What I am reading: October 2012

It's clear that reading e-books significantly increases the number of books that I read. As does not taking a German class this semester, travelling for extended car trips, visiting cities without the kids (to consider moving there) and so on.

My internet was down for 11 days (fodder for another post), so I'll just get this up now- I wasn't able to write reviews while I was reading, but, without internet or TV, I did read an awful lot.

1. Cotillion (1953) by Georgette Heyer: Obviously a re-read. (E-book)
2. Cut, Crop & Die by Joanne Campbell Slan: Liked the free dowload enough to buy another one. Enjoyed the single mom crafter protagonist.  (E-book)
3. Ring of Fire III by Eric Flint: Short stories filling in interim gaps in the Ring of Fire world. (Baen E-book)
4. 1635: Papal Stakes (Oct 2012) by Eric Flint and Charles Gannon: (Baen E-book)
5. Fire Season by David Weber and Jane Lindskold: The sequel to A Beautiful Friendship (reviewed last month) continues the introduction of tree cats to Manticorean society and the founding of the Harrington clan. Loved it. (Baen E-book)
6. Bloodstone (A Reluctant Witch Mystery) by Barbra Annino :  (E-book)
7. In Deep Voodoo by Stephanie Bond:  Fluffy and free- I liked this story set in Louisiana. (E-book)
8. Longeye by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller: This is the sequel to Duainfey, which I haven't read. Very different from Lee/Miller's Korval series, this is the story of a part-Fey human, taken to the world where the Fey rule. (Baen E-book)
9. Cast in Peril by Michelle Sagara:  Another in the Elantris series. Eagerly awaited, as always. (E-book)
10. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson: I have had this floating around for a while, finally read and enjoyed it very much. Sandersin is a great writer.(E-book)
11. Princess Paisley by Chautona Havig: A bit Christian for my tastes, but the fairy tale was nice. (E-book)
12. Emile and the Dutchman by Joel Rosenberg: (Baen E-book)
13. A Fall of Water
14. The Force of Wind
15. This Same Earth
16. A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter: Liked this quartet of books enough thata fter reading the first (free) download, I bought the remainder of the series. Extremely well-written vampire series, with a connection to the elements.  (all E-books)
17. Always the Designer, Never the Bride 
18. Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker: Free Amazon downloads, set in the same group of friends who find happiness and relationships. Nice, light reads.(E-book)
19. Trouble in Mudbug (Ghost-in-law mystery) by Jane DeLeon: Free download. Light mystery with ghost, a protagonist who is a scientist, and an investigator love interest who respects her. Enjoyed it. (E-Book) 

What I am Reading: September 2012

It's a weird month: I feel like I have been sleeping a lot (and I have), but reading a lot. It's amazing how much time I have when I am not taking a language class full time. I've been a bit unwell, but am feeling better and hope to be more energetic by next month. The huge number of e-books I have read make it clear that when I can bring books with me wherever I go, and start a new one whenever I want, I read a lot more. Clearly, I have also watched less TV (except the Castle season opener— va-voom! and done almost no blogging:-). Also some bunches of time spent waiting for appointments (it's interesting to see how I have become extraordinarily punctual (to far too early) whenever I don't have the dead weight of having to get the kids ready too: it's as if I lose 100 pounds and cover the distance in half the time.

