Title: The Power of Habit
Author: Charles Duhigg
Pages: 302
Originally Published: 2012
Format I Read: Adobe Digital Edition (via Netgalley)
Publisher: Random House
Rating:

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While I usually eschew books with any sheen of self-help about them, I could not resist the very title of The Power of Habit. Habits are something I am constantly trying to cultivate or break. And, understanding more about them would only help me in those endeavors, right?

Right. The Power of Habit examines habits and how they work through the lens of a startling array of topics, from marketing Febreeze to habitual gambling, from night terrors to Target’s consumer tracking algorithms, from brain damage to Starbucks’s training program, and from Alcoholic’s Anonymous to Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church. In addition to the numerous topics and case studies, the book also examines habits in three different areas: the habits of individuals, the habits of successful organizations, and the habits of societies.

In all, I found it to be a fascinating read. Charles Duhigg is a business reporter for The New York Times, but his writing reads more like a columnist’s or an essayist’s. And the information presented it just downright interesting. I mean, Target can identify pregnant women, who haven’t told anyone let alone Target, just by tracking what they buy. Several black individuals were arrested for refusing to give up their seats to white passengers in the weeks and months leading up to Rosa Parks’s arrest, but the reason her arrest was the catalyst for starting an entire movement can be explained, at least in part, by habits. Febreeze was unmarketable, until researchers noticed one small habit people have after cleaning a room.

Here are some of the things that I will take away from The Power of Habit:

• Once we identify something as a habit, we have the power to change it.
• Companies will do almost anything to get us to buy their stuff.
• Keystone habits (such as making our beds, exercising, and having family dinners) seep over into other areas and change other habits.
• Habits have three parts: a cue, a routine, and a reward.

I will say that it felt a little disjointed at times, in that some of the stories and case studies had a somewhat tenuous link to habits. And, I expected this to be a self-help book. I mean, a book about habits to going to tell you how to make or change your habits, right? Nope. Not this book. In fact, I got all of the way to the end of the book and then I read the appendix, which contains this helpful explanation:

Individuals and habits are all different, and so the specifics of diagnosing and changing the patterns in our lives differ from person to person and behavior to behavior. Giving up cigarettes is different from how you prioritize tasks at work. What’s more, each person’s habits are driven by different cravings.

As a result, this book doesn’t contain one prescription. Rather, I hoped to deliver something else: a framework for understanding how habits work and a guide to experimenting with how they might change. (220)

And with that simple statement, my experience with the whole book changed. I wish the note had come at the beginning, in an author’s note or introduction, because then I would have simply enjoyed the case studies instead of waiting and expecting the instruction to begin. So, that’s my advice. Read this book. But read it as a sociology book that presents information from which you can glean information to apply to your life, rather than as a self-help book that will give you a tidy little formula on changing your habits.

The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg

Have you read or reviewed this book too? Feel free to jump in with your thoughts or leave a link to your review in the comments.

Sadly, I fell WAY behind on my 2011 reviews. So, I’ve been posting mini reviews to help catch up. This is the last round! Check out round one, round two, and round three, if you like. Though all of these books deserve their own posts, this will have to do.

The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt

Rating:

On Wednesday afternoons, when the rest of his Jewish and Catholic classmates attend religious classes, Holling Hoodhood, the lone Presbyterian seventh-grader, is left with Mrs. Baker, and the experience is challenging for them both. This book made me want to read Shakespeare! The writing is superb, and it felt very realistic. It takes place in 1967, and I felt like I was there. I think this strikes that magic balance: it will appeal to both kids and adults alike. Gary D. Schmidt‘s entire back list is now on my TBR list.

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

Rating:

This is a classic. And it deserves to be. It’s everything you could want in a story. And it made me realize why that song says “There’ll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago.” Dickens and I have not always gotten along in the past, but this book has made me want to try more of his stuff.

Three Cups of Deceit, by Jon Krakauer

Rating:

I was predisposed to like this book, since I hated Three Cups of Tea. But I just didn’t feel like it came together. Maybe there was too much emotion and not enough research and sources to back up the statements. I did feel that the parts about the management of the organization were will constructed and researched. In any case, it’s an interesting counterargument to Three Cups of Tea and shows that Greg Mortensen is not exactly what he says he is.

