I have decided I have too many LJs. Thus I’ve combined most into one journal space. On here, you’ll read a little about a lot of sides of me -- kats_tale. I’m a cook, sports fan, reader, bureaucrat & lover of wit. I’ll probably talk about books the most on here, and cooking. So if you like book reviews and recipe reviews, this is the place for you!

I’m also cooking completely through every recipe in Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis, and since I’m nearing completed with that book, I’m also going to start cooking through Giada’s Family Dinners. I make plenty of other recipe, and will write about them here, but I have the below linked posts to specifically track my way through Giada’s books. The Table of Contents Posts to track what recipes I have cooked and what I have yet to cook:
Everyday Italian
Giada's Family Dinners

I have another journal for fandom related stuff, but I’m not going to link to it from here for RL reasons. There may be random allusions to Harry Potter, Star Wars or Star Trek though, because honestly, I’m a bit of a geek.

I have been focused on book blogging lately – and not even doing a good job of keeping up with that – but as a result have completely been silent on my culinary adventures and travels. So let’s start to catch up with three trips to Charleston, SC over the past six months.

The goat moved to Charleston in October, so of course I have visited a few times
since. And since it’s a foodie paradise, we’ve enjoyed a few good meals,
along with some fun historical sites.

In December I visited for his birthday and we had some great food. Some
highlights included:

• EVO,for an amazing pizza – pistachio pesto: pistachio pesto, split creek fromage blanc, ground pistachio, creme fraiche, mozzarella, parmigiano-reggiano
  
• Home Team BBQ, for some awesome BBQ. And as amazing as the BBQ is, I’m over the moon about their spicy mustard sauce. I bought some and marinate everything in it… I haven’t found a single thing it’s not delicious on!
  
• Hanks Seafood, for some local seafood including some great oysters.
  
• Caviar & Bananas, to check out their selections.
  
• The Sparrow in North Charleston, for some drinks and dive-bar goodness.
  
• The Hunley Museum for some very cool history.
  
• Al Di La for some excellent Italian food and wine and fantastic prices. This was our celebration dinner for the goat’s birthday and we both really enjoyed both the food and wine – it was a perfect evening.
  

In February, the whole core visited the goat together and highlights included:

• Cork, for a delicious lunch
  
• Home Team BBQ, for more awesome BBQ.
  
• Noisy Oyster for some buckets of steamed oysters
  
• Folly’s Beach, for some local ocean-front viewing
  
• Jack’s Cosmic Dogs, for a nice hot dog snack - I got the Krypto Kraut: dog with Warm sauerkraut & spicy mustard
  
• Nigel's Good Food, for some delicious soul food
  
• Husk for an outstanding lunch. I got the Grilled Crostinis with TN Cheddar Pimento Cheese, Crispy Country Ham and Scallions and for my main the Cornmeal Dusted Catfish, Heirloom Kale, Smoky Butterbeans and VA Sausage, Pot Likker Broth. The goat got the SC Shrimp and Geechie Boy Grits with Tomato Braised Peppers and Onions, Surry Sausage and tepsicity got the HUSK Cheeseburger with Fried Potato Wedges. Everything was extremely flavorful and well balanced.
  

I just got back from yet another trip and some highlights from this time include:

• Vickerys for some simple fare with a great view.
  
• Fort Sumpter for some history and a bonus boat ride.
  
• Magnolias, for an amazing dinner of southern classics. I started
  with the Housemade Pimiento Cheese with Charleston flatbread and for my main I got the Sweet Tea Glazed Duck Breast with skillet grit cake & okra, boiled peanut & sweet corn salad, which was probably one of the best duck dishes I’ve ever had – it was very impressive. The goat got the Blue Crab Bisque followed by the Shellfish over Grits sautéed shrimp, sea scallops, & lobster, creamy white grits, lobster butter sauce, fried spinach. It was a completely different flavor profile from my dish, but also extremely enjoyable. Our waiter convinced us to do dessert too Southern Pecan Pie with bourbon caramel sauce, vanilla bean ice cream - it was darn delicious, but made us a bit too full!
  
• Social, for a few after dinner drinks in a fun location.
  
• EVO,to try another great pizza - chorizo
  & corn: local herb pesto,skillet corn, chorizo, red peppers, red onion, mozzarella, & parmigiano-reggiano.
  

Looking forward to future trips!!

2013 Book 48:

Veronica Roth. Divergent (Divergent #1). New York: Katherine Tegen Books. 2012. 487 pages.

Reason for Reading: On seemingly everyone’s must read list, plus I have to read the book before watching the movie.

