Italian-Style Pot Roast

I am a sucker for pot roast. It is one of my all-time favorite meals and one of the first foods I mastered cooking. During the cold winter months (and on icy weeks like this one), this meal comes into my weekly routine. Nothing warms the soul like that smell, the warm potatoes and carrots, and that yummy juice! In one of my new cookbooks, The Southern Living Cookbook, I saw a recipe for Italian-style pot roast and knew I had to try it. While I love the traditional dish, an Italian-spin could be fun!

It was just as easy to make this slight variation in the crockpot. :)

1. Put the pot roast in the crockpot. Season with lots of Italian seasoning and salt.

2. Pour beef broth into the crockpot around the roast (I usually put about 2 inches deep. I don't like for it to cover the roast, but if you like that, go for it!). Add one can of crushed tomatoes (you can use any tomato-form, but I like crushed).

3. Cook on low heat for 8 or so hours. The meat will be tender and will fall apart when you pick it up with a fork.

4. Cook some egg noodles as described on the package (boil water, cook noodles for 8-10 minutes, drain).

5. Pile a heap of egg noodles on a plate and top with some pot roast. I added chunks of fresh mozzarella then drizzled some of the broth, Italian juice from the crockpot over the top.

It was delicious!! And, it froze really well...I think it even tasted better after unfreezing. YUM!

Book Review - More Than This by Patrick Ness

More Than This by Patrick Ness

Ever since I first read A Monster Calls, I have loved Patrick Ness. He is unlike any other author I've encountered. His stories are unique, thrilling, adventure-filled and puzzling. He writes characters that are so deep, the reader gets sucked into their lifestyle and feels their pain. Each character he writes is wounded and suffering to find the balance between reality and fantasy. I cannot get enough of his books and will probably read a book just because he wrote it. He's on my author list.

More Than This was no different in its ability to confuse, puzzle, and amaze me. The story begins with the main character's death. That is page one. From there, the story takes so many twists and turns. It was very inception-esque and in the end, I did feel a bit throttled. I'm unsure whether my conclusion is the one the author intended. And, I love that! I could talk about this book all day with a friend and would relish the idea of chatting up Patrick Ness about it. 

What I love about More Than This is that it does not shy away from difficult topics. Patrick Ness writes about issues surrounding adolescents and their sexuality. He brings to light some of the consequences of parental choices on children. Most of all, he cautions against becoming too absorbed in an online reality different from the reality we are living. I felt like shutting down every social media account I have after reading this. 

I would highly recommend this novel!

Book Review - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Anyone who knows me knows that I have strong opinions about Gone Girl. I call it the books I love to hate. I can't really decide whether my love-emotion or hate-emotion is stronger at this point, but they are both alive and well. For Gone Girl, I read the novel quickly and was enthralled in the story. The twists kept me on my toes and I could never guess what was about to happen. However, I hated pretty much everyone in the story. I didn't like that I could not trust the narrators because they flat out lied to the reader. Not cool. Anyway, I have read quite a few stories since Gone Girl. 

I think combining all of these facts is why I am struggling to review The Girl on the Train. Arguably, this is one of the most talked about novels of 2015, despite it only being February. The book has garnered so much attention and many of the bloggers I follow have already read and reviewed it. I have refused to read any reviews because I want to form my own opinion first. 

I read The Girl on the Train very quickly and found it intriguing. Rachel is our unreliable narrator, but I feel so much empathy and anxiety for her. She is a divorced alcoholic who rides the train into the city every day pretending to go to work so that her roommate will not know that she was fired. Many people have compared the unreliable aspect of Girl on the Train to Gone Girl, but I don't think that is a fair comparison. I think we are dealing with two different things. In Gone Girl, the narrators intentionally lie. In Girl on the Train, Rachel is so psychologically damaged she cannot remember important details about her life. Apples and oranges, in my opinion.

Rachel enjoys watching the street she used to live on by the train and becomes entranced by a young couple who live a few doors down from her ex-husband and his new wife, a woman he left Rachel for. She imagines the life of the young couple, and in her yes, they are perfect. One day, she sees something that makes her question this, and the following day, the young woman disappears. Rachel must decide if what she saw could be contributing to the woman's disappearance and what she should do next.

As an added bonus, we get to hear some of the story from the perspective of Rachel's ex-husbands new wife, and another character. These three perspectives provide clues to the outcome. Here is where I got a bit disinterested in the story. Through the alternative perspectives, I pieced together what I thought was happening. Turns out, I was right! So, when the "major twist" comes toward the end, I was not surprised...:( In life, I don't like being surprised. In my books, I crave it. 

All in all, I thought this was a great read! I was engaged and the story kept me feeling anxious and off-kilter. However, I disagree that the unreliable narrators can be compared to Gone Girl and I was not surprised by the ending. I would highly recommend this to a friend! 

Book Review - Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

This novel is perfect! I could rave about this little gem for days. My book club read this for February as our "romance/chick-lit" piece. It definitely lived up to the name, but was so sweet and enduring. I laid down one night to bed and devoured this in one sitting. I just could not help myself. 

