What I'm Reading Now

Here’s a quick rundown of what I’m reading now:


1. Wolf Hall: A Novel by Hilary Mantel (who doesn’t enjoy a well-written historical novel?)

2. Catherine by April Lindner (I really loved Jane, her last book, and I’m loving Catherine so far).

3. Baked Elements by Matt Lewis and Renate Poliafito (yes, I read cookbooks from cover to cover and flag recipes I like. How else will I know what to make?).

Anything else should I be reading?

My Precious

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a gift card to Barnes & Noble. As a dedicated user of the New York Public Library (sometimes I think I should pay more tax given the number of books I take out), I’m giddy and a little overwhelmed at the prospect of having an entire gift card to spend on anything I want. Do I get a cookbook? Do I get a book I’ve been waiting for? Do I buy an old favorite? Or do I just hoard it and wait for the right moment? Oh, my precious…it could take years to actually cash you in.

Parrot in the House

The other day, I was trying to work on some revisions when I realized that my living room resembles a petting zoo. In addition to the toddler and the rabbit, there is now a small, green parrot named Pablo.


Pablo is a long-term guest while his people are living abroad. His chatter, combined with the rabbit’s constant munching on hay and the sounds of the toddler’s train set, makes for nice white noise.

And who knows – now that I’m living with a parrot, maybe there will be one written into my next book!

Creativity Sandwich

I have a new baking obsession: sandwich cookies. The cupcake craze that has fueled a rise in mom-and-pop bakeries seems to have overshadowed the humble sandwich cookie. But what can be a more perfect treat than two crisp wafers held together by a delicious frosting?

The thing I like best about sandwich cookies is the ability to be creative. You can make peanut butter cookies and stick them together with vanilla frosting or plain old sugar cookies and join them with chocolate mint frosting. The possibilities are endless.

Or you can make a whole bunch of different kinds of cookies and frosting, invite a bunch of people over and have a mix and match party. Everyone will have the freedom of choice for their own cookies and filling.

Six Of One…E-Book of Another

Last week, I read a survey that indicated that there is a modest rise in e-books and decline in print books. In some ways, this debate is moot. Obviously, e-books are gaining traction but print books aren’t going to disappear completely. Like my friend Leslie said last week, she likes to have “disposable” books on her kindle and physical books on her shelf.

One of the upshots to e-books is the author’s ability to add content that just wouldn’t work in print (one of my ideas for my book includes demonstrations on how to make cookies). But one of the downsides is that a shelf of books looks much prettier than an e-reader propped up in the corner.

Finally, a survey like this is interesting but a quick read of the fine print is important. The respondent size was very small and is very likely biased by the collection method. Also, I think the researchers tried too hard to make the expansion of e-books related to the age of the reader. I don’t see how that’s relevant when the barriers to using tablets are very, very low.

Dressing Your Character for Success

Imagine a world in which you can choose any clothing. Shoes, dresses, even jewelry. Price is no object. Storage is no problem.

It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?

That's how I felt when I thought about how to dress my main character, Sarah. I was trying to think of clothing that would express her personality and fit her role in the book. I thought that a girl who likes Little Women as much as Sarah does might go for a more conservative style than most girls in her class. I looked into my mind's eye and saw...nothing.

When I get stuck it helps to think about the authors that I like and think about what they did.  I remembered when I read Veronica Roth's descriptions of how the different factions dress in her books Divergent and Insurgent. That did it. The memory flooded my mind with possibilities. I went back and chose Sarah's entire wardrobe - shoes, how her clothes fit, colors, and thought about how she picked clothing. It helped me shape her character and think about the way people see her.

People Cheer the Gladiator Scenes in The Hunger Games?!

I haven't had a chance to see The Hunger Games movie yet but I have talked to a lot of people about their impressions of it. I was surprised when a few of them said that people cheered during the gladiator scenes set in the arena. I would have written it off as a one-time misconception if three different people (who saw the film at different time) all said the same thing to me.

This is confusing. In the books those scenes were horrifying. It's hard to imagine how they could be anything but that. Even in my favorite dark humor works nothing is safe from lampooning - except killing children. One example is the excellent film In Bruges.

Can somebody help me out with this? Why in the world would someone cheer at a time like that?