This book has come up a lot in coversation lately, mostly in relation to stories that schools are replacing their textbooks with iPads or Kindles. It’s a favorite of mine so I figured it was time to revisit it.

Like most my age, I first read Farenheit 451 in English class when it was assigned to me. I don’t know if it was love at first sight, but this is a smartly-written tale about a future where firemen start fires to burn books.

I love the character of Guy Montag; he’s a strong man who is called to question his motives and actions, and he does just that; he doesn’t ignore the scary stuff, he faces it head on.

These are the kinds of tales I like: no matter the genre, be it highbrow literature or lowbrow pulp romance, if the characters learn and grow, the story is a keeper for me.

If you’ve not read it before, I urge you to pick it up. If you’ve read it before, dip into it again. You can find it here. Hmm, I don’t see a digital version available …

Our travel-themed wedding features items from the destinations we love.

The next time I post on Bookend Babes, I’ll be posting as a newlywed. Our wedding is quickly approaching, and I can hardly wait for the actual day to arrive.

Because my fiancé and I share a love of the journey, we’ve planned our big day around a travel theme. It’s been such an adventure to find the little details that will make our wedding unique to us. So here are a few things that we’ve got planned – you’ll get a sneak peak.

1. A “suitcake” – Our cake will be shaped to form 2 suitcases, one on top of the other – a masculine-looking suitcase on the bottom, and the more feminine-looking one on the top. Two passports will serve as our cake toppers. It’s one of the few things that I won’t get to see until the actual event. I’m both nervous and excited about how it will look.

2. The flowers – We’ve sprinkled lots of details into our day that represent a destination we’ve visited together. The flowers are tulips, a sweet memory of our trip to Holland last spring to see the tulip fields in full bloom. There are also tulips submerged in vases for the centerpieces for each table, topped with a glass globe.

3. Symbols – We’ll have a pomegranate to break for good luck – a Greek tradition. My fiancé will carry a piece of iron for good luck – an Italian tradition. And we have a very special piece of décor – a cake topper bought in Las Vegas, complete with a bride and groom standing in front of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign.

4. Ceremony – We’re going to perform the Arras, a coin ceremony practiced in Barbados and Mexico, into our ceremony.

We’ve also included several other travel references into the ceremony, but in the spirit of this being a bookish-sort of blog, I’ll share with you part of the John Steinbeck quote we’re including, where he compares the journey to a marriage.

“We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip. A trip takes us.”

While I’m on a roll about mothers. My last post being about mothers in law. I thought I’d recommend the wonderful book given to me by PublishingWorks. Now I’m not a mom but I do deal with 15-17 teens on a regular basis with my restaurant. And if that isn’t the world’s best birth control, I don’t know what is. I’ve currently averaged 13-17 teens a year for 15 years. God help me.

The book I’m writing about today deals more with the toddler variety of mothering. MOTHER DAZE  by Christine Carr, is not a book on perfect parenting, but a book on the reality of being a mom.

I imagine this is like having a girls night out for moms. Nothing better than sitting in a group, drinking wine (or even better, margaritas), and sharing, laughing, and nearly choking while trying to swallow and crack up simultaniously. Children are a gift, and sometimes a gift horse, and Christine’s book captures the moments.

With chapter titles such as “The Mental F-Bomb” and “Life is Like P.E. Class” you know you’ll want to read this book over and over. I had actually planned to read it over a couple of weeks, but ended up reading in one sitting. When I got to the end I thought, I could read more.

Parenting is hard work, and I appreciate Christine’s take on the job/career. Check out the book and the author at http://tinyurl.com/25msoz3 or on Amazon.com  

I’m giving away a copy of this humorous book. Just comment before September 10, 2010 to be entered to win the book.

Recently I went on a weekend away and I was in desperate need of a new book. I had recently finished the book I was currently loving and was not yet ready to tap into my “read me” pile, and that Kindle I was hoping would have arrived has been replaced by the new version that won’t be delivered for 2 more weeks.

Without the luxury of the multi-thousand-title-capable Kindle (with the free 3G wifi; squee!), I had to be judicious on the book I would take along with the limited space and weight requirements of my baggage. If I have to pack paper for reading on trips, it’s a particular type of book I prefer to bring along … nothing too epic or overwhelming, yet not too slim that I finish it on my first layover. Magazines are nice but not what would satisfy my free time reading needs that were promised on this journey.

So it was off to the bookstore with the family to peruse the titles, to see what caught my eye. And what caught my eye was Little Bee, by Chris Cleave. The striking cover pulled me in but the synopsis on the back is what kept this book in my hands:

We don’t want to tell you what happens in this book. It is truly a special story and we don’t want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this:

This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again–the story starts there …

It’s not the first time I’ve judged a book by it’s cover and been pleased with the results. Little Bee is at times a difficult read and it deals with heavy issues. But the unique voices of the characters bring their story to life, imbue it with humanity and make you forget that the writer is not a woman.