Initially, I read this and thought, "It's a modern-day Pride and Prejudice". Except, of course, that it takes place at roughly the same time as P&P. So, just a contemporarily-written take on the classic. The story is about Marianne, who is sent to live in Bath after her mother dies. She is lonely and bored. One day, she receives a letter from her sister urging her to visit a friend with her. Marianne is thrilled as she thinks it will help her get our of her boredom and her grandmother believes she will become sophisticated. 

On the way to her friend's, Marianne's carriage is attacked and her driver is injured. Marianne and her maid help the driver and seek shelter at an inn. There, Marianne meets a very strange man who helps her party. The man is infuriating to Marianne but so helpful. The next day, he arranges for her to arrive at her friend's estate, Edenbrooke. Things continue to get bizarre as the mysterious man shows up there, but she does not know who he is. 

It is a romance, so it's enjoyable and sweet! I like the surprises along the way, and I like seeing how the characters change. Most of all, I like how the author writes the interactions between Marianne and her men. They pull at all my heartstrings while maintaining innocence. For an easy, fun read, I highly recommend this novel. I think Edenbrooke needs a sequel! 

Skillet Chicken Lasagna

I'm not very good at diversifying chicken much. I have a few staple chicken recipes, but I've been wanting to add more recipes. The other day, the Pioneer Woman had an entire show devoted to chicken recipes. Of them, her skillet chicken lasagna was my favorite! I made it and loved it (so much easier than regular lasagna!). 

Here is what I did:

1. Boiled rigatoni pasta (she used farfalle but rigatoni is what I had available). 

2. At the same time, I seasoned one chicken breast with Italian seasoning (generously) then cut the chicken into small pieces.

3. In a skillet, I cooked the chicken in a small amount of olive oil. This took about 12 minutes. 

4. Once the chicken was cooked, I add 3/4 a jar of marinara sauce (I use Bertolli with olive oil and garlic). 

5. Once the pasta was done cooking, I drained it and added to the skillet. 

6. I added mozzarella cheese and a couple of scoops of cream cheese (if I had parmesan and ricotta, I would have added it too). 

7. Then, I let everything cook for a few minutes to heat up. 

Delicious!! :) 

Book Review - Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

This book is so difficult for me to review. I read nonfiction all day long for work, so when I have time to unwind and relax, nonfiction is not what I gravitate toward. However, I loved the article in the New York Times and all the buzz about the movie, so I wanted to read this one for myself. 

First, let me just say that this is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever experienced. I loved every single word. The author is masterful. The sentences were gorgeous. The only thing that kept me reading was just the fact that it was so well written. Rarely are books like that. Sad, but true. 

The quality of the writing was about all I really enjoyed about this book. Yes, it is a great story and heart-wrenching. But, let me be honest, I'm not all that into war stories. I know it occurs every day and I have the utmost respect for our soldiers, but I don't want to experience it myself. Much of this book was just too much for me to read. 

Secondly, I was actually quite bored through most of it. There was so much detail and most of the details seemed to be proving how much research the author had done. When I'm reading research, I value this above all else. However, when I am reading for pleasure, I don't really care. 

This book is fantastic and for anyone who enjoys a war story or nonfiction, I encourage you to pick this up immediately. If you are like me, it might not be your cup of tea. It is a masterpiece that is beautifully crafted. It just wasn't the book for me. 

Book Review - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

I really enjoyed this story. Many of my favorite books and the ones that keep me thinking are Young Adult Fiction; this one was no different. This novel is the story of a young Indian (Native American) named Arnold living on the reservation. He is disenchanted with life on the rez and imagines what else is out there. He is smart and capable and bored by school. One day, he loses his temper at one of his teachers and rather than being reprimanded, the teacher pulls him aside and confesses his shortcomings as an educator. He reveals that the boy is as smart or smarter than his older sister who fell through the cracks. She had dreams of being a novelist and instead runs off with one of the first guys to offer her marriage off the reservation. She takes the shot at her freedom and we are led to believe is less than happy in her new situation. Anyway, the teacher convinces the boy to try something new. After this discussion, the boy decides to attend school off the reservation (making him a part-time Indian). 

As the boy adjusts to a new school, he learns more about the world and how being an Indian fits in with everything going on around him. He must be purposeful in his attempts to get to school because it is not always easy. Some days, he walks more than 10 miles just to get there. To complicate matters, Arnold is going through puberty and dealing with new changes to his mind and body. 

I liked the raw emotions, feelings, and view into the life of a young boy challenging two identities. Does he want to be on the rez? What does his future hold for him? What are the challenges to being an Indian off the rez? The story kept me reading and thinking. While some parts (masturbation, etc.) are not suitable for all audiences, I think this would be a great read for middle school or higher. I think many students I taught could relate to how Arnold felt and his conflicting identities. 

Hamburger Soup

Soup is usually not my favorite meal, but I saw this recipe on the Pioneer Woman and knew I wanted to try it! I was home for mom's birthday a few weeks ago and suggested it for dinner that night. Everyone agreed it sounded good and it was!!

