Elle's Lists

Good Spirits Book Club Reads

2011-02-06T20:09:00.000-08:00

Good Spirits Book Group
Est. Jan.
2008

Three Cups of Tea - Mortenson
Thunderbolt Kid - Bryson
A Thousand Splendid Suns –Hossini
~~Mountain Beyond Mountain – Farmer~~
~~A Thread of Grace – Russell~~
Olive Kitteredge – Stout
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society – Barrows
The Last Lecture – Pausch

2009

The Art of Racing in the Rain – Stein
~~Sightings – Keen~~
The Help – Stockett
Little Bee – Cleave
The Book Thief – Zusak
The Year of Magical Thinking – Didion
Slaughterhouse 5 – Vonnegut
My Abandonment – Rock
~~Skipping Christmas – Grisham~~

2010

The Widow of the South – Hicks
The Little Stranger – Waters
Shanghai Girls – See
Winter Garden – Hannah
The Glass Castle - Walls

Reading from my own shelves-Part Two

2011-01-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

Austenland by Shannon Hale
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska
Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
The Snipesville Chronicles; Don't Know Where, Don't Know When by Annette Laing
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg
Red Scarf Girl by Ji Li Jiang
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Toughest Indian in the World by Sherman Alexie
The Reluctant Tuscan; How I Discovered my Inner Italian by Phil Doran
Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
The Shadow Catcher by Marianne Wiggins
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
Inheritance by Natalie Danford
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing; Traitor to the Nation by M.T. Anderson
Every Sunday by Peter Pezzelli
I don't want to be crazy by Samantha Schutz
Lamb by Christopher Moore

Last year I took on 50 books and did not finish my whole list so this year I've kept some of the unfinished and added a few. I've picked 24 specifically so I can read two each month,which seems like an easy way to stay on track. Thanks to Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea for rehosting this helpful challenge.

2010-06-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

Alice Bachman's Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs (local farmer eggs)
1/2 cup buttermilk (don't panic-tip at the end)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter, melted then add 3 T. cocoa (I use Trader Joe's) and add 1 cup HOT water

Mix sugar and flour and beat in eggs. Next add hot water/cocoa/butter mixture. Add buttermilk, soda and vanilla. Beat well by hand. Pour into 9 X 13 cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Frosting:
Melt 1 stick butter (yes, I know) with 3 T. cocoa powder. Add box of powdered sugar, 6 T. buttermilk and 1 tsp. vanilla and mix it all together. Make sure butter is all melted in and pour over cake after cake has cooled a bit.
***I love this cake because it requires no strange ingredients except the buttermilk but my grandmother, Lavera taught me a trick years ago how to "create" my own buttermilk! What a great trick...put a little vinegar in the measuring cup and add milk. Let it set for a few minutes and voila, it will become buttermilk!! Easy. So make it and frost it and let your family eat it all up.

2010-2011 Library Reading Challenge

2010-01-31T16:43:00.000-08:00

Books I've checked out and actually read from my local library:

1. My Life in Pink and Green by Lisa Greenwald
2. Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur
3. Leo and the Lesser Lion by Sandra Forrester
4. The $66 Summer by John Armistead
5. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
6. Wild Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff
7. Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan
8. Anything but typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
9. gossip of the starlings by Nina de Gramont
10. An Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech
11. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
12. Riot by Walter Dean Myers
13. The Homeschool Liberation League by Lucy Frank
14. Three Wishes by Carey Goldberg
15. Fablehaven; Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull
16. Devil on my Heels by Joyce McDonald
17. From Alice to Zen and Everybody in Between by Elizabeth Atkinson
18. Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen
19. Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye
20. Rainbow Jordan by Alice Childress
21. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
22. Hippie Chick by Joseph Monninger
23. earthgirl by Jennifer Cowan
24. Ellie McDoodle; Have Pen, Will Travel
25. Star in the Forest by Laura Resau
26. Finally by Wendy Mass
27. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
28. Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy
29. Forge by Laurie Halse Andersen
30. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
31. Clementine; Friend of the Week by Sara Pennypacker
32. Road to Tater Hill by Edith M. Hemingway
33. The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
__________________________________________
34. We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes by Patrick Jennings
35. The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
36. Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
37. Clara's Kitchen by Clara Cannucciari
38. Come to the Table; The Slow Food Way of Living ed. by Kartrina Heron
39. Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
40. The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley
41. Fever; 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
42. Newsgirl by Liza Ketchum
43. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
44. If the Witness Lied by Caroline B. Cooney
45. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Read in 2010

