I Often Think About That Summer

That Summer by Sarah Dessen
I was so excited to read my first Sarah Dessen book. I've heard so many great things about her books, and everyone one just seems to love it. I wasn't sure where to start but picked this one up mainly based on the cover, not really knowing anything about it. (Coincidentally my first Sarah Dessen book was her first one published as well.) Except halfway through the book I discovered this book, along with one of her others, had been turned into a movie (How to Deal staring Mandy Moore). And I had seen that movie. I don't remember a lot other than a few minor plot points, but mainly that I didn't really enjoy it because nothing seemed to happen.

That Summer is the story of Haven summer at 15-years-old. The summer starts off with her dad remarrying and ends with her older sister's marriage, and is the cliched, summer that everything changed.

I really wanted to like this book. But similar to the movie version nothing really happened. Or at least nothing happened until the last 10 pages or so, which I actually found quite enjoyable. But I think because I had such high hopes for this book, and Sarah Dessen in general, I felt pretty let down.

Even though I'm not raving about this book, I still plan on giving Sarah Dessen another chance. So if anyone has advice on which book of hers will make me change my mind towards her I'd love to hear your suggestions.

3/5

The Pancake Post

I posted this recipe before, but since Kelly's Korner is linking up with favorite breakfast recipes I figured it'd be a great time to share it again. The recipe before is for berry pancakes (blueberry is my standard), but it can easily be adapted. My second favorite, or really maybe first, would be chocolate chips, and I do them the same way by adding the chips to each individual pancake instead of mixed through the batter. Enjoy!
Pancakes
from Marion Cunningham's The Breakfast Book
Makes two dozen 4-inch pancakes (Although we'll normally half the recipe and that makes a perfect amount for the 2 of us)

Ingredients
2 eggs
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking power
3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Put butter and milk in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until butter has melted. (I normally just do this in the microwave.) Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl until they are thoroughly blended. After the butter mixture cools slightly stir into eggs and mix well. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and stir with fork until well mixed.

Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir only until the dry ingredients are well moistened. Don't over mix.

Heat a griddle or skillet until a few drops of water dance on it, then lightly grease. Drop 2 or 3 tablespoons of batter for each pancake onto griddle and cook until bubbles break on the surface. Turn the pancake over and cook another 30 seconds, or until the bottom is lightly browned. Serve the pancake hot.

To make Berry Pancakes: Sprinkle 2 or 3 tablespoons of berries on top of each pancake after the pancake has cooked to the point where bubbles are breaking, gently pressing the berries down into the pancake with a spatula. Then flip and cook for about another 30 seconds.

The Flowers in China

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
I haven't actually read that many books that take place in China, but everything I have read I've really enjoyed. I was assigned to read Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth in middle school, which I enjoyed so much I went on to read the sequels. A few months ago a read another of Lisa See's books, Shanghai Girls, which while only part of it takes place in China itself it is still about the Chinese culture and traditions. With this background I was expecting to enjoy this book as well, and I'm happy to say I wasn't let down.

Lily is a young girl being raised by a farmer in the remote Hunan county. At 7-years-old she is lucky enough to enter a contract of lifelong friendship, a laotong, with another young girl Snow Flower. She receives her first message from Snow Flower on a fan, which they then use to record the history of the friends the highs and lows of their lives both together and apart.

Simply put, I loved this book. Yes, I enjoy the characters and their hurdles and triumphs, but I think I enjoyed learning most about the various traditions and the culture of China in the mid-1800s. As you might expect foot binding in definitely present here, and I couldn't help but be fascinated at the process and all the details provided of just how it actually happened.

Another tradition the is almost central to the novel is nu shu, the language that Lily and Snow Flower use to write to one another. It is believed to be the only written language developed for women only as a way to write secretly amongst themselves without their husbands' knowledge.

I'm definitely glad I was able to pick this book up, and after reading (and enjoying) two of Lisa See's books I've definitely planning on reading the rest. And not only that, Im hoping to be able to see the movie version of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan when its released later this summer.

5/5

Disclosure: I was provided this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Will You Be My Maid

Bridesmaid that is! Although is anyone really wants to be my maid, I guess I'm willing to take you on. But moving forward. I really wanted to do something nice to ask my bridesmaids to be in the wedding, and didn't want to ask them over the phone. With 2 living in NYC, its difficult to see them in person, and really I knew I wanted to send a card. I just thought it would be the "most funnest" option. And I even knew the card I wanted to send.


sourceI've seen them recreated before...

sourceso I figured how hard could it be? Since it looked so easy, I sat down at the table with various papers (and without instructions) and was ready to go!
I did have a plan, and was going to make different dresses for each card that was each girl would have a personalized card. And with four I was planning on gluing the final girl to the card itself, except that would mean the top would be the back of a girl, and I wasn't sure how that would work. Nor could I get all the girls to fold up together nicely and look perfect on the front of the card. (Of course, now I'm looking at the card seeing the girls WEREN'T glued to the card itself. If I had only taken that route it might have worked.) But extremely frustrated, thus accounting for the lack of pictures, I moved on...
Each girl instead would have a single dress on the front of their card. Since I had fallen a little in love with this single-sleeved sparkly blue dress I thought that worked out.