Here's what I did:

1. Browned 2 pounds of hamburger meat, a white onion, and garlic.

2. Added 2 small cans of tomato paste and 1 can of diced tomatoes.

3. Added 3 cut white potatoes, 1 green bell pepper, 2 red bell peppers (could have been 1 yellow but the grocery store was sold out), 3 sliced carrots, and 3 stalks of celery. Lots of yummy veggies!

4. Added 3 cups of beef stock.

5. Brought everything to a boil and simmered for about 25 minutes.

We ate this with french bread and it was wonderful! :)

Book Review - The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

As I've mentioned before 2015 has made me become really interested in all things time travel! Of course, that means I needed to read H.G. Wells' classic The Time Machine. I've seen the movie and liked it, so I figured I would enjoy the original masterpiece. I've also been trying to read more classics in the past few years to enrich my literature base. This novel fit both of those goals and is really short! 

Many of my friends in book club as well as my mom and sister read audio books. I'm skeptical about audiobooks because I tend to zone out a bit. I've read a few long books that I would never get through on my own through Audible and liked them. I've decided to try to supplement other books through listening as I drive and get dressed in the mornings. The Time Machine is my first audio book of the year and I think it was a good choice. 

Overall, I liked this novel but did not love it. I really appreciated how advanced Wells' thinking was on how society would morph over so many years. He really focused on how divided society was at the time (and arguably still is today) and how this division ultimately led to two species of human who did not interact. I liked the details of the flora and fauna in the future and how he used this to convince society that time traveling had occurred. My one complaint is that I did feel the story was too short! I wanted more. Really, the entire novel is about one time travel adventure. I want to know more about where the time traveler goes next and how his life is altered by visiting the future. Dang you, H.G. Wells for making me want more! This book is on my "Recommendations List", and I think anyone would benefit from reading it! 

Book Review - Risky Business by Nora Roberts

Risky Business by Nora Roberts

As I have been finishing up my dissertation, I've craved some easier novels. Quick plots, easy writing, doesn't take much thought to comprehend. Usually when I feel this way, I love a good chick-lit piece...and Nora Roberts is one of my favorites. I like that there is just enough intrigue in her books to keep me entertained but I can easily blaze through one of these books in one sitting. It's a nice release for my brain when I feel overloaded with other things.

This story is about Liz, a woman who lives off the Caribbean Ocean, in what seems like a paradise oasis. She works hard and tries to support her daughter, who lives in Houston, after some trials in her own failed relationships. One day, she discovers that one of her employees has been murdered! He seems to be a friendly, yet somewhat flighty kind of guy, but there are no leads on how this could have happened. Next, enters his identical twin brother, a lawyer from the states. You can probably guess what happens next...through adventure in solving the mystery of his brother's murder, he falls for Liz. There is no secret to this novel and the "twists and turns" are not completely surprising, but an enjoyable read! 

Stuffed Zucchini

I've been looking to add more vegetable recipes to my rotation of meals. Stuffed bell peppers are one of my favorite dinners so when I saw this recipe for stuffed zucchini in one of my new cookbooks, I knew I had to try it ASAP. This comes from the Barefoot Contessa and the original recipe can be found here. As always, I put my own twist on it!

Here is what I did:

1. Boiled several zucchini for about 10 minutes, or until I could easily stick a fork through the center.

2. Meanwhile, I browned hamburger meat and seasoned with salt and pepper.

3. Also, at the same time, I prepared a box of my favorite cheesy rice mix.

4. Once the zucchini were done boiling, I set them aside and let them cool enough that I could handle them. I cut the zucchini in half long-wise and scooped out the seeds.

5. Then, I lay the zucchini in a glass pan and filled the center with hamburger meat, cheesy rice, and topped with shredded cheese.

6. I cooked the zucchini for about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Yum!! This instantly has become a favorite!

Book Review - The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Now that The Hobbit movies are complete, I really wanted to re-read this one. J.R.R. Tolkien is one of my favorite authors, especially since my return from London where I learned that Tolkien was involved in a weekly writing group with non other than C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia). They met up at a bar in Oxford and discussed their writings and gave each other feedback. :) Good writing practices and their work shows it! 

I read The Hobbit originally senior year of high school and just loved every bit of it. I enjoyed the details, the fantasy, the characters. In fact, I wanted to be a hobbit and go on grand adventures to Middle Earth. Re-reading it now, after seeing the movies, actually was quite disappointing. I'm not one to say that movies are better than the book, and I definitely still adore this book, but...well, I enjoyed the MANY additions the film-makers included. For example, the entire third movie (The Battle of Five Armies) is just several pages in the novel. 

This will always be one of my favorite classics, but I do want more from it. I wish J.R.R. Tolkien were around to add to his creation. Give more details! I'm planning to tackle Lord of the Rings this year, which I have never read and hope that I will find more of those details that I love so much. :) 

Book Review - I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban

With a title like that, how could I not read this one?? I saw this book on the best-sellers for a long time, but I honestly didn't pick it up because of the genre (I'm terrible about my disinterest in nonfiction...). Anyway, I was given the book as a gift from a friend and I'm so glad for that! 

