessarily ready for the roll he was thrust in. It detailed the effort Groves put in to pump up, enable and shelter Oppie. Groves almost is a guardian/father to Oppie when he most needs the unwavering support.

The end of the book, wraps up with the post war hearings, the second guessing, the moral dilemmas, the vilification of some players, how Oppenheimer in his vocalizations for the need for control of these massive weapons, becomes shut out of the process, Groves pissing off and alienating Eisenhower. It tells of the "rest of life" summary of various key people, and it summarizes the legacies- not just in terms of atomic warfare and weaponry but also how this was the first large scale government funded scientific endeavor, the use of committees formed to make decisions and manage the different groups of people that are then disbanded and new ones formed as the project moves forward in science research.

Once again, I really recommend this book, I learned a lot, and not jsut about the building of a bomb.



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Ignore Everybody, and 39 Other Keys to Creativity

MacLeod, a cartoonist and consultant to such companies as Cisco, Roche, Dewar's, GoDaddy through Gapingvoid.com as a culture builder, started out drawing cartoons on the back of business cards.  His unique viewpoint can be used by everyone - not just artists or super creative people.  His book - as the title suggests, is 40 short chapters, illustrated by his cartoons.  Chapters such as Being Poor Sucks; Beware of Turning Hobbies into Jobs, The Best Way to Get Approval is to Not Need It; Put the Hours In, Keep Your Day Job; Dying Young is Overrated ...Also check page 30 for the sex and cash theory. 

(pictures from the book)

Brodeur: Beyond the Crease

Brodeur: Beyond the Crease by Martin Brodeur

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Very well written, it's like you hit a bar for an evening each chapter and Marty just talked about hockey stuff, teams, games, money, lockouts, coaches (serious bromance with Lou) how his personal life fit in, the Olympics, growing up in Montreal, his motorcycles. I've always admired Marty's play, calmness (ok his not mine when he went out of the net for a puck) , his ethics, team play and that only increased after reading the book.

My favorite part of the book?? Him disciplining his son for acting like a Ranger's fan.... just loved it!!!

I hope he someday writes a book on the second half - this book ends before the Devil's moved to the Rock in Newark - he played a lot more big games, broke a lot more records. I'd also like to hear why (I'm pretty sure it was because of Lou - although he was playing less to let Schneider play more - sucks getting old) he broke my heart and went to the Blues, and especially Blues management.



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Denim and Diamonds

Denim and Diamonds by Debbie Macomber

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Nice easy summer read by Macomber bonus story by Raeanne Thayne.



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Warriors of the Storm

Warriors of the Storm by Bernard Cornwell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this book! Cornwell's writing takes you back to the 9th century, you can, see hear, feel, smell the story unfolding. Britain's history was bloody, with many different peoples trying to control the island. This story takes place after King Alfred's death, there is an uneasy peace, his son Edward (whom we don't actually meet) rules Wessex and seems to try to hold back his sister Aethelflaed who rules Mercia. The main character of the book Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg, has given his oath to Aethelflaed, but is frustrated that she won't advance north to Northumbria, leaving northern Mercia prone to attacks. He protects the northern area from fortified Chester. There hand is forced when Norseman led by Ragnall Iverson take one of their harbour towns and makes it clear he wants Mercia. Uhtred is somewhat conflicted because his daughter Stiorra is married to Ragnall's brother and he is unsure where that leaves his daughter.

The book is just about war and battles, it is about Christians vs Pagans (Uhtred was born Christian but became Pagan often fingering the gold axe he wears around his neck and he prays to Thor and Wooden, pointing out that Easter was originally Eostre's feast, referring to Christ as the nailed god)His daughter and second son are Pagans, but his eldest is a Christian priest. Uhtred fights on the side of the Christians trying to unite the English speaking part of the island into Englaland (King Alfred's dream) but he also wants to take back Bebbanburg, stolen from him by his cousin (that apparently led to him spending time as a slave.)

Picked this book up on a whim at the library, it is book 9 in the series, I already requested book 1 to read and catch up.



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Every Day Whole Grains

Everyday Whole Grains: 175 New Recipes from Amaranth to Wild Rice, Includes Every Ancient Grain by Ann Taylor Pittman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I'm definitely trying 37 recipes out of this book. I've been eating mostly whole grains, and sometimes it is challenging to adapt a recipe from what I've been used to, and this book definitely helps with that. Also, the stare down at the market, when I see grains that look good but have no idea how to work with them ( I'm looking at you Teff!!)



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This should give you an idea of how much I like this book:

Secrets of the Highlander

Secrets of the Highlander by Janet Chapman




Discovering the story of Jack Stone - bringing First Nations lore into the story - great story, read it in one sitting.



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My Southern Journey

My Southern Journey: True Stories from the Heart of the South by Rick Bragg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Red dirt, turnip greens, white whiskey, mosquitoes, football, stories, remembering the past and our ancestors, biscuits and gravy, armadillos, stillness, this book really brings the south to life. Not the Scarlett O'Hara south, "not mint juleps on the veranda" south, but this book brings alive the real south, the hardworking, help your neighbor, fix it rather than toss it, blue collar south.

The book is a compilation of essays previously published in magazines and newly written ones. They are sorted into 5 categories:

Home - "kitchen is the heart of the house ....the porch is it's soul"
Table - the stuffing/dressing conundrum, bad coleslaw
Place - the mountains, woods, rivers, Gulf (and several of the BP Deepwater Horizon spill)
Craft - Bragg didn't inherit an ability to fish, fix things or build things, but he definitely learned how to tell a story
Spirit - why college football runs deeper than the NFL, old cars, politics, looking forward, remembering the past but not reliving it's mistakes and horrors.

Loved this book, if not for the lizards, mosquitoes and lack of snow I'd move back.



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The Food Lab

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by J. Kenji López-Alt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wow - this is actually a cookbook you read!! Every chapter! It teaches the why's of cooking not just the how's. There are a lot of cooking "rules" that it turns out aren't true, and others that are. To tell you how much I love this book - after I returned the copy to the library (ran out of renewals) I actually bought a copy to keep at home. (my husband was astounded that was a book with more information than I can absorb in a month)



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