:: Privatjokr ::

Far, far away, jutting out into the emptiness beyond, lies the Edge. Both the land and the air are filled with strange peoples and terrifying creatures; action -- and danger -- await at every turn. On board the famous sky ship Stormchaser, Twig eagerly looks forward to the adventure and excitement that lie ahead in his new life as a sky pirate. The crew's quest: to collect stormphrax -- the precious substance created at the heart of a Storm the very moment it unleashes its most intense power. Only a sky ship as powerful as the Stormchaser, piloted by a man as brave and fearless as Cloud Wolf, could risk entering such a storm...

You probably do not need to read Beyond the Deepwoods first, but I would recommend it. The story doesn't skip a beat as it transitions from book 1 to book 2, but any references to the earlier story are well explained. Stormchaser featured the same beautiful drawings by Chris Riddell and was equally as easy to read. I enjoyed book 2 a little more because it seemed that it was written for a slightly older audience, but I still feel that The Edge Chronicles is written for readers younger than "Harry Potter" age.

I really enjoyed the look into the history and culture of Sanctaphrax and its population of academics. That was probably my favorite part of Stormchaser.

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"He's the medieval fool, the joker in a pack of cards, the jester. He symbolizes destiny, chance, the end of everything, the expected or unexpected conclusion. Look at the dice. In the Middle Ages, jokers were privileged beings. They were permitted to do things forbidden to others. Their purpose was to remind their masters that they were mortal, that their end was as inevitable as other men's. "Here he's stating the opposite," objected Corso. "Fate is not the same for all." "Of course. He who rebels, exercises his freedom, and takes the risk can earn a different fate. That's what this book is about, hence the joker, paradigm of freedom. The only truly free man, and also the most wise. In occult philosophy the joker is identified with the mercury of the alchemists. Emissary of the gods, he guides souls through the kingdom of shadows..."

Thunderstruck by Erik Larson

In Thunderstruck, Erik Larson tells the interwoven stories of two men -- Hawley Crippen, a very unlikely murderer, and Guglielmo Marconi, the obsessive creator of a seemingly supernatural means of communication -- whose lives intersect during one of greatest criminal chases of all time.

Set in Edwardian London and on the stormy coasts of Cornwall, Cape Cod, and Nova Scotia, Thunderstruck evokes the dynamism of those years when great shipping companies competed to build the biggest, fastest ocean liners, scientific advances dazzled the public with visions of a world transformed, and the rich out-did one another with ostentatious displays of wealth. Against this background, Marconi races against incredible odds and relentless skepticism to perfect his invention: the wireless, a prime catalyst for emergence of the world we know today. Meanwhile, Crippen, "the kindest of men," nearly commits the perfect crime.

With his superb narrative skills, Erik Larson guides these parallel narratives toward a relentlessly suspenseful meeting on the waters of the North Atlantic. Along the way, he tells of a sad and tragic love affair that was described on the front pages of newspapers around the world, a chief inspector who found himself strangely sympathetic to the killer and his lover, and a driven and compelling inventor who transformed the way we communicate. Thunderstruck presents a vibrant portrait of an era of séances, science, and fog, inhabited by inventors, magicians, and Scotland Yard detectives, all presided over by the amiable and fun-loving Edward VII as the world slid inevitably toward the first great war of the twentieth century. Gripping from the first page, and rich with fascinating detail about the time, the people, and the new inventions that connect and divide us, Thunderstruck is splendid narrative history from a master of the form.

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Stardust

"Scheming princes, wicked witches, flying pirates, celestial love, a pure-hearted hero, all in a magical land. What more do you want?" raves Today's Gene Shalit for Stardust, an epic adventure starring Claire Danes with Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro.

In hopes of wooing a beautiful girl (Sienna Miller), Tristan (Charlie Cox) promises to bring her a falling star. But he's in for the adventure of his life when he discovers the star is actually a celestial beauty named Yvaine (Danes).