It took me a while to read this (a little over a week). I started out being very interested in the book and really liked Malala's writing style. I was so interested to learn more about education in the middle East and how girls are viewed. Because education is my passion, I just wanted to learn from this book. 

I learned quite a bit about Malala's culture and lot about her life, but I was disappointed in the amount of discussion surrounding education. It seemed to be quite limited, given that was part of the title. The opening of the book explains Malala's shooting, then the majority of the book is her personal history leading up to those events. It becomes clear, though, that Malala is influenced by her father and much of the reasons she was shot were more to do with him and his lobbying than hers. 

I also feel that I didn't hear enough passion in the writing, which I was expecting. Again, I think due to my interest in education, I wanted more about that and was disappointed. Nonfiction is not my favorite genre and this book brings that to light again. Overall, I was a bit bored and disinterested throughout this read. It wasn't my favorite, but I'm glad I read it! 

Book Review - All You Zombies by Robert Heinlein

All You Zombies by Robert Heinlein

Typically, I steer clear of anything with "zombies" in the title. Zombies really aren't my thing. But, last weekend while I was visiting my parents for my mom's birthday, my parents encouraged me to watch a movie called Predestination. The movie was a trip to say the least...it involves time travel, sex changes, and plenty of intrigue. I even noted one huge plot hole that will probably continue to drive me crazy for a while (I guess really it is a difference in opinions about the theories behind time travel). Naturally, when I discovered the movie was based off a short story written in the 1950s, I had to get my hands on it.

It took me approximately 20 minutes to read this short story and it followed the movie VERY closely, down to the language. The movie was "enhanced" but had the main elements of the plot and characters. I really think the movie is a good representation of this story. 

I loved this short story! One of my 2015 goals has been to read more short stories; it is a genre I love but I often overlook for novels. Thanks to Back to the Future I have been increasingly interested in time travel in my reading choices so far this year, and this fit nicely into that category. I felt a great deal of sympathy for the characters as the story is fairly grim. Because of the time traveling aspect, so many characters are intertwined. I liked seeing how their stories are connected. 

My greatest appreciation for this story is that it was written in the 1950s, far before time travel and sex changes were commonplace talk. I'm amazed that the author could conceive a plot so intricate without being influenced by modern television and science fiction. Definitely a quick, fun read that left me thinking....and thinking....and thinking. This story will stay with me for a while! 

Smashed Potatoes and Lemon-Garlic-Pepper Chicken

I have been ferociously writing away trying to finish my dissertation with a semblance of my sanity left intact. :) I have found the best way to stay motivated is with rewards - juvenile and self-indulgent, but it works for me. One of my rewards is giving myself the evening off. As I've become more and more interested in cooking - meaning I'm interested in eating yummy food, so I have to cook it myself - I've been using those evenings to try new recipes. I got two new cookbooks (The new Make-Ahead Cookbook from the Barefoot Contessa and the Southern Living Cookbook) for Christmas that are filled with recipes I've been excited to try! Last week, I tried a new recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, smashed potatoes, and revamped a recipe from the Pioneer Woman that I've tried once before.

Smashed Potatoes

I loved potatoes - boiled, mashed, roasted, baked, scalloped, fried, chipped...there really is no wrong way to do a potato. When I get a new cookbook, I read it straight through like any other book. I find that by doing this, my brain thinks about the recipes and works on how I would do them (I rarely cook straight from a recipe). So, as I was working my way through my new book, this recipe jumped out at me and I mulled it over for about a week and a half before I just had to test it myself. I'd never made smashed potatoes before and I REALLY wanted to taste these. 

Here is the original recipe: Smashed Potatoes

And here is what I did:

1. I took Yukon potatoes and scrubbed them, then put them in a pot of water and set the burner on medium-high.

2. Once the potatoes started boiling, I lowered the heat to medium and let them boil for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, I tested them to see if I could easily stick a fork through the center. I could, so I moved on. If I couldn't, I just would have let them boil longer.

3. I placed the potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet that I sprayed with Pam. Using my old-fashioned potato-masher, I smushed the potatoes. They were really messy looking at this point, and that is ok. 

4. I sprinkled salt and pepper on the potatoes and put them in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. 

5. After 20 minutes, I took the potatoes out of the oven. I put a little slat of butter on each potato and sprinkled mozzarella cheese on top (I would have used Parmesan as the original recipe called for, but I didn't have any). 

6. I put them back in the oven for 3 minutes.

7. I took them out of the oven and devoured them instantly. They were so stinkin' good! I've really been wanting more vegetable recipes and this one will certainly make my regular rotation from now on! 

Lemon-Garlic-Pepper Chicken

I'll be honest, chicken is not my favorite meat to cook. Often, I find that chicken is just bland and flavorless no matter what I try. I really don't get excited for chicken and my favorite chicken recipes mostly slather the chicken with sauces and other toppings. I saw this recipe for lemon-garlic chicken drumsticks on an episode of the Pioneer Woman and was intrigued. Typically, I do not like lemon, but I thought it was worth a try. She cooked the drumsticks for a picnic so they were actually cold when eaten and she remarked how great they are hot or cold. To me, this suggested something that would be tasty for lunch. 

