Getting By, Dreaming Big

This is a blog for me to share my thoughts on my favorite things: books, traveling, food and entertainment!

Tuesday Travels: Yale vs. Harvard – “The Game” November 24, 2009

Filed under: Sports, Tuesday Travels — readerbean @ 9:14 pm
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View from the Staten Island Ferry

 About a two months ago at an ABC Club NYC event my friend (and co-worker) Rachelle and I were chatting and she mentioned that as a huge College Football fan (she grew up in New Orleans (LSU) and went to Alabama) she really wanted to go to the Yale vs. Harvard college football game because it was the oldest rivalry in the history of college football.  We recruited our other friend (and co-worker) Christina and my hubby Jon and headed out on an adventure to New Haven this past Saturday!

Statue of Liberty from Staten Island Ferry

Rachelle, Jon and I started our early morning with a ride on the Staten Island Ferry.  I love the Staten Island Ferry – it’s FREE and has some of the best views of Lower Manhattan, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty….oh and Staten Island!  Christina picked us up at the Ferry Terminal and it was off to New Haven we went.  We got there around 10:30 in the morning so that we had enough time to tailgate before the game.

The Yale Dome!!!

 We got to the game right on time!  It was Senior Day so all of the Seniors parents were in attendance.  Our seats were 2nd row right on the side of the end zone ($15 – can’t beat that).  Early on Yale dominated the game, holding Harvard from scoring, while they themselves were scoring. 

Handsome Dan

 We thoroughly enjoyed checking out Yale’s mascot – Handsome Dan the bulldog!  He was too cute as he walked around the sidelines.  It wasn’t really until the end of the 2nd half or after halftime that the stadium really filled up.

 

Jon & I at the game

The End Zone!

 

We really had fun at the game.  While I’m sure it’s not nearly as exciting as an SEC game (or other big divisions) it was fun to see all the Harvard & Yale fans wearing “The Game” shirts!  We stuck around until 12 mintues were left in the 4th quarter.  Yale was up 10-0 and we didn’t want to get stuck in a huge line trying to get out of the parking lot. 

Best Pizza Ever!

We then ventured into downtown New Haven to go to Bar and have the best pizza ever!  Upon arriving we soon learned that Harvard ended up winning the game 14 to 10!  We couldn’t belive it.  We waited about 45 minutes for a table, Bar was hopping (although a little understaffed and poorly organized given the crowd).  It was well worth the wait – they seriously have the best pizza!  We took the train back (1 hour and 40 minutes) and were home by 7PM.

 

All in all it was a fun little day trip outside of NYC.  We got to spend the majority of the day outdoors, enjoying sports, good eats and friends!!!  Maybe it’ll become a tradition….

 

Post in Comments:

Who’s your favorite college football team?

 

Monday Bookworms: Back Spin by Harlan Coben November 23, 2009

Filed under: Book Reviews, Monday Bookworms — readerbean @ 10:21 pm
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Back Spin, Harlan Coben

340 pages, @ 1997

 

As I mentioned last week, I’ve kind of been in a reading slump.  I just haven’t been in the mood to really read or to dive into a book whole heartedly to the point where I can “escape” into it’s remote world.  Regardless of how many books are in our apartment, and believe me the “magical bookshelf” holds a ton, none of them are speaking to me.  So last week I returned to my roots, a good old-fashioned, simple mystery!  Mary Higgins Clark was my first mystery author who’s books I devoured (not counting Nancy Drew of course) and a couple of years ago a friend’s mother introduced me to Harlan Coben and I’m slowly but surely working my way through all of his books!

 

Back Spin is the 4th book in the Myron Bolitar mystery series.  In Back Spin, Jack Coldren is making a run for the Golf Championship Title.  Myron, sports agent extraordinaire, is there with his friend and side kick, Win Lockwood.  Soon Linda Coldren’s father brings Myron into the mix and he learns that the Coldren’s 16 year old son has been kidnapped but the kidnappers don’t want them to contact the police.  Win refuses to work on the case with Myron and so for the first time he has to handle everything on his own.  However, his co-worker Esperanza, reminds him, that he’s not good on his own.  Will he be able to figure out the tangled web of lies and deceit going back over 20 years in time to save the Coldren’s son, and at what expense?

