Just before we left for LA, I found these classic board books at our local Book Stop. They had been tricky to track down so, as soon as I saw them, I snapped them up. They have quickly become Gwyneth's favorite "booooo"s. She loves to look at them and can frequently be found with them all in a row, flipping through the colorful pages. I love all of them, though I have to admit, Pride and Prejudice is my favorite... afterall one of Gwyneth's middle names is Bennet! I have read all these classics many times over, so it's wonderful to get to begin sharing them with her.

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Alice in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet. They're all wonderfully illustrated and contain classic quotes from the original stories.


What? Like you don't read in the buff whenever you have the chance?


This is the moment she realized that Darcy and Lizzy really love each other and were just being prideful and foolish! Classic reaction. We're going to start our own bookclub where we discuss the ins and outs of Pride and Prejudice forever.

Since I posted a photo of them on Instagram, lots of my blogger friends have had me get copies for them as well. Cynthia at the Book Stop has been great about ordering and shipping them out to people. You can order them through their website or just give her a call! It's great to support our favorite local book store!

After nearly five years of being Poppy's nanny I am stepping down from my post.  Her mom starts maternity leave today and I am offcially no longer Poppy's main childcare.  I am starting to feel okay about it.  I picked her up from school today and we spent the afternoon curled up on the couch reading Just Being Audrey.  In the past month we have watched Funny Face and Roman Holiday together.  She loved them both and walks around singing How To Be Lovely and Funny Face.  "You've got a lot of personality for me..."  I just love it.  She is so intruiged by Ms. Hepburn.  I am an avid Audrey lover.  I've read several of her biographies and Breakfast at Tiffany's got me through some really rough times.  Her grace, style and passion are an obvious inspiration.  Getting to share the "Audrey Experience" with Poppy was really special for me.  We've made plans to have an Audrey night and paint our nails, bake cookies, eat too much popcorn and watch Sabrina very soon.  With her love of all things Audrey ensured, my job is officially done.  It's been five wonderful years and I can't wait to see how our relationship developes into something new and marvelous.

About a hundred years ago (or two weeks before Gwyneth was born), I posted this blog about jumping in and reading all of the books I was given as bachelorette party gifts.  To refresh your memory, for my bachelorette party, I asked each of my guest to bring me a copy of their favorite book and to write on the inside cover why they love it.  Well, I'm pleased to announce that I've finished my first book!  It is really hard to find time to read with a little baby but I promise to be a better reader from now on!  The first book I chose to read was The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley...

...it was given to me by my wonderful friend Nancy.  She wrote...

I read this book many times in my 20's and 30's when things were not going well.  This book always gave me courage.  Plus-it's fun.

Although it took me a long time to read, I absolutely loved this book.  This is such a complex and magical story!  This story is about a young, confused orphan-girl named Harry Crewe.  She has been moved from her home to Daria where she first encounters the Hillfolk.  The King of the Hillfolk, who possesses a strange and powerful gift, is drawn to her.  Despite his doubts he takes her from her new home and, eventually, makes her one of his riders.  The whole story, of her abduction, her training and her failures and successes, is completely mesmerizing, entertaining and powerful.  It's definitely a coming-of-age story, one I wish I had been introduced to when I was younger because that would have given me more time to read it and revisit it!  It was a wonderful book and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good fantasy novel.  Finally, I should note that it should only take a normal (a.k.a. a baby free individual) a week to read this book!  

Next up I will be reading One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez!  I should have a book report for you by 2013!

When I had my bachelorette party luncheon, I opted to forgo to the traditional sexy undie gift program and, instead, I asked my family and friends who were attending to bring me a copy of their favorite book and to write on the inside cover why the book was really special to them.  This felt like an wonderful way to learn something new about the wonderful women in my life and a more meaningful gift then a lacy, leopard print thong.  Since I've been so busy in school, I've neglected my lovely little stack of books.  But now that I've cut back on my class load, I have a lot more time for reading novels!  As I read them, I'll share why they were so special to the people who gave them too me and what I loved about them.

Amy

Our Hearts Were Young and Gay from Shirley

Nancy and my Mom

My sister and I (with a bride and groom with pies glued to their faces in honor of the pie fight)

The Source by Michener (from Erika)

The Blue Sword by McKinley (from Nancy)... I've just started reading this novel and can't wait to share my thoughts on it with you.

Persuasion by Austen (from Aunt Sue)

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Coerr (from Leah)

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquez (from Meghan)

Our Hearts Were Young and Gay by Skinner and Kimbrough (from Nana)

Crossing to Safety by Stegner (from Nancy)

Kitchen Table Wisdom by Remen (from Nancy)

Les Misérables by Hugo (from Linda)

I also got a couple of great cookbooks!

New World Provence (from Mom)

The Best International Recipe Cookbook (from Amy)

I'd like to take a moment today to express my undying love for Harry Potter!  In case it hasn't been clear in the past... I freakin' love Harry Potter.  My husband and I have read the books out loud to one another as they've come out in print and then anticipated each new film like true fans.  If you are one of the few people who hasn't read the books, do so immediately!  They are so much fun, they're well written and an absolute joy to read.  The films are all enjoyable and well made too and we've watched each of them more times than I should probably admit.  

After re-reading and listening to each of the books over the past few months, we've just now begun re-reading the final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.   So... this morning I came across the newly released trailer for the first installment of the final film.  It looks so good that I just had to share it... I can't wait!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows opens in theaters on November 19th, 2010.

IMDB Link to trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2799962393/

This past Summer while in Paris, I read My Life in France, Julia Child’s autobiography about learning to cook and the building of her successful career. Julia Child loved her husband, she loved to eat, loved to cook, loved the French people and pursued her life with incredible passion. Before I began reading this book, I really had no idea who Julia Child was. I knew she had a cooking show back in the day. I knew she had a unique voice and was tall. I did not know how inspired I would be by her passionate journey through life. She really grabbed onto life’s opportunities. More than that, she made opportunities for herself and wasn’t afraid to try anything. Julia was a unique, feisty, funny and fabulous woman.


Propelled by the idea for starting this blog and my new found love for Julia Child, I decided to read Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. The book is based on her blog in which she chronicled her Julie/Julia Project. As you are probably aware (since there was a blog, a book and movie made about this woman) Julie Powell cooked her way through Julia Child’s famous cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I began reading her book and immediately found myself disliking Julie Powell. Each recipe she attempted was approached with pessimism. Each failure was reacted to with a near nervous breakdown, which often included the emasculation of her sweet and helpful husband. Each success was immediately followed with the negative thought that tomorrow was another day and another recipe/potential failure. I was hoping that as the book went on, Julie would have some epiphany, some revelation about her negative and self sabotaging tendencies and Julia would inspire her put on some rose colored glasses and change her ways. This never happened. I found Julie to be a negative, self absorbed, unkind woman. 


If you are at the bookstore or library, grab yourself a copy of My Life in France, but walk right by Julie Powell’s whiny collection of failures. 


I bought my own copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking after reading My Life in France. I will never make half of the things in that cookbook especially aspic, anything with bone marrow, calf liver or anything that requires a special order from the butcher. But, when I do cook from it, I will do it with positivity. I’ll let you know how it goes.