When an old witch Lamia (Pfeiffer) attempts to steal Yvaine's youth, Tristan must protect her at all costs. This magical fairytale like no other will make you laugh out loud and believe in love again.

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Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy start in Wild Hogs, the hysterically funny comedy about four weekend-warrior friends who decide to rev up their ho-hum suburban lives with a cross-country motorcycle adventure. They don their leathers, fire up their hogs and throw caution and their cell phones to the wind as they hit the open highway. But a lot can happen on the road to nowhere, including a run-in with the bad-to-the-bone Del Fuegos, a real biker gang who don't take kindly to the wannabes. Filled with hilarious misadventures, screwball situations and madcap mayhem, this laugh-out-loud comedy is a movie your whole family will go hog wild over.

Wild Hogs is about four middle-aged men who live in Ohio. During the week each does his nine-to-five thing, but every weekend they armor up in denim and leather, cruise around town on their motorcycles and then have a few beers. When mid-life crisis tickled one man's nose, it was not long before it spread through the group and a motorcycle road trip ensued. What better way for them to regain the spontanaety and autonomy of their glory days? I'm not sure this plot really needed conflict, but on their way west they came across a more traditional biker gang, who did not take kindly to these four midwestern suburbanites considering themselves peers.

When the movie was first advertised I could not believe the cast (John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy). I had no issues with getting such an ensemble together, I was more taken back by the fact that these men (primarily Travolta) would make a movie like this. The more I thought about it, and certainly now that I have seen the movie, I believe that this was more about making a fun movie and working together than it was about setting box office records. I would have loved to be a fly on the camera while these men worked together; I hope it was as much fun for them as I imagine it to have been.

I gave Wild Hogs "the old college try" since I had heard some surprisingly encouraging remarks. I talked to a few people who were very pleased with the movie. I addressed my concerns with them about how cheesy it looked and I was told not to worry. In the end, Wild Hogs was very cheesy. But it was fun enough for what it was. If you can relate with the characters I am sure there is more substance to the movie than I was able to enjoy.

Have you ever been told that, "You will love Office Space even more if you have ever worked in an office setting?" Well, you will appreciate Wild Hogs much more if your own mid-life crisis is knocking, or has knocked at your door. Since (thankfully) mine has not, once the "conflict" settled into the story my interest waned.

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Chazz: I hope you’ve brought your silver polish, MacElroy, 'cause that was gold. Jimmy: That was disgusting. Chazz: THAT, young man, is how babies are made.

Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) is a stubborn girl who wants to be included in the adventures of her uncle, the Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig). For one particularly important mission Lord Asriel heads to "The North," and again Lyra is left behind. Her savior comes in the form of a woman, the Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman), who says she is about to travel to the North and could use an assistant. For safety on her voyage with Mrs. Coulter, Lyra is given a strange instrument and told to keep it a secret. The instrument is an Alethiometer and if you can read it, it always shows you the truth. With the help of the Alethiometer and some new friends she meets along the way, Lyra must find and save kidnapped children and then find her uncle.

The movie is based on the world created by Philip Pullman in the His Dark Materials series, a three-book set with The Golden Compass being the first. While I have not read the books, I will assume that much of the movie was as it was in the books. For example, I will credit Pullman with the dæmons -- in this parallel world a person's soul travels alongside the body, in animal form, rather than inside it. This was a wildly imaginative element to the story and one of those "Why didn't I come up with that?" ideas.

I really like Daniel Craig, but he is not in the movie very long. You get the impression that he might get more on-screen time later in the story, but Lyra is our star. As Lyra, Dakota Blue Richards was everything she needed to be, when she need to be. She was stubborn, sassy, strong, and lots of other things that don't start with the letter S.

I don't like Nicole Kidman. In almost every role she is sneaky, rude, cold and nasty. And that is exactly how she was in The Golden Compass, and I loved it. Mrs. Coulter is each and every one of those things.

The animation for the movie was very well done. There were many parts of the movie where the animators could have made it look less animated, but they didn't. I think it added to the fantasy element of the story to keep it this way.

