_MG_8210.CR2.jpg
Originally uploaded by beckythale.
These are the groom's brothers and nephew. I loved that little one in the middle - he consistently looked exactly how I felt. Let's face it, North Carolina is hot.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Placecards
IMG_2336.JPG
Originally uploaded by aliciamalia. These were my creative contribution to the wedding (the cutting of the cards). I'm thrilled with how they came out!
Monday, June 18, 2007
Happy Birthday Gabe!
Gabe's party marks the second out of town birthday I've made it to this year - as I (and most of my friends) are turning 30, I suspect there will be a few more. If you live in New York, he's a great guy to know.
(The symbolism of the chocolate lamb is lost on me, but I love the photo.)
Please back up your files
My computer died last week, necessitating a fairly long break from blogging. Everything is almost back to normal, but it's been a harrowing ordeal. If you're not already backing up your files, please do so! External harddrives and online storage are quite cheap these days.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
May 2007 Book Reviews
Several of the books on my library queue showed up this month, all at the same time. I've been reading quite a bit, trying to get through them.
1. Talking with My Mouth Full, Bonny Wolf, Rating: 3.7
Entertainment Weekly ran an article last fall about the best in food writing and food memoirs. Some were certainly not the best (I found Madhur Jaffrey's Climbing the Mango Trees unreadable), but several have been worthwhile. This particular book is perfectly fine - it's fun to read, has funny anecdotes and personal details, and passes the time well. It's a good summer beach book for people that like food.
2. Low Life, Luc Sante, Rating: 2.3
Low Life is a history of New York City's underbelly - the gambling, corrupt cops, tenements, prostitutes, etc. While a wonderful premise for a book, the execution rarely rises above the level of a catalog. Each chapter is basically a list (Smelly Joe did X on Houston, rival gang leader did Y on Broadway), making for horribly tedious reading. The one chapter I did like was about the draft riots. If you're interested in New York history, I'd recommend the PBS documentary ("New York") instead.
3. The Castle in the Forest, Norman Mailer, Rating: 4.2
Norman Mailer is a remarkable writer - advanced age certainly isn't slowing him down. This novel (about Adolf Hitler) is bizarre, at times quite dirty, and impossible to put down. It bears more than a passing resemblance to some of Neil Gaiman's books (the narrator is a devil who interacts with the Hitler family).
4. Ask Again Later, Jill Davis, Rating: 3.0
I wrote "fairly standard chic lit" in my book journal when I finished this 10 days ago. Given that I've already forgotten most of the plot, I think that it's an especially appropriate summary.
5. Medicus, Ruth Downie, Rating: 3.7
Ruth Downie was interviewed on NPR recently. She has a lovely British accent and sounds like a kind, sensitive person. She has raised several children and only began writing seriously in late middle age (this is her first novel). The interviewer made a big deal of how readable the novel is, and also how it accurately represents what it was like to be a doctor in the roman era. The first claim is certainly accurate; the second is probably a stretch (very little doctoring actually happens). It's a pleasant book.
6. Chinese Lessons, John Pomfret, Rating: 4.0
John Pomfret has spent most of his adult life in or around China, starting with a year during college in the early 1980s. This book chronicles the rise of modern China through the stories of his classmates. It's fascinating - and deeply disturbing. I'd definitely recommend reading this.
1. Talking with My Mouth Full, Bonny Wolf, Rating: 3.7
Entertainment Weekly ran an article last fall about the best in food writing and food memoirs. Some were certainly not the best (I found Madhur Jaffrey's Climbing the Mango Trees unreadable), but several have been worthwhile. This particular book is perfectly fine - it's fun to read, has funny anecdotes and personal details, and passes the time well. It's a good summer beach book for people that like food.
2. Low Life, Luc Sante, Rating: 2.3
Low Life is a history of New York City's underbelly - the gambling, corrupt cops, tenements, prostitutes, etc. While a wonderful premise for a book, the execution rarely rises above the level of a catalog. Each chapter is basically a list (Smelly Joe did X on Houston, rival gang leader did Y on Broadway), making for horribly tedious reading. The one chapter I did like was about the draft riots. If you're interested in New York history, I'd recommend the PBS documentary ("New York") instead.
3. The Castle in the Forest, Norman Mailer, Rating: 4.2Norman Mailer is a remarkable writer - advanced age certainly isn't slowing him down. This novel (about Adolf Hitler) is bizarre, at times quite dirty, and impossible to put down. It bears more than a passing resemblance to some of Neil Gaiman's books (the narrator is a devil who interacts with the Hitler family).
