18th & 19th Century Women Writers' Reading Challenge

I couldn't resist signing up for another challenge. Let's face it, I love challenging myself, and I find that this challenge I will discover authors that I necessarily would have read on my own.

The 18th and 19th Century Women Writers' Reading Challenge is being hosted by Becky over at Becky's Book Reviews. You can get more info and sign up here.

My reading list:

18th Century:

Fanny Burney:

Camilla Completed on February 17th, 2009

Evelina Completed on January 8th, 2009

Ann Radcliffe:

The Mysteries of Udolpho Completed on April 22nd, 2009

19th Century:

Emily Bronte:

Wuthering Heights Completed on October 8th, 2009

Elizabeth Gaskell:

North and South Completed on May 25th, 2009

Wives and Daughters Completed on March 5th, 2009
Cranford Completed on July 15th, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY...December 1st, 2008

Outside my window...It's looks pretty cold out there with lots of snow, but I can still see a few squirrels looking for food.

I am thinking...About a terrible incident that happened yesterday in Oshawa that left a family without a member. You can read about it here.

I am thankful for...For my family.

From the learning rooms...The kids brought home their report cards last Friday, and they both did very well.

From the kitchen...I'm tired of cooking the same things all the time, so this week I'm going to change a bit. I'm hoping that my picky eaters won't have too much of an issue with it.

I am wearing... Older than old jeans (you know the type - full of holes!), pink hoodie and comfy socks.

I am creating...Finally finished the yearly photo book, now I just have to wait until it's printed. Can't wait! Also, I'm knitted a sweater for myself, which I want to finish in the next couple of days. I have a few scarves to knit as Christmas' presents and I don't want to leave it for the last minute.

I am reading...I'm re-reading Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts.

I am hoping...That I'll feel better soon. I don't have time to be sick! I have a ton to do....

I am hearing...I'm starting early this year. I'm listening to Diana Krall's Christmas album.

Around the house...Just the usual... Cleaning. Laundry and cooking.

One of my favorite things...Ginger Spice Cookies. You can get the recipe here.

A few plans for the rest of the week: I have Secret Santa package to mail out, also got to get the Christmas cards ready.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Come and join the fun! You can find more The Simple Woman's Daybook here!

Crazy for You

I’ve been experiencing a few reading disasters in the past month, and I happen to mentioned that fact to my friend Marja. And she suggested I read Crazy For You by Jennifer Crusie. And I thought why not, I enjoy the author’s books, and I was quite sure I hadn’t read it before. And after reading the blurb, I thought it would be very promising.

Here’s the blurb:

On Wednesday, Quinn McKenzie changes her life. On Thursday, she tries to get somebody to notice. On Thursday night, somebody does.

Quinn McKenzie has always lived what she calls a "beige" life. She's dating the world's nicest guy, she has a good job as a high school art teacher, she's surrounded by family and friends who rely on her, and she's bored to the point of insanity. But when Quinn decides to change her life by adopting a stray dog over everyone's objections, everything begins to spiral out of control. Now she's coping with dog-napping, breaking and entering, seduction, sabotage, stalking, more secrets than she really wants to know, and two men who are suddenly crazy...for her.

Well, I was halfway through the second chapter, and then it hits me: I’ve read this book before! What the hay, I’ll just continue on… And I’m so glad that I did.

I really enjoyed this one (again). I enjoyed the characters, Quinn really took hold of heart, loved her willingness to change and take charge of her life and getting rid of Bill - which reminds me, I should re-read Getting Rid of Bradley, it’s been a while. Nick is a great friend to Quinn but he’s a little afraid of taking it to the next level with her. And Bill, oh my, what a nut! A very scary nut! But the what made this book really stand out (the second time around) was Darla and Max. I thought they made a great couple, she wanting a change, to add spice, and he not seeing the need to change anything.

Crazy For You by Jennifer Crusie (Re-read) Contemporary Romance; Published: St. Martin’s (2000); 100 + Reading Challenge (84); Library book;

The Winner was Crowned

And the mirror ball was given to Brooke Burke and her pro-partner Derek Hough!

Christmas Letters

Christmas is just around the corner and I just know reading Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber will help me get in the Christmas mood.

Here’s the blurb:

Katherine O'Connor often spends her days at a cozy café on Blossom Street in Seattle--where she writes Christmas letters for other people. She's good at making their everyday lives sound more interesting. More humorous. More dramatic.