And that’s all I can say. I’m on page 172 of 266 and am torn between reading quickly to trace the character’s journey or to read it slowly and savor each word. I’m thrilled that this version has the book club questions and information in the back that will help me to continue in the world of Little Bee even after I turn the final page of her story. But you can be assured that I’ll follow the advice from the back cover of my book, which goes on to say:

Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don’t tell them what happens. The magic is in how the story unfolds.

Find your own copy here.

This is not my Mother in Law, as she is dead. But this was an ad on Craig’s list, and I thought it was funny so I’m sharing it.

Used Mother in Law for Sale

Large grey model from the 60’s.
Does not work well with women or anyone except her granddaughter for that matter.
Is not socially appropriate and will be rude in any given situation.
Unit is “fully self-aware” but unfortunately the “awareness of others” feature is broken.
Not an effective communicator or companion as the model was manufactured in a poor environment in a Minnesota hick town.
Defects include but are not limited to: drunken stories told on repeat mode, incessant talk about the above mentioned granddaughter, hurtful and pointed comments, manipulation and pouting, as apparently this model was not upgraded from the infant model.
May be used effectively as a paper weight or door stop. BUT use CAUTION in the door jam as this model may use you for a door mat.
Price reduced do to age, but unit retains much of it’s original value as the brain portion is virtually unused!
Any takers?

Happy Monday.

Jamie

I have been a fan of Rick Bayless’ for quite some time now. I have purchased his books, cooked his recipes, watched his shows, and cheered for him as he competed on both Iron Chef America & Top Chef Masters, So of course it is just natural for me to want to review his newest book Fiesta at Rick’s.

This book is just that, a fiesta. Rick does a wonderful job breaking down all the elements of a great party and how to prepare for it. He starts off with a guacamole bar & a selection of cocktails that include traditional drinks such as the Mojito, as well as a few signature drinks from his restaurants. He runs through a whole gamut of ceviches and entrees of pork, chicken and beef. He also includes instruction on how to build your own fire pit.

But most who know me well, know that what will get my attention and keep it would be the desserts. Let me tell you that they definitely got my attention. I expect to find flan and tres leches cake in a  book dedicated to Mexican Cuisine, but I didn’t expect to find Ice Cream.

I have made a few Ice Creams in my day, and I can honestly say that when I think of making Ice Cream, the last person that would come to my mind while searching for Ice Cream recipes is Rick Bayless. I also don’t think of Chile as a an ingredient that I would normally use for Ice Cream. And yet as I peruse Fiesta at Rick’s, looking for something to cook,  eat, and share, I find a lovely selection of Ice Creams. The Chile in this recipe actually lends more of a fruity flavor to this dish than anything. It is a delicious summer dessert and I hope you give it a try.

Dark Chocolate-Chile Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 Large Pasillo chile (Dried Ancho Chiles. You can find them by the produce section or in the Mexican Section of your grocery store). Stemmed and seeded

1 1/3 cups half and half

4 oz. bittersweet (preferably 70%) chocolate, chopped int small pieces

1/2 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (preferably Mexican)

2 Tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee liqueur.

Directions:

Make the chile infusion In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the chile, pressing it down with a metal spatula for about 10 seconds on each side. Place the chile in a small sauce pan, add the half & half and heat over medium until just steaming but not boiling. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes, then pour through  strainer  into  back into pan.

Set up a double boiler Set up a 4 qt saucepan with 1 inch of water and choose a 3 quart stainless steel bowl that will fit on top with out touching the water. Bring to a boil while you are preparing the custard base.

Cook the base Reheat the half and half mixture until it just begins to steam. Spread the chocolate into a thin layer on the bottom of a bowl. Pour the warmed chilie infused mixture over the chocolate and stir until it begins to melt . In the stainless steel bowl whisk together the sugar and  egg yolks until combined, then whisk in the chocolate mixture. Reduce the temp to maintain a gentle simmer. Set the bowl with the custard base over the water, and whisk frequently scraping the sides of the bowl regularly with a spatula, until the mixture thickens noticeably (about 5 min). The custard is sufficiently cooked when it reaches a temp of 180 degrees. You can also test it on the back of a wooden spoon by dipping into the custard and drawing your finger through it, if the line holds the custard is sufficiently thickened. For the finest texture, pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a similar sized stainless steel bowl.

Cool the base Fill a large bowl with ice. Nestle the custard in the ice and whisk regularly until completely cool. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Finish the base, freeze the Ice Cream Stir the heavy cream, vanilla and Kahlua into the base. Freeze in an Ice Cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Scrape into a freezer container and freeze for several hours to firm.

I chose to sprinkle with a few cocoa nibs in a bowl with a cone on the side, but feel free to garnish and serve with your favorite toppings.