My thoughts: 4/5 stars

I had seen this listed as everyone’s next Hunger Games and like that series, I just wasn’t attracted to Divergent’s story and ignored all the hype. That is, until I saw it on the book sale at the library for $1 and decided it was worth that much of an investment to read someday. I decided to pull it out and take it for my recent work trip to Chicago, as it takes place in a dystopian future Chicago and I thought it would be appropriate to read on my trip.

It was! I enjoyed especially reading it IN Chicago, literally across the street from a couple of the landmarks that made it into the book. It was an enjoyable, fun read. I’m not sure what I think of it on a deeper level, but at some point I’m just enjoying reading a few books that I don’t need to analyze every second of – I can just enjoy the story for what it was. I think if I started commenting on the politics or the social landscape of this future world, I would contradict my own enjoyment of the story. So I’m not going to do that. For once, I’m not going to try to not overthink this. It was enjoyable.

I’m not sure what I’ll think of the subsequent books in the series, because for me this book was all about self-discovery for Tris, and her discovery of Four (who is awesome!). I’m not sure either character is one I’d like in a prolonged setting, as they both have some pretty annoying traits, but for this book, they were each quite likable.

Of course, like an idiot, when I finished this on the plane I promptly forgot about it in the seat pocket and left it there. So I hope whoever sat there after me enjoyed the book – it wasn’t one I was intending on giving away, but at least I can be glad it wasn’t one that cost me a lot to begin with.

Source/mode: mine, own, hardcover, gave away (lost)

2013 Book 40:

William G. Bowen. Higher Education in the Digital Age.. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 2013. 200 pages.

Reason for Reading: Topic is an interest for work; new book with great reviews.

My thoughts: 4/5 stars

If this hadn’t been a topic I needed to be very current on for work, I probably wouldn’t have read this just as soon as it was published, but I think I would have gotten around to it sooner or later. It’s a very well balanced, brief introduction to some of the debate about MOOCs and other similar digital innovations and what impact they have on education, specifically higher education.

The book (which is based on lectures and discussants in 2012 at Stanford) was filled with very impactful discussions into how education can be used to reduce the cost of education, but without negatively affecting student learning. Bowen (and the other collaborators) do not shy away from the hard – and sometimes unknown – aspects of these issues, but still makes an argument for how these technologies can be effectively used not only to enhance classroom teaching, but to teach wider, broader and deeper. I enjoyed his thoughtful approach both of recognizing how these technologies could transform traditional higher education, in what way they can, and where the limits may be found.

If you’re interested in the concepts of digital learning tools, this is a quick must-read.

Source/mode: mine, own, hardcover

2013 Book 47:

Jennifer E. Smith. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.. New York: Little Brown. 2012. 236 pages.

Reason for Reading: Highly recommended from last year’s best of lists; was on Kindle Daily Deal for super cheap.

My thoughts: 5/5 stars

I upgraded this to five stars from four after I ruminated on it for a while. Without knowing the storyline, I picked this up to read on a flight for work. What a lighthearted fun plane ride – about a plane ride! It was exactly what I was looking for when travelling.

Without spoiling too much, I’ll say that I was surprised by the protagonist’s about marriage and love and life, but very pleased with it. The whole story was enjoyable and I loved the characters – all the characters (which is rare for me). It was just romantic in the nice fluffy teenage way.


Source/mode: mine, own, kindle

2013 Book 33:

William Kuhn. Mrs. Queen Takes the Train. New York: HarperCollins. 2012. 374 pages.

Reason for Reading: I’m an anglophile and royal lover.

My thoughts: 4/5 stars

Unsurprisingly I LOVED this book. It was just the type of escape from reality I like.

What would happen if the Queen got a bit depressed and wandered outside of the palace grounds alone? She’d hop a train to visit Britannia of course!! And she’d have adventures and encounters along the way. I love the inner voice that Kuhn gives the Queen it makes the book both fantastical and real at the same time.

I think there was one too many side-stories, but that’s hard not to do in this type of story. It was a delightful read, if missing a William and Kate cameo. If you delight in everything royal or British, you want to pick this one up!

Source/mode: library, borrowed, hardcover

2013 Book 30:

Sarah Ockler. Bittersweet. New York: Simon Pulse. 2012. 378 pages.

Reason for Reading: Like the author.

My thoughts: 3/5 stars

I should LOVE this book. It’s set in Buffalo; it has a lot of hockey in it. Buffalo Sabres references abound! This is right up my alley!