But for Dr. Wynn Jeffries, who also frequents the café, Christmas means lies and deception. In fact, the renowned child psychologist recommends that parents "bury Santa under the sleigh." Katherine, however, feels that his parenting philosophy is one big mistake--at least, based on her five-year-old twin nieces, who are being raised according to his "Free Child" methods.

She argues with Wynn about his theories, while he argues that her letters are nothing but lies. They disagree about practically everything--and yet, somehow, they don't really want to stop arguing.

As the days--and nights--move closer to Christmas, Katherine and Wynn both discover that love means accepting your differences. And Christmas is about the things you share….

K.O. has a knack for writing Christmas letters, and if she gets paid doing something she loves, bonus. And this Christmas all seems well until her sister reads a self-help book written by Dr. Wynn Jeffries, Free Child. The Christmas spirit seems dim for her nieces and she wants to show Dr. Wynn what a bunch of crock his theory really is. But she never realized on how much she liked the good doctor.

I really liked K.O., I liked her determination, her outlook and her willingness to help people, but I especially loved her Christmas spirit. I wouldn’t call Wynn a scrooge, but he’s somewhat close to it (just my opinion). And both these opposites attract, in a very quick and unexpected way. And eventually their differences will wreck havoc in their short relationship. But are they willing to fight for the possibility of a happily ever after.

Although I enjoyed the story and the characters, the scene stealer for me were the actual Christmas letters. Loved them!

Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber (4/5) Contemporary Romance; Published: Mira (2006); 100 + Reading Challenge (83); Library book;

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should Be Reading. Here's how you play:

* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall open to a random page.
* Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
* You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
* Please avoid spoilers!

My teaser:

"But Mr. Hawkins was the only one who'd sat down with Gage and asked him what he wanted. Did he want the cops, Social Services, did he want to come and stay with him and his family for a while?" - taken from page 11 of Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts.

What's On Your Nightstand?

It's the last Tuesday of the month and it's time for What's On Your Nightstand?, over at 5 Minutes for Books.

Here's what on my nightstand:

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY... November 24th, 2008

Outside my window... It's snowing again! I enjoy snow as much as the next person, but it's getting ridiculous. I want my snow at Christmas! Not now!

I am thinking... I caught K's cold.

I am thankful for... my family!

From the learning rooms... Just the usual, math, reading and writting.

From the kitchen... I'm making meatloaf. I think that we need some comfort food. It seems that all four of us have come down with a cold.

I am wearing... Old jean, with a dusty rose shirt and comfy socks.

I am creating... Nothing. Abslolutely nothing. I really should get some knitting done...

I am reading... I'm about to start Tumbling Through Time by Gwyn Cready.

I am hoping... That our flu shots this weekend will go off without a hitch. I have a child that does not do well with needles.

I am hearing... A local radio station, and the furnace making those strange noices - again.

Around the house... I want to get some Christmas decorations up, but that means I have to clean out the crawl space.

One of my favorite things... Vanilla scented candles!

A few plans for the rest of the week: See "Around the house".

Here is picture thought I am sharing... I'm addicted to these:

Please don't forget to visit The Simple Woman's Daybook to join in the fun.

Another Challenge: Celebrate the Author

Yes, I realize I have a problem.

Hello, my name is Leya and I'm addicted to book challenges...

And my latest: Celebrate The Author. This challenge is being hosted by Becky of Becky's Book Reviews.

Basically "the challenge is designed to “celebrate” author birthdays. Choose one author for each month of the year. Read at least one book a month. 12 authors. 12 birthdays". You can find more info here.

Here are my choices:

January - Lewis Carroll (27/1832) - Alice In Wonderland ** Completed on January 12th, 2009

February - Jules Verne (8/1828) - Journey to the Centre of the Earth ** Completed on February 8th, 2009


March - Anna Sewell (30/1820) - Black Beauty ** Completed on March 30th, 2009

April - Harper Lee (28/1926) - To Kill A Mockingbird ** Completed on April 29th, 2009

May - Arthur Conan Doyle (22/1859) - The Hound of the Baskervilles ** Completed on May 26th, 2009

June - Harriet Beecher Stowe (14/1811) - Uncle Tom’s Cabin

July - Margaret Laurence (18/1926) - Stone Angel

August - Sir Walter Scott (15/1771) - Ivanhoe

September - Edward Rice Burroughs (1/1875) - Tarzan of the Apes

October - Timothy Findley (30/1930) - Pilgrim

November - Louisa May Alcott (29/1832) - Little Women

December - Jane Austen (16/1775) - Mansfield Park

Mystique

I love, absolutely love Amanda Quick’s earlier novels, and when I found this one at a local UBS, I couldn’t resist picking it up. It was one of her books I hadn’t had read before.