 

Harlan Coben once again delivered a fun read that kept me turning the pages to figure out “who done it”.  It’s enjoyable to see the characters in this series develop and to see Coben’s writing style develop and improve.  The characters get funnier with each novel and I can appreciate their humor.  The best part about a series of novels is reuniting with old “friends” or characters.  I thoroughly enjoyed this Coben mystery and look forward to finishing the Bolitar series.  If you enjoy mysteries I would definitely recommend Coben, he’s usually pretty good at keeping you guessing until the big reveal!

 

Oh, and thanks for the comments on reading suggestions last week!  I’m definitely going to check some of the suggested reading out in the near future!

 

Post in Comments:

Who is your favorite mystery writer?

 

Foodie Wednesday: Everday with Rachel Ray Magazine Review November 18, 2009

Filed under: Foodie Wednesday — readerbean @ 11:29 pm
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Back in May I had this great idea that I was going to review all of the cooking magazines out there and give my unbiased opinion on what I thought of each of the magazines.  As I said in my Cooking Light Review, I may be 5 months (er…or now 6 months late) but I still think it’s a good idea.  So I’m going to intersperse them into my Foodie Wednesday posts.

 

Next up is Everyday with Rachel Ray.  I was also a subscriber to this magazine for one year a couple of years ago.  I don’t generally cook a ton of recipes by Rachel Ray but I remember after subscribing to Cooking Light for years I was just looking for something different.  I think this magazine is fun and is geared to a younger demographic.

 

General Format

  • Rachel’s Notebook (editor letter – but this is always a fun part of the magazine and I never read the magazine without starting with this piece).
  • Recipe’s start page 17 (a full 52 pages before Cooking Light)
  • Deals & Prizes
  • YUM (recipes, random info, product reviews)
  • Everyday Faves (Fun, Head to toe, Home, Style)
  • Ready Set (Supermarket 101, Big Bite, 5 ingredients/3 dishes, $10 or less)
  • Steak Out
  • 30 Minute Meals with Drink Pairings
  • Eat Your Heart Out (Chefs dedicated to one ingredient)
  • Menu Planner (7 Recipes, 7 Dinners)
  • Get Togeter
  • Go Away (Trips)
  • Ask Rach (personal questions that she answers)
  • Meals for Pets
  • Celeb Fridge

I loved the FUN & FUNKY layout.  As I said before it is definitely geared towards a younger audience and I would also go as far as to say it’s geared to readers who live in a big city.  Not as much on food as some of the other magazines I read, but there are also product & service reviews to make up for that.  There are no real defined articles, so I would say this magazine is definitely good for the person who likes to peruse as opposed to read a magazine.  I counted 54 recipes in total and I think realistically 12 of them are recipes that I would try.  That’s about 22% so about the same as the Cooking Light magazine I reviewed.

 

Overall, I enjoyed the magazine and I would recommend it to a foodie looking for fun family recipes and recipes for entertaining – on a BUDGET!

 

Next up will be Bon Appetit!  Have a favorite foodie magazine that you’d like to see me review?  Post it in the comments!

 

Post in Comments: 

Do you read Everyday with Rachel Ray?  Do you generally like her recipes?  If yes, do you have a favorite Rachel Ray recipe? 

I love Rachel Ray’s Mini-Meatball (Italian Wedding) Soup and my co-worker Rachelle raves about her Meatloaf Muffins, which I think I might have to try this winter!