1. Making Money (2007) by Terry Pratchett: Was given a copy of this recently and (re-read) it. One of the Moist von Lipwig series, as he is recruited from the Ankh-Morpork Post Office to revitalize the financial system and the Royal Mint. Moving from the Gold Standard might be easier if he had an idea as to what the basis for his new "notes" currency might be.... Lots of fun and I need to see if I missed the foreshadowed next novel when von Lipwig fixes the tax system. This copy is a bit mildewy (and I am very sensitive to book blight) so I will be passing it on.
2. Green Rider (1998) by Kristen Britain: I think I first picked this up when it was published and couldn't get into it. Given a free copy at Worldcon this year, I tried again. Still couldn't get through it.
3. Invisible Pleasures (2005) by Mary Frances Zambreno: A nice collection of stories with women protagonists as the unifying theme.
4. Stalking the Zombie (2012) by Mike Resnick: The con book for Chicon 7 collects all the John Justin Mallory shorts (and an extra for the con), starring a hard-boiled detective who falls into "another" Manhattan, where demons, leprechauns and cat people are reality. The feel is 1940's and the first of these stories appeared in 1991 (the last 2012, of course). Lots of fun.
5. Masters of the Galaxy (2012) by Mike Resnick: Amusing to read this next to the above, as it is a collection of Resnick's short stories featuring Jake Masters, a Noir detective in the future. The last story, Real Jake, appears here for the first time (and is the weakest) but the whole collection is fun, Golden-Agey and light.
6. A Host of Furious Fancies (pubbed in this format 9/1/12)by Mercedes Lackey and and Rosemary Edghill:  This book is comprised of Beyond World’s End and Spirits White as Lightning, originally published Jan 2001 Dec 2001. I looked those dates up on Kirkus and it was amazing how they panned the first and gave a good review to the second. In actuality, I liked them both and thought the writing level was roughly equivalent. I think there is a series related to this, but I haven't read it. These stories follow Eric Banyon as he returns, from Faerie, to Juilliard, to finish his degree and reintegrate in the human world. (Baen E-book)  
7. Monster Hunter Legion by Larry Correia : The 4th book in the Monster Hunters series (I picked the other I have read, Monster Hunter Vendetta, up in a Baen bundle as well).  I found it, once again, light and amusing male-oriented fantasy. (Baen E-book)
8. Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews (2012):  This should have been listed last month, as I pre-ordered it and read it as soon as it came out (on July 31), but I didn't finish it before I posted my last book list. Although this is the 6th in the Kate Daniels series, it's actually an Andrea Nash novel, starring Kate's hyena-Were partner, formerly Order Knight , Andrea. A good story, going deeper into her motivations and character (touched upon a sshe has been present in the former books), giving us Kate and Curran as side-plot, and allowing us to explore more of the interesting world they inhabit. I liked it a lot. The Magic Gifts novella, which I had already read, is included and is a stand-alone 100+page story starring Kate and Curran and a misadventure as they attempt to have a normal date night. Also wonderful. Ilona Andrews is one of my favorite authors (yes, I know she is a husband/wife writing team). (E-book)
9. Ghost Ship (Aug /1/11) by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller: I'm a  huge fan of the Liaden universe and this is another set in the Theo Waitley cycle. Since Theo is growing up in this series, as a Liaden and a pilot raised in a non-Liaden world by those who don't understand pilots, I assume the cycle is aimed a bit at the YA market. Here Theo starts to see how her destiny will take her into the machinations and turmoil between the Department of the Interior and Liad and why she is entangled.
   