Before I Go To Sleep, by S.J. Watson

Rating:

This book gets full marks for pacing. It’s remarkable, especially since it’s S.J. Watson‘s first novel. I could not wait to find out exactly what happened. You know the premise, right? Christine has amnesia. Every morning she wakes up and cannot remember anything. So, she starts to keep a journal, so she can remember. And she begins to discover some unsettling things. Alas, at least one point must be deducted for its failure to hold up over time. This isn’t a book that, for me, held up upon reflection a few days later, and I highly doubt it would stand up to the rigors of a reread.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon, by Sarah Addison Allen

Rating:

My first experience with Sarah Addison Allen. I’d heard about her brand of magical realism and wasn’t sure what to exact. But it was rather delightful. I enjoyed all of the characters. But, I was rooting most for the secondary romance plot. I wish that had been the main focus. And this book is very light and fun, but I didn’t find a lot of substance. Still, I think I’ll keep Allen in mind when I need a palate cleanser.

The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen

Rating:

I really liked this book – my first Sarah Dessen. For YA, I felt it had a lot of depth and good characters. And it stuck with me afterwards, which is saying something. Macy gets a summer job away from her Type-A mother as an assistant in a catering company. There she meets people so different from her usual crowd that she’s forced to examine who she really is. Standard fare as far as YA plots go, but I loved the characters and the writing. I’ll be reading more Dessen.

The Nanny Diaries, by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus

Rating:

So, I’m not a fan. I know many people who are. But I just found the people to be awful, and I couldn’t find much to be amused about. Nanny takes a position with the X family, caring for Grayer. The X family is rather appalling, and there is little Nanny can or should do. It is based on the writers’ experiences being nannies in New York, so it did have some interesting insight into New York and the life of a nanny. But I thought the writing was just okay. And I felt it unsuccessfully walked a line between plot points based on real experiences and entirely fabricated plot points. It just felt uneven and a little sad.

This Is What I Did, by Ann Dee Ellis

Rating:

Interestingly told story about a kid haunted by a traumatic event. Logan’s best friend, Zyler, has a rough home life, and that ends up spreading into Logan’s life. The prose is sparse but insightful. At the end of the day, I didn’t end up forging a strong connection with Logan, but I did feel bad for him that he had to experience the things he did. I admired the unusual structure and writing style and look forward to reading more from Ann Dee Ellis. Ellis will be teaching at the upcoming Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference, which will be held June 18-22, 2012. You should check it out if you’re an aspiring writer; the lineup looks awesome.

Have you read any of these books? Which was your favorite?

Sadly, I fell WAY behind on my 2011 reviews. So, occasionally, I’ll be posting mini reviews to help catch up. This is round three. Check out round one and round two, if you like. Though all of these books deserve their own posts, this will have to do.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, by Aimee Bender

Rating:

I got a deal on this one for my Kindle. I had heard a lot about Aimee Bender, was entrigued by the title, and went for it. It was not what I expected at all. It turns out to be a book with a little magical realism. In all, I thought it was lovely and lonely and thought-provoking and haunting. Until the end.

A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson

Rating:

I’d heard about Bill Bryson for years. Pretty much everyone I know agrees that he is witty and interesting and could talk about really anything. So, when I found this one at a thrift shop, I bought it. When I got home, I opened it up just to flip through it, and ended up reading 100 pages. And then I devoured the whole thing. It was witty. It was interesting. Bill Bryson could probably write interestingly about any subject. (And he has.)

Homer & Langley, by E.L. Doctorow

Rating:

I picked this one up at the Borders closing sale. Weep. Anyway, I really enjoyed this fictionalized account of two hoarder brothers. And E.L. Doctorow‘s writing lived up to the hype. The only complaint I have it that I have of all fictionalized accounts – I am left at the end with a hunger to know what was real and what wasn’t.

Ella Minnow Pea, by Mark Dunn

Rating:

Interesting idea. It’s about the fictional island nation of Nollop, named after Nevin Nollop, the creator of the pangram The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. When letters start falling off of the statute of Nollop, the town council deems it as Nollop’s will to cease using those letters. So, at first, Z is removed. Then more letters until only five are left. Like I said, interesting idea. But, for me, not the best execution. I had a hard time keeping track of who was writing to whom, since the voices all seemed exactly the same. My book club generally objected on the grounds that it was too political.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith

Rating:

Wow. This is an amazing book. I read it for my book club. And I’m still surprised that I had not read it before. This is a difficult book to describe. I’ve read someone complain or perhaps just state that “nothing happens.” In fact, a great deal happens, but in a meandering life-like kind of way. The book is essentially the coming-of-age story of its heroine, Francie. I loved the writing and the almost-vignette feel to it. Most of all, I loved Francie. I laughed and cried and cheered for her. I highly recommend this one.