The story moves pretty quickly. There is a lot of information packed into just one movie. Normally I would gripe about the lack of depth given to certain parts of the plot, but I am making an exception for The Golden Compass under the assumption that things will be explained in the next two installments of the series.

It was PG-13 and the only reason I could see was for animated violence. Many people died, but there was little or no blood.

You can call this a children's movie if you want, but I think it is time we re-evaluated that category. You will like this movie if you like fun fantasy/adventure stories. I loved it.

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In a novel that is at once intense, beautiful, and fablelike, Lloyd Jones weaves a transcendent story that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the power of narrative to transform our lives. On a copper-rich tropical island shattered by war, where the teachers have fled with almost everyone else, only one white man choose to stay behind: the eccentric Mr. Watts, object of much curiosity and scorn, who sweeps out the ruined school-house and begins to read to the children each day from Charles Dickens's classic Great Expectations. So begins this rare, original story about the abiding strength that imagination, once ignited, can provide. While artillery echoes in the mountains, thirteen-year-old Matilda and her peers are riveted by the adventures of a young orphan named Pip in a city called London, a city whose contours soon become more real than their own blighted landscape. As Mr. Watts says, "A person entranced by a book simply forgets to breathe." Soon come the rest of the villagers, initially threatened, finally inspired to share tales of their own that bring alive the rich mythology of their past. But in a ravaged place where even children are forced to live by their wits and daily survival is the only objective, imagination can be a dangerous thing.

On an island caught in the middle of a conflict it cannot escape, Mr. Watts was a diamond in the rough. This strange white man was a mystery to everyone until their fates had been sealed. With tension rising between the opposing sides of the war many people were able to flee the island. When the last boat was gone, no one was left to teach the children. No one except for the unknown Mr. Watts.

Mr. Watts ran an unconventional school. He had no personal knowledge to pass on to the children, but understood that they needed to learn. One technique he employed was almost "show and tell" meets "career day." One of the villagers came to class and shared anything they could with the kids. This may have been the best places to fish, a recipe, or a piece of the island's history. (As a sidenote, these visits to the schoolhouse were my favorite aspect of the book.) The only other way we saw Mr. Watts engage the children was by reading them a chapter per day from Charles Dickens's Great Expectations.

The story was recounted by a girl who was, at the time, a 13 year old living on the island. She lived with, and tested the patience of, her mother. Her father had left the island years before in search of work. Through Mr. Watts she developed a profound relationship with Charles Dickens, and more specifically Pip, the young protagonist in Great Expectations. And through Charles Dickens she developed a special relationship with Mr. Watts. Thanks to her we saw not only life in school, but how the village was directly affected by the fighting. When homes were burned and people were killed we saw how dire the situation was for the people stranded on the island.

This 13-year-old girl was still a child and should have been able to be one. She, like the other children, did not have that option. Her father was gone and she was always fighting with her mother. She had to witness things that no one, let alone a 13 year old, should ever have to see. Great Expecations became a fairy tale to her; a world into which she could escape. And Pip was her guide. From daily peaks into his story, Pip became as real to her as anyone else on the island, maybe even more so. And just as easily as any villager could have, Pip became the cause of a great misunderstanding with a group of men with guns who do not like misunderstandings.

Lloyd Jones gave us a beautiful story full of hope, disappointment and a very unlikely school teacher. He wrote with a balance of poetic imagination and narrative story telling that made me love this book.

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1. Braveheart

2. Finding Neverland

3. Wonderland

4. Capote

5. Schindler's List

(Honorable Mention: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Walk The Line)

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Joel Edgerton stars as Charlie Price in this uncommon movie about a fourth-generation shoe maker who inherits a failing business. Charlie wanted nothing to do with shoe making until his father's death fills him with a new sense of duty. His girlfriend thinks he is crazy for being loyal to his father's business when his father wasn't loyal enough in the first place to tell him that the business stopped being profitable. There was no longer a market for such fine craftsmanship, demand had changed. How far will Charlie go to save the family business? And would his ancestors be proud to see what might come of their shoe factory?