10. Dragon Ship (Sep /1/12) by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller: This is what e-books are all about. After picking up Ghost Ship at Worldcon and reading it, I looked up its sequel, saw I could get it at Baen, purchased a package (which included some of the other Baen books you see here) and was able to enjoy reading it immediately. Theo has finally formed a temporary partnership with the Ancient ship that has been looking for her, as they both decide whether to make the Pilot/Ship relationship permanent. She takes on crew, meets her relatives, and the Department of the Interior evinces determined interest. We also learn far more of the Uncle and there is news of Daav and Aelliana. Can't wait for the next! (The downside of getting a sequel as soon as I want it is now waiting more than a year for the one after!) (Baen E-book)
11. How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (2012) by G.A. Aiken: I find Aiken (aka S. laurenston) extremely amusing. Under her other name, she writes about animal shifters (wolf, dog, bear, hyenas etc, and their clans); under this name she writes about Dragon shifters and the fantasy world of magic and gods that they live in. This is the story of Éibhear the Blue and Izzy, about ten years after we last saw them. They are both war hardened and finally ready for each other. Always fun series. (E-book)
12. A Beautiful Friendship (Oct 2011) by David Weber:  Weber returns to his Honorverse, but centuries before Honor Harrington's time, to the original colonization of  Sphinx. Stephanie Harrington is a teen taken away from her friends and now on a far more dangerous planet, with her normal freedoms curtailed. But she is smart, has great parents and is always curious. That curiosity leads herto discover what seems to be nabbing the "celery" that the colonists are growing and the answer turns out to be a hitherto undiscovered native species. I thought this was a great book and I expect it should be great for my older daughter somewhere around 6th grade (although for SF&F reading children, maybe even earlier). I expect I will pick the sequel up next month. (Baen E-book)
13. Opal Fire (A Reluctant Witch Mystery) (March 2, 2011)by Barbra Annino:  I picked this up when it was offered free and I really enjoyed it (not always the case). Stacey Justice is a reporter, but she is also the daughter and niece of witches and has a role to play: a role she has been rebelling against. In this debut novel, her cousin's bar goes up in flames and she needs to use both her reporter's intelligence and her witch connections to understand why and prevent her cousin from being jailed for arson. I liked it and bought the next one (showing the success of the free book program at getting readers to try new authors. (Free Amazon E-book)
14. Ring of Fire II (ed. Eric Flint)(1/27/09): I forget how much I enjoy Flints' shared universe (from his 1632 series) until I read something else in it again. He does a very good job of editing in this collection and I am glad that it was included in a Baen bundle- to my non-professional eye, all the historical bits are reasonable (in a sideways world) and it seems the authors do some research. I like the novella by Flint at the end best, but enjoyed all the stories.(Baen E-book) 
15. 1634: The Baltic War by Eric Flint and David Weber (10/28/08): It's actually really hard to say anything about this inter-linked series based on the concept that an unknown alien force called the "Ring of Fire" has brought a small West Virginian mining town back to the Germanies in 1632 (the starting book). The history as it starts (and then starts to change as the world reacts to the history in the libraries)is so well-researched and so interestingly moved sideways (as the world that was will never be the world that will now be, but people do things like murder individuals who would have been party to events in the future) that I just find it fascinating to read. Partly because I like the time period, partly because it is set in the Germanies not far from where I live. For instance, here  France, Spain, England, and Denmark— in the League of Ostend —are besieging the German city of Lübeck, a seaside area not far from me and a base of American naval strength. (Baen E-book)
16. 1635: The Dreeson Incident  by Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce (8/31/10):  In this, a significant event takes place that allows the up-timers to used the CoCs to create a Krystalnacht that tries to remove the taint from the word. (Baen E-book)
17. 1635: The Eastern Front  by Eric Flint (11/29/11):  This really leads directly into the following book and since I read them one after the other, it's hard to separate which part is in which. Here Stearns loses the presidency to Wilhelm Wettin and Gustavus Adolphus brings him in as a general into the army, leading the USE (United States of Europe) brigades. There is more development of Princess Kristina of Sweden and Prince Ulrik of Denmark.(Baen E-book)
18. 1636: The Saxon Uprising by Eric Flint (3/27/12): Oxenstern pulls an Alexander Haig (I am in Charge) when Adolphus is injured and attempts to destroy the political compacts binding the Empire. Rebecca Abrabenal shows her stuff and there is both a Polish incursion and a siege of Dresden (which I have visited several times). Waiting for the sequel:-).(Baen E-book)
19. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning:  This was another free Amazon book (and even more successful at pulling me in than the above, as I wound up buying the rest of the series and reading through it in just a few days.) (book 1)(free Amazon E-book)
20. Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning:  (book 2)(E-book)
21. Faefever by Karen Marie Moning:(book 3)  (E-book)
22. Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning:(book 4) (E-book)
23. Shadowfever, A MaccKayla Lane Novel by Karen Marie Moning: (book 5 and last) I very much enjoyed this series, which became far more intense (and triggering with a graphic and violent rape) than I had expected. Some serious end of the world activity. I very much enjoyed the growth of the characters, the description of what would happen as the Fae impinge on humanity (spoiler- humanity doesn't have much of a chance) and the writing. I read these so quickly, just to find out what would happen next, that I expect I will read them again to enjoy the story at a slower pace. But definitely not for children!(E-book)

Rosh HaShonah: Potato Kugel and Honey Cake

And the salad we had.

Trying out some new recipes:

Potato Kugel- Trying this one from the Serious Eats website.

Note from Arthur Schwartz: All the old recipes for potato kugel come out sort of heavy and gluey, which is not at all the kugel taste of today in New York City. These days, the kugel sold in the take-out shops and delicatessens, not to mention those made at home by modern balabustas, are still full of good onion flavor but they are high and light.
What may seem like an inordinate number of eggs is the secret. Some recipes call for baking powder, too, but I've found the baking powder does absolutely nothing and lots of eggs are definitely the ticket to lightness. It also helps to use Russet potatoes, baking potatoes, which were not nearly as available in grandma's day as they are today. Drier Russets produce a fluffier kugel.

• 3 pounds Russet (baking) potatoes (about 14 smaller)
• 12 eggs
• 2 medium onions (12 ounces), peeled
• 2/3 cup matzoh meal
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (for a parve pudding) or schmaltz

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
2. Peel the potatoes. Keep in a bowl of cold water until ready, but don't leave them there longer than a few hours.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, until well mixed.
4. Grate the onions. Add into the bowl with the eggs and stir them in. Stir in the matzoh meal.
5. Drain the potatoes. Grate in three batches.
6. As each batch of potatoes is grated, add to a strainer placed over a bowl. With a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon, press out the moisture. Immediately, put potatoes in the onion and egg mixture.  Season the batter with salt and pepper.
7. Pour 2 tablespoons of  oil into a 13 by 9-inch baking pan, preferably glass. Turn the pan to coat the bottom and half way up the sides with the oil. Place the empty pan in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.
   