The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss

Rating:

As soon as I finished this book, I went into mourning that there was no more of it. To me, that is one of the signs of a great book. I think this one is a great book. It reminded me of a number of books: The Chosen, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Shadow of the Wind. But then again, it didn’t remind me of anything. The writing is lovely. The story is well-told and exquisitely woven.
(Interestingly, I wrote in my notes the bit about this one reminding me of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, long before I found out that Nicole Krauss is married to Jonathan Safran Foer.)

Committed, by Elizabeth Gilbert

Rating:

I loved Eat, Pray, Love and knew I had to read Elizabeth Gilbert‘s follow up, Committed. Due to new immigration laws, Elizabeth is essentially required to marry Felipe if they want to live in the United States. And they do. So this book is largely Gilbert’s research on and struggle with the concept of marriage. It is an extremely enlightening guide to the history of marriage. I would recommend it to everyone who has thought about entering into marriage or who wants a more informed opinion of the institution itself.

Making It All Work, by David Allen

Rating:

I loved Getting Things Done. A lot. So, I picked up the follow up. As is the case with most follow ups, it isn’t as good as the original. There’s a lot of fluff here that was not present in Getting Things Done. Really, I’d recommend starting and sticking with the original, unless, like me, you just want to glean the few additional tricks and tips to be found here.

Have you read any of these books? Which was your favorite?

Okay dokey. This book is jumping the queue for reviews because I just need to have it out and done. One of my book clubs generally picks one nonfiction book to read a year, and this is it this year. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. TMWMHWFAH is essentially Oliver Sacks‘s clinical notes on unique neurological patients, combined with his musings on how these patients have affected his perception of the meaning of life.

One the one hand, it was fascinating. It is truly interesting how our brains control, well, everything. The neurological disorders and their effects ranged from removing a man’s ability to read faces to a loss of the ability to automatically control one’s body, and from the ability to access and essentially experience again “forgotten” memories of childhood to the inability to control our impulses. When there is brain damage, for whatever reason, the effect can be devastating. I love the idea that everything is stored in our brains, if only we could just figure out how to access it. The brain is a remarkable and mostly unknown organ. TMWMHWFAH relates this point well. Also, I enjoyed how the book was divided into and explored four areas of neurological deficiencies: Losses, Excesses, Transports, The World of the Simple.

On the other hand, it wasn’t. Mr. Sacks’s tone throughout bothered me a great deal. First, he assumes that every reader is fluent in neurology. He bandies about terms like “Korsakovian,” “agnosia,” “aphasia,” and “proprioception” with little to no explanation and digresses on numerous occasions to refer to neurological history as if the reader were familiar with it. While I could generally ascertain his meaning, it made for slow going. Second, he is endlessly reductive about his patients. Even when it appears that he has some fondness for them and has gone to lengths to help them, he concludes with lines like this “But still and forever she remains defective and defeated.” (53). There were also many odd inter-references to patients that we hadn’t read about yet that frustrated me. As a result of all of this, I found myself skimming at times.

Also, since this book was published in 1984, it is sprinkled with outdated terms like “savages,” and “defectives” and “simples.” While I wasn’t really offended, it was uncomfortable. The old publication date also made me question what advances have been made in the last thirty years that would substantially change the outcomes in this book. While there were some post scripts, apparently added in 1998, they did little to make the book feel current.

Still, I found the content, if not the delivery and style, generally interesting and managed to make it through rather quickly. I am glad that I read it. But I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, by Oliver Sacks

Have you read or reviewed this book too? Feel free to jump in with your thoughts or leave a link to your review in the comments.

Sadly, I fell WAY behind on my 2011 reviews. So, occasionally, I’ll be posting mini reviews to help catch up. This is round two. Check out round one, if you like. Though they all deserve their own posts, this will have to do.

Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Rating:

My third encounter with Laurie Halse Anderson went well. This is a kind of dark look at anorexia, but it also kind of rang true. For some reason, this one just spoke to me. It’s well written, of course. But I also felt that it handled the characters and the subject matter with both delicacy and realism.

Something Borrowed, by Emily Giffin

Rating:

Ugg. I really really enjoyed the writing in this one. And the style. But I got really annoyed with the plot. I may be in the minority on this, but I was quite annoyed that the book condoned (over and over) an affair because the girlfriend/fiance/wife of the guy-cheater was a giant witch with a capital B. It kind of ruined a great love story for me. I will likely read more books by Emily Giffin, but I’ll try to avoid such themes. (I also just watched the movie. It follows the book pretty closely and thus left me with similar disappointments – though it was careful to emphasize that the cheater was not yet married.)

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin

Rating:

Okay, a book club selection. I was very glad that we chose to read this one, since I’ve always wanted to read something by Ursula K. Le Guin. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. It reminded me of a Harry Potter story. The boy wizard starts at a wizard school and becomes a great wizard. Though, of course, this was written long before Harry Potter, and it’s much more intense.

Moonwalking with Einstein, by Joshua Foer

Rating:

I read this one on my Kindle on a bit of a whim. I raced through to the end. Foer trained for and competed in the U.S. Memory Championship. And while it was an interesting story, the climax was a little disappointing. And I wanted more insider tips on how to make my memory crazy-good. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I think two of the reasons that I didn’t love this were (1) I felt like Joshua Foer kind of won the competition by default, and (2) I can’t quite see the point of memorizing the order of decks of cards. (Also, did you know that Joshua Foer is the little brother of Jonathan Safran Foer?)

Sink Reflections, by Marla Cilley

Rating:

I’ve subscribed to the Fly Lady emails for a couple of years. She has ingenious tips for decluttering and keeping your house company ready by only working in 15-minute increments. The basic concepts are great. You can find almost all of the information in this book on the website, but I wanted to have it all written down in one place. I recommend both this book and the website for any one who struggles with housework.

A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin

Rating:

After watching the first season of the amazing HBO series by the same name, I knew I had to try out these books. And this one didn’t disappoint. George R.R. Martin is a talented dude. Really, the story and character arcs here are some of the best I’ve seen. And the world Martin creates is amazingly vivid. The very best part is the characters. I won’t soon be forgetting this one.

A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin

Rating:

So, I didn’t love this second installment as much as the first. Beware that lots of stuff happens – almost none of it good. Bad things happen over and over again. Annoyingly, WINTER IS COMING – and no one cares. By the end, I just felt a bit brow-beaten. But I still enjoyed spending time with these characters. I am, however, not sure that I will finish the series.

What the Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell

Rating:

One of my favorite reads of 2011. This book is really great. It’s a collection of essays Malcolm Gladwell wrote for The New Yorker, so nothing new here unless, like me, you hadn’t read any of the articles before. There is quite the spread of topics here from profiling to ketchup to preschools. I loved every essay. And found them all to be compulsively readable. My favorite, probably, is the one about ketchup. In fact, I talked so much about the profound characteristics of ketchup after reading the article that my family still teases me about it. You should read them all!

Have you read any of these books? Which was your favorite?

Sadly, I fell WAY behind on my 2011 reviews. So, occasionally, I’ll be posting mini reviews to help catch up. Though they all deserve their own posts, this will have to do. This, in particular, is an excellent crop of books. Enjoy.

Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Rating:

I really enjoyed this book, but as I read it many months ago, I can’t remember much more that it is about two young slaves, that it takes place during the Revolutionary War, and that I (and the rest of my book club) liked it. I do remember that my book club had a great discussion about slavery and the Revolutionary War. I have the sequel, Forge, on my nightstand, waiting to be read.

I have read two other books by Laurie Halse Anderson that were vastly different from this (Speak and Wintergirls). Apparently she tends to write two kinds of books – historical fiction and “issue” fiction. I’ve liked everything I’ve read by her so far.

These Is My Words, by Nancy E. Turner

Rating:

I could not put this one down. Seriously. I took longer lunch breaks because of it. But, by the end, it didn’t quite come together to be one of my favorite books, as I thought it might. Still. Really great read and first novel by Nancy E. Turner. Be warned that the first 100 pages or so have a series of intense set backs. Intense. But that’s life on the frontier. Both of my book clubs read this in 2011, and the general consensus was love. Lots of love.