The cast was filled with subtle actors who played subtle characters. The drab "backdrop" wasn't necessary to enable Chiwetel Ejiofor to stand out, but it did serve that purpose. Ejiofor, to use as much irony as I can muster, plays the "knight in shining armor" who just might be able to help Charlie save his factory. He plays Lola, the lavish drag queen who croons for packed houses of adoring fans at night and now saves shoe factories during the day. Ejiofor delivers one of the must surprising and entertaining performances, which included singing in many scenes.

Kinky Boots is not edge-of-your-seat excitement, nor is it an action-packed thriller. It has its flaws, but it is a charming movie that is worth seeing and I really enjoyed it.

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1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
Butter, for pan
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.

(This is a Paula Dean recipe.)

This was a crowd-pleasing breakfast. It was delicious and I am so glad we made it earlier this week. The only things that we did differently from the recipe were to leave off the pecans and use a bigger dish. I was the only one who wanted pecans on it, so I lost this time. But I am definitely curious to try it with the pecans. And I accidentally used my 10x14 dish instead of 9x13 which I am sure changed the dish, but only slightly. There was more than enough to go around, and we would have had leftovers if we hadn't picked at it up until lunch time. It is even good cold.

This is something I will definitely make again.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world, and this anniversary edition, with a new introduction from the author, will only increase that following. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepard boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasures found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

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Talk To Me

Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle portrays the one and only Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. in this funny, feel-good and inspiring true story. Ex-convict Greene talks his way into an on-air radio gig with program director Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and his unprecedented "tell it like it is" style breaks all the rules while electrifying a city and bringing a nation together when it needs it the most. Also starring Cedric The Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson, Mike Epps and Martin Sheen, Talk To Me tells the extraordinary story of an outrageous and beloved voice ready to shake up the world in the movie critics are hailing as "fresh and revelatory" (Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times).

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Dalton Russell: My name is Dalton Russell. Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself. I've told you my name: that's the Who. The Where could most readily be described as a prison cell. But there's a vast difference between being stuck in a tiny cell and being in prison. The What is easy: recently I planned and set in motion events to execute the perfect bank robbery. That's also the When. As for the Why: beyond the obvious financial motivation, it's exceedingly simple... because I can. Which leaves us only with the How; and therein, as the Bard would tell us, lies the rub.

At 16 Juno MacGuff is into 70s Punk Rock and Slasher films; she lives with her Dad, Stepmom and half-sister; she is a junior in high school; oh, and she's pregnant. Juno tells the story of the girl by the same name as she faces the choice of how to handle her situation. She is not married to, or even dating the baby's father. She is, as already mentioned, only 16 years old. She makes an interesting decision and the movie goes from there.

Rarely will I address the soundtrack or the casting of a movie. I normally tune out the music (sorry for the pun) and will address only individual casting decisions. I have no choice but to talk about both here.

Music is one of the comforting, yet (at times) conflict-inspiring, elements in Juno. With it being so important to characters, it is only appropriate that more attention be given to the soundtrack. The music was not ambient noise; it was used almost as a narrative technique and also to ease transitions between scenes. Music played a key role in the film and was used perfectly throughout.

I cannot remember the last movie I saw where there was not a person out of place. Each person who participated in Juno seemed perfect for his or her role.

Ellen Page (Juno) showed a lot of versatility as the movie's title character. She was always in control of the role, even when it meant playing someone so conflicted. Juno was strong, but vulnerable. She was smart, but ignorant. She was mature, but too young to know any better. Her personality was abrasive, which was not eased with the amount of slang that she piled on to every conversation early in the movie. But that changed. As the movie went on, Juno did what 16-year-old girls do: she grew up.

I had not experienced the "magic" of Michael Cera until Juno. He has received such an incredible amount of praise from his role on "Arrested Development" and his part in Superbad, but I never watched the former and he did not impress me in the latter. But in Juno he was perfect. However, I sure hope I am not the first person to point out the stark similarity in his performances. Beware the typecast Michael, even though it is probably too late.

Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner deserve some praise for selling their parts so well. And while everyone was so good, one person rose above the rest: J.K. Simmons, who played Juno's father. He was a lot of the movie's comedic relief, but that was such a special character for what his relationship meant to Juno. My appreciation wasn't entirely for the part, J.K. seemed to bring something extra to the it. His performance was one of my favorites of the year.

From my -- however limited -- experience, Juno was an original story with a unique perspective on one pregnant teen. The story flirted with "afternoon special," but never went over the edge. Any scene which could have led to sappy cliché was immediately steered clear, usually with humor. While I would not classify Juno as a "comedy," it definitely had some of the most genuinely funny dialogue I have heard. As the credits roll you will find that Juno was a story you would not normally snuggle up to, but preconceived notions be damned! Both touching and funny, Juno was a very good movie.

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Willie Conway: Do you want to go home with me? Andera: No. Willie Conway: I had to ask, because to be honest with you, I don't find you the least bit attractive. Now do you want to go home with me? Andera: No.

From Mel Gibson, director of The Passion of The Christ and the Academy Award-winning Braveheart (Best Director, Best Picture 1995) comes the thrilling historical epic Apocalypto. This intense, nonstop action-adventure transports you to an ancient Central American civilization, for an experience unlike anything you've ever known. In the twilight of the mysterious Mayan culture, young Jaguar Paw is captured and taken to the great Mayan city, where he faces a harrowing end. Driven by the power of his love for his wife and son, he makes an adrenaline-soaked, heart-racing escape to rescue them and ultimately save his way of life. Filled with unrelenting action and stunning cinematography, Apocalypto is an enthralling and unforgettable film experience.

For a story which spans only about 24 hours, I can understand any apprehension about the plot, which seems weak when you think about it. But while the movie played I never felt it lacking.

It is not a movie that you will find overwhelmingly intellectual. Apocalypto is a brutal movie. Most of it is very intense and suspenseful, but it is a movie you should see only if you are ok with some very graphic scenes.

I thought the acting, what little there was, was good. The story was believable (enough), but the writers took some creative shortcuts which were clearly for convenience. I do not think this movie was made for its story, which was simply woven around some powerful scenes. It was these scenes which made Apocalypto a gory thrill ride.

I watched this movie in the middle of the day with a friend. There was no pressure to sit quietly and try to digest its formal elements. We were free to bounce around in our seats and ooooh and ahhhh during some of the more gruesome scenes. It made for a fun movie-watching experience and probably facilitated my enjoyment of Apocalypto.

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Why don't the newscasters cry when they read about people who die. At least they could be decent enough to put just a tear in their eye.

Ok, so there is an enormous piece of granite 30 minutes outside Atlanta that has three men carved into its side. It is for all intents and purposes the "Confederate Mt. Rushmore" because it bears the likeness of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson.

The largest low relief sculpture in the world, the Confederate Memorial Carving, depicts three Confederate heroes of the Civil War, President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. The entire carved surface measures three acres, larger than a football field. The carving of the three men towers 400 feet above the ground, measures 90 by 190 feet, and is recessed 42 feet into the mountain. The deepest point of the carving is at Lee's elbow, which is 12 feet to the mountain's surface.

In 1958 the state of Georgia purchased the mountain and the surrounding land. The Georgia General Assembly created the Stone Mountain Memorial Association. In 1960 the Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial Advisory Committee was composed of six internationally known figures in the world of art. A competition was held, and nine world-renowned sculptors submitted designs for a new sculpture. In 1963, based upon recommendations by the Advisory Committee, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association chose Walker Kirkland Hancock of Gloucester, Massachusetts to complete the carving. Work resumed in 1964, and a new technique utilizing thermo-jet torches was used to carve away the granite. Chief carver Roy Faulkner, a marine veteran with a talent for using the new thermo-jet torch, was able to remove tons of stone in one day. For over eight years Park guests could see and hear the workmen and their jet torches. The figures were completed with the detail of a fine painting. Eyebrows, fingers, buckles and even strands of hair were fine-carved with a small thermo-jet torch. The carving is actually much larger than it appears from Stone Mountain Park's attractions. Workers could easily stand on a horse's ear or inside a horse's mouth to escape a sudden rain shower. A dedication ceremony for the Confederate Memorial Carving was held on May 9, 1970. Finishing touches to the masterpiece were completed in 1972. -wikipedia