I made this recipe exactly as she did. The chicken turned out great! The lemon was not too strong and the drumsticks did work great in my lunch for work - except for two things. 1) My entire office, hall, and the workroom smelled like garlic all day. 2) Drumsticks are super messy. In fact, I'm really picky about chicken and like chicken breasts or tenders best. Drumsticks are a lot of work for not much chicken and they are messy. I decided to try this recipe again, but use chicken breasts instead of drumsticks. I loved the result!

Here is the original recipe: Lemon-Garlic Chicken

And, here is what I did:

1. I rinsed the chicken breasts and placed them in a bowl. 

2. I added garlic (however much you like - I like a lot). 

3. I cut four lemons in half and squeeze the juice on top of the chicken. 

4. Then, I sprinkled salt and lots of pepper on each chicken breast. I threw the lemon rinds in the bowl (for extra flavor), covered the bowl and placed it in the refrigerator over night. 

5. The next day, I heated the over to 400 degrees. Then, I placed the chicken breasts on a foil-lined baking sheet I sprayed with Pam.

6. I sprinkled more pepper on each piece of chicken and laid the lemon rinds around the chicken. (I wish I had taken a picture of this; it was so pretty! I could see this recipe being good for a dinner party just because it looked so nice!)

7. I cooked the chicken for about 33 minutes, until I could easily cut through the center and saw clear juice and no pink. 

These were so full of flavor, even in the center of the piece of chicken, which is usually really bland. They were garlicky, with just a hint of lemon, and had lots of pepper flavor. I don't think this will be a recipe I want on a regular basis, but it will be great to through in occasionally. I also think slicing the chicken and using it in a summer salad with oranges and strawberries would be great when it gets warmer outside. 

I have marked my cookbooks up with more recipes I cannot wait to test! :) 

Favorite Web Links (Week of January 14th)

I've found lots of good stuff this week! 

What If? Arne Duncan, current U.S. Secretary of Education posed the question, "What if every district committed both to identifying what made their 5 best schools successful & providing those opps to all their students?" on his Twitter page. This question is getting at the idea of value-added which is something policy makers feel would help schools (few topics make my blood boil like value-added). The response he got is probably not what he expected and is priceless beyond compare! Here, the Washington Post includes a few of the many comments he received. 

Teachers Were Never the Problem - to go along with the link above, I found this link from 2013 that still rings true today. Teachers are not the problem in education. In actuality, it is a much larger social issue but we can't talk about such things! This article looks at poverty and its role in the education disparity.


2014 Review - A pretty good summary of the year with so many hilarious asides. I was cracking up, but have to admit, I felt pretty gloomy and needed to hug my puppy afterward. Surprisingly, while the rest of the world seems to have had a bad year, 2014 was pretty productive for me!


Not the city you thought, where new grads are ending up! - As I am embarking on a big move this year (still don't know where to), I'm fascinated by any article mentioning hip cities to live. While the job is my primary choice for where to move, I'm also investigating the city life as well. I want to be somewhere fun, and somewhat trendy where I can enjoy myself while I work hard.


Daily Reading Plan for Shakespeare - My undergraduate major was English, and I have loved reading since I was a child, so naturally, I adore Shakespeare. In college, I got to take only one Shakespeare course and it was wonderful! Recently, I've seen so many plans for reading the Bible in a year, simply by reading a few sections of scripture each day. I've started about half a dozen of these, but lost motivation about a week in. This plan for getting through all of Shakespeare's works in a year follows the same idea. Read a little each day, a few sonnets on the weekends, and you're good! I might use this plan to modify for a more reasonable amount of time (maybe two or three years). Either way, it is so cool to see! And, I have the book it is based upon from my college Shakespeare course. :)

Reading my way Through Short Stories in 2015!

In 2014, I made a deliberate effort to read more nonfiction. Thinking I did not enjoy nonfiction, I wanted to see if I could prove myself wrong. Well, I did a great job reading a selection of nonfiction from self-help to comedy to memoirs, and the verdict: it's not my favorite. However, I did find a few books that I enjoyed, and I could appreciate different aspects of nonfiction. 

In 2015, I want to revisit a genre I do enjoy but don't read enough - short stories! I love a good short story. In 2014, I read a selection of short stories by J.D. Salinger, one of my favorite authors of all time. I absolutely loved "A Perfect Day for Bananafish". Of the nine, that was my favorite. 

Short stories include all the elements of fiction that I enjoy, but concentrate around one specific element like the characters, setting, or plot twist. In fact, "A Perfect day for Banafish" ends with the climax (in my opinion), leaving the reader to wonder about what became of the characters in the end. It is rumored that Salinger has answered all of these questions in a series of novels to be released many, many years from now...we will see! Three of my favorite short stories are "Behind the Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway, and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber. 

I have already started 2015 with a bang and picked up The Best American Short Stories 2014 edited by Jennifer Egan to kick start this goal. I read the first short story in the volume last night and really enjoyed it! 

I also like that short stories are, well, so short! I don't feel like they take a long time to get through, and I do not need to be in a rush. I can carry my selection of them in my purse and can get through a short story in a day. Or, I can read an entire short story before bed. I think I will really enjoy adding these short pieces to my weekly readings! 