 

Tuesday Travels: Philadelphia Day 3 (2008 Trip) November 18, 2009

Filed under: Tuesday Travels, Vacation — readerbean @ 10:55 pm
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The Declaration House

 Ah…back to Philly we go!  I hope you all are enjoying my trip down memory lane.  After a late and crazy fun night we woke up to explore some more of historical Philadelphia before catching our bus out to Valley Forge.  First stop was the Declaration House (free!)  This is where Thomas Jefferson lived when he wrote the Declaration of Independence.  The exhibit here is small.  There are a couple of things to see on the first floor and then you can climb to the 2nd Floor to see the rooms that Jefferson rented out.  They are decorated in reproductions so that you can get a feel for how it must have looked when Jefferson lived there.  It was pretty neat imagining him sitting there writing the document that would create the history of our nation.

 

Then it was over to Christ Church where we sat in the pew that Marth and George Washington used to sit in when they went to service during their time in Philly.  We met a nice man from New England (I had my Red Sox shirt on) who we had a fun chat with there.  We enjoyed the history of Christ Church before heading over to Elfreth’s Alley.  Elfreth’s Alley is our nation’s oldest residential street.  It is this beautiful, little, historic street that is just so picturesque.  I’m sure the people that still live there though probably mind all the toursits wandering down their little street, but I guess that’s what you sign up for when you live there!  Then we wandered over to the Christ Church Burial Ground to visit Ben Franklin’s grave.  After our exploring it was time to grab lunch and hop our bus out to Valley Forge.   

 

The Huts at Valley Forge

 This ride was quite the adventure.  It was probably about an hour bus ride (it would have been a lot faster if we had our own car).  We were on a local bus and obviously very concerned about getting off at the right stop.  We asked the bus driver and he said he’d let us know.  Well he announces the last stop and tells us this is our stop.  Instead of finishing his route, he had let us off at the Valley Forge Convention Center, which while not that far away from Valley Forge National Park, was a tricky stretch of road to navigate.  We managed (although it was harrowing) and found the bike rental where we rented bikes for our first biking adventure together.  This was when I was a complete newbie (as in I broke the chain off of my bike within 2 minutes on the bike).

 

Valley Forge has a ton of bike paths, running paths, and a driving route.  It is so easy for people to explore and so worth the visit (especially if you are a history buff).  Our first stop along our biking journey was at the replicas of the cabins that soldiers would have lived in at Valley Forge.  There was a woman dressed in historical garb that was there to answer any questions we might have and tell us all about life at the camp that infamous winter of 1777-1778.  She was so informative, we easily spent a good 10-15 minutes there.  It was amazing the number of people that lived in that little cabin (pictured above).  She was also from New England (just makin’ friends wherever we go!)

Me outside George Washington's House at Valley Forge

 

 We continued along our bike ride and rode an extra mile because I really wanted to see Washington’s Head Quarters (see me in the photo above!)  The inside of the house is decorated with replicas so that you can get a feel for what life was like for George Washington during the winter his army was stationed at Valley Forge.

The Practice Ground @ Valley Forge

 One of the most beautiful parts of Valley Forge to take in are the Parade Grounds (Practice Grounds).  Valley Forge is perfectly located about 20 miles outside of Philadelphia.  Close enough to keep the British in check, but far enough away from Philadelphia to prevent a surprise attack.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Valley Forge.  We spent the entire afternoon biking around it’s paths and taking in the entire Park.  As we arrived back at the Visitor’s Center what did we find but a bus back into the city.  The bus that took us to Valley Forge was supposed to bring us right to the Visitor’s Center (oh, foiled!)  At least geting back to Philly was easier.

 

Me @ City Tavern

 

 After we got back and changed for our evening out in Philly, we headed over to City Tavern.  This was the unofficial meeting spot of many of the First Continental Congress.  It has since burnt down but they reconstructed it to be just like it was and the waitstaff still dresses in Colonial garb.  The beers that they serve in the bar are original brew recipes from George & Martha Washington, Thomas Jefferson, etc.  Jon got a sampler, but I was afraid, knowing I wouldn’t like all the different beers.  So I stuck with Tom Jefferson’s brew.  This was the perfect place to spend a couple of quiet hours, talking, enjoying the history surrounding us, and a brew or two.

