Julie & Julia is finally here!

Yay! Julie & Julia, the movie based on Julie Powell's memoir, Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen finally opens today. Meryl Streep plays Julia Child, the adorable Amy Adams plays Julie Powell, and Nora Ephron directs, so this is sure to be a funny, feel good, chick flick. Just what I need right now.

Pretty in Plaid

If you have not read any of Jen Lancaster's books, you should stop what you are doing and go out right now and get them. Well, at least finish reading this blog, then go get them. Having just finished her fourth book, Pretty in Plaid: A Life, a Witch, and a Wardrobe, or the Wonder Years Before the Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered, Smart-ass Phase, I can tell you that I have yet to find another nonfiction writer that makes me laugh so hard. I have cackled my way through each of her books and her latest continues to be fresh and fun.

Jen chronicles the early years of her life during the 70s, 80s, and 90s and how clothes were such a big part of her identity. Although Jen is a few years older than me, there was so much that I identified with in this book. In the 70s, the Girl Scout uniform and the number of badges on your sash set you apart from everyone else. If you grew up in the 80s, you probably remember Jordache jeans, Bass penny loafers, Izods, and your first Liz Claiborne purse. In the 90s, your sorority letters and lavaliere were the foundation of your wardrobe. After college, you are faced with finding the dreaded interview suit, and then realizing that now that you are on your own, you can only afford to shop at discount stores.

I have said before that Jen's stories aren't uncommon. Her life is pretty normal, and most of us have had similar experiences. But it's her personality and the way she tells the stories with her sarcastic humor that make reading her books so much fun. Jen is also completely confident in herself and makes no apologies for who she is, which is so refreshing. If you are looking for a trip down memory lane, a fun story, and a great laugh, Pretty in Plaid will not disappoint.

The Help

Every once in a while a book comes along that you just love. And everybody else loves it too. It's one of those books that gets out mainly by word of mouth. Everyone is reading it and talking about it. It's a book that will appeal to just about any reader. Last year, it was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. A few years ago it was Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, The Secret Life of Bees, and The Kite Runner. I find these books hard to come by. Yes, good books are written all the time, but there are few that are "sure bets," meaning you can give it to just about anyone and they will like it. The Help by Kathryn Stockett is definitely one of these books. Set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s, a young white woman decides to compile the stories of the colored maids that work for the white people in town. Stockett captures the voices of these women so well. Each character is very well defined and their stories are so engrossing. Stockett does a wonderful job of conveying the racial tensions in Mississippi and the fear these women have over telling their stories. The audiobook is exceptional and incorporates four different narrators, which makes the characters' voices even more distinct. This was one book that I was sorry to reach the end. The Help is Stockett's first novel, and she has set the bar pretty high for herself. I'm looking forward to reading more by this talented author.

Mmmmm, cupcakes

If you've been reading this blog, you know that I'm a lover of cookbooks. In a recent issue of Martha Stewart Living, there was a plethora of cupcake recipes and decoration techniques, which inspired visions of me becoming an expert cupcake maker. So I've been eagerly awaiting Martha's latest cookbook on cupcakes. Because I'm supposed to be eating healthier these days, my husband was confused as to why I was buying a cookbook of cupcakes. But that's how much I love cookbooks. Even if I don't make the recipes, I like reading them, looking at the pictures, and imagining myself making them.Yes, I realize this is weird. I'm ok with it. Luckily (for me, not my coworkers) we had a staff lunch here at the Library yesterday, so I had an opportunity to try out a couple of the recipes on my coworkers. I made the peanut butter chocolate cupcakes (which was not supposed to have a frosting) and the devil's food cupcakes (which was supposed to have a ganache frosting). Um, Martha? A bit of a let down. First, the peanut butter chocolate cupcakes were quite dry. The devil's food cupcakes were good, but the ganache frosting was blech. And I didn't realize how long it would take to melt, and then cool, the frosting, so I didn't finish the frosting in time to ice the cupcakes I took to work. So, while good, no one wants to eat cupcakes with no icing. But the cupcake batter? Seriously delicious. I'd rather just eat it that way. You could sell that stuff in jars. Although I can hear my mother now: "You can't eat that! It has raw eggs in it!" Psshh. I've been licking bowls for years and never had a problem. I'm anxious to try some of the decorating techniques in this book though. That ought to be good for a few laughs.

Jennifer Weiner, what is UP?

I just finished Jennifer Weiner's latest, Best Friends Forever, and I'm just confused. As I began reading it, I found myself quickly sucked into the story. Addie and Val meet at the age of 9 and instantly become best friends. But something happens during their senior year of high school and the two haven't spoken in years. On the night of their class reunion, Val shows up on Addie's doorstep asking for help. The story alternates between Addie and Val's backstory and the present-day predicament. As I was reading it, I was thinking this may very well be Weiner's best book yet. The backstory is touching and captivating. Addie is a great character. The overall tone is fairly serious, but Weiner lightens it up every now and then with her usual wit. I was a little worried about this novel. Her last two novels, while good, were not great. Not like her earlier novels. But this one was very satisfying. Until I got to the end. I won't give it away, but let's just say that it seemed like she just recycled the plot from Good in Bed. Totally unoriginal and very disappointing. I'm just so befuddled. Please don't let this stop you from reading it. It really was a wonderful read, up until the end. I'm all for a nice, happy ending, but it feels like she was just in a hurry to wrap it up and couldn't come up with anything new. What was up with that? Does anyone else feel that way?

E. Lynn Harris, 1955-2009

E. Lynn Harris, the best-selling author of novels that addressed the subject of gay black culture, died unexpectedly yesterday at the age of 54. Harris was the author of ten novels (most recently, Basketball Jones) and a memoir, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.

Painted Cats??

If you think dog lovers are a little nuts, cat lovers can be worse. I give you Why Paint Cats: The Ethics of Feline Aesthetics by Burton Silver and Heather Busch. This tiny little book is a collection of pictures of painted cats. Yes. Painted cats. I once received one of those email forwards that included a picture of a cat with a picture of a man painted around his butt, which I figured had been photoshopped. Nope. People actually pay money to have this done to their cats. Big money. Like, thousands. I did learn that people have been painting cats in India, Japan and Botswana for centuries. But painting cats is a relatively new practice in the west. Some of the designs are quite cool (the "tattooed" cat) and beautiful, but some are just absurd. And it's not even permanent! Imagine spending $5000 for something that will only last a few months! As for the ethics of painting cats, the book doesn't do a great job of answering that question. I would like to see a book called How to Paint Cats, because really, how does one paint a cat? That kind of elaborate work seems like it would take hours, and I know my cat would never sit still that long. At least not without sedation. The book doesn't really go into detail as to the methods. One artist commented that he likes to do his painting when the cat is either asleep or hypnotized. Cats can be hypnotized? How can I learn to do that? And exactly what is used for the paints? Apparently the paints are vegetable-based and safe for the animals, but where does one buy these? I also saw the phrase "prepainting petting" a few times, which I assume means that the painter has to get the cat used to the brush first by petting it with a dry brush before the painting even starts. I know exactly what my cat would do if I tried to pet her with a paint brush. Attack it. Bite me. Run away and hide.

For your enjoyment: painted cats...