Cooking it up

Here's a  great idea, from Trish of http://www.lovelaughterinsanity.com/ - a cookbook challenge.

I am no kind of cook, in any way, shape or form. I have a few basic recipes that I fall back on and that's about it. However, if I do push myself juuuuust that little further, I do enjoy the process.

And, I own cookbooks. I own cookbooks in the same way a magpie might own a diamond ring. It knows that the ring is pretty, but it has no idea what it's for. That's .. pushing the metaphor but I hope you know what I mean. Cookbooks are pretty! They have deceptively attractive layouts! Photos of food! What's not to like?

So. As a non-cook, I own cookbooks. I look at them every day, but I admire them in the same way I admire horses and snakes - very carefully and from a safe distance.

So stumbling over Trish's challenge is sort of perfect. Pet the snake! (Er. Anyway.) I don't want to get carried away with impossible dreams, so my plan is to pick one recipe once a month that I feel I'm capable of. It won't be soon - it'll probably be in a couple of weeks, but I'll take photos of the carnage, er, the results and link up with Trish's monthly .... linking thing.

 Er.

Bon apetit?

Challenging times

I love reading challenges. I mean, I think I love the IDEA of reading challenges more than the challenges themselves, though that never stops me from rampantly signing up.

Patrick is out at a birthday party, so I'm using this small, unexpected window of peace to do an update post.


I definitely failed out of the 2014 TBR challenge hosted here: http://roofbeamreader.com/ - I think I read four or five of the books I'd  pulled off my shelves, but I'm going to re-do my TBR shelf and sign up again, because hope springs eternal and all that.

I have, however, managed to do reasonably well on the women writer's challenge, hosted here: http://www.peekabook.it/2013/12/2014-women-challenge.html

I signed up to read at least 20 books by women writers, and so far I've read 31, out of the 54 books I've read this year. I still need to work on diversifying my reading, but it's a decent start, I think.

If that's on offer again next year, I'll definitely sign up again, with a focus on diversity. And, of course, I'll try and dovetail it with the More Diverse Universe challenge: http://www.aartichapati.com/

Two challenges I consistently fail out of are Once Upon a Time and RIP, and I don't know why because sci fi and fantasy and horror/suspense are some of my favourite genres. Perhaps 2015 will be my year.

Who knows, right?

Your mission ....

:D

I've been going through the challenges for 2014 posted on http://novelchallenges.blogspot.co.nz/ and as always, everything is the most tempting.

For now, I've narrowed it down to two, so I don't get too distracted by the shinies - lol.

First up is this challenges hosted at http://roofbeamreader.com - the TBR Pile Challenge. It has structure, and montly posts, and it's exactly what I'm looking for. I just need to make a TBR list :-)

Next is this one hosted by http://www.peekabook.it It's a challenge to read women writers, which is something I want to try and do more of.

Later in the year I'm planning on taking on RIP and Once Upon a Time, both of which are hosted here, if you're new. http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com

Onward!!!!!

A post

How's it hanging interwebz? How's every little thing? How FAST has 2013 gone? You know what, let's not talk about that.

Recently I started going back through my blog archives and looking at how much I used to blog in a year compared to now. I am an intermittent blogger at best. I have decided to try and change that.

One of the things I noticed from previous years was I had structure to hang posts on - things like the Weekly Geeks (Dewey

To be honest, I don't think I'm going to start doing reviews again. There are so many clever and insightful reviewers out there and I sit in my little corner playing with the laser dot and going OMG THIS WAS AWESOMEEEEEEE which isn't really helpful - lol.

I'm still going to be talking about books, and what I'm reading but not writing reviews. Probably. If that even makes sense.

Anyway, we were talking about structure and how I need to have something to hang blog posts upon.

So the plan is to hang them on the It's Monday What are You Reading meme hosted here:  http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/ and to pick up on a few (a very few, I've met myself) reading challenges and post about those, say, once a week.

So, posting twice a week talking about books and reading, with a framework.

Hopefully, that way, I can get back into the swing of things.

12-month diversity classic challenge

ETA: I reviewed this list, and I diversity-failed. I only have one woman writer on there. So I opened up the floor to my twitter feed for suggestions, and have revised the list.

So I've done this challenge a couple of times before, just for myself, and I've never actually completed it.

And I was talking to the awesome Eva from http://astripedarmchair.wordpress.com/ who mentioned diversity, and that got me thinking.

I opened the floor up for suggestions, here and on twitter, and this list is the result (side note: if anyone feels like making up their own list and joining me, for a book a month, then please do! The more the merrier!)

#diversityclassics reading list: (new and improved ...)

September – Madame Bovary by Gustav Flaubert

October – The Matriarch by Witi Ihimaera

November – In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

December – The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope

January – Maurice by E M Forster

February – Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

March – Love and Rockets by Gilbert Hernandez

April – Maus by Art Speigelman

May – The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

June – Waiting by Ha Jin

July – The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

August – Travels with Myself and Another by Martha Gellhorn

That's better. #diversityclassics

September to December's books fit in with my book-buying ban, because I already own them.

Wish me luck! :D