We went in late October, which I imagine isn't really peak season for the attraction, but it was still a great time. Stone Mountain Park is much more than the mountain itself, the park has miles of sidewalks for running/walking/biking that meander through the trees, there are private lakes, river boats, a theme-park city built at the base of the mountain, Duck Tours, cable cars that take you to the top of the mountain (if you don't feel like walking to the top), and more.

We paid $8 to park, which is reasonable. Adult tickets with access to each attraction are $25 during peak times, but we paid $15 for the limited selection that was available.

The park is beautiful and we got to see the entire thing courtesy of the Duck Tour. If you have never been on one of these you're missing out. I know they have them in most major cities (that have access to some water). The tour transport is an amphibious vehicle that holds 25-30 people. We drove around and saw the many picnic tables set up for anyone's (who has paid to park) use and then we drove directly into one of the private lakes and cruised around the water for awhile. The tour lasted about 45 minutes and it was (at least in part thanks to Captain Harrold) my favorite part of Stone Mountain Park.

We took the cable car to the top of Stone Mountain, which allowed a different point of view for the carving to see its immensity from up close. Once at the top of the mountain we climbed down a ways, hung out for a bit overlooking the greater Atlanta area and then hiked back to the top. Don't let the gradual decline fool you on the way down, getting back to the top is a chore.

It is hard to believe that a giant carving of the leaders of the Confederacy exists, and that it was commissioned during the Civil Rights Movement no less. But there it is, about 30 minutes outside Atlanta. We were able to wear ourselves out with just a few activities and spend only 4-5 hours at the mountain. There was more to do, or less, depending on your mood or energy level. I cannot say that I have visited many theme parks, but I had a great time at Stone Mountain Park.

At an early age, Ruth Reichl discovered that "food could be a way of making sense of the world. . . . If you watched people as they ate, you could find out who they were." Her deliciously crafted memoir, Tender at the Bone, is the story of a life determined, enhanced, and defined in equal measure by a passion for food, unforgettable people, and the love of tales well told. Beginning with Reichl's mother, the notorious food-poisoner known as the Queen of Mold, Reichl introduces us to the fascinating characters who shaped her world and her tastes, from the gourmand Monsieur du Croix, who served Reichl her first soufflé, to those at her politically correct table in Berkeley who championed the organic food revolution in the 1970s. Spiced with Reichl's infectious humor and sprinkled with her favorite recipes, Tender at the Bone is a witty and compelling chronicle of a culinary sensualist's coming-of-age.

This is the true story of how an influential food critic came to know food. It chronicles the stories and people from her life that shaped her relationship with food and how food has shaped her relationship with people.

I was worried as the book began that it would be filled with nothing more than anecdotes about her mother's culinary disasters...as that is how the book begins. I thought that if the book continued on like that I would give up well before it was over. And I was worried over nothing.

Rather than reading about a young girl who learned to fear her mother's creativity in the kitchen (even though that happened), Tender at the Bone touches on how food became an integral part of each stage of Ruth Reichl's life. Through food she found friends, made friends, and kept friends. With food she learned to create and express herself to her own delight and to the delight of others. She learned the ins and outs of the restaurant business and experienced first hand how important food is to other cultures.

It is fascinating to read her tale, especially to see the luck she has had. While her life took her the wrong way down many one-way streets, she always managed to come across someone who could teach her or show her something invaluable. (I do not mean to discredit her achievements by mentioning her good fortune since not everyone would have been as astute as she was to learn from everything that happened.)