Jon running the Rocky Steps

 

The next morning was our last in Philadelphia, although we’ll definitely go back (uh, well, I went back two times in the next two months, I just couldn’t get enough!)  We started out by what else, running the Rocky Steps – go Jon go!  We wrote our postcards to family and then mailed them at the Ben Franklin post office.  Then we enjoyed the site of Ben Franklin’s house and the museum and print shop that are there now.  Lastly, we headed over to Besty Ross’ house for a quick tour before it closed.  Then it was time to get our stuff and hop back on the train to NYC. 

 

Oh and after all of this I forgot to mention that we had Philly Cheesesteaks everyday we were in Philly.  We tried Rick’s, Pat’s, Geno’s and Tony Luke’s.  To be honest my favorite was Rick’s (Pat’s son) in Reading Terminal Market…but they are no longer there…sad!

 

Well that’s my account of Philly!  We absolutely loved our long weekend getaway exploring an amazingly historic city just 90 minutes from NYC.  If you haven’t been – go.  A great resource for planning your visit is www.gophila.com. 

 

Post in Comments:

What’s your favorite Cheese Steak???

 

Monday Bookworms: The Memory of Running November 16, 2009

Filed under: Book Reviews, Monday Bookworms — readerbean @ 9:05 pm
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 The Memory of Running, by Ron McLarty

358 pages, @2004

 

The Memory of Running was my November pick for my book group.  To be honest my friend Shion discovered it one day on my “magical” bookshelf and borrowed it.  I had forgotten I had it, and unfortunately I also forget why I even bought it in the first place.  She enjoyed it and said she thought it would be a good discussion book.  Easy pick, don’t you love rediscovering books you’ve had on your bookshelf for years?

 

The Memory of Running is the story of Smithson “Smithy” Ide’s journey of re-self-discovery.  At 40 something years of age family tragedies pile up to the point where he can no longer ignore them by using his coping methods: overeating, binge drinking and chain smoking.  After a particularly rough day, in a druken stupor, Smithy hops on his childhood bicycle and embarks on a cross country journey.  Along the way he encounters some strange people in some strange circumstances as well as an occassional good-salt-of-the-earth person.  It is an inspirational story of one man’s journey to rediscover himself and what makes life worth living. 

 

The Memory of Running reminded me of On the Road meets A Confederacy of Dunces in away.  On the Road, because he’s on a journey and the whole experience is spontaneous and his experiences are wacky, A Confederacy of Dunces because Smithy is a more likable Ignatius J. Reilly.  It was the first time in awhile that I read a book with a pen by my side so that I could underline key passages that I felt really spoke through the story to the everyday person and what they might be going through and how they cope.  Ron McLarty, creates in Smithy, a character that you can really root for and that was my favorite aspect of the book.

 

On a side note I was reading online, while I was researching Ron McLarty and the book, that this book went straight to audio book.  It wasn’t until Stephen King listened to the audio book that he really pushed for it to be published.  Ron McLarty has since gone on to write a couple of additional novels.  I thought that little fact was interesting.  I wonder how many books go straight to audio books and never actually get published.  In a way, that’s actually probably, technologically where we’re heading.  I wonder how long before books won’t be printed but will go straight to an online source like the Kindle….ah, technology and the future!

 

Overall, I would rate this book 3-3.5 stars.  It’s not something I would say you have to go out and read, but if you told me you were reading it, I’d say it was a decent read.   

 

I’m kind of in a reading slump.  I feel like I’ve been reading a lot of mediocre books lately and I’m just struggling to really stay motivated and pick something up and see it through to the finish.  I think it might be time for a good mystery to pluck me up – any suggestions???? 

 

Post in Comments:

Do you listen to audiobooks?  I haven’t been able to get into them.  I’m a very visual person and it’s hard to imagine the scenario when someone is explaining it to me verbally, I need to read, take my time imagining it, etc.   However, I’ve been told that it’s a good way to pass the time on a long run, download an audiobook from itunes or wherever and pop it on your ipod.