4. Ask Again Later, Jill Davis, Rating: 3.0
I wrote "fairly standard chic lit" in my book journal when I finished this 10 days ago. Given that I've already forgotten most of the plot, I think that it's an especially appropriate summary.
5. Medicus, Ruth Downie, Rating: 3.7
Ruth Downie was interviewed on NPR recently. She has a lovely British accent and sounds like a kind, sensitive person. She has raised several children and only began writing seriously in late middle age (this is her first novel). The interviewer made a big deal of how readable the novel is, and also how it accurately represents what it was like to be a doctor in the roman era. The first claim is certainly accurate; the second is probably a stretch (very little doctoring actually happens). It's a pleasant book.
6. Chinese Lessons, John Pomfret, Rating: 4.0
John Pomfret has spent most of his adult life in or around China, starting with a year during college in the early 1980s. This book chronicles the rise of modern China through the stories of his classmates. It's fascinating - and deeply disturbing. I'd definitely recommend reading this.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Alibris
I just started writing email newsletters for Alibris (thanks Jason for the recommendation!) - the first should be sent out next week. If you like books, I'd recommend signing up. Being a site specializing in used and new books, they're not locked in to recommending new releases. I've had a lot of fun digging through my book archives to find some great classics.
Flying Overhead
My dad took Adam and I up for a flight over Napa and Sonoma last weekend. This is the Sonoma coastline, near Bodega Bay. I really loved it, especially given how much time we've been spending camping in that area lately. It's very cool to see how it all comes together - and also to see how much open space is still out there. If you look closely at this photo, you can tell that the road ends at that house in the center, but there's a fire road that extends past it, hidden from view. I'd definitely like to go check that out.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
April 2007 Book Reviews
Sorry for such a long delay on this post! I actually wrote it last week, and then blogger crashed and the post was lost. Ugh. It's taken a while to find the motivation to write it again. It was an great month for books, though.
1. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Rating: 4.7
As best as I can remember, I read this for the first time in 2001 or 2002. I liked it well enough, but just couldn't quite see why people were so enthusiastic about it. Adam read it on our Colombia trip, and I decided to give it another try when he finished. Wow - it's incredible! I was completely absorbed and couldn't put it down. I think it must have been too young, or found it too different, or... something. Who knows. If you haven't read it recently, I definitely recommend giving it another try.
2. The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, Louise Erdrich, Rating 4.3
This is the third book I've read by Erdrich in the past year (read about the other two here and here), largely because I continue to be incredibly impressed by her writing. While her novels are mostly set in the same geographic area, her plots and characters are wildly different. This story, the first of her books to reach a wide audience, includes a cross-dressing priest, fake saint, a shoot-out, and 100 years of history. What's not to love?
3. Alternatives to Sex, Stephen McCauley, Rating: 1.3
I think I can credit Entertainment Weekly for this recommendation - clearly the reviewer read the jacket but never cracked the book open. What is the Alternative to Sex? Real estate. There are a number of genuinely witty lines throughout, loosely held together by some truly god-awful prose. Seriously, reading this book is like spending an entire day at the dentist. Just say no.
4. The Thin Place, Kathryn Davis, Rating: 3.2
Davis is a gifted writer, able to very quickly create highly atmospheric, slightly surreal worlds. This collection of somewhat disjointed vignettes is lovely and involving, but doesn't quite come together. This book wasn't for me, but I'll certainly try to read one of her novels again.
5. Angle of Repose, Wallace Stegner, Rating: 4.9
Yes, 4.9! This book is making the top 10. I LOVED it. Couldn't put it down. Cried a few times. Got out a map so I could visualize the places that were described. The introduction claims that it was voted "the best book about the west" in the San Francisco Chronicle, and I have to say I agree. It's largely set in the 1870s-1890s in various places west of the Mississippi, is largely based on the life of a real person, and it won the Pulitzer. You'll have to read it to find out more.
1. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Rating: 4.7
As best as I can remember, I read this for the first time in 2001 or 2002. I liked it well enough, but just couldn't quite see why people were so enthusiastic about it. Adam read it on our Colombia trip, and I decided to give it another try when he finished. Wow - it's incredible! I was completely absorbed and couldn't put it down. I think it must have been too young, or found it too different, or... something. Who knows. If you haven't read it recently, I definitely recommend giving it another try.