From the stories of her childhood it seemed unlikely that she would end up in the position she has today. She has lived an interesting life which has taken her to many different countries and many different cultures. This book takes you by the hand and leads you through all of it.

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"Also," she added, waving a finger at us girls in the class, "stay away from boys who abuse silence. Boys who shout have mud in their souls. A man who knows about the wind and sailing a boat also knows about silence and is likely to be more sensitive to the presence of God. Other than that, I don't want to tell you girls where to shop."

When Britain intercepted a French ship and its precious cargo -- unhatched dragon's egg -- Capt. Will Laurence of HMS Reliant unexpectedly became master and commander of the noble dragon he named Temeraire. As new recruits in Britain's Aerial Corps, man and dragon soon proved their mettle in daring combat against Bonaparte's invading forces.

Now China has discovered that its rare gift, intended for Napolean, has fallen into British hands -- and an angry Chinese delegation vows to reclaim the remarkable beast. But Laurence refuses to cooperate. Facing the gallows for his defiance, the captain has no choice but to accompany Temeraire back to the Far East -- a long voyage fraught with peril, intrigue, and the untold terrors of the deep. Yet once the pair reaches the court of the Chinese emperor, even more shocking discoveries and darker dangers await.

I am through two books of the series and I am conflicted. I mentioned after His Majesty's Dragon that I love Naomi Novik's dragons. While that still holds true, I now wonder how much, if at all, I truly love the rest of the story.

Throne of Jade is over 400 pages long and I felt like very little happened for the first (roughly) 300 pages. Once it was time for the few important events to take place, they happened so abruptly I wondered if they were as important to the story as they seemed that they should be.

Ms. Novik brought dragons into our world in the first book and here she broadened our horizons with a look at dragons from the far ends of the Earth. I will continue to read the series, at least for now. But I am beginning to wonder if it is the idea that I love and not its execution. It may become difficult to get through what is now already a five-book series if I cannot get excited about what happens on dragonless pages.

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Gilbert's uncle, a big man, round as an oil drum, black as tar from toiling out at sea, came to speak to us about "broken dreams." He said the best place to find a broken dream is on the wharf. "Look at all those dead fish with their eyes and mouths open. They can't believe they are not in the sea and never will be again."

Apocalypto

From Mel Gibson, director of The Passion of The Christ and the Academy Award-winning Braveheart (Best Director, Best Picture 1995) comes the thrilling historical epic Apocalypto. This intense, nonstop action-adventure transports you to an ancient Central American civilization, for an experience unlike anything you've ever known. In the twilight of the mysterious Mayan culture, young Jaguar Paw is captured and taken to the great Mayan city, where he faces a harrowing end. Driven by the power of his love for his wife and son, he makes an adrenaline-soaked, heart-racing escape to rescue them and ultimately save his way of life. Filled with unrelenting action and stunning cinematography, Apocalypto is an enthralling and unforgettable film experience.

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Tommy: Can I ask you a question? Andera: Go ahead. Tommy: How long have you been going out with you boyfriend? Andera: Eight months. Tommy: And it's good? Andera: It's very good. Tommy: He makes you happy? Andera: Yeah. I look for that in a man you know. The ones that make me miserable don't seem to last. Tommy: Right. Andera: You know there are fours words I need to hear before I go to sleep. Four little words. "Good night sweet girl." That's all it takes. I'm easy, I know, but a guy who can muster up those four words is a guy I want to stay with.

One of our country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin is quickly becoming recognized as a "gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonishingly ironic" (Elle). Beautifully written, this novella reveals a different side of Martin, one that is unexpectedly perceptive about relationships and life and profoundly wise when it comes to the inner workings of the human heart.

Mirabelle is the "shopgirl" of the title, a young woman, beautiful in a wallflowerish kind of way, who works behind the glove counter at Neiman Marcus "selling things that nobody buys anymore..."

Slightly lost, slightly off-kilter, very shy, Mirabelle charms because of all that she is not: not glamorous, not aggressive, not self-aggrandizing. Still, there is something about her that is irresistible.