 

 

Entertainment Thursdays: Where the Wild Things Are November 12, 2009

Filed under: Entertainment Thursdays, Movie Reviews, Uncategorized — readerbean @ 11:26 pm
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where-the-wild-things-are-posterWhere the Wild Things Are

 

Once I saw the preview for this movie, I was counting down the days to see it!  I have strong memories as a child of the book Where the Wild Things Are.  I was intrigued to see the book brought to life on the big screen.  I have to say it didn’t disappoint, rather it blew me away.

 

For those of you that don’t know the book essentially Max is a child who is wild.  He makes a rumpus and gets in trouble and is sent to his room.  While in his room he sails away to a magical land that is home to the Wild Things.  The Wild Things make him king and he rules their land.  After some time there he realizes that he just wants to be home.  Upon returning home dinner is waiting for him in his room.

 

The movie took the book one step (or a couple of steps further).  Max is a child from a broken home.  His sister is at an age where she would rather be with her friends then her kid brother and his mom is a single working mother trying to raise her family, date, and keep her job.  Max feels forgotten, frustrated, misunderstood, and is unable to communicate everything he is feeling.  After a particularly tough night he “runs away” to the land of the Wild Things.

 

For me just seeing the Wild Things live on the screen was amazing.  I almost cried I was so excited.  This movie was so many things, raw, emotional, subtle, yet powerful, and just beautiful! 

 

Spike Jonze masterfully created the world of a child.  The struggles of not understanding the grown up world, of wanting to be loved and to be the center of attention, and the imagination of a child and how they process everything around them.  The way that he had the Wild Things represent different aspects of Max’s family life was incredibly powerful and subtle all at the same time.  We saw Max go from this young boy who appreciated his freedom from his family and relished living the Wild Life of the Wild Things, to a confused young boy who wasn’t sure how to handle all of the complicated relationships among the Wild Things and just wanted to return to the comfort of having someone care for him instead of the responsibility of caring for everyong else. 

 

One thing that brought the movie together in the perfect way was the soundtrack.  Spike Jonze partnered with Karen O of the “Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs” and she brought on a children’s choir.  The soundtrack brought a lot of the emotion to the screen.  We of course bought it and when I listen to it sometimes it makes me want to just run shrieking and waving my arms through a snowy field.  It brings you back to memories of childhood and makes you want to just let loose.

 

I would be surprised if come Oscar time this movie doesn’t win Best Original Soundtrack, Best Costuming and Best Special Effects (how did they get the Wild Things to come to life???)

 

Overall, I would rate this 5 stars!  It is definitely a movie worth seeing in my opinion.

 

Post in Comments:

Did you see Where the Wild Things Are?  What were your thoughts?

 

Foodie Wednesday: Levain Bakery Cookies November 11, 2009

Filed under: Foodie Wednesday, NYC Experiences — readerbean @ 11:42 pm
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Cookies...!

A couple of years ago, Jon and I saw an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay and it was all about who could make the better Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bobby Flay or Levain Bakery.  Since then I’ve wanted to try the cookies at Levain Bakery!  My friend Jen and I were recently discussing this over wine at Jadis a couple weeks back and we set a date for a cookie tasting (yum!)

 

Since they close pretty early and there isn’t a ton of seating Jen offered to pick up the cookies and bring them over to my place where we could really enjoy them over some red wine and a good chat.  I asked her to pick up one of each of the 4 varieties of cookies, so that we could determine which was our favorite.

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Cookie Tasting

 

The cookie flavors were as follows:  chocolate chip with nuts, oatmeal raisan, chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips and a chocolate chococlate chunk cookie.  These cookies are BIG, it would be tough to eat a whole one.  We took pieces from each cookie and enjoyed our sample.  The thing that is amazing about Levain’s cookies is that they are crispy on the outside but so soft and chewy on the inside (almost like cookie dough).  They were amazing.  I would definitely say that my favorite was the chocolate chocolate chunk cookie and second would be the oatmeal raisin.  I wish the chocolate chip didn’t have nuts in it, I have a feeling that if it didn’t that might be my favorite, but I prefer my chocolate chip cookies sans nuts.