Favorite Web Links (Week of January 7th)

I find myself browsing the Internet quite a bit these days. When I first began surfing the Internet, I did so aimlessly. Now, I have a much more deliberate approach to "surfing". I read many blogs, the NY Times, watch music videos on YouTube, look up styles, and I find so many things now that spark good conversation. I get annoyed when people cannot discuss current events, pop culture, and daily occurrences in the world. 

Here are some of my favorite links from the past few weeks:

"Swiftmas" - I'm becoming a bigger fan of the teeny-bopper princess as I learn more about her social work. This might make you tear up a bit and puts the "random acts of kindness" trend on a new level. 

Blank Space/Style Mashup - the lyrics of each song are really impressive and this mashup with the male and female voices is beautiful! 

Book Riot's 2015 Reading Challenge - It is so difficult to find a good reading challenge. I've seen several for 2015, but I would read the list and immediately become uninterested. They didn't seem challenging enough. Many would list "Victorian romance", "a novel written by a woman", "a book written this year". Well, those are three of my biggest sub-genres there. I want a reading challenge that really stretches me and this one delivers! I'm not sure that I will follow it to the letter, but it encourages me to break out of my reading comfort zone and purposefully read from different sub-genres. I love it! These are likely to be books I will enjoy very much, and the challenge is short. 24 tasks is only two per month. 

"The Unbreakable Laura Hillenbrand" - This NY Times look at author Laura Hillenbrand is really enjoyable. The Times takes readers into the life of this author, plagued by chronic pain and fatigue. The way she approaches her writing and craft is interesting. It really shows that people can overcome daily obstacles to achieve great things! I was so inspired after reading this that I picked up a copy of Unbroken and started reading.

New Gender Gaps - The Times focuses this article on the Stanford graduating class of 1994 who has been part of the Internet revolution. The class of 1994 (regardless of college) is really the first generation to have working careers driven and dominated by the Internet. The article focuses on the speculation that gender gaps would be lessened with the rise of the Internet, but alas, they have continued to increase. Interesting stuff!

Living by Pinterest - I have a confession: I'm twenty-something and I don't enjoy Pinterest. There, I said it. So many of my friends really like Pinterest as a fun time-waster. I have never gotten into this. Mostly, I pin books or book-related things, and I pin maybe one thing a week. I go for months without even thinking about Pinterest. Friends send me pins and get mad that I don't see them for forever (most have stopped sending me things, or text me when they do so I see it). But, I could never verbalize what it is I dislike so much. This article hit the nail on the head. This woman lived by the popular Pinterest links for a week, including meals, style, organizational tips, hair and makeup, everything. Her final conclusions are that the expectations placed on people with Pinterest are unrealistic. No one has time to spend hours getting ready, cooking meals every night, and perfectly organizing every second of their life. She recommends setting priorities and having clear goals and you won't get sucked into "Pinterest despair", which is a real thing! There is some foul language (so beware), but this article had me cracking up!

What riveting reads have you found on the Internet lately? 

Reading my Way Through Nonfiction

2014 was a great year for reading. 

I found lots of new favorites and read more books than 2013. In 2013, I read 61 books and in 2014, I raised that to 65! Wow! Books really are my stress release because I did not expect to read much with my dissertation research and job search taking up a large portion of my time! 

I had always said that nonfiction was not my genre of choice...it just bored me. In 2014, I made the goal to read more nonfiction so that I could say, with honesty, what I really thought about the genre. I was very successful and read many popular nonfiction pieces. In fact, 13 of the books I read last year, or 20%, were nonfiction. I would say that is a good sampling to evaluate how I feel about nonfiction! :) Below are the nonfiction books I read and what I thought of each. 

Nonfiction Reads of 2014

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey 

I think of myself as being a pretty effective and productive person. I also believe in constantly improving, so I picked up this best seller to see what kind of information it could offer me. While the writing was clear, I was not impressed with this book. I did not know what the seven habits would be, and I was disappointed by how simple they are. One of my biggest criticisms of nonfiction is that there is rarely new information to build on my existing knowledge. This book fell into that category. I can appreciate the writing, but this book was not what I had hoped for. 

Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

I was so excited for this little gem! Mindy Kaling is hilarious, so I knew I would enjoy her perspective on life and living in New York. I was also excited to read about how she broke into the all boys club of comedy. For the first five or so chapters, I was entertained. After that, I got bored. Many of the stories were just memories of her own life. For me, I could hear Mindy Kaling so I respect the development of her voice in her writing. However, I just could not remain entertained. I ended up giving up on this one at about the 60% mark. 

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster

This one, I liked! I've heard great things about this book and being a voracious reader, I knew there would be some good advice in this one. I was correct! The writing was superb and Foster filled each chapter with other great pieces of literature. This book was also a great reinforcer of what I do as I read. Some of the tips, like comparing new characters to characters you already know, are things I do but didn't necessarily know the impact of! This book took me a long time to read because I didn't feel the need to work on it every night, but I'm glad I made it through to the end, and I would highly recommend this one for any reader! 

