Life of Pi (mom)

So I know that we review good books, and great recipes, but I have recently watched the movie Life of Pi.  I thought it was wonderful.  It may sound to some that I am being kind of gushy about it, but it is a movie that makes you think about what you believe.
It is narrated and told by Pi.  He begins with how he got his name and how he learns lessons from his childhood.  He is a very introspective child and is interested in many things around him.  this part of the story takes place in India in the 1950's after France returned their territory to India.  The stark differences between  the area where the colonists live and where the native Hindu live is shown.  Pi is raised in a poor family who own a zoo and choose to move to Canada when then Indian government begins to make changes that would effect them.  The family and all the animals from the zoo board a Japanese freighter where they are caught in a storm.  Pi is the only human survivor along with a Bengal tiger.  As the two struggle to keep alive on the Pacific Ocean, they learn much about each other and Pi contemplates his place in world as he experiences many wonders at sea.   He and the tiger are washed ashore in Mexico where he recovers and tells his story to investigators.  He is not believed and asked to tell the truth.  After he tells a story that they want to hear, they leave him with doubt that he even knew what happened to him.
     There are several thoughts in the movie that made me think about my own faith and affirmed that we are all in the sight and care of God.  It also made me think of the things that are in my life and made me grateful for what I have been blessed.
     I will be getting the book from the library to read.  I will review it when I get finished with it.

Book Review: The Diviners (Steph)

The Diviners by Libba Bray

 5 out of 5 thumbs up

It’s the roaring twenties, and Evie O’Neil has been sent to live with her uncle in Manhattan because of some scandalous rumor that she started. The information behind the rumor she collected with a strange talent she posses, but could never tell anyone about without looking like a lunatic.  Evie couldn’t be happier with her punishment.  An aspiring flapper and avid party girl, Evie relishes the idea of living in the Big Apple basking in the night-life of the array of clubs that await her there.  Her uncle, Will, curator for the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition and the Occult, allows Evie her freedom in exchange for her help around the Museum.

Meanwhile, a string of odd murders has the local police baffled and when strange symbols are found on the bodies, Will and the museum’s staff, including Evie, are summoned to assist in the investigations.  As the team works to solve the killings- and stay a step ahead of the murderer- Evie uncovers some secrets of her own, and learns that she’s not the only one with unusual talents.   

This book was a lot of fun to read.  I liked the colorful characters and the intricate storyline.  This book is, in a word, creepy (but, you know, in a good way) and had me biting my nails and staying up way to late to finish "just one more chapter." There are quite a few characters, each with their own storyline, almost to the point where it might get distracting, but not quite.  The language of the time-period as portrayed in this book, I've read some describe as stereotypical, but I'm ignorant enough to not know any better, so I really liked it.  I think it's the "cat's pajamas." 

My only criticism is really more of a frustration.  At nearly 600 pages, I was sure that this book was a stand-alone, single-volume, good read.  But as the pages got thinner in my right hand, and I had increasingly more unanswered questions, I realized (and confirmed by checking online) that this is only the first book in a series. Groan.  Not that I don't like reading book series, I just don't like waiting for the subsequent books to be released.  I'm not that patient.

Other than that, would I recommend this book? You bet your "life-ski."

Book Review: Warm Bodies (Steph)

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

 4 out of 5 thumbs up

R is a zombie who lives at the airport.  He likes to ride the escalator, listen to vinyl records and has a surprisingly advanced vocabulary, for a zombie.  He remembers nothing from his past life including his name, where he was from, what he was like, or how long ago he died (or became un-dead).  He eats the Living, an aspect of his new life he’s not proud of. On a hunting trip, R meets Julie, the girlfriend of a young man he had just finished devouring, and decides to spare her and keep her safe.  The bizarre relationship that blossoms between the two starts a revolution that will change the course of humanity (and zombie-anity).

Warm Bodies is an entertaining read which takes you into the world after the zombie apocalypse and into the culture of the corpses themselves. Though the ending is a tad predictable, the journey that you take through the mind of R is engaging and as a result, you begin to have feelings for this Dead character, besides the normal zombie reaction of needing to shoot him in the face.  This is a zombie book, after all, so there is some gore, and the language is pretty bad and the main characters (teens) drink kind of a lot, but I guess you could blame that on zombies eating all the mothers of the characters, so there’s no one left to chastise them when they have a potty mouth.  They also probably figure, “hey, it’s the end of the world…” The movie based on this book is hits theaters February 1, 2013 -and I’ll probably go see it.

Book Review: Uglies Series (Steph)

Uglies Series by Scott Westerfield

Books in this series: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras 

4 ½ out of 5 thumbs up

Fifteen-year-old Tally Youngblood is counting down the days until her sixteenth birthday when she will finally receives the operation to make her pretty.  Then, she’ll finally be more than a nobody, more than just another ugly.  In the meantime, Tally spends her time tricking, impressing the younger uglies with her deviant escapades.  After a trick sneaking into New Pretty Town to see a friend, she runs into Shay, another fifteen-year-old girl who she befriends, glad to have someone to pass the time with until she’s pretty.  Tally and Shay share a birthday, they love to hoverboard and they both have a fondness for breaking the rules.  The subject of becoming a pretty is one thing they disagree on.  As the day to Tally’s sixteenth birthday draws nearer, she is swept up into an adventure that may ultimately change her mind.