 

If you are ever in NYC searching for a fun and yummy cookie experience I would certainly recommend Levain Bakery cookies.  I’m looking forward to visiting the actual bakery one day!

 

Post in Comments:

What is your favorite type of cookies?

 

Tuesday Travels: Day 2 in Philadelphia November 10, 2009

Filed under: Tuesday Travels, Vacation — readerbean @ 9:31 pm
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The Liberty Bell

 I know, I know, I’ve been a BAD blogger!  However, my work schedule has calmed down a bit now so I’m looking forward to getting back to regularly scheduled blogging.  So when we last left off I was telling y’all about Jon and mine’s trip to Philly last summer.  Seriously, if you live in the tri-state area and haven’t been to Philly yet you should really go.  It’s so much closer than you think, and there is a variety of activities to do, sights to see, and it’s a great “foodie” city!  Jon and I had some great meals there.

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Me with the Liberty Bell

 Day 2 was all about THE LIBERTY BELL!!!!  Yes!  (Quick side note:  the other amazing thing about Philly is that a lot of the sites are FREE that’s right FREE!)  It’s a great place to visit on a Budget.  Liberty Bell = free; Independence Hall = free; the Declaration House = free; so on and so forth.  Now not everything is free but so much is that when you have to pay an admission you don’t mind becuase you haven’t paid one in awhile. 

 

We got in line early because we knew that the longer in the day you wait to visit the Liberty Bell, the longer the line you wait in.  The building that houses the Liberty Bell is actually right next to where George Washington’s house was back in 1776.  The Liberty Bell experience is so interesting.  You spend a good portion of the time learning all about the history of the bell, it’s makers, the infamous crack, etc.  You don’t see the bell till the very end and then it’s just a photo op, one person/family after the next.  It really is something though, after you learn all about it’s history as a or THE symbol of freedom to stand next to it.  Definitely a must do in Philly.

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The Constitution Center

 After the Liberty Bell we moved on to The Constitution Center.   The last time I was in Philly (ahem…when I was like 17) The Constitution Center didn’t exist.  I’m not sure when it opened, but as we were getting ready for our trip, everyone I talked to (including the guy who was printing our shirts at work for an upcoming event) recommended The Constitution Center as a “must see”.  I quickly added it to the itinerary and we were not disappointed.  Before you experience the museum you are invited into a media room to experience “We the People”.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was party “movie”, part “presentation”, part speech.  It was awesome, I seriously had chills when it ended (and maybe some tears in my eyes…I’m such a sucker for appreciating life!)  It really made me think about our responsibility to our country and the people who helped create it.

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Me as a Supreme Court Judge (scary huh?)

 The entire museum is interactive.  You can take this quiz throughout to see if at certain points in history you would be able to vote.  You can take the Oath of the President, you can dress up as a Supreme Court Judge, sit at a big seat and watch interactive videos that present a case that the Supreme Court really saw.  After they present both sides and tell you what the constitution says about the issue you can vote and see if you voted as the Supreme Court did based on Constitutional Law.  It really made History fun, which is not something I feel is always done well.  Jon and I spent a good two hours here and we really were impressed.

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HC Ladies with the Presidents

 I loved it so much in fact, that when my HC girlfriends and I went on our yearly “HC Ladies Getaway” in November 2008 in Philadelphia my one thing that I wanted to do was go to The Constitution Center because I really wanted them to experience it as well.  They had a whole exhibit at that point on the history of the election, which was really interesting.  Needless to say we all enjoyed our time at The Constitution Center and spent some quality time chatting it up with some Presidents and important national figures (per the above photo)!

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Carpenter's Hall

 In the afternoon we explored Carpenter’s Hall, host to the First Continental Congress.  The other awesome Philly treasure that we got to take advantage of was the Once Upon a Nation benches.  Essentially if you see a bench with a sign saying that it is a Once Upon a Nation bench you can sit down and they will tell you a story about a piece of Philadelphia history, usually having to do with some history that took place near where they are sitting, or with regards to a person who lived near where they are sitting.  You sit down and they will ring their bell to see if anyone else is interested and then they set in on these theatrical stories.  I absolutely loved it.  They are participatory so sometimes you get a role in the story that you need to help act out.  It was another way that Philadelphia was making history fun, and I loved that.  I believe they are only around during the summer though, so don’t expect to find them in the cold weather!  Then we headed back to the hotel to clean up for a night out on the town.