2010-01-07T15:57:00.001-08:00

January:
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsen (adult)****
2. Yankee Girl by Mary Ann Rodman (middle grade fiction)*****
3. Running out of time by Margaret Peterson Haddix (elementary fiction)***
4. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen (YA)***
5. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson (Adult/Memoir)***
6. Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur (middle grade)****
7. My Life in Pink and Green by Lisa Greenwald (middle grade)***
8. 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass (elementary fiction)****

February:
9. Leo and the Lesser Lion by Sandra Forrester (elementary-middle grade)****
10. Ruined by Paula Morris (YA Fiction)***
11. The $66 Summer by John Armistead(middle-YA)*****
12. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (Adult Fiction)*****
13. Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan (YA Fiction)****
14. Wild Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff (middle-YA fiction)****

March:
15. Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin (elementary fiction)****
16. gossip of the starlings by Nina de Gramont (YA)***
17. An Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech (elementary fiction)****
18. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier (YA Fiction)*****
19. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (YA Fiction)*****
20. Operation Yes by Sarah Lewis Holmes (elementary fiction)****
21. Riot by Walter Dean Myers**

April
22. She's So Dead to Us by Kieren Scott(ARC) (YA)***
23. Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder (elementary fiction)*****
24. The Homeschool Liberation League by Lucy Frank (middle grade)***
25. Little Bee by Chris Cleave (Literary Fiction)*****
26. Look Again by Lisa Scottoline (adult fiction)****
27. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Literary Fiction)*****

May
28. Yes, Your Teenager is Crazy (nonfiction)****
29. Three Wishes by Carey Goldberg***
30. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull (Ya Fiction)****
31. The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice (elementary fiction)****
32. Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony (middle grade fiction)*****

June
33. The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden(adult)***
34. Fablehaven; Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull (middle)****
35. Maggie's Door by Patricia Reilly Giff(elementary fiction) ****
36. Serena by Ron Rash (literary fiction)*****
37. Oh. My. Gods by Tera Lynn Childs (middle grade)***

July
38. Devil on My Heels by Joyce McDonald (YA)****
39. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (YA)****
40. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (adult)****
41. Never Change by Elizabeth Berg (adult)***
42. The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World by e.l. konigsburg (middle)***
43. The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank (adult)****
44. Home to Italy by Peter Pezzelli(adult)***
45. The Reinvention of Edison Thomas by Jacqueline Houtman (elementary-middle)****
46. The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro (adult-short stories)*****
47. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow (adult fiction)*****
48. Still Alice by Lisa Genova (adult fiction)*****
49. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (literary fiction)*****
50. From Alice to Zen and Everyone in Between by Elizabeth Atkinson (middle grade)**

August
51. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson (adult fiction)*****
52. Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen (adult fiction)***

great writing tips

2010-01-07T15:54:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Questions Dutton Editors Ask Themselves When Looking At A Manuscript 1. Who is the readership for this book? 2. Does this story surprise me and take me to places I didn’t expect? 3. Is this a main character I care about? 4. Am I personally moved by this story or sitituation? 5. I this a theme/emotion/concern that a lot of kids will be able to relate to? 6. Has this been done a million times before? 7. Will I want to read this manuscript ten (or more) times? 8. Is the voice/character authentic and real? 9. For picture books: Would this story be visually interesteding for 32 pages? Could I esaily envision the illustrations for this? 10. For novels: Does the action of the story move at a good pace and hold our interest? Does tension build as the story moves forward? (I found this on the Writing and Illustrating blog, posted by Kathy Teamen.)