I really enjoyed these books.  Set in the future, there is plenty of new-fangled technology and gadgets, most of which run on magnetics.   They also have their own sort of language, especially the pretties, which is a little strange and almost a little annoying at first, but after a while, I sort of liked it and by the end, I was wishing that we all spoke like that.  These are really fun, well-paced books with likable characters.  Definitely a great pick for any YF/Sci-Fi fans looking for a fun read.

Tea Time ( mom)
Sarah called me last week and asked if I could help her make crumpets for a tea party she had planned with her friends.  I know that we had talked about having one, but we have never planned it.  So she came over, all dressed up, and we made crumpets.  It turns out that they are similar to pancakes only with yeast in them. Here is the recipe:
Crumpets
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
 1/4 cup warm water for dissolving the yeast
1 1/4 cups warm milk
4-6 3 inch rings, cookie cutters or crumpet molds.  Wide mouth canning rings work just fine.
cooking spray

1. Dissolve yeast into warm water with sugar.  Let proof. Whisk flour and salt in mixing bowl. Barely heat milk to warm.  After yeast has proofed, combine yeast and milk with flour and salt until smooth and thick.  Cover and let rise.  Stir down.
2.Spray a skillet and the metal rings with cooling spray.  Heat skillet over medium heat, and place metal rings on the skillet and let them heat up.  Spoon batter into the rings filling only half way.  Let the crumpets cook until bottoms are browned.  the tops appear nearly dry and popped bubbles appear on top, about 5 minutes. Flip and remove the rings from around the crumpets.  Cook until browned about 1 to 2 more minutes.  Repeat.  Keep warm in preheated oven until all crumpets are cooked.

These were so easy I though well maybe English muffins wouldn't be hard either.  So I looked up a recipe and they were so easy,  I wondered why I haven't been making them on a regular basis.  They were good.
So here is the recipe for the English muffins:

English muffins
1 cup milk, warmed to room temp.
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup melted shortening.
6 cups or so of flour
1 tsp. salt
corn meal

1. Warm the milk to room temp.  Stir in sugar until dissolved and set aside to cool.  Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Proof about 10 minutes.
2.  In a large bowl, combine milk, yeast shortening and 3 cups of flour.  Beat until smooth.  Add salt and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.  Knead.  Place in an oiled bowl and cover to let rise about an hour.
3. Punch down.  Roll out to 1/2 in thick. Make sure you roll it out thin enough. Cut with round cutter.  Dip top and bottom in cornmeal and set on a pan lined with waxed paper to rise.  Cover and let rise 1/2 hour.
4. Heat greased griddle to medium heat, about 350.  Cook muffins on griddle about 10 minutes on each side. You can keep warm in the oven if you plan to eat them right away or allow them to cool for storage. Split with a fork and toast to eat.

Yummy!

Book Review: Divergent Series (Steph)

Divergent series by Veronica Roth

Books in this series: Divergent, Insurgent, and third book (untitled) to be released September 2013

5 out of 5 thumbs up

Sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior lives in Chicago after the collapse of modern civilization. The city is divided into 5 factions, each emulating a specific virtue. Candor-honesty, Erudite- knowledge, Dauntless- courage, Amity- peacefulness, and Abnegation- selflessness. She, along with the other youth her age, will follow tradition and  decide whether to stay in the factions they were born into, or decide to make a different faction their home.  After Beatrice’s surprising decision, she discovers a dangerous secret about herself and that the world around her is not as peaceful as it seems.

Whether it’s the engaging story, colorful characters, or heart-pounding action, this book is a winner. It’s engaging, emotional and a real page-turner.  I loved the story and the characters and literally couldn’t put these books down.  It was one of those instances where you take that one tiny little second right after you’ve finished the last word of the last book and wonder how you’re going to live another year until the next book is published.  Overdramatic, yes, but it happens to everyone. Right?  I could go on gushing over the books, or you could just read them and find out for yourself.

Book Review: Caster Chronicles (Steph)

Caster Chronicles series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Books in this Series: Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos, Beautiful Redemption

      

 3 out of 5 thumbs up

Ethan Wate lived in Gatlin, Georgia his whole predictable life when he is changed forever after the arrival of Lena Duchannes, an outsider, who moves into her shut-in uncle’s giant, mysterious house.  As Ethan befriends Lena and unravels the mysteries of her family, he learns that Lena is no ordinary teenage girl and that she will have to make a choice that could change their world as they know it.

One thing I actually really liked about these books, was that they are told from the boy’s point of view, rather than the girl’s, which is sort of a refreshing change. However, the book was not only written by a woman, but by two women, so I’m not sure the “feelings” Ethan nanners on and on about are entirely from a teenage boy’s perspective.  Or maybe he’s just a really sensitive guy. Who knows. 

I also hold little sympathy for teenagers who have to make “choices” in which the correct decision is obviously apparent.  Since that is basically what this story revolves around, I couldn’t really get behind Lena and her decision making. I couldn’t figure out why she didn’t just get it over with already, and consequently resulted in the first book being a bit of a lackluster read.  The good news is that the books get a little bit better as they continue.  The bad news is that a Beautiful Creatures has been made to be released in March (I think) 2013.  Sounds like one to Redbox, maybe.