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Mike, myself & Jon at Dinner @ Amada's!

 

We met our friend Mike at Amada, an amazing tapas restaurant in Philly.  We had a delicious dinner and it was good catching up with Mike (yay ‘Saders).  Then Mike took us to his favorite local bar (I can’t remember the name) and we met up with another friend from HC, Kirsten and some of Mike’s friends.  The night got away from us….so the pictures stop here (wink!)  It was a fun night out with old friends.  They really knew how to show us a good time. 

 

The 3rd and last Philly post (to come next Tuesday) will share all about our adventurous bike ride out in Valley Forge.  So tune in then…

 

Post in Comments:

What is your favorite restaurant in Philadelphia?  I’d have to say that it would be a toss up between Amada and Continental!

 

Monday Bookworms: Local Girls November 2, 2009

Filed under: Book Reviews, Monday Bookworms — readerbean @ 8:15 pm
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Local GirlsLocal Girls, Alice Hoffman

197 pages, @ 1999

 

After The Caine Mutiny & The Known World, I needed something light.  My friend Amy recommended Alice Hoffman to me a couple of years ago, and while she doesn’t blow me out of the water, she’s a go to author when you’re looking for something light and quick to read.

 

Local Girls takes place on Long Island and tells the story of one particular family with the central character being Gretel Samuelson, an adolescent teenager (gotta love those!)  Teen pregnancy, college dropouts, bad boys, cancer diagnosis, divorce, drugs, destructive relationships, new beginnings…these are all themes or issues that were covered in this novella.  The overarching theme though seemed to be that of unfulfilled dreams…

 

Gretel Samuelson is just another 13-14 year old then her world falls apart as her parents get divorced and her mother is diagnosed with cancer, her best friend gets pregnant their junior year of high school and her brother, full of promise with a scholarship to Harvard ends up working the deli counter at the local grocery store and not going to college.  Gretel seems to be the only “together” character in the whole book, but she has her issues too.  Her character is the most evolved character throughout the book.

 

If I could interview Alice Hoffman, I would ask her if she had a traumatic incident involving a violent or bad man in her life.  Every book I read of hers has these awful, undependable, emotionally unavailable, controlling men in them and these woman who are drawn to them because in the beginning of the book they seem weak and swayed by “love” but then they wake up and become these strong independent woman characters.  I’m curious as to the pattern, is it based on a personal experience she had or is it just a theme that she has voluntarily decided to write?  This book once again followed this theme, which I was not surprised by at all, since this was my 3rd Hoffman book.

 

Overall, it was a light and quick read, just what I was looking for.  It’s hard for me to say whether or not I would recommend Hoffman’s books.  I guess it depends on what type of reader you are, if you’re looking to breeze through something in 24 hours and just zone out for a bit then you would like her books, I think.

 

Rating:  2.5 stars

 

Post in Comments:

Have you read Alice Hoffman and if so, what’s your favorite book?  I think of the 3 I’ve read Practical Magic is my favorite one.

 

Congratulations Kate! November 2, 2009

Filed under: Family, Life Goals, NYC Experiences, Sports — readerbean @ 7:31 pm
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CONGRATULATIONS TO MY LIL’ SIS!!!!

 

She ran her first marathon yesterday, the ING NYC Marathon!  26.2 miles, 5 burroughs, 5 bridges, and she smiled the whole way.

 

She finished in 4 hours and 27 minutes, rock star status!!!  I’m so proud of her.  In addition, she raised over $2600 for charity thanks to generous family and friends!!!!

 

Congrats to everyone who ran yesterday – what an amazing accomplishment for all!

 

GO KATE, GO!!!