2. The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, Louise Erdrich, Rating 4.3
This is the third book I've read by Erdrich in the past year (read about the other two here and here), largely because I continue to be incredibly impressed by her writing. While her novels are mostly set in the same geographic area, her plots and characters are wildly different. This story, the first of her books to reach a wide audience, includes a cross-dressing priest, fake saint, a shoot-out, and 100 years of history. What's not to love?
3. Alternatives to Sex, Stephen McCauley, Rating: 1.3
I think I can credit Entertainment Weekly for this recommendation - clearly the reviewer read the jacket but never cracked the book open. What is the Alternative to Sex? Real estate. There are a number of genuinely witty lines throughout, loosely held together by some truly god-awful prose. Seriously, reading this book is like spending an entire day at the dentist. Just say no.
4. The Thin Place, Kathryn Davis, Rating: 3.2
Davis is a gifted writer, able to very quickly create highly atmospheric, slightly surreal worlds. This collection of somewhat disjointed vignettes is lovely and involving, but doesn't quite come together. This book wasn't for me, but I'll certainly try to read one of her novels again.
5. Angle of Repose, Wallace Stegner, Rating: 4.9
Yes, 4.9! This book is making the top 10. I LOVED it. Couldn't put it down. Cried a few times. Got out a map so I could visualize the places that were described. The introduction claims that it was voted "the best book about the west" in the San Francisco Chronicle, and I have to say I agree. It's largely set in the 1870s-1890s in various places west of the Mississippi, is largely based on the life of a real person, and it won the Pulitzer. You'll have to read it to find out more.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Austin Creek
IMG_2166.JPG
Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.
We made another camping trip this past weekend. While not one of our most successful, the campsite was spectacular. That's a pond right below our spot (complete with bullfrogs and fish, and turkey vultures above). It's a neat park, or rather two - you enter through Armstrong Redwoods state park, which has expansive old-growth redwoods, and after several miles enter Austin Creek, which is higher and has a vastly different landscape. It's about 3 miles north of Guernville in Sonoma County; 30 minutes drive from Goat Rock Beach and Jenner to the west.
We took a fairly strenous 4 mile hike (lots of up and down climbs) in the Austin Creek portion. You could probably do it as a day trip, but the camp is so lovely it's nice to stay for the night.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Orange County
IMG_2004.JPG
Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.
We returned from a quick trip to Orange County last night. It was Elese's wedding shower, and a good excuse to get away for a long weekend. Elese lives in North Carolina now, so our relationship consists of these little trips, most of the time in places neither of us live. It's actually sort of nice - we're always on vacation when we see each other.
Adam and I planned on having Sunday and Monday to laze at the beach, but our plans quickly changed...
Day Two
IMG_2017.JPG
Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.
The coast was fogged in, so we headed inland. Our choice was almost completely random - we were looking for a National Park away from any of the main routes near Palm Springs (to avoid all the traffic leaving Coachella). We ended up at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, apparently the largest State Park in California, and definitely a new favorite for me. The hike we took, while punishingly hot, was varied and packed with wildlife and unusual succulents. Adam thinks it was the best hike we've been on all year.
I also LOVED eating dinner outside in 80 degree weather. That's the life.
Day three
IMG_2044.JPG
Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.
As I mentioned above, it's really hot out there in the desert. We googled "Swimming hole" and found the trail to Cedar Creek Falls. It's roughly 12 miles south of Julian (a darling mining town worth visiting in its own right). The way down, and the pool at the end, are well-worth the effort; the way up was brutal. 2 miles uphill in 90-degree heat was tough. I'd do it again, though.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Craft Magazine Interview + Free Pattern!
Craft magazine posted a feature on my Crochet to Go Deck on Friday! You can check it out here. The editor, Natalie Zee Drieu, did a beautiful job. There's a link to a free pattern (the cover wrap top), too. You'll also find an interview with yours truly, with everything you ever wanted to know about the first project I crocheted, favorite patterns, and what I'm making next.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sugarloaf Ridge
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Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.
This was our campsite. Directly to the right and behind: a creek. Down the path behind the picnic table: a wide flat area for a tent. To the left: a huge open field, complete with deer.
