Books in Review

As I am in three book clubs, I always seem to have a stack of books that grew all the time. I never get to the bottom of these stacks, but I still try.

First up,

Perks of Being a Wallflower

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I just finished this young adult book and I thought it was a great read for anyone, but especially a teen. There are some inappropriate parts (isn't that high school though?), but there is a lot of relatable events: puberty, feeling alone, not fitting in, parties, crushes, etc. The whole book is written in letter format to an unknown person. If you want a trip back to high school, pick this novel up, you'll finish it in two days like I did. Also, I pledged to read books before seeing the movie, and I'm excited to see this one.




The Kitchen Daughter

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I read this quick tale last month-- another quick one. It was an endearing story about a young girl living life on the autism spectrum. You see the world through her eyes. She copes with problems in life through cooking-- some excellent recipes also. The story isn't what I expected-- it's not another story about autism; it's about so much more. If you choose to read it, you'll see some patient parenting as well as a strong bond between sisters. Set aside a night or two and you won't be disappointed in this book.


Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

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Another book for book club, this is a love story set in England. All the ladies raved about the book. I, however, was annoyed by the main character's uppity, British attitude, especially since he hates on Americans at so many points in the book. I also was annoyed with his firm stance on manners and pedigree. It is a cute love story and I'm not sure why, but I love romances with older characters. Major is in his sixties and he falls in love for the second time in his life. I find it refreshing that love isn't just something that happens in your teens or twenties, but at any point in life-- it's never too late. If you love the Brits and romance, pick it up. It took me about a week to read.


Dress Your Family in Corduroy

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My bestie ReRe and I swap books whenever we get together and this was one of her recommendations. I absolutely loved it-- so great. This is a collection of autobiographical essay/stories of David Sedaris's life growing up. I found it hysterical, light, and definitely something I could relate to. Sedaris obviously loves his family and shows it by making fun of their idiosyncracies. I also loved that it was a book I could pick up, laugh, put it down and a week later, I could do it again.

Gone Girl

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This book was the first choice for our first attempt at creating a book club with friends, so cleverly named: Book to the Future. I loved the book. Normally, I'm not into thriller/mystery/murder stuff, but this was well-written and maddening. It also was a story I couldn't figure out for the longest time-- a twist at every corner. It was a long book, but worth the read. The suspense will keep you flipping. I managed to read this book in two days in the summer when I had the time.


Middlesex

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Lastly, is the book Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. My good buddy Jules (who has quite an adorable baby, I must say) suggested this read the last time I posted about books to read. I then suggested this for Book To The Future to read as our second book. I, unfortunately, didn't like the book as much as I wanted to. The premise is a young girl who is born hermaphroditic and then she lives life as a male when she enters her teens. I found that part of the book extremely interesting and it was the whole reason I wanted to read it. However, the first 350 pages is a detailed historical account of her family emigrating from Greece to the U.S. Again, interesting, but not my style of book. I liked that it took place in Michigan, since I am a Yooper, but the historical aspect was too much for my brain. If you are a patient reader who is into history, then I think you'll really love it. I was also very busy and it took me about 3 weeks to read this because I didn't have a lot of time and I couldn't get involved and invested like I wanted to. I must say the last 150 pages were quite intriguing though.

Chick-quamegon 5K

I don't know why I get these "great" ideas for races, but I'm afraid that my friends are going to start hating me because of these bright thoughts. Anyone who signs up for and decides to participate in a 5k in November should be prepared for nasty weather, but it was raining and miserable. I can handle the snow and cold, but the icy wind and rain is definitely not something I signed up for. As you can see below from my beautiful friend:

Haha, sorry E$-- I had to

This was also partly the same route of the end of our half marathon, so it was like we were having terrible flashbacks. Somehow, I ran my fastest time. I believe it's because I wanted it to be over quickly. I ran it in 30:42, which for me, is FAST. E$ and I have been averaging one 5k a month, so we'll see what December brings. I also invited my new friend from work: Ms. K, who ran track in college-- not even fair. The race was a good time. It was women only and they gave out tiaras, a finishers medal (made from wood, a finisher's wood?), and since I paid the seven extra dollars, I received a sweet, pink hoodie. Definitely a race I would do again, hopefully without the rain.

Korean Beef Noodles

My favorite time of the year is here: hunting. This is a great week this year because I'm off from school and Mr. X is at camp all week. That means I get to make all my Asian, spicy recipes that I never get to make when he's around. This dish was simple, light, and so delicious. I changed it a little bit because that's what I always do when I cook-- change recipes. I also cut this in half because it's just me eating. Thanks Food Network!

What you'll need:
1 5-to-6-ounce package cellophane noodles
1/3 c. soy sauce
5 T, sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. apple cider vinegar
12 oz. skirt steak, sliced 1/4 inch thick against the grain
1 yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
Kosher salt
10 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed (I just used regular)
1 c.shredded carrots (from about 3 carrots)
6 c. baby spinach (about 10 ounces)

What you'll do: There are some ridiculous steps in this. Instead, I just sauteed the vegetables, then beef, and combined, but this is the exact recipe:
1. Soak the noodles in warm water to soften, 5 to 10 minutes, then drain, cut into pieces if you want. I didn't.
2. Combine the soy sauce, 3 tablespoons sesame oil, the garlic, brown sugar and vinegar in a bowl. Put the beef in another bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce mixture.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon salt and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the beef and stir-fry until just cooked through. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Rinse and wipe out the skillet, return to the heat and add 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Add the mushrooms and carrots; stir-fry 3 minutes.
5. Add the noodles and 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce mixture and stir-fry 1 minute; add 1/3 cup water and cook until the noodles are just tender, 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the beef.
6. Wipe out the skillet, return to the heat and add the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Add the spinach and the remaining soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add to the beef and toss.
7. I of course added Sriracha sauce because life is always better with more sriracha.


Per serving: Calories 616 ; Fat 30 g (Saturated 7 g); Cholesterol 45 mg; Sodium 1,558 mg; Carbohydrate 69 g; Fiber 7 g; Protein 23 g