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Bleh! Ok, I will admit that I read this book because it was being made into a movie. I thought the idea sounded really inspiring, a woman trapped in a bad marriage hikes the Pacific Crest Trail as a test of self-endurance and a journey to find herself. In actuality, that was not my perspective on this book. The author/narrator seemed selfish, spoiled, and very pessimistic to me. She cared for her ill mother, but spent more time discussing her animosity toward her siblings for not helping. The "bad marriage" she discusses was solely of her own volition. Her husband was so caring and understanding! I gave up on this one at about the mid-point because I could not read another word from this narrator. I know many people enjoyed this novel, but I was not one of them!

Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant: Confessions of Cooking Alone and Dining for One edited by Jenni Ferrari-Adler

I have mixed feelings on this one. Our book club chooses a food or travel book for August and all of the options this August were food related. This book was on the list, but was not selected as our final choice. It was my vote, so I read it anyway. I'm a young, single, twenty-something and often eat alone, so I thought this would be a fun collection of essays about trials, tribulations, and feelings of eating alone. Personally, I feel that I should pamper myself by cooking yummy food. I wanted to read essays from people who felt the same way. What I found was actually kind of sad...most of the essays were more pessimistic about eating alone. For example, several essays discussed people cooking the same meal over and over again and relishing the idea of not having to prepare food since they were eating alone. I finished the book, but I did not enjoy most of the essays. It certainly wasn't what I expected!

Almost French by Sarah Turnbull

This book is a memoir written by a young, twenty-something who is originally from Australia. She sets off on a world-wide adventure and meets a handsome French man in Bucharest. They begin a relationship and she returns to her normal life. After a short period of long-distance dating with a few (I think two) face-to-face interactions, she makes the bold decision to move to Paris to live with him. It seems like a crazy move, but a grand adventure that any young person can dream about. (I've often daydreamed about living in some other country, though I think about London.) However, in actuality the book was not entertaining. It was fairly well written and I liked the book, but I wouldn't read it again. 

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Like 7 Habits, I was hoping this book would give me some ideas and advice for self-improvement. I have to say, this was one of my least favorite books of this kind! Again, the author is a more privileged woman, and most of the time, I felt she was self-centered. Many of the ideas in this book were not new and seemed silly for being part of a book about happiness. For example, one of the ideas she mentions is spending 15 minutes picking up the living room each night before going to bed. While I think this is a great idea, she gave so much credence to this idea for improving her happiness. I felt like much of the book was over-stating the obvious. 

Bossypants by Tina Fey

I love Tina Fey! I find her hilarious and enjoy how assertive she is in a man's business. She seems respected and can hold her own. The writing was so-so, but this book was mostly entertaining. I really enjoyed Fey's reflections about working in mostly male environments and she was quippy. I probably wouldn't recommend this book, but I did enjoy it. 

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky

Feeling stressed over the summer, I picked up this book about why humans feel so much stress and consequences that stress has on our well-being. The author spends a great deal of time explaining the physiological effects of stress and how animals cope with stress. Then, compares that to the way humans experience and handle stress. Ultimately, he ties some scientific conclusions for why we can be stressing constantly and not feeling its effects immediately, but that these effects often have negative implications. The writing was very good and the scientific details seemed well-researched. I found the book interesting, but I don't feel the need to reread it. 

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

This one, I loved! Heaven is for Real reads much like a novel. I was afraid that it would be too forward about the religious implications, but rather, Burpo allows the reader to make many connections. He does not force his beliefs on the reader but just lets the story unfold. I genuinely enjoyed reading the book and found it heart-warming and touching. He does not paint his family in a self-righteous or unattainable fashion and they were very realistic. He includes trials and tribulations, arguments, and how the stresses of life affected his family. A wonderful read! The movie is on my to-watch list! 

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Lean In falls into the same category as 7 Habits and The Happiness Project. It is written for young, female professionals and discusses ways to be productive, efficient, and effective at work. Again, I believe these three adjectives describe me, but I wanted to learn more. Of all the self-help type books I read this year, I found this one the most obnoxious, obvious, and in-your-face. As I read, I kept hearing a tone of entitlement in the author's writing. I was very turned off to this and did not feel that most of the tips and advice were new or interesting. :( Bummer. 

Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

I can't remember if this was a book club choice or a runner-up. Either way, I did not find this book on my own, it was recommended to me. I know a friend of mine read it and kept telling me how she laughed hysterically while reading it. Well, that was all the convincing I needed! A fun, hysterical read is always welcome in my world. I admit that I too laughed hysterically at this book...for the first few chapters. The author's presence and ability to make fun of herself was great! However, once I realized that she wasn't kidding, that the events she was making comical actually happened, I was less than enthused. Wow! This author grew up in severe poverty and makes light of the traumas her family faced. How can a public be educated about the true trials of living in poverty when it is the butt of self-inflicted jokes? As the book continues, the author discusses her young adult life, marrying, and having children while dealing with severe mental illness. Again, she lightens everything in an attempt to make the book funny. I feel that she really brings down mental illness. It seems that mental illness is funny, which I don't believe. I'm usually not overly sensitive to things, but this book really offended me. I would definitely not recommend it to anyone else. 

