The problem with Book Addiction

All the bookworms out there will completely understand this next statement:

Right now, my book obsession has become out of control.

I mean this in the best way but, it has gotten bad.

One thing that doesn’t help is I work for a newspaper. Yes, this may not seem like a major factor until you take in account all the books the people want to be reviewed get sent to newspapers nationwide. And with us being one of the top 10 largest newspapers in the country, we get alot of books. So twice a year our lovely newroom puts on a book sale. I get gleeful just thinking about it. Rows and rows of newly published (some not yet published) books. Some with editors notes, some that you think “why would anyone ever write this” but all in all the best gift to bookworms.

Oh, and did i mention that this book sale is cheap! I’m talking $1 for paperbacks, $2 for hardcover people! I’m sorry i’m getting giddy thinking about this, but as shown below i have a lot in my to read pile. I have rows upon rows and these my friends, are just accompliated in the past year! Well, besides Harry Potter at the top.

Oh, and i just ordered another book off amazon today. I have to be stopped but oh well.

Now, onto the next book

TWD: Chocolate Truffle Tartlets

So for this weeks installment of Tuesdays with Dorie the recipe was Chocolate truffle tartlets. Well, lets start off by saying i procrastinate and decided the day i was going to bake (Sunday afternoon) i was going to run to target to grab tartlet pans. Well, they didnt have a tartlet pan they only had a tart pan. Which caused me to say to myself.. “is getting the tartlet pans really worth paying for parking to create 6 individual tartlets?” Well the answer was no. So i just kind of winged it and suprisingly it turned out!

When i first looked at this recipe online kept thinking that there has to be more ingredients in it. The recipe is so “simple” in that aspect. However, don’t let the few the baker. I still had issues creating this tart.

My major issue was with the crust. I kept kneading the dough with my palm and could not create a dough like texture. After about 15 minutes i was finally able to create a base that looked like the base.

After made the dough it decided to crack and break when transferring to the tart pan. In hindsight i think it would have been alot easier to just create the tartlets. But i had come to far to turn back now.

Once i got the tart shell baked (which took about 3 times as long) and got the mixture all put together i felt very accomplished. I got the tart baked and when it was cooling it looked pretty decent. Nothing like how the picture looked in Dorie’s cookbook but hey, i made it!

Though i was highly disappointed when i took out the tart and it looked like this:
Oh well, It still tasted good. Jake and i had a slice each and saved a bit for for later. The rest of it i shared with the office and boy did it go over well to take care of the Monday’s!

So far i am really enjoying challenging myself to create new baked goods i would have never fathomed trying to create before.

If you are interested in seeing more people’s banking check out the list of links or visit our blog hosts at Whisk and spoon and Spike Bakes.  The hosts also include the recipe for these decadent tarts!

Tuesdays With Dorie: White Loaves

I have always wanted to learn how to bake better and made that be one of my new year resolution. Like most people i usually stop my new years resolutions around January 15th, but this year i decided to join a group of bakers that I heard on NPR’s Talk of the Nation called Tuesdays with Dorie. In this group every other Tuesday we create delicious baked good from Dorie Greenspan’s Cookbook Baking with Julia.

Today marks the first day of the Baking and our recipe was for white Loaves. 

I was very nervous about making bread, it was very intimidating. I have never baked with yeast, and was nervous about if i was going to do it right. However, all my stress was not needed. The bread turned out great. If you link to Jules Blog you will be able to see the recipe and all of the other 300 baker that attempted this first challenge.

Once I got over the intimidation of baking bread i did not have many issues. One of the issues i did have was that my kitchen is not heated and when i had to let the dough rise it took a bit longer than the cookbook stated. I also had to turn on the oven to create the heat for the second rising i had to loaf a bit too close to the heat output and it cooked a bit.

Overall, i really enjoyed this challenge and am excited for the chocolate truffle tartlets on the 21st.

Review: Sleepwalk with Me (and other painfully true stories) By Mike Birbiglia

After reading scores and scores of Dystopian and Sci-Fi books over the last year I decided to change it up. Thus, Sleepwalk with Me by Mike Birbiglia. If anyone is a fan of the Radio Show on NPR called “This American Life” you are probably familiar with his comedy style or have heard a few of his stories. I for one, find him hilarious. I think his stand up is smart, quick witted, and enjoyable so I thought to myself  “Why not?”. I was not disappointed. This book may not be the best book that i have read lately but it was ultimately enjoyable.

The story follows Mike Birbiglia through his childhood growing up in New Jersey and follows the beginning of his career in stand up comedy. The book centers on his awkwardness both on stage and in real life.

The storys are well engrossing, well written, as well as funny. I read this book a few times on my lunch break at work and laughed a bit too loud and got a few strange looks from co-workers and i would highly recommend to anyone looking to enjoy a fast read.

Overall, 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Review: Crossed (Matched Trilogy) by Ally Condie

(source)

The First Book I read this year was the second book in the  Matched Trilogy. For about the last 8 months of 2011 I have had a slight obsession with Dystopian YA. I read the first book in this series in July or August of this past year, and was excited to continue reading the series. I have to say i was very disappointed with the progression of this book.

In Crossed the story starts out with Cassia going to the outer Providences in a work camp to find Ky, who was taken away from Society and punished by being sent to work camp for aberrations.

In this book the narrator changes from Cassia to Ky with every other chapter so you understand what is going on with each of them in their perspective camps. Cassia’s goal is to find Ky and by doing so escapes the work camp into the canyons to find him when she arrives at her second work camp that Ky escaped from.  The story follows Cassia striving to find Ky as well as understand and locate the Rebellion called the Rising.

This book is somewhat less action packed than Matched and has a lot of down time in the book. The moving of perspectives is also a very interesting idea for Condie but was not implemented to the best of her ability.

Overall i felt that the book, though was highly anticipated and had a great concept, really left a lot to be desired. I fully hope that the third book the series will complete the story and be a more interesting read the Crossed.