Monday 5 List #1

I saw this fun idea on a blog I read regularly. Said blogger occasionally posts a list of rather random items, ideas, names, places...whatever. I thought I would tweak this idea and start a Monday 5 post.

So for my 1st Monday 5, here are the 5 people that I want to have over for dinner. (I've got food on my brain since I am having folks over for dinner tonight).

5 for Dinner:

1. Bill Murray
2. Eminem
3. Bette Davis
4. Abraham Lincoln
5. Dita Von Teese

So, yes 2 of the people on my list are dead. It's my list, my way. Now to figure out what to cook...maybe potluck is best. But I'm thinking beer and pizza with Abraham Lincoln would be an experience. Especially if Dita Von Teese was performing in her giant martini glass. Can you imagine Bill Murray's reaction. Priceless! Oh and Bette Davis wouldn't know what to make of Eminem. Awesome dinner party indeed.

New Look #1

Whatcha think?
Like the book background?
What about the colors, font etc?

Leave me a comment. New look #2 later this week.

Flash Back Friday #42

My Kid started his senior year in high school this week. That is amazing to me (I cried like it was his first day of school). I went to the same high school as my son and can remember my senior year like it was yesterday. One of my son's favorite teachers is teaching a new class this year, World Religions and he can't stop talking about it. On the first day of school the teacher showed the class the video he created below. It's fantastic.

Sometimes you have that 1 teacher or take that 1 class that changes everything: what you believe, how you see the world, what you want to do, where you want to live. I think this might be that teacher and that class for my Kid.

My son pointed out while we were watching the video that every major religion has similarities including placing your hands palms together and the belief to treat others as you would want to be treated.

This is not really a Flash Back Friday video but because this video was created by a teacher at my old high school, I'm listing it as a flash back.

Enjoy and have a great weekend.
P.S. I would love to read your comments about the video. And you might recognize the music, the song is by Hans Zimmer and was in the movie Gladiator.

Redesign of Lively Librarian

My blog will be undergoing a redesign in the next couple of weeks. I've tired of the current template and will be experimenting with a new look. I'd love to hear your feedback!

Book Stores in Paris

I leave for my "year in the planning-40th birthday celebration-girls trip to Paris" in a little over 2 weeks. 3 of my dearest friends and I are spending 10 days based in Paris with numerous day trips planned to the French countryside. During our wanders through Parisian markets, neighborhoods, Monet's gardens and the Louvre I will be searching for small bookstores where I can hunt for books to add to my personal library. During my first trip to Paris in the 1990's I stumbled across the often tourist filled famous Shakespeare and Company book store on the Left Bank opposite Notre-Dame Cathedral. I bought an old book, mostly for the famous book plate inside but also as a token of the bohemian Latin Quarter. During this trip my book hunting will lean more towards adding to my rare book collection rather than just buying to buy.

Traveling to Paris soon? Here's a short list of Paris bookstores.

And you might find this article interesting: The 9 Most Amazing Bookstores in the World (of which Shakespeare and Company is listed)

Books that Travel

I recently found a paperback book in our library donation pile that had a label inside identifying it as a "traveling book". I was curious so I went to the website on the label, entered in the tracking number and found in amazement that the book had been registered and tracked by various readers. The website is Book Crossing, a readers social networking site where users can register books, set them off into the world and track where they end up. Very cool.

In 1997 when I was traveling from London to Wales to catch the ferry to Ireland I was handed a book on the train by a backpacker and told to pass the book on when I was done reading it. The book was Tess of the d'Urbervilles and various travelers had scrawled their name on the inside cover, their location and the date and year. I too read the book while I was traveling but must have tossed it in the bottom of my knapsack because I recently found it in my home. I'm thinking of taking it with me on my trip to France in 3 weeks to leave on a train for another traveler in need of reading material.

Now book tracking websites like Book Crossing are obviously a more high tech and immediate way to find or track a book, but the concept remains the same; sharing a good read.

Hiding Behind Anonymous

One of the benefits of writing a public blog has been the communication with friends, authors, blog writers and librarians who've commented on my posts or sent me email. I've received some excellent feedback on my writing, been contacted by writers and asked to read unpublished materials and I've been sent wonderful books to review straight from the publishers. Writing Lively Librarian is truly a lot of fun.

Because my blog is a mix of my personal and professional life I've always been very aware that what I write is out there for all to read. Until lately I've never been the target of any negativity or nastiness via my blog. Recently that has changed. I've had unpleasant comments on my posts by someone(s) hiding behind "anonymous".

From the beginning I've made the choice to allow comments from anyone on my blog. I decided to make word verification a requirement for a commenter in order to cut down on spamming which was rampant without this precaution. However anyone can hide behind anonymous when commenting.

So here's the thing. It wasn't hard to figure out who you are. Thanks to the magic of Google Analytics which has been tracking every visitor to this blog for years, I merely tracked you by where you live and when you commented. It wasn't rocket science. Not to mention that you mentioned things ONLY someone who was previously family (by marriage) would know.

So for the foreseeable future I will be moderating the comments before they are published. I am doing this only because my loyal readers do not need to read foul comments by angry, pathetic spies. I would hope that anyone who has something to say to me would have the bollocks to sign their name and not hide behind anonymous. This will be my only post where I address someone not worth another thought.

Now back to blogging...

Book Review-Good Mood Food

My love of cookbooks is well documented on this blog. I've recently been enjoying a new favorite, Good Mood Food: Simple Healthy Homecooking by Donal Skehan. The book evolved from the blog Good Mood Food which was started by the author, a young Irish man in 2007. I love cookbooks which feature recipes made with simple fresh ingredients that don't require me to purchase expensive cooking utensils or bake wear. My favorite cookbooks also feature color photographs with each recipe. Good Mood Food checks all the boxes on my cookbook wish list.

I've made a number of the recipes in the book, of those I've tried, here are a few of my favorites:

Mushy Roast Garlic and Cherry Tomato Pasts (perfect for my abundance of summer tomatoes)
Caramelized Roast Vegetables (great with leftovers)
Tuna Nigiri (simple sushi)
Basil Sweetcorn (a great recipe for my summer garden basil)
Goat Cheese and Broccoli Pasta (a favorite of my Kid)
Hummus with a Kick (great for parties)
Avocado and Lime Salsa (refreshing and delicious)
Sesame Pasta Salad (my favorite for lunch)
Soft Boiled Egg with Home Fries (my Kid and I LOVE soft eggs for breakfast)
Homemade Nutty Breakfast Bars (better than the sugar packed granola from the store)

I haven't even listed all the yummy smoothie and dessert recipes! Bottom line: this book is good for your health and your pocketbook. Check it out at your local library, happy eating!

The 15 Biggest Bestsellers of All Time (well so far)

Thanks to my boss Alex for passing this along. How many have you read? No shocker Harry Potter dominates with a half dozen.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/30/the-15-biggest-bestseller_n_664029.html

Looking for Ideas for Book Storage?

Got books? Check out this photo collection of clever ways to store and display books.
Which one is your favorite? Mine is the 2 story cookbook library, luvs it!

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/08/sneak-peek-best-of-book-storage.html