Here’s the blurb for Mystique:

Lady Alice approached the fearsome Warrior who had swept into Lingwood Manor like a storm. Dark and forbidding, with hair as black as midnight and eyes of molten amber, Hugh the Relentless seemed aptly named. Yet to Alice, adept at driving off suitors and handling her insufferable relatives, Sir Hugh was not someone to dread, but the answer to her dreams.

He had come for the mysterious green crystal, and would be greatly displeased to learn that it was no longer in her possession. But Alice was certain Sir Hugh could be coaxed into a deal that would benefit them both. In return for a dowry large enough to free Alice and her brother from the grasp of their conniving uncle, she would lend her powers of detection to Sir Hugh's knightly skills and together they would recover his treasured stone.

With a tongue as sharp as a dagger, the flame-haired Alice filled Hugh with fury...and a growing fascination. He accepted her terms, with one alteration: Alice must agree to a temporary betrothal and spend the winter in Hugh's great stone fortress, Scarcliffe Keep.

The bargain is struck and the adventure begins. But Sir Hugh's lifelong enemy is plotting against them, stirring up a whirlwind of treachery that threatens their fragile alliance.

And I’m so glad that I picked it up. It was what the doctor ordered. After the abysmal books that I’ve been reading, it was great to have found one that was truly a wonderful experience.

It wasn’t an award winning book, or even a 5 * book, but it was a wonderful story with great characters, a beautiful medieval setting and a love story with all the great moments, and it had Quick’s trademark wittiness and humour. It was one of those books that you can lose yourself for hours and not even knowing you’re doing it.

It's so different from what the author is writing at present, her historical and contemporaries, are both getting darker, which I realize is probably what the majority of the public wants. But it’s great to revisit the old ”Quick” formula. Reading Mystique was a breath of fresh air.

Mystique by Amanda Quick (4/5) Historical Romance; Medieval; Published: Bantam Books (1995); 100 + Reading Challenge (82); Keeper shelf;

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume

Here’s another book that I’ve been waiting to read. Not because I didn’t want to, but I was saving it for the right moment.

Here’s the blurb for Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn:

There went the bride...

Amelia Willoughby has been engaged to the Duke of Wyndham for as long as she can remember. Literally. A mere six months old when the contracts were signed, she has spent the rest of her life waiting. And waiting. And waiting...for Thomas Cavendish, the oh-so-lofty duke, to finally get around to marrying her. But as she watches him from afar, she has a sneaking suspicion that he never thinks about her at all...

It's true. He doesn't. Thomas rather likes having a fiancée—all the better to keep the husband-hunters at bay—and he does intend to marry her...eventually. But just when he begins to realize that his bride might be something more than convenient, Thomas’s world is rocked by the arrival of his long-lost cousin, who may or may not be the true Duke of Wyndham. And if Thomas is not the duke, then he’s not engaged to Amelia. Which is the cruelest joke of all, because this arrogant and illustrious duke has made the mistake of falling in love...with his own fiancée!

Is it just me, or did I just stumble on a book that was a waste of my time. I knew before I started that this book was Thomas’s version of what happened, Jack‘s version is here. But I didn’t realize it would have been so repetitive. And I wanted more interaction between the hero and heroine. It just seemed to be lacking. I wanted to know more of what happened after the fact, of Thomas adjusting to his new status with Amelia’s help. But we didn’t get much of anything beyond that… oh well…

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn (3/5) Historical Romance; Published: Avon (10/08); Series: # 2, The Two Dukes of Wyndham; 100 + reading Challenge (81); Keeper shelf (It’s here because, I can’t seem to get rid of any of the authors books, just on principle).

Slow Cooking Thursday

Once again it's Thursday, and it's time for Slow Cooking Thursday over at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom.

Chocolate Croissant Pudding

1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetned cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 plain croissants, cut into 1 inch pieces, divided
1/2 cup chocolate chips, divided
Whipped cream

1. Coat 1 quart casserole, suffle dish or other high sided baking pan that will fit in your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Beat milk, eggs, sugar, cocoa, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl. Layer half of the croissant pieces, 1/4 cup chocolate chips and half of the egg mixture into prepared dish. Repeat layers with the remaining croissant pieces, chocolate chips and egg mixture.

3. Place rack or trivet into your slow cooker; pour in 1 cup of water. Place dish on rack. Cover; cook low for 3 to 4 hours.

4. Remove dish from slow cooker. Spoon croissant pudding into bowls. Top with whipped cream.

Makes 6 servings.

Don't forget to stop here for more yummy recipes.