   
8. Remove the oiled pan from the oven and pour the potato batter into the pan. The oil will come up the sides of the pan, especially in the corners. Press the batter down near the corners to lightly to fill them with potato batter. It's a good thing when the oil comes over the top of the batter. It adds crispness. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil on the surface of the batter.
   
   
9. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
   
   
10. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving, preferably somewhat longer. Serve hot or warm, freshly baked or reheated.
    
    
11. The kugel reheats extremely well in a 350°F oven, uncovered so the top can crisp up additionally. Reheating time depends on the size of the piece being reheated, and at what temperature the kugel is when going into the oven. It can be kept in the refrigerator for at least four days, and for several months in the freezer. It is best to defrost before reheating.

--- Review: The husband loved it. For me, it was too egg-y and not potatoe-ey enough, although the overall taste was good. Next time, I will replace the matza meal with flour, increase the onions and perhaps dice rather than grate (to give more texture), and cut the eggs by three to see how that tastes.-- we ate it for the next few days and it was still fine, perhaps even better re-heated, but I will reduce eggs next time.

Honey Cake- the last I tried was too thick, so this time I am trying Smitten Kitchen's version. (I am adding my changes/deletions directly to the recipe above, some of them taken from the advice given in updates and in the comments on the recipe.)

Majestic and Moist Honey Cake
Adapted from Marcy Goldman’s Treasure of Jewish Holiday Baking

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1  1/4 cup warm coffee
1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Fits in three loaf pans, two 9-inch square or round cake pans, one 9 or 10 inch tube or bundt cake pan, a 9 by 13 inch sheet cake or two full-size loaf pans plus two miniature ones.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175C). Generously grease pan(s). For tube or angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper, cut to fit.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee and orange juice. (If you measure your oil before the honey, it will be easier to get all of the honey out- very true!)

Using a strong wire whisk or in an electric mixer on slow speed, stir together well to make a thick, well-blended batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom.
Spoon batter into prepared pan(s).
Place cake pan(s) on two baking sheets, stacked together (this will ensure the cakes bake properly with the bottom baking faster than the cake interior and top)- did not work with my German pans- they can't stack.

Bake until cake tests done, that is, it springs back when you gently touch the cake center. For angel and tube cake pans, this will take 60 to 75 minutes, loaf cakes, about 45 to 55 minutes. For sheet style cakes, baking time is 40 to 45 minutes.

Let cake stand fifteen minutes before removing from pan. 

---Review: We all thought it was great and very moist. Next time, I will make the coffee extra-strong (perhaps 3x strength) because I caught just a hint of coffee in there and would have liked more. I hear it's even better the next day and we are looking forward to checking that out.-- It is even better and more moist for the next (several) days. A great recipe.

What I am Reading: August 2012

Trying to get through more books, so that a bunch can hit the discard/donate pile and more can be sealed up and dropped into the basement:

1. Rose Cottage (1997) by Mary Stewart: Only a few left to read in the 13 re-issued "A Mary Stewart Modern Classic" and this is the only one that I had not read before. A sweet novel, with a flashback to the earlier (50 years earlier, in 1947) life of the narrator. A redeeming story of reclaiming life after the war as Kate Herrick, a war widow, returns to the village where she was raised by her grand-parents to pack up the cottage which is slated for renovation and sale.
2. Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes (2010) by Elizabeth Bard: Now this is more like what I am looking for in an expat story than the poseur one I read last week (although it was lightly enjoyable). A real expat, going through much the same trauma as the rest of us, with recipes (some of which actually sound worth trying).
3. The Trouble with Chickens (a JJ Tully Mystery) by Doreen Cronin (illus by Kevin Cornell) (2011): A hard-boiled detective story with a "retired" search and rescue dog as the reluctant noir hero. A chicken comes to him for help finding her missing chick and there's betrayal, a nemesis and the "start of a beautiful partnership". Not certain either of the kids are ready for this, as my 9 and 6 year old would have no concept of what noir actually means and therefore I am not certain they could get the humor. I found it funny, but not enough. The tentative grade level is 3-7 and ages 8-12 and I'm not certain if that will work, but I will put it on T1's book shelf and see whether she is interested in the next few years.
4. damsel (2009) by S.E. Connolly (illus by Axel Rator) (2009): A charming book. Aimed at age 8-10 and in my view exactly fitting that spot (and under and over as well: I enjoyed it). Annie Brave is a damsel-in-training, but her father, Tristan Brave, hero-at-large is missing and she thinks that she would rather be a hero and save him than wait for someone else to show. Many adventures and a friend later (whom she rescues from a giant spider), Annie finds her father and lots of other heroes, who all assume that the boy must be the protagonist. A wonderful story and it's going right on my daughters' book shelf. I only wish that S.E. Connolly had written more and hope she is taking time (between taking care of animals, as she is a vet) to write more wonderfully feminist childrens' books.
5. Berlin Game (1983) by Len Deighton: I'm trying to read more local color books as we consider leaving Berlin this year. Reading this made me realize how very well I now the area that Bernard Samson is travelling in: he was raised in Berlin after the war, works for Britain's Secret Service, and is being called back to Berlin to attempt o rescue the Brahms 4 network. Brahms 4 trusts no one (and should not, as there is a high level leak in London) except Bernard, whose life he saved. Because this is the first of a trilogy, and the first trilogy of a set of three, this will go back on my shelf to be referred to as I acquire the others (and I will). I had forgotten how much I enjoy Deighton's work.
6. Chalice (9/08) by Robin McKinley: This is just a re-read before I pack it away. I do love McKinley. This is basically Beauty and the Beast, but with a world where demesnes are held together with earthlines and individuals of a Bloodline and power hold the world firm.Mirasol's demesne lost its Master and its Chalice and she became the Chalice, with no preparation or training, leaving behind her woodright. The Master's brother had been sent to the Elemental Mages and there is no other left: the brother attempts to return from the path to Fire, but he has gone almost to far. Together, the new Master and his Chalice attempt to re-enforce the stability of the earthlines against internal and external stress.
7. Nom de Plume (6/11) by Carmela Ciuraru: A who's who list of pseudonyms: Bröntes, Sand, Eliot,Carroll,Twain with many others ending at Pauline Reage. I enjoyed it very much and it was a great book to pick up, read a story (and learn something, even if I had already been aware) and put down again- for me less than 10 minutes a chapter and thus a great book to have going while reading something else.
8. and I shall have some peace there (trading in the fast-lane for my own dirt road) (2/11) by Margaret Roach: Not unexpected that after both 9/11 and the worst Depression since the Great, there area  spate of books about being downsized/leaving jobs/changing one's life. Ms. Roach was the former editorial director of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and after 9/11, she decided that it was time to make a change in her life: to make her 20-year weekend retreat her pepermanent home. It took several years because of the issues occurring at her employer as well as externalities and so she managed to "retire" into the Depression and need to worry about her freelance income. But the hardest thing is for her to just "relax" into a non-frenetic lifestyle and to become happy inside her own head.  It was hard for me to empathize with her, even as she (a non-cat person) adopts a cat and seems to exhibit some warmth. The following book was more my speed.
9. Slow Love (8/11) by Dominique Browning: Ms. Browning was the editor-in-chief of Conde Nast (famous for its cannibalistic and back stabbing ways) House and Garden when it folded in 2007 with little notice. Unlike Margaret Roach's decision, it was involuntary and as a divorced mom she had two children to be concerned with (although both were out of the house, one in law school and one in college). As Browning learns to slow down, re-discover a sense of worth without a f-t office job, sells her Westchester home (to decrease her expenses), discovers that a long-term relationship (Mr Big-style) could only exist when she was too busy to actually value herself,  re-shapes her life and moves to her second home, she deals with her own fears and those of her children as she finds new work that allows her to have a "slow"er life, working at what she loves from home. I liked this book and what I discovered of Ms. Browning and her family.
10. following atticus (9/2011)by Tom Ryan: Tom Ryan adopts a puppy and changes his life- going from a non-athletic truth-seeking newspaper owner/editor in a small New Hampshire town to someone who, with his small dog, climbs all of New Hampshire's 48 (over 4,000 foot) mountain peaks to memorialize a friend. Then they climb them again in the winter and again and again until it culminates in a life change. I used to hike the Adirondacks and a few other peaks and I miss it: it's great to read that someone can start (again) in his 40's and that even a puppy can do so as well! (Although I have no urge for winter camping and I love staying in the mountains, not bagging peaks, per se.)
11. Plain Truth (2000) by Jodi Picoult: This was in a bag of books an expat leaving Berlin gave me. The alleged murder of a newborn in the Amish community in Lancaster County, PA brings defense attorney Ellie Hathaway to defend the accused girl. We get a look at some of the intricacies of the Amish, how the young are treated, how one is in the Faith and the relationship with the excommunicated or banned. Not my usual type of book, but I finished it.
12. Cassandra Rising (1978) ed. by Alice Laurance: I ordered this from Amazon used (it's a library discard) some time ago because it includes several stories that I had not read from authors whose stories I always want to read. The foreword by the editor makes it clear how women were still on the outskirts of SF normality in the late 70's. Some of the comments on the stories also make it clear that sexism is the standard, not the exception.  The concept was (19) stories by women in the SF field, some already top names, some up and coming (think Chelsea Quinn Yarbro before the first St. Germain novel!). As one would expect from the title, the general tenor is dystopian (before that became a standardized theme), with a few exception. In the Garden by Zenna Henderson, a favorite, is the best in the book. Night-Rise by Katherine MacLean was very different than anything I remembered, The Vanillamint Tapestry by jacqueline Lichtenberg made me remember why I had enjoyed her work so much in the past, and there were many others worth reading.