Read in 2008

2009-12-31T14:28:00.000-08:00

1. The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood (adult)
2. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (YA)
3. The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (elementary-YA)
4. Peace Like a River by Leif Engler (adult)
5. Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog (adult)
6. Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larsen (middle)
7. Singing Hands by Delia Ray (elementary)
8. These is my words by Nancy E. Turner (adult)
9. The Magician by Michael Scott (middle)
10. The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen (elementary-middle)
11. The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta (adult)
12. Flower Children by Maxinne Swann (adult)
13. The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis (elementary-middle)
14. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (elementary-middle)
15. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (adult)
16. The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (YA-Adult)
17. Ida B. and her plans to maximize fun, Avoid Disaster, and (possibly) save the World by Katherine Hannigan (elementary)
18. Little Children by Tom Perrotta (adult)
19. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (YA-adult)
20. In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta Ellsworth (middle)
21. Evidence of Things Unseen by Marianne Wiggens (adult)
22. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen (adult)
23. Eat, Pray, Love; One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India...Elizabeth Gilbert (adult)
24. The Observations by Jane Harris (adult)
25. Schooled by Gordon Korman (elementary-middle)
26. What I Call Life by Jill Wolfson (elementary)
27. The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond (adult)
28. Chocolat by Joanne Harris (adult)
29. Geronimo by Joseph Bruchac (YA)
30. Sacajawea by Joseph Bruchac (YA)
31. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (adult)
32. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; A Year in the Life by Barbara Kingsolver (adult)

Reading from my own shelves Challenge(2010)

2009-12-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

1. ~~The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson~~
2. ~~The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice~~
3. ~~The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing~~ by Melissa Bank
4. I don't want to be crazy by Samantha Schutz
5. ~~Home to Italy by Peter Pezzelli~~
6. Every Sunday by Peter Pezzelli
7. ~~The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley~~
8. ~~The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls~~
9. One year to an organized life by Regina Leeds
10. ~~Never Change~~ by Elizabeth Berg
11. The Omnivore's Dilemma; A natural history of four meals by Michael Pollan
12. The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
13. ~~Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella~~
14. Inheritance by Natalie Danford
15. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing; Traitor to the Nation by M.T. Anderson
16. ~~The Book Thief by Markus Zusak~~
17. ~~The Reluctant Tuscan; How I Discovered my Inner Italian by Phil Doran~~
18. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
19. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
20. Gilead by Marilyn Robinson
21. The Shadow Catcher by Marianne Wiggins
22. ~~The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World by e.l. konigsburg~~
23. I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson
24. ~~Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska~~
25. ~~Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs~~
26. ~~Fablehaven by Brandon Mull~~
27. The Toughest Indian in the World by Sherman Alexie
28. ~~Dreamland by Sarah Dessen~~
29. ~~Just Listen by Sarah Dessen~~
30. ~~Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen~~
31. ~~Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen~~
32. ~~A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce~~
33. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
34. Austenland by Shannon Hale
35. ~~The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison~~
36. ~~The Life and Times of Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson~~
37. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (gasp!!)
38. We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg
39. Red Scarf Girl by Ji Li Jiang
40. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
41. ~~The Sorceress; The secrets of the immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott~~
42. Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass
43. ~~Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix~~
44. A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
45. ~~Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes~~
46. Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix
47. Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
48. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
49. ~~Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson~~
50. The Snipesville Chronicles; Don't Know Where, Don't Know When by Annette Laing

Read in 2009

2009-12-25T19:33:00.000-08:00

January: (3)
The Heart of a chief by Joseph Bruchac (elementary)
*Three cups of tea by Greg Mortenson (adult-NF)
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (adult)

February: (4)
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury (YA)
*The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (YA)
*The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (elementary)
Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (elementary)

March: (6)
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt (middle)
*Gone by Michael Grant (YA)
*The Red Shoe by Ursula Dubosarky (adult)
*Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (middle)
*Compound by S.A. Bodeen (YA)
*A Thousand Never Evers by Shana Burg (middle-YA)
(this was a good-read month-I liked all but The Underneath, could not choose favorite)

April: (3)
*If a Tree Falls at Lunch by Gennifer Choldenko (middle-YA)
Black Box by Julie Schumacher (YA)
Elvis and Olive by Stephanie Watson (elementary)

May: (6)
*The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (YA)
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis (elementary-middle)
Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko (elementary-middle)
Red Glass by Laura Resau (YA)
Emmaline and the Bunny by Katherine Hannigan (elementary)
*The Help by Kathryn Stockett (adult)

June: (5)
*Touching Snow by M. Sindy Felin (middle/YA)
The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy (elementary)
The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecelia Galante (middle)

Also Known as Harper by Ann Haywood Leal (elementary)
The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarity (adult)

July: (6)
*Hunger by Michael Grant (YA)
Vidalia in Paris by Sasha Watson (YA)
*March Toward the Thunder by Joseph Bruchac (middle)
Airhead by Meg Cabot (YA)
Second Glance by Jodi Picoult (adult)
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry (elementary-middle)

August: (8)