The part I had been looking forward to the most was making each girl's hair look unique, and have no fear, I still got to carry out my vision.
I think I spent 2 hours along on the first card, but thankfully once I knew what I was doing I was able to get the final 3 done in about 30 minutes. All in all I'm glad I did it, and from what I've heard my girls definitely appreciated the effort. And just for fun, here's one more for your viewing pleasure.
Did you do anything special when asking your bridesmaids to stand for you? And if so, hopefully you were able to carryout your initial vision better than me!

Bad Cars

Cars 2
First I wanted to say that I just love all the posters for the movie, and wanted to pick my favorite one. But in a way, that ties into one thing I loved which was seeing all of these different locations as cars, the car sumo wrestlers in Japan, the Queen as a car in front of Buckingham Palace, and of course the popemobile in Italy. You could tell they had so much fun with all the little details throughout, and it was just as fun noticing them. Although I'm sure I barely noticed half, it's definitely the type of movie (similar to a ride at Disneyland) where you notice new things each time you see it.

But to the movie itself. I have heard a big complaint about this movie is that it's more about Mater than Lighting McQueen. Except if you saw the preview I can't really see how that's a surprise. Overall I think it's a really cute movie, and if it was made by anyone else it would be outstanding. I do think that because its a Pixar movie people had higher expectations for it, and out of the Pixar movies it probably is one of the worst. Not that it makes it bad, but more that Pixar has put out some great films.

Bad Teacher
This one was actually a bit of a surprise. The previews made it look absolutely hysterical, and while it was, it wasn't the movie I expected it to see. To start off with there wasn't much of a plot. The previews made it seem as if the central plotline was going to be Cameron Diaz's seduction of Justin Timberlake, and while yes, that was there, I wouldn't call it the central plot.

The surprise of the movie for me was Jason Segel. I've liked him before at least in general, but here he had a great number of one-liners. He definitely wasn't the character I expected him to be, and actually neither was Justin Timberlake. It is a fun movie, and I am glad I saw it, just looking back I'm surprised by exactly how the movie played out.

Backstreet's Back

This past Friday I got to see my first boyfriend Nick Carter. (What? There's nothing right with that?) Although it technically wasn't just him but the rest of the Backstreet Boys, as well as the New Kids. (NKOTBSB baby!) We drove out to Lafayette, and thankfully left early to avoid traffic. (We saw 3 accidents on the way, not to mention the fire on the side of the road.) After spending $70 on a (single one) t-shit and a (again single one) program, we were off to our seats to enjoy our drinks. I went to take a photo of my strawberry daiquiri to document it for the blog except...
The flash on my camera was dead! I had made sure the camera itself was charged, and while I had noticed my flash acting up lately I hadn't really thought about it. But here I was with a camera without a flash. I started having flashbacks to when I saw Nick Carter's solo tour (the last time I actually saw a BSB member in concert), when I guiltily confessed my camera to the security guard and he took the battery out. Except this time I was prepared, and was still able to use my cell phone...
And my flip video camera.
Except we were one the floor, and by the the middle of the show we started to get comfortable to run up to the stage when they were close. And from a certain distance, with all the lights you don't really need a flash.
Jordan & Joey
Jordan
A.J.

Although in all of the great photos I took I didn't get a single good one of Nick, which could have made for a slightly disappointing night except...

Right after I took this photo
Howie touched my hand!!! So that definitely completed my night.

Yes, I realized I sound like such a teeny, but it was so much fun! And, now ending this point the best way possible, with a final bow.

In My Mailbox (14)

Somewhat unexpectedly I have a great In My Mailbox to share this week! For those who are new, it's a weekly link-in hosted by The Story Siren to share the books we've picked up whether by mail, by bookstore, through a friend, or really any other way you can think of. So now, let's get started!

The first three books I actually picked up at work. Someone had left out a pretty big stack of books that they were looking to get rid of. Some of these books I probably wouldn't have picked up otherwise, but if they're books someone wants to get rid of I'm more than game.
Tan Lines by Katherine Applegate
This is the type of book I used to read all the type over the summer back in high school. It looks like it's the second in series, but I have a feeling based on the type of book it is, I won't be missing too much if I read this one first.

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
This is another YA book that looks cute. I believe it's a relationship story, and alternating chapters are told from the girl's & guy's perspective.

How to Deal by Sarah Dessen
This one is actually a 2-in-1. It contains Someone Like You and That Summer, both of which inspired the movie staring Mandy Moore. It's almost ironic that I just finished That Summer a few days before I found this (review will be up later this week). I wasn't actually a huge fan of it, but since I've heard so many great things about Sarah Dessen, hopefully Someone Like You will change my mind.

Borrowed from a Friend
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
The friend that lent this to me is a huge fan of it. It is another YA book, and at first glance it isn't interesting because while the book is a collection of poems, each one comes together to tell a complete story.

From Goodreads
The Swimming Pool by Holly LeCraw
The only YA book today. The one is about a woman who has an affair, and the day it ends, her ex-affair-ee's wife is found day. It looks to be a chick-lit mixed with a bit of mystery and hopefully a good summer read.

Did you pick up anything unexpectedly this week too? Please let me know, what's in your mailbox?