A pleasure to see.

Is it grafitti, or an advertisement or a charming mixture of the two with a bit of artistic allusion thrown in?

It always makes me happy to walk by.

Einschulung!

Ready for school

 Today T2 was eingeschuled.

The welcoming to the community

I went looking to link to the post I made on T1's einschulung, but I see that I have that listed as an "unblogged period". I feel so bad about that, that I will go add a few photos in when I am done with this posting. (and I added one below)

T2 chose her schulranzen and her schultüte and I filled them both up with what was on her list (for the former) and candy and games for the latter. 

We took T1 out of class to join us and all came together in the Aula (auditorium), where the leader of the community, the leader of our associated Rabbi (a lovely man who leads our school Seders and other celebrations), the principal and the head of the schulverein all welcomed us (primarily the children, but also the families) to school. Then the children were called up to the stage by name and class (this year we have three), introduced to their teacher and taken (with their gear) off to spend some time getting to know their classmates, teacher and classroom.


(The cast below is one of the reasons I am so behind in my blogging, as is the boom of my laptop, which goes in for repair next week.)

She's a schulkind!

T1's einschulung, T2 holding tight:-)

What I am Reading: July 2012

It's amazing how many books one can read when one is jetlagged. I'm working my way through a backlog of books some from BEA's of several years past, while trying to clear the shelves off (and waiting for the new Ilona Andrews to be out the 31st).