Quiet by Susan Cain

In the past few years, I have embraced the fact that I am more of an introvert. I have the ability to be extroverted when I need to be and can network and talk with people at conferences. However, I get my energy and recuperate from being alone. I thought this would be a fun read that would help me better understand how the introvert brain works and might offer some advice or research on how introverts function in an extrovert-dominated society. What I found seemed more like a competition against extroverts. Much of the book is set up to describe how extroverts and introverts are different and then discusses why introverts are "superior". Overall, I didn't enjoy the accusatory tone of this book. 

My overall opinion of nonfiction was confirmed in my reading this year. It is not my favorite. However, I did learn that nonfiction has a place in my reading list, and I can still get enjoyment out of these books. Either way, I have opinions! 

I'm looking forward to including a few nonfiction books in my 2015 reading. Nonfiction on my to-be-read list include:

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

Not that Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Here's to a great 2015 of reading! 

Hopes for the New Year! 2015 Edition!

I cannot believe it is 2015!

The year of the time-traveling Delorean (sign me up!). 

I have so many hopes, dreams, and aspirations for 2015, and I feel like this is the year I have waited for my entire life. I realize that sounds a bit silly, but in all honesty, 2015 promises to be the most influential year of my life to date. 

Because I believe this year really deserves no more anticipation, I am opting not to make any New Years' Resolutions...for the first time in my life! I love a good resolution and goal to be working toward in the new year, but I have several reasons for bowing out of this tradition in 2015.

First, I feel like I am in a good rhythm right now. What I mean is, I am actively bettering myself continually. I have goals in every aspect of my life: (1) relationships, (2) work, (3) reading, (4) blogging, (5) personal writing, (6) working out, (7) meal planning, cooking, and healthy eating...I really don't need to add to this list. Rather than these goals being large-scale "resolutions" for the year, they are constant. I'm always working toward these and have been for the past few years.

Second, I anticipate so much change this year that I feel any resolutions would be unfair. In all honesty, I do not know what life will look like in a few months. I do not know where I will be moving this summer. I do not know what job I will have in August. I do not know if I will be flying or driving to see my family next Christmas. There are so many unknowns that will affect my future, that resolutions will most certainly fall to the bottom of my priority list. 

The only thing I want to focus on this year is enjoying the change and savoring the memories. :)

Here is what I am looking forward to in 2015:

1. Finishing and defending my dissertation! (February)

2. Traveling to Chicago!

3. Graduating with my Ph.D.!

4. Returning to London!

5. Moving!! 

6. Beginning my career as a professor!

7. Exploring new places! 

8. Saying goodbye to A&M...bittersweet!

9. Celebrating the births of some very special babies and the marriages of some very sweet friends!

10. Hearing Dr. H.! <3 p="">

Bring it on, 2015!!

Dissertation Proposal

On a warm, Spring day in May, I completed the second major task at the end of competing my Ph.D. = the dissertation proposal hearing! This was nearly half a year ago, and I realize this post is long overdue. his was the most exciting and most scary day of my Ph.D. experience so far. I am used to presenting at conferences and love it, but speaking in front of the four people who get to say "yes" or "no" to me about a subject that is so close to my heart made me extra nervous. 

During the spring semester, I was also piloting my dissertation study with a small research team. Leading the research team was an adventure, but being able to pilot my study gave me great insights into what my data would look like and how I might write up the results. More importantly, I did a lot of things wrong, so I got to learn from those mistakes. 

I worked hard for 3 months writing up by "proposal". This is the "what I plan to do for my dissertation" plan. As I had been running the study this spring, I decided to take the dissertation a step further. In actuality, my dissertation will be a second phase to a much larger study. I cannot wait. 

My incredible family was very supportive, which is a must in graduate school. They sent me flowers the day before my defense.

On the day of my defense, I had called to get light snacks for my committee (muffins, bagels, and fruit). The defense lasted nearly 2 hours! I went through each phase of my larger study and was able to communicate results from the pilot study I had already done. 

The defense was both nauseating and invigorating.

Nauseating because it was scary. I was so nervous and afterwards, all I wanted to do was leave and go on vacation (luckily, I was going to London!). I never believed that people would say you have to love your dissertation because you will hate it by the end. While I don't believe I will hate it, I do believe it will be hard to do things by someone else's design. The most challenging part of academia, at this phase, is pleasing everyone. As a doctoral student, I have to make my committee happy and take some of their suggestions. However, there are 4 people in that room plus me that have slightly different opinions about the best way to do things. 

On the other side, the defense proposal hearing was invigorating. It was wonderful to see a group of academics I respect come together for me to help me succeed. I also enjoyed the suggestions my committee had and feel they will make my final product even better. In many ways, I became closer with some of my committee members after the defense. 

It was almost 8 months ago(!!), and I am still beyond excited that this part of the journey is over. My advisor told me repeatedly that the proposal defense is the most difficult part. Well, in my case, so far, it has been. 

BUT, it was 100% worth it to be able to say...

Ph.D. Candidate. ABD. All But Dissertation. :)