The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls

Rating:

Okay, yet another book club selection. This is a memoir; a brutal recounting of a neglectful childhood. But I liked it. I liked that, unlike other memoirs I’ve read, Walls seemed to just kind of tell it like it was. And, amazingly, she doesn’t appear to judge her parents for their choices and has come to accept them for who they are. It’s inspiring, too, that Walls managed to rise above a childhood that would be a great excuse for mediocrity. In all, an excellent read.

I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak

Rating:

My favorite read of 2011. Hands down. Zusak is clearly a genius. This novel got him his first Printz Award honor. And, I mean, The Book Thief was one of the best books I’d ever read. And often times, authors can’t accomplish such a thing twice. But I Am the Messenger did for me. In fact, I may like this one better. I’m not going to tell you anything about it other than it is vastly different from The Book Thief. But it’s fabulous. It’s the book that I’ve become a disciple for – my go-to book recommendation. So, I recommend it to you. (And I will likely have to do a full post on this one someday.)

Getting the Girl, by Markus Zusak

Rating:

Okay, after all of the effusive praise for Markus Zusak above, I have to tone it down here. I enjoyed this book very much. Cameron Wolfe falls for his brother’s girlfriend. And that complicates things. It is well written and insightful, but I don’t think it compares to the scope or power of The Book Thief and I Am the Messenger. (Note that I’ve basically read Zusak’s novels in reverse chronological order. I wonder if reading them in order would have changed my perceptions.)

The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin

Rating:

This was a really timely read for me. Yes, it’s “stunt fiction.” Gretchen Rubin decided that she would take a year and focus on happiness. For each month of the year, she selected an area of her life and set happiness goals. She tracked her progress a la Benjamin Franklin. And then, afterwards, she turned it into a book, complete with lots of excellent quotations and research about happiness. This book has influenced my thinking and has helped me with the general concept that we have to work on being happy. And, remember, “the days are long, but the years are short.” You too, can start your own happiness project.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley

Rating:

Ah. The narrator here is the key. Flavia de Luce is a young girl. Amateur chemist, precocious, smart, and a delight to be with. She goes about solving a rather charming and proper British mystery that cropped up in her backyard. Read it for Flavia, even if you don’t love mysteries. My book club agrees. And Flavia is so famous, she even has her own website.

NurtureShock, by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman

Rating:

An excellent collection of essays about what the research actually says about raising children. I was surprised that a lot of things that are considered common knowledge are not necessarily backed up by the research or the science. The essays are fascinating and well-written. I would recommend this to every parent.

Have you read any of these books? Which was your favorite?

THE TINY BOOK OF TINY STORIES: VOLUME 1

By hitRECord and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

This little book is the result of a huge collaboration. Joseph Gordon-Levitt started hitRECord, which is an “open-collaborative production company.” Essentially, artists of all kinds are encouraged to join the community and submit their work. And then, the artists are encouraged to “remix” the work of others and create new art together. In this way, a community of artists collaborates via the internet. Magic. (And don’t worry; when any of the products make money, hitRECord splits the profits 50/50 with the artists.)

The tiny stories project is just one of the products of this unique community. The theme of the project is a modified quote: “The universe is not made of atoms; it is made of [tiny] stories.” Though tiny, these stories were a delight to delve into on a winter’s afternoon. Here is one of my favorite stories:

And here’s the text of another of my favorites:

His hands were weak and shaking from carrying far too many books from the bookshop. It was the best feeling. (68)

There is something about this tiny book that makes me want to write tiny stories. Or at least to watch for them as I go about my day. And perhaps to share those tiny stories with others. An inspiring tiny book it is. I think you’ll like it.

MENTAL_FLOSS: THE BOOK

Edited by Ethan Trex, Will Pearson, and Mangesh Hattikudur

I think there is something about human nature that loves lists of things. And I am no different. While the internet is a vast source of information, there is just something about a book of trivia. Something you can flip through at random to find interesting tidbits you never would have thought to Google. And Mental_Floss: The Book is one of those books.