1. Apocolypse to Go (A Nola O'Grady novel) (2012) by Katharine Kerr: It's been a while since I have read anything by Kerr- this is a paranormal with the "Apocolypse Squad", a group that interfaces with the parallel worlds that have been discovered (and are the current "hot" theme). Secret Agen Nola O'Grady and her Israeli seconded partner (also in life) Ari, need to rescue a family member in a parallel and danger SF. Fun read, not very deep. (DTB)
2. Villain School: Good Curses Evil (2011) by Stephanie S. Sanders: This book is aimed at grades 3-6 and has been sitting on my shelf since I picked it up at a BEA some time ago. I read it to see whether it was appropriate for my soon-to-be fourth grader and it is (although since it is in English, I'll say there may be some words she won't understand).Rune is the son of the headmaster of a school for wayward villains (children that have done good deeds, rather than bad), but it seems like his father is stricter with him than with the other students. Rune is given the chance to run a Plot, an evil scheme quest, with two of his friends, against a team lead by his roommate. If he wins, he and his friends will be promoted: if he loses, exiled. A very enjoyable story with lots of character and world development and I think T1 will enjoy it very much (as will other children who like Monster High figurines). There's a second out and I will read it, even if T1 doesn't;-).(ARC)
3. Life is not a Stage (2011) by Florence Henderson with Joel Brokaw: A memoir from Florence Henderson, obviously. Not very "tell all", though she had a brief wild period between two very long marriages (and though she is very kind and lays no blame, it is clear that the first marriage was not a physically satisfying one). Very interesting to see a glimpse into how people handled family planning as Catholics in the 20-60's, to see how the abuse of children was handled (that is, ignored)  and wonderful to read how Florence survived an abusive and neglectful childhood and became a warm and confident wman, with long and strong friendships and a close family. I enjoyed the book.(ARC)
4. Tension City (2011) by Jim Lehrer: A memoir of (a part of) Jim Lehrer's long career: that of being the moderator of almost a dozen Presidential debates, in their varying (some successful and some not) formats. Very interesting to read how someone who was there felt and what he saw. I got this at a BEA breakfast, at which he chatted a bit about the writing: a very warm and intelligent man. (ARC)
5. Wishing for tomorrow (the sequel to The Little Princess) (2009) by Hilary McKay:  I'll talk more about getting this book in another post. But the book itself is, as billed, a "sequel" to Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1905 A Little Princess. It picks up after Sara has left Miss Minchin's establishment, leaving behind girls who were friends and those who were not. The protagonist is Ermengard, Sara's closest friend among the girls, and the subject is the lives of those left behind. I enjoyed it very much and it will go to T1 next year, after I have read the original to her. I also very much enjoyed the illustrations by Nick Maland, and I felt they added much to the period charm of the book.(DTB)
6. Shades of Milk and Honey (2010) by Mary Robinette Kowal: I've been reading about MRK for years, so I'm not certain why I have just now picked up (and enjoyed) this book. It's an Austen homage: the reviews call it a Pride and Prejudice, but it really does feel more like Sense and Sensibility in the interactions between Jane and her younger sister Melody. There are no other siblings and Jane's father is far more loving and sensible than Mr. Bennet. The world is one where "Glamour" is lady's art, rather like drawing or composition, with tutors and masters who have patrons. Jane excels at glamour, while her sister is flighty and beautiful. It's more interesting than that sounds and is a charming romance. I look forward to picking up the second novel next time I am in the US. (DTB)
7. Artemis Fowl (2001) by Eoin Colfer: I was wandering through Publisher's Weekly and saw that the Artemis Fowl saga is drawing to an end, with its 8th and final novel being released this month. So I thought it was finally time to read the first, which someone gave me a few years ago. The story of a criminal prodigy, 12 year old Artemis Fowl and how he tracks down, researches Faery and then kidnaps a Fairy to get a ransom is... ok. I know many children who have adored this series, but like Riordan's novels, it just doesn't appeal to me enough to want to read the second in the series.(DTB)
8. The Reluctant Vampire (2011) by Lynsay Sands: These are my popcorn paranormals. A series of interconnected romance/vampire novels where the vampires are a result of nanos created by Atlantean scientists shortly before the Deluge (and therefore not perfected). Since the scientists did not use themselves as guinea pigs, none survived and the nanos are passed through blood (of course) and passed through birth. A light and fluffy read.(DTB)
9. Time Cat (1963) by Lloyd Alexander: I think this may be the first children's fantasy that I ever read (I started in the "A"s in my elementary school library. From there the molecules and stars on the spines of the books lead me through Asimov (Lucky Starr) and Heinlein (the juveniles) all the way to Zelazny (what were they thinking?). I'm ready for T1 to start reading behind me and I so hope that she starts loving the books that I loved. This was Alexander's first juvenile and this edition has a lovely foreword by him discussing how he came to write it. The story of Jason and his cat Gareth as they visit nine different lives also piqued my interest in the history they discuss, leading me to Treece and Rosemary Sutcliffe and stories of Japan and really: just opened my world. It was a truly wonderful library and I had a truly wonderful time reading my way through it. (DTB)
10. Paris in Love (2012) by Eloisa James: As an expat, I often find myself drawn to other expat chronicles, although this one is not quite expat material: Ms.James (aka Mary Bly Vettori) spent a year in Paris with her family while she and her husband were both on sabbatical from their tenured professorships. A NYT best-selling romance author and Shakespearean scholar, Ms Bly worked on both sides of her literary career as well as writing a blog/journal while in Paris and then "novelized" the experience. I use quotes because the book is comprised of separate, non-connected paragraphs under headings. I enjoyed it, but wish I had read instead David Lebovitz' The Sweet Life in Paris, which would have, I think, been a more fulfilling read. (DTB)
11. The Inquisitor's Apprentice (2011) by Chris Moriarty: This book is an absolutely exquisite read. I cannot sing its praises enough. In an alternate New York City in the early 1900's, a world where magic is strictly regulated by the Police Department's Inquisitorial branch and where "Wall Street Wizards" are exactly that (and have driven Teddy Roosevelt, former Police Commissioner out of town when he attempted to enforce the law, Sacha is discovered to have the ability to "see" Magic. A nice Jewish boy, from a Russian emigrant family on the Lower East Side, the Police Department is the domain of the Irish and he is not certain how he can fit in. Apprenticed, with the first girl apprentice Inquisitor (Lily Astral) to star Inquisitor Maximillian Wolf, Sacha meets the dangerous James Pierpont Morgaunt, Erich Weiss (aka Houdini), the antisemitic Thomas Alva Edison, and many others from our actual history, reflected through the alternate reality glass. From the Wiccanists to the Wobblies to the Pentacle Shirtwaist Factory, Ms Moriarty's research shines through and helps us believe her world is real. In interviews, Ms. Moriarty states that she wrote this book for her son, so he could have a fantasy where a Jewish boy was a hero and I will have my children read this book not only for that feeling— that a world where they exist is normal— but also to have a feel for New York at the turn of the last century, a world where so many Jews entered the United States and how they did so. This is an inclusive book, with its characters being as much a melting pot as NYC in the early 1900's was. Although there is closure to this novel, it leads clearly to what we can expect in the next: though I may expect to hear more of the kabbalah and the dybbuk, there may also be the famous Pentacle Fire to come, more interaction with the world of Chinatown or perhaps Upstate, the Harlem Renaissance and Roosevelt's attempt to regain power.... So many exciting opportunities are possible! Mark Edward Geyer's illustrations are appropriate and add value. I can't wait to read the next book (also illustrated by Mr. Geyer), The Watcher in the Shadows, which will be published in April 2013. (DTB)

