Bold-Flavored Books - The Mamie Simmons Annual Book Review 2011

If there are two things I love to enjoy in life, they are books and food.  Books are delicious treats to me, each with a distinct flavor.  Each leaves it's own aftertaste and some even start a craving - for adventure, for love, for a different time or place.  I love to devour page after page of a good book.  So this year, I will share some things I munched on:

1.  Shepherd's Pie: It's Got a Little of Everything In It
       Olive Kitteredge by Elizabeth Strout
This book is different, but full of almost clips of stories from this lady, Olive's, life.  It's hard to explain (and I think shepherd's pie is sort of a hard-to-explain food, to someone who's never had it), but it contains so many parts of her life and so many emotions.  It's sort of a sad book, but I somehow really enjoyed it.  But a warning to those who need a solid "conflict, climax, resolution," this isn't the book for you.  I would classify it more as a collection of short stories all revolving around this one person.

2. Escargot: You kind of can't believe what you're eating, but it's pretty good ... or at least interesting!
     Passing by Nella Larsen
What a strange book and concept indeed.  I found this book on our bookshelf, I think left over from one of Thomas's college classes and picked it up for lack of anything else to read.  It is based on the concept of "light-skinned" black people back in the day, passing as white people.  The main character is black, and living as a black person, who comes in contact with an old friend, who is now living as a white person.  And there's sort of a surprise ending.  Not at all unenjoyable, but a little different too!

3. Candlelit Dinner: Romantic and nostalgic
    Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Oh yum! I look back on this book with all the fondness with which I remember the dinner date the night Thomas proposed to me.  I know that sounds a little crazy, but I so enjoyed this book and the way it felt like old-timey love.  The plot revolves around a young man about to graduate from Cornell vet school who loses his parents to an accident, loses all his belongings to the government, and ... joins the circus and gets in with the "big dogs" by weaseling his way into being the circus vet.  And of course, he meets a lady who steals his heart ... wouldn't be a good one without a love twist!  This book also made me think of the movie "Big Fish," which gives me that same warm, silly feeling.  It's a keeper for sure! (Also, so much better than the movie ... big surprise right?)

4. Bar-b-que Potato Chips: You know they're not nutritional, but once you have one you just can't stop
    Worst Case, Run for your Life, 3rd Degree by James Patterson
So over the summer sitting by the pool, I was always needing things to read.  So I stopped by Walgreen's one day to pick up some sunscreen and walked away with Worst Case for like $5.  It was paperback, so it was light, easy to carry in my beach bag and I didn't have to worry too much about it getting wet.  And so began my serial reading of James Patterson's murder mysteries.  If you read one, you've sort of read them all in a way, but I tell you what, they sure are addicting!  Perfect easy, thoughtless, addicting reads for hours by the pool (or the fire, for this time of year!).  Gotta love your junk food every once in a while!

5. A T-Bone Steak: You'll be gnawing on it for a while.
    The Heart and The Fist by Eric Greitens
Perhaps this made up for all the "junk food."  This is just a very thought-provoking and wonderful memoir about a man who I find to be compelling, intelligent and a stereotype-breaker.  He is a Navy Seal, who has travelled far and wide and seems to have a heart for people.  In his story, he tells about his travels and how he learned about other cultures, and then decided to become a Navy Seal to try and protect those people.  I was just so thankful to have this guy to break some of my stereotypes about military men.  I know lots of upstanding, kind, generous and genuine military men (my brother-in-law being one, of course), but I typically think of military guys as being a little too gung-ho about war, of having dirty mouths and of not thinking outside of the U.S. of A. to what other cultures are dealing with.  Harsh, I know, but I've had my encounters.  Anyway, this guy really rejuvenated my faith in the fact that there are people out there who have the greatest intentions and who break the mold! And of course, after reading about his travels, I got the bug!

6. Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt: Everybody's talking about it, so you've got to try it for yourself ... and it's good!
    The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Funny thing about these books.  I only knew about 1 of them for a long time.  I started this series early in the year, having seen some posts about "The Hunger Games" on facebook.  So, in a time of need for something to read, I picked up exactly that: The Hunger Games.  For the first hour or so (I was listening to it on my iPod), I wasn't really sure about this book.  "Weird" was really the first word that came to mind. But as I kept listening, I kept getting more and more intrigued!  By the end I was totally involved.  But then the book ended, and I was more than a little disappointed by the lack of resolution of a WHOLE LOT of issues that got started in the book.  Months later, while visiting a friend, I mentioned that I had read the book, but that I was super disappointed by the ending, and that I wasn't sure if I would recommend it for that reason ... and then she immediately informed me that it was part of a trilogy.  HA! I was so relieved to hear the news!  I am currently working on book number two and enjoying it so far.  Since my fellow blogger and avid reader, Tiffany, was jonesing for some Mamie-blog, I decided to post this without finishing the trilogy ... guess I'll have to have a "follow-up" post!  This one's for you Tiff!

7. The Mystery Meat (but not in a bad way, its just the most revelation-giving food I could think of): You're not really sure about what's in it, but when you start eating you go, "OOOOH, so THAT'S what this stuff is." 
   Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Robison
This fantastically interesting memoir is written by John Robison, who has Asperger's Syndrome and also happens to be the brother of the guy who wrote running with scissors (I mean, talk about a whacked out family/childhood).  He tells story after story about growing up, moving around, falling in love, finding jobs - all the things we do - and how he viewed things from the perspective of an Aspergian.  I may be biased about the interestingness of this book because I work with these Asperger/Austism kiddos and find them to be quite the mystery in many way, so it was like unlocking a door to me and allowing me to think outside my box and in their box.  I hope reading this book has helped me to be a more effective therapist for these kids, too.  At any rate, I think everyone should get a glimpse into someone's life whose brain doesn't think the way their own does!

8. Crunch'N'Munch: Sweet fun snack full of little crunchy surprises that make you smile.
    A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel
This is one of the quirkiest little books I've read in a long time!  Quirky just describes everything about it to a T.  It is a memoir (apparently memoirs were "in" in Mamie-world this year), and the stories of Zippy's life are just fun and quirky and entertaining.  Again, this isn't for those who need a strong fiction plot, but it is a fun read and a neat look into someone else's silly upbringing.  I think we all have those quirky things from our childhood, so we can relate!

9. Grandmother's Rice and Gravy with Collard Greens: So southern, so comforting, so what you need sometimes to make you feel good. 
    Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
I loved everything about this book.  It screamed "summer read" to me!  For this South Carolina girl, it's hard to resist anything good and southern, so this was right up my alley.  There are all the good characters you might expect, and lots of funny old-school style mischief that makes for a feel-good time. This book is about a girl who moves to the south to live with her aunt after her (crazy, southern) mom dies, and it doesn't work out for her to live with her dad.  The summer following her move follows her adjustment to her new life and her dealing with her mom's death and separation from her dad. There is another book it reminds me of ... can't put my finger on it quite yet.  Maybe The Secret Life of Bees.

10. Stouffer's TV Dinner: It's quick and easy when you don't want something that you have to work for.
     Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell
This is kind of like the James Pattersons above.  In this story, there are lots of curious murders to be solved and many twists, so naturally I was glued to it, finished it in no time, and enjoyed the suspense and easiness it provided.  Pure entertainment!