Judy Moody Saves the World by Megan McDonald (elementary)
A friendship for Today by Patricia McKissack (elementary-middle)
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (YA)
Julia's Kitchen by Brenda A. Ferber (elementary)
*Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (adult)
Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff (elementary)
Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen (YA)
The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler

September: (9)
Savvy by Ingrid Law (elementary-middle)
Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graf (elementary-middle)
That Summer by Sarah Dessen (YA)
*The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo (elementary-middle)
*Found by Margaret Petersen Haddix (elementary-middle)
*Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (YA)
*The Luxe by Anna Godbersen (YA)
Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (YA)
Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff (elementary)
(good reading month as well-Four were my favs)

October: (6)
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (adult)
*Rumors by Anna Godbersen (YA)
*The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein (elem.-middle)
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher (YA)
Julie and Romeo by Jeanne Ray (adult)
43 Old Creamery Road; Dying to meet you by Kate Klise (elementary)

November: (9)
Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult (adult)
*The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (elementary-middle)
*Envy by Anna Godbersen (YA)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows(adult)
Journey of Dreams by Pellegrino (YA-adult)
*Liar by Justine Larbalestier (YA)
*Sent by Margaret Petersen Haddix (elementary-middle)
The Black Tower by Betsy Byars (elementary)
Abigail Iris by Lisa Glatt (elementary)

December: (4)
Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look (elementary)
The Best Bad Luck Ever by Levine (elementary-middle)
Splendor by Anna Godbersen (YA)
*The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (adult)
The Blind Faith Hotel by Pamela Todd (YA)

Wish List

2009-12-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

1. Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
2. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Tristan

2009-11-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

Looking for Alaska by John Green
Leviathon by Scott Westerfield

Read these before leaving 5th grade!!

2009-10-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

Best Books for 5th Graders:
(According to Mrs. Holt*-a must read)

Firegirl* by Tony Abbott
How Tia Lola came to visit (stay) by Julie Alvarez
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle* by Avi
Peter and the starcatchers(series) by Dave Barry
The heart of a chief* by Joseph Bruchac
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
Everything written by Esme Raji Codell
Everything written by Christopher Paul Curtis
Everything written by Andrew Clements
The Ransom of Mercy Carter* by Caroline Clooney
Love that dog by Sharon Creech
Hate that cat by Sharon Creech
The missing manatee by Cynthia Defelice
The Tale of Desperaux* by Kate DiCamillo
Because of Winn-Dixie* by Kate DiCamillo
The City of Ember* series by Jeanne DuPrau
The breadwinner* by Deborah Ellis
Inkheart* by Cornelia Funke
Umbrella Summer* by Lisa Graff
Nory Ryan’s Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
Baseball card adventures by Dan Gutman
The Homework machine by Dan Gutman
Among the Hidden series* by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Found and Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Escape from memory by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Ida B.* by Katherine Harrigan
Bird lake moon by Kevin Henkes
Everything on a waffle by Polly Horvath
Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz
Bird by Angela Johnson
Weedflower* by Cynthia Kadohata
Rules* by Cynthia Lord
Anything by E.L. Konigsburg
Schooled* by Gordon Korman
Poison Ivy by Amy Koss
Drita; my homegirl* by Jenny Lombard
The Giver, Messenger and Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Jeremy Fink by Wendy Mass
A dog’s life by Ann M. Martin
The Snows* by Sharelle Byers Moranville
Charlie Bone series* by Jenny Nimmo
Habibi* by Naomi Shihab Nye
Mrs. Frisby and the rats of Nimh* by Robert O’Brien
Island of the blue dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park
Hatchet series by Gary Paulsen
The Golden Compass series by Phillip Pullman
Percy Jackson series* by Rick Riordan
Singing hands* by Delia Ray
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
Esperanza Rising* by Pamela Munoz Ryan
Becoming Naomi Leon by Pamela Munoz Ryan
Holes* by Louis Sachar
The invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Lemony Snicket series
Stargirl* by Jerry Spinelli
Maniac Magee* by Jerry Spinelli
That girl Lucy Moon* by Amy Timberlake
Sammy Keyes mysteries by Wendelin Van Draanen
Elvis and Olive by Stephanie Watson
So B. It; a novel* by Sarah Weeks
Charlotte’s Web* by E.B. White
Adam Canfield, Watch your back by Michael Winerip
What I call life* by Jill Wolfson
The Devil’s Arithmetic* by Jane Yolen