Fervent Reader » Wish List

The Language of Flowers

Julie — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:02:50 +0000

I often send flowers to friends and relatives to mark birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, and other special occasions. But despite my familiarity with sending flowers to usa cities practically once a month, I never really know what I’m saying with particular blooms. I’m hoping the novel The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh can help. It’s about an 18-year-old orphan who is now out of the foster care system and forced to try to make it on her own. She connects with other people and the world at large through flowers, and the unique message each bloom is said to convey.

This book was just published a few months ago, but already has lots of glowing customer reviews on various book sites. I ordinarily wouldn’t be drawn in by the title alone, but I like stories about hardscrabble orphans (think Dickens’ work), so this might be right up my alley.

Can’t wait to try it!

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Short Autobiography — F. Scott Fitzgerald

Julie — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:59:33 +0000

I’m a huge F. Scott Fitzgerald fan, so I was thrilled to hear that there’s a “new autobiography” coming out. I put those words in quotes because the volume is not really an autobiography in the strictest sense of the word; it’s more of a collection of essays. And the essays aren’t new to the public, as they have been previously published in other volumes. Still, to someone who has not read the essays before (I haven’t), this book could provide some interesting firsthand insights into Scott’s life in the Jazz Age.

According to an early review I read, the essays cover a variety of formats (including a self-interview and a tour of a house) and range from lighthearted to serious. They mostly deal with his life as a famous author, his declining marriage with Zelda, and general observations about society as the Roaring ’20s transform into the Great Depression.

I haven’t read any Fitzgerald in a long time, so this looks like as good a book as any to get back into his work. “A Short Autobiography” is going on my Wish List for sure!

Story of a Lifetime Journal

Julie — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:17:08 +0000

I would really love to start a journal that I can give to my son when he’s older, but I’m just terrible at thinking up topics to write about. That’s why I’m very interested in this Story of a Lifetime Journal that I saw over at www.personalcreations.com. The book is bound in brown leather, has 384 pages, and best of all, comes with 500 questions ranging “from simple to provocative.” This is exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for!

It costs almost $100, which is more than I’d ordinarily be willing to spend on a journal, but the questions might justify the price. After all, if that’s what it takes to actually get me started on a journal, then wouldn’t that be worth it?

The Body Fat Solution

Julie — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:07:10 +0000

I lead such a sedentary lifestyle that it’s no wonder I’m having trouble losing weight. I’m either sitting at my computer typing all day or lying in bed reading a book. I try to work in a bit of physical activity each day, but that 45 minutes or an hour simply isn’t enough to make an impact.

I’ve been browsing through diet and fitness books (again), and saw this one called The Body Fat Solution by Tom Venuto. It sounds pretty good and has gotten lots of positive reviews, so I’m going to put it on my Wish List and pick it up a bit later. A majority of it is about exercising and eating right, but I’m hoping the author also devotes some time to talking about fat burners and other supplements. I’m always interested in hearing what experts say about over-the-counter products like that.

Anyway, I don’t have much time for reading because of school, but that will change when I graduate in a couple of weeks!

The Wisdom of Your Face

Julie — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:40:17 +0000

Did you know that some people believe that you can tell a lot about someone’s personality by “reading” their face? Apparently this is some ancient Chinese tradition, and folks swear that it works! This book by Jean Haner has gotten a lot of positive reviews, which kind of makes me want to try it — on other people, that is. I can’t imagine letting anyone examine my face too closely. She’d probably feel compelled to recommend a natural acne treatment and then send me on my way. Ugh, how embarrassing!

Anyway, I’m definitely intrigued here and since there’s a Kindle version, I’m very tempted to buy it. I’ll put it on my Wish List for now and see what happens when I get some extra cash at the end of the month.

Desserts to Die For

Julie — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:06:11 +0000

I would love to be able to make my own scrumptious desserts. I occasionally have dinner parties, and things usually go well until it’s time for dessert — at which point, I end up defrosting a cheesecake or something. Wouldn’t it be much better to be able to whip up a fancy Mocha Almond Praline Snap, White Chocolate Lullaby, or Tuxedo Truffle Torte?

That’s exactly what chocolate guru, chef, and restaurateur Marcel Desaulniers offers up in his recipe book called Desserts to Die For. I’ve heard great things about Desaulniers’ recipes, so I’m eager to give this one a try. I’m having trouble finding new copies at the regular online bookstores that I frequent, though, so maybe it’s time to start looking through the used stuff.

And while I’m at it, I’ll probably have to order some weight loss pills at the same time. After all, there’s no way I could make desserts with names like those and then not indulge myself! Getting this book could easily add 10 pounds and a few inches to my waistline!

101 Dog Tricks

Julie — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:16:26 +0000

I’ve been feeling a bit guilty about my dogs recently. I haven’t had as much time to play with them as usual, so they’ve been a bit neglected. No, no, don’t sic PETA on me. They still get basic care like food, fresh water, and three long walks a day, and are in perfect health. I just mean that they have nothing to do except lay around on their comfy pet beds almost 24/7 because I’m not playing with them.

So I’m thinking about buying this book called 101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog by Kyra Sundance. The title pretty much says all that this book is about, and the customer reviews for it are mostly good (it currently has a 4.5-star rating).

My dogs are perhaps a bit old to be learning new tricks, but I want to give it a try anyway. At least it’ll get them off their beds and moving around again!

Fast Beauty: 1,000 Quick Fixes

Julie — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:20:13 +0000

Now here’s a book that looks like it would be very useful! I was browsing around an online bookstore this morning, and once click led to another, as often happens while shopping. I ended up finding this book called Fast Beauty: 1,000 Quick Fixes by Rona Berg.

In this book, Berg doesn’t tell you what the best acne treatment or moisturizer is; instead she tells how to salvage the day when you have a huge pimple or leather-dry skin. The book, as the title implies, gives about a thousand helpful hints that range from using olive oil to soften cuticles or putting plain yogurt on your face for 10 minutes after a day of too much sun at the beach.

I would love to add this book to my collection, but since I just spent $300 on textbooks, I’m going to have to put it on my Wish List for now and get back to it later.