There are 140 lists presented, themselves grouped into lists of tens: 10 Lists to Lighten the Mood at the E.R., 10 Pop Culture Lists to Breakk Out on the Red Carpet, 10 Lists for People Who Can’t Write Good, etc. There is something for everyone here, book lovers included:

Six Works of Literature That Were Really Hard to Write
What 10 Fictional Characters Were Almost Called
What Eight Classic Books Were Almost Called
Six Words Invented by Authors
The Little-Known Stories of Five Famous Authors
Nine Things Mark Twain Didn’t Say (And Nine He Did)

From these lists I learned that Scarlett O’Hara was named Pansy until just before Gone with the Wind went to print, that To Kill A Mockingbird was originally titled Atticus, and that J.R.R. Tolkien coined the term “tween.” My favorite list though, by far, is the one entitled “Seven Reasons Mr. Rogers Was the Best Neighbor Ever.” Did you know that some thieves once stole his car and later returned it with a note that said, “If we’d known it was yours, we never would have taken it”?

Anyway, this is a great little trove of trivia treasures. And check out Mental_Floss for more fascinating facts.

SCARLET

by A.C. Gaughen

Okay, my full review of this one is to come, but I wanted to put a teaser out there. I couldn’t put this one down. Watch for my forthcoming review and the release on February 14th!

Title: How Reading Changed My Life
Author: Anna Quindlen
Pages: 84
Originally Published: 1997
Format I Read: Paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Rating:

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This was my first introduction to Anna Quindlen. I’ve heard her name bounced around for years but hadn’t had a chance to read anything of hers. And then, some blogger, who I cannot now remember, recommended this little book. So, I added it to my Amazon wishlist and got it for Christmas from my little brother.

Quindlen used to be a columnist for The New York Times. And this book kind of reads like a series of little columns. My major complaint is that it felt lacking in structure. I couldn’t easily discern why the chapters were split the way they were or were presented in the order they were. At the end of the book, I also felt like I still didn’t know how reading changed Quindlen’s life. Seriously. Other than the general way that reading has changed every reader’s life. And, then, I felt the writing style was, at times, a little, tinsy bit belabored.

Notwithstanding the annoyances, I did enjoy this little book. It was a fitting book to sit down with at the dawn of this new year. If anything, HRCML is a love letter to all book lovers everywhere. While reading is solitary by nature, Quindlen rejoices that book lovers persist with the reading and tend to seek one another out. She notes a general societal dis-ease with chronic readers:

While we pay lip service to the virtues of reading, the truth is that there is still in our culture something that suspects those who read too much, whatever reading too much means, of being lazy, aimless dreamers, people who need to grow up and come outside to where real life is, who think themselves superior in their separateness.

There is something in the American character that is even secretly hostile to the act of aimless reading, a certain hale and heartiness that is suspicious of reading as anything more than a tool for advancement. (9)

But true readers know that reading is so much more:

All of reading is really only findings ways to name ourselves, and perhaps, to name the others around us so that they will no longer seem like strangers. Crusoe and Friday. Ishmael and Ahab. Daisy and Gatsby. Pip and Estella. Me. Me. Me. I am not alone. I am surrounded by words that tell me who I am, why I feel what I feel. Or maybe they just help me while away the hours as the rain pounds down on the porch roof, taking me away from the gloom and on to somewhere sunny, somewhere else. (21)

In sum, while I didn’t fall wildly in love with this one, I enjoyed it. And I think any book lover will get some pleasure out of meeting a kindred spirit in its pages.

How Reading Changed My Life, by Anna Quindlen

Have you read or reviewed this book too? Feel free to jump in with your thoughts or leave a link to your review in the comments.

*Update* It was Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings! His review made me want to read this book. Thanks, Carl!

Title: The Hip Girls Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining, and Gratifying Pleasures of Self-Sufficiency – on a Budget!
Author: Kate Payne
Pages: 266
Originally Published: 2011
Format I Read: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Design
Rating:

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I’ve been on a bit of a “homemaking” kick lately. I’ve been trying to organize my household, plan meals and shopping trips better, and decorate my home more to my taste. So, I thought this book would be a fun read. And I was right. This is one of my favorite passages:

I’m not an interior designer, nor a home decor specialist. I just like pretty things. I like to surround myself with things that make me happy. That’s it! As our old pal William Morris said, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” If something’s beautiful to you, find a way to make it work.