What I am reading: June 2012

Another busy month: wow. I can't believe how little I am reading and how extremely busy I have been. Two birthday parties (to go to), the kids' schools winding up, summer festivals and good-bye parties, project weeks and sleep-overs, Kindergartenfreundebuchs and Schulfreundebuchs, a visit to Istanbul and  several doctors appointments, trying (and failing) to get renovations lined up in the US at two separate places, setting utilities up for take-over, my apa delayed 33 days (and then forwarded from Customs without ever being opened) so I needed to work from softcopy for a week, thinking about where we will be in the fall and still being undecided, and trying, always to get stuff out of the apartment. The weather is up and down, the girls are growing out of their clothes, I need to get rid of things!

We are leaving for the US for a few weeks in less than two weeks (that is, several days ago when this will be published), to get our house renovated and perhaps re-rented, and our apartment (and life) is totally not in order. Aagh.

1. break no bones (2006) by Kathy Reichs: This is the last Temperance Brennan I have on the shelf (in English), so I will be taking a break after this. In this ninth Tempe novel, the action moves from chilly Montreal to steaming South Carolina. Dr. Brennan has taken an undergraduate class on an archeological dig as an emergency replacement for the class' teacher, when an "incursion" in the site is discovered: a non-historical body. Both Tempe's ex (Pete) and her current friend, Det. Ryan, are at the scene and soon another body is found, linked to Pete's investigation of a church and its finances. A twist I won't give away that is current and well-researched. 
2. Stormy Petrel (1991/2011) by Mary Stewart: A slim novel by Lady Stewart, set on a small Hebridean island off Mull, with the wonderful scenery that she is known for. Although the protagonist is an English tutor at Cambridge, she actually writes both poetry (and under a pseudonym) science fiction. More like a novella than a novel, but always a wonderful read.
3. My Brother Michael (1959/2011) by Mary Stewart: From the height of her power, the descriptions of the scenery are amazing. Once again, it's amazing to read in this time period and to see how Lady Stewart made her protagonists women, who changed and grew, and were strong and her male leads respected and in fact demanded that strength. After a 6 year engagement, Camilla has broken it off and isn't certain what she is looking for. Having spent that time pulled behind the wake of her ex's jet stream, she is isn't certain of her own volition and acts impulsively when told that an "Englishman" is awaiting a car at Delphi. Delivering the vehicle also brings her into a dangerous hunt, carrying violence and death forward from the war into the (1959) present. I have been enjoying reading through Lady Stewart's work: just a few more of her suspense novels to go. Then perhaps I should re-read her Merlin tetralogy.

Didn't get this sent out in time, as life caught up with me, so I'm pubbing it late.

It was a crazy few weeks, with T1 having a school sleep-over, T1 "graduating" from kita, a counseling session with the school rector, packing to leave, the German pushing hard to get his work done before vacation and therefore spending more time in Munich, cakes to bake for parties, birthday parties for the kids to attend, health certificate for the cat, as well as a follow-up on vaccinations for the kids and a dental appointment for the adults. Then following up with our kitten's plane reservations (may I say that Delta was once ok, KLM was once superb, but that the merger of their systems has created a monster where neither side seems able to make or confirm reservations on a co-branded trip). After hours (literally 3+) on the phone, I was finally assured that there was a reservation. But when we got to the airport, there wasn't one. "Luckily", they found a place for her, because I pointed out that there was no option to suspend her animation while we were on vacation. The KLM guy was extremely nice, understanding, and long-suffering: I was a bit tense myself, until we dropped ur bags and had the card showing the Darla was allowed on the plane.

More later, on our return trip;-) (though let me mention that not a person asked to see her EU Tierpasse or proof of chipping. In the US, they didn't even notice that she existed on entry.

One of my favorite Graffitos

I particularly like the shadows that the sunflowers cast on the wall.
A warm and sunny scene that sustains during the many cold and grey months in Berlin

What every cat needs...

Getting ready for our kitten (the carrier on the right is legal for under seat in planes—
we have a larger one for ordinary travel)