Book Review: The Family Fang

Annie and Buster Fang grew up as part of their parents strange performance art.  As soon as they could, they busted out of their childhood homes and tried to forge their own paths as an actress and writer, respectively.  Turns out, being forced to participate in weird performances didn't train them to lead normal, well adjusted lives.  When things start falling apart they both decide to move back in with their parents while they piece them back together.  They seem to be managing until their parents suddenly disappear and Annie and Buster try to figure out if it is just another crazy work of art or if they could actually be dead.

I liked seeing Annie and Buster come to terms with how much their childhood scarred them.  I also enjoyed witnessing such a strong bond between siblings, especially when they're not same-sex siblings.  I only wish I was more invested in the characters.  I didn't know enough about them to really love and root for them.

3 out of 5 stars.

Letting Life Happen + Book Review: Instant Mom

My most personal book review to date just went live on Quarterlette yesterday.  Check it out, if you please!

Monday Reads

1. I use a trip to the grocery store as a way to unwind and don't find the NYC lines frustrating at all (once I learned how to navigate the different stores).  I wonder how many people will opt into Chicory, a delivery service that works by attaching a "Get Ingredients" button to the bottom of online recipes.
2. Protesters in Hong Kong are looking for the leader, Leung Chun-ying, to step down because they aren't happy with his policy of prescreening candidates for his successor.  Basically, it's freedom on a very tight leash. 
3. Has anyone noticed all the songs about rear ends that popped up at the end of summer?  Maybe all this booty talk is good for society.
4. California is outlawing plastic bags but charging for paper ones.  Will people adapt to bringing their own from home?

30 Before 30: #27 - Take One Picture Each Day for a Month

Taking a picture every day may not seem like much of a challenge in the days where our cameras are our phones and our phones fit in our pockets.  But this project wasn't just about taking lots of selfies; it was an attempt for me to stop for one moment every single day and find something to appreciate.  It is all too easy to slip into the same routine day after day.  Walking the exact same streets to work and going home to the exact same apartment can get monotonous and boring.  But even in a routine, it's possible to find something new every day that can make you smile.  This project means discovery.  It means gratitude.

Some days were easy.  One Sunday there was the most gorgeous sunset and another day I found a school door to be stately and beautiful in its own way.  But then other days it would be 11 PM and I hadn't found a single thing interesting enough for a picture.  It was those days that I realized how great it was that I could see the greatness of NYC just by looking out my bedroom blinds.  Snap: that's picture worthy.  Or how snuggling under the covers with my Bella was one of my favorite things ever so that deserved a picture as well.

I managed to tag almost all of the pictures in the collection (27 of the 30) with #SeptemberSnaps on Instagram.  I also used #30picsin30days to follow my own journey.

Date of Completion: 9/30/14

Pasta with Salami

Instead of having a cheese plate for supper two nights in a row, I recently incorporated some leftover Hungarian salami into a pasta dish.  I boiled up some spinach and chive linguine (Trader Joe's) and tossed it with some store-bought marinara.  The trick here is to put in enough sauce to just coat the pasta.  I once learned on a cooking show that if you see any sauce left in the pan, you've used too much.  The salami had been sliced thin for the cheese plate, which was exactly how I wanted it.  I sliced it into strips and tong-tossed it with the pasta.  I used scissors to slice up my salami.  It may seem barbaric, but it was the most efficient way to do it and my salami ribbons were perfect.  Top off with a drizzle of some really good quality extra virgin olive oil and some fresh parm.

3 on Thursday

Despite a beautiful Indian Summer weekend of temperatures in the low 80s, we're really beginning to see a shift in the weather.  I don't mind the occasion to pull the cardis out of my closet, but my body is not reacting so well to the change.  I'm in the process of staving of a cold and thanks to udon soup and lots of hot tea with honey, I've been keeping the symptoms at bay.  After an incredibly busy summer, the slightly scratchy throat and stuffed nose are serving as a nice reminder that it's time to slow down now that fall has arrived.

1. Usually my trips to The Strand are limited to quick digs through their streetside bargain bins, but last weekend my plans cancelled and I found myself standing outside one of my favorite bookstores with nothing but time.  I picked up four new books and have already started devouring them.
2. Just at the tail end of summer I discovered the perfect pink shade.  With my complexion, true pinks can be touchy.  I always felt like the bright shades are best for blondes.  Scared by the nearly neon shade in the tube (the pic doesn't quite show how bright it looks), I was nervous to try Maybelline's Color Whisper in Petal Rebel.  Once I put it on, it immediately became a favorite.  It is perfect for summer as it alludes to a bright pink while still somehow remaining tame.  
3. Usually when you run in a race, your participation gets you a t-shirt.  T-shirts can be great, but now that I'm out of college, I only wear them to sleep so I was so happy that the 10K I ran earned me a great tote.  It's super durable and shows off my support of the FEED organization.

Book Review: At Bertram's Hotel

When it was becoming apparent that I was becoming a real bookworm and bored with the novels around me, my Mom introduced me to Agatha Christie.  I fell in love with her mysteries and the gradual unraveling of secrets.  It had been years since I had read anything by Christie, but when I saw one of her novels on sale for $2 outside The Strand, I picked it up.  The fact that the title was "At Bertram's Hotel" intrigued me all the more as it immediately called to mind my own Grandpa Bert (short, indeed, for Bertram) who not only encouraged my reading more than anyone else, but [like Christie's novels] was always a bit of a mystery to me.

"At Bertram's Hotel" does not follow the same format as most other Agatha Christie mysteries.  There is a murder at some point, but it does not occur in the beginning and the overall plot is a bit wild and out there.  It was more "fun," I would say.  The allure of Bertram's Hotel is that it has maintained all the charm of old England, as if it was frozen in time.  But when Miss Marple stays there, she can tell that something is not right; after all, nothing can really remain unchanged after all these years.  So she begins to observe the comings and goings of the hotel's cast of characters.  There are clandestine meetings happening all over the place and they all begin to make sense as Miss Marple and Chief Inspector Davy learn more about the hotel guests.  It's a real caper - like a slightly more serious Scooby Doo episode for adults.

3.5 out of 5 stars.