Mirabelle captures the attention of Ray Porter, a wealthy businessman almost twice her age. As they tentatively embark on a relationship, they both struggle to decipher the language of love -- with consequences that are both comic and heart-breaking. Filled with the kind of witty, discerning observations that have brought Steve Martin critical success, Shopgirl is a work of disarming tenderness.

I think the last sentence of the synopsis provided by the publisher is the perfect place to look when discussing this book: "Filled with the kind of witty, discerning observations that have brought Steve Martin critical success, Shopgirl is a work of disarming tenderness."

I agree with the first part of the sentence, but disagree with the second. When I shared my thoughts on Steve Martin's Pure Drivel I said that he was my writing role model. It is the intelligence with which he writes that amazes me and sets the bar (very high) to a level at which I wish to write someday. That intelligence comes through to create those witty and discerning observations.

While I liked Shopgirl, the piece that I thought was missing was feeling. Sure there was emotion written into the characters, but it seemed superficial. I could not feel for the characters because I did not believe they had feelings either. I still would like to stroke the intellectual part of your brain like Steve Martin, but I will have to bring my own passion to my characters.

Shopgirl is short, it's a quick read. It is more beach reading than intellectual stimulation. It was good, but not great.

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Sometimes I think that if I had to choose between an ear of corn or making love to a woman, I'd choose the corn. Not that I wouldn't love to have a final roll in the hay -- I am a man yet, and some things never die -- but the thought of those sweet kernels bursting between my teeth sure sets my mouth watering. It's fantasy, I know that. Neither will happen. I just like to weigh the options, as though I were standing in front of Solomon: a final roll in the hay or an ear of corn. What a wonderful dilemma.

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

In a novel that is at once intense, beautiful, and fablelike, Lloyd Jones weaves a transcendent story that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the power of narrative to transform our lives. On a copper-rich tropical island shattered by war, where the teachers have fled with almost everyone else, only one white man choose to stay behind: the eccentric Mr. Watts, object of much curiosity and scorn, who sweeps out the ruined school-house and begins to read to the children each day from Charles Dickens's classic Great Expectations. So begins this rare, original story about the abiding strength that imagination, once ignited, can provide. While artillery echoes in the mountains, thirteen-year-old Matilda and her peers are riveted by the adventures of a young orphan named Pip in a city called London, a city whose contours soon become more real than their own blighted landscape. As Mr. Watts says, "A person entranced by a book simply forgets to breathe." Soon come the rest of the villagers, initially threatened, finally inspired to share tales of their own that bring alive the rich mythology of their past. But in a ravaged place where even children are forced to live by their wits and daily survival is the only objective, imagination can be a dangerous thing.

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The Man Booker Prize for Fiction represents the very best in contemporary fiction (from the UK, Ireland, and the Commonwealth). One of the world’s most prestigious awards, and one of incomparable influence, it continues to be the pinnacle of ambition for every fiction writer. It has the power to transform the fortunes of authors, and even publishers. In 2004, not only did Alan Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty reach the bestseller lists, but previous winners The Life of Pi (2002) and Vernon God Little (2003) were also amongst the bestselling books of the year. Congratulations to last year's winner Kiran Desai for her novel The Inheritance of Loss.

The Gathering by Anne Enright

"May I borrow your ink pen?"

I wish I knew the best place to go and over hear these polite requests. I would probably prefer to call it "peoplelistening" since it is just observation like peoplewatching, but more innocent than eavesdropping.

It seems to be people from the south, and it isn't even all people from the south, though I wish it were every one of them -- I would pack up my things and leave the Mason-Dixon Line in my wake as I migrated south forever.

I am not sure you actually need to specify that it is their ink pen you wish to borrow, but boy am I glad you do.

1. Bohemian Rhapsody in Wayne's World

2. Tiny Dancer in Almost Famous

3. Walk Like A Man in Sleepers

4. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' in Top Gun

5. Sweet Caroline in Beautiful Girls

(Honorable Mention: I Say A Little Prayer for You in