Doesn’t that William Morris quote make you want to embroider a pillow? And something about Payne’s book and style makes me believe that I can conquer my homemaking goals. And you can too. Here’s how the book is divided:

Part I – Room-by-Room Guide to a Homey House, Homie
Chapter 1 – Kitchen and Dining Rooms
Chapter 2 – Living Areas
Chapter 3 – Bed, Bath, and Between

Lots of good decorating and repurposing tips here. This part make me want to take a trip to a thrift store.

Part II – Impressive Acts of Domesticity
Chapter 4 – Outdoor Spaces
Chapter 5 – Cleaning and DIY Suds
Chapter 6 – Managing Cloth
Chapter 7 – Tapping the Tool Kit

Good stuff abounds here, too – from growing what you can in the space available to you, to thinking through the chemicals you clean with, and from laundry options and strategies, to conquering simple household repairs and projects.

Part III – Life After Restaurants
Chapter 8 – Cooking at Home
Chapter 9 – Preserving Food at Home
Chapter 10 – Entertaining Projects

This part felt the most home-y to me. There’s something about food that creates that atmosphere. These chapters are full of good ideas on how to cook and entertain at home, as well as to preserve and maximize your food resources.

So, I thought this book was well-written and informative, though the “hip girl” talk turned out to be a minor annoyance. And Payne has a lot of good tips. Of course, not every tip will be for every person, but there are plenty here to choose from. I was particularly inspired by the idea of preserving even small quantities of food at home, by the idea of mixing your own cleaners from basic ingredients link vinegar and borax, and by repurposing beautiful items into your decor. But I’m sure each reader will be inspired by different things.

Beware before purchasing that there is a definite ” extreme green” tilt to the writing (Payne has no microwave, uses glass Tuperware, and makes all of her own cleaners). Also, most of the suggestions are geared to large-city, apartment dwelling, though many of them are adaptable to other living situations. Still, as a suburban house dweller, I was a little disappointed at the narrower scope of the book.

Overall, this is a good book that would make an excellent wedding shower gift or a nice present for yourself if you need some ideas to spicy up your domestic life.

The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking, by Kate Payne

Check out Payne’s website: HipGirlsHome.com.

Other Reviews:
She Is Too Fond of Books

Title: Table of Contents
Author: Judy Gelman & Vicki Levy Krupp
Pages: 288
Originally Published: 2011
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Adams Media

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When I host one of my book clubs, I like to try and prepare some food that is related to the book. But the best I usually come up with is something like Three Musketeers bars when we read The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas. Pathetic, I know. Table of Contents comes to the rescue.

Here’s the subtitle: From breakfast with Anita Diamant to dessert with James Patterson – a generous helping of recipes, writings, and insights from today’s bestselling authors. The book is organized by author, alphabetically by last name. And each author’s section provides some little details submitted by that author, in categories like “Inspiration,” “Reader’s Frequently Ask,” and “Reader’s Should Know.” After these interesting tidbits, we get down to the recipes. Usually the author provides some background about where the recipe came from and how it relates to one of their books. I love any nugget of information I can get about my favorite authors, so Table of Contents made me want to read it first, and then use it to cook. Impressive for one little book.

Perhaps its only shortcoming is that it, of course, is limited to particular authors, that your book club may not necessarily read. That said, though, there is a good mix of older (though no classics, obviously) and newer authors, male and females authors, and established and fairly unknown authors. And a number of genres are represented, though literary fiction abounds, as that tends to be what most book clubs read. I’ve read a number of the authors included, like Jamie Ford, Sara Gruen, Anita Diamant, Lisa See, Garth Stein. And I want to read a number of the other authors, like Chris Cleave, Julia Glass, Hillary Jordan, Tom Perrotta, and Abraham Verghese.

In all, Table of Contents is a great resource, both for book clubs and for readers that want to incorporate bookish recipes in the kitchen.

BookClubCookBook.com is also a great resource that Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp keep filled with excellent resources. For example, you can find the recipe for the famous chocolate pie from The Help (minus one particular ingredient) and the recipe for the doughnuts that Olive Kitteridge loves.

Other Reviews:
BermudaOnion’s Weblog
Book Journey
Book, Line & Sinker
Joyfully Retired

GIVEAWAY

I have one new copy of Table of Contents to give away to one lucky reader. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. U.S. and Canadian addresses only please. A winner will be selected on Monday, March 28, 2011.