And I did like it a lot. I’m not sure why I didn’t completely connect to it the way I did Twenty Boy Summer, but I didn’t. Perhaps because it was mostly about the emotions of a kid going through their parents’ divorce and I’ve never experienced it? For whatever reason, I didn’t connect to this one as much as I did Twenty Boy Summer, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it every bit as much!

It’s got a great message about following your dreams, and also how dreams can change over time and that’s ok too. And it’s got a fittingly good YA romance element, because that always makes everything better!

Source/mode: library, borrowed, hardcover

Is it still Tuesday? Because I totally have to do this one!!




This is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where each week bloggers share a list of books for the prompt given.

This Week's Topic: Top Ten Characters I Would Crush On If I Were Also A Fictional Character

1. Charlie Weasley from Harry Potter: Hello hottie. Do I need a reason? Dragons. Tattoos. Red Hair. Muscles.
   
2. Po from Graceling by Kristin Cashore: sundarkened skin with one silver eye and one gold eye…. Need I say more? Oh ok, if I must… a pair of gold hoop earrings and ten rings on his fingers. Perceptive.
   
3. Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter: The ultimate Bad Boy. He’s legal now, right?
   
4. Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: English accent; irresistible; Football fan; romantic; all around awesome.
   
5. Eli from Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen: He’s misunderstood and emo and awesome and passionate and… yeah.
   
6. Josh from Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler: He’s a hockey player from Buffalo who is hardworking, and sweet. I mean… I’m pretty sure he’s written just for me.
   
7. Poe from Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund: It’s perhaps a guilty pleasure that I even read these books, but I really like her male characters better than her female protagonist even and Poe is the best of them all…
   
8. Matt Cruse from Airborn by Kenneth Oppel: He’s earnest and smart and a hard worker and charismatic.
   
9. Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice: Yeah, well, I’m female.
   
10. Benedick, from Much Ado About Nothing: Smartasses… I may like them.
    
    Oh S*! Snape! And Eric! There are too many!

2013 Book 29:

Sarah Ockler. Twenty Boy Summer. New York: Little, Brown Books. 2009. 290 pages.

Reason for Reading: Highly recommended around the interwebs

My thoughts: 5/5 stars

I had no expectations going into this book. I had read good reviews of the author, but nothing stuck out in my mind. I saw this available on the library shelf when perusing nearby for a book that wasn’t in stock and decided to give it a try.

Wow! What a great surprise! This hit with an emotional punch that I wasn’t really ready for, but it was good. It was enough different from any of my recent RL situations that I just made me pensive about life in general, not crying uncontrollably while reading. It was realistic in the emotional level and way moving on after death was portrayed in the book, and that made me appreciate the characterization and storyline even more.

It’s about a teenage girl (Anna) who loses one of her best friends, a guy (Matt) who was just starting to become something more than a friend, and how she learns to move on. Of course it’s complicated by the other of her best friends being said guy’s sister (Frankie), who did not know that there was anything more than platonic friendship going on between the two.

There are realistic ups and downs, understandings and misunderstandings. There was grief. There was joy. There was guilt. But at the end, you get a girl who has learned how to live life, not forgetting him, not erasing his memory, but knowing she needs to also move forward, not just with one part of her life, but with her whole self.

If I have to have a criticism, it’s well – Anna has her crush since she was 10 fall in love with her, and then the next guy she likes too. And neither are just passing fancies… they really both love her. A bit unrealistic for most of us anyway. But I had to really sit back and try to come up with a criticism for that one.

The way that this story was told – the tone, pacing, characterization – was what made this book superb for me. I loved the small details (the sea glass, taste of icing descriptions, etc) and the big details (unexpected emotions). I love everything about it. I have no doubt that at the end of the year I’ll be bolding this title as one of my favorite books I read this year.

Source/mode: paperback, borrowed, library

2013 Book 28:

Lora Leigh. Wild Card (Elite Ops #1). New York: St. Martin's. 2008. 298pgs.

Reason for Reading: RL friend’s recommendation of the author (not specifying which book).

My thoughts: .5/5 stars

This will be a brief review, mostly to warn off anyone who I can influence on reading this book. I don’t know if I picked a bad Lora Leigh book, or if I really won’t like any of her books. But this was like a bad combination of Twilight and 50 Shades (or what I think 50 Shades is like… since I didn’t read it).

If you like your women to change who they are for their guy, like a guy who lies to them repeatedly and in a mean manner, and love when a guy treats them like an object -- then this is the book for you. If, like me, you like a bit more backbone and reality in your characters, even in the rare romance novel I read, then stay away.

Source/mode: gave away, paperback