Our Guide to Northern California Camping gave this campground 5 stars (out of 10), but I think I'm going to have to reevaluate their rating system. Yes, it lacked showers, and a convenience store. But the trail head was 50 feet away, our neighbors out of sight, and the scenery beautiful. It was one of my favorite camping spots so far.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
March 2007 Book Reviews
How do you choose what to read while you're on vacation? It's frequently a complicated decision for me. 1) It must be lightweight and smallish - we don't check luggage unless we absolutely have to. 2) It needs a strong narrative and should be fairly "easy" - I don't want to work while I'm on vacation, and it should be capable of keeping me entertained on a long flight. 3) It needs to be mine, and I have to feel comfortable with it getting ruined by getting splashed at the ocean, covered in sand, etc. 4) It needs to be long. Or I need to bring several books.
On to the books:
1. Lost Nation, Jeffrey Lent, Rating: 4.5
A western in the Cormac McCarthy vein - complex, bloody, cruel and unforgiving. Lent's characters are beautifully realized and you get to know
them intimately, despite the fact that their lives are far removed from anything we'd ever experience today.
2. There is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children, Melissa Fay Greene, Rating: 3.5
Greene has written the story of AIDS in Ethiopia, intertwined with the story of a single woman who (somewhat accidentally) became a major player in international adoption and continues to care for and house dozens of AIDS orphans. The book is well worth reading simply for its smart and thorough overview of the AIDS crisis in general and the plight of Ethopians specifically. The story of this single woman at times feels forced and artificial - an attempt to give a "human center" to the narrative - but it's still an admirable and educational book.
3. The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco, Rating: 3.2
This is the book I chose for my recent vacation. It met criteria 1, 2, and 4, and seemed promising for #3 - the jacket made it seem like a high-brow version of The Da Vinci Code. Which actually is fairly accurate - really high-brow. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing work. Clearly Eco is a smart guy: to quote the anonymous writers on wikipedia, "Eco is particularly good at translating medieval religious controversies and heresies into modern political and economic terms so that the reader can appreciate their substance without being a theologian." It's a very dense, slow-going, deeply educational work - not very entertaining at all. Sure, read it, but don't pack it.
4. Sophie's Choice, William Styron, Rating: 4.3
Our hotel in Colombia had a wall of English-language titles, with an odd mix of political theory, romance, mystery, and 70s-80s bestsellers. I traded in my copy of The Name of the Rose for this, which again seemed to meet the criteria above. And - it did! Wonderfully! I actually finished it the next day, 12 hours into a 14 hour travel day. I'm sure someone at some point told you what the book is about; if not, well, as the title implies there's a main character named Sophie and at some point in the story she has to make a choice. I was shocked to find the bulk of the novel is a tawdry, sexy, violent love triangle in late-1940s Brooklyn. It's fascinating and humorous and very fun. And yes, it does have a powerful climax.
On to the books:
1. Lost Nation, Jeffrey Lent, Rating: 4.5
A western in the Cormac McCarthy vein - complex, bloody, cruel and unforgiving. Lent's characters are beautifully realized and you get to know
them intimately, despite the fact that their lives are far removed from anything we'd ever experience today.2. There is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children, Melissa Fay Greene, Rating: 3.5
Greene has written the story of AIDS in Ethiopia, intertwined with the story of a single woman who (somewhat accidentally) became a major player in international adoption and continues to care for and house dozens of AIDS orphans. The book is well worth reading simply for its smart and thorough overview of the AIDS crisis in general and the plight of Ethopians specifically. The story of this single woman at times feels forced and artificial - an attempt to give a "human center" to the narrative - but it's still an admirable and educational book.
3. The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco, Rating: 3.2
This is the book I chose for my recent vacation. It met criteria 1, 2, and 4, and seemed promising for #3 - the jacket made it seem like a high-brow version of The Da Vinci Code. Which actually is fairly accurate - really high-brow. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing work. Clearly Eco is a smart guy: to quote the anonymous writers on wikipedia, "Eco is particularly good at translating medieval religious controversies and heresies into modern political and economic terms so that the reader can appreciate their substance without being a theologian." It's a very dense, slow-going, deeply educational work - not very entertaining at all. Sure, read it, but don't pack it.
4. Sophie's Choice, William Styron, Rating: 4.3
Our hotel in Colombia had a wall of English-language titles, with an odd mix of political theory, romance, mystery, and 70s-80s bestsellers. I traded in my copy of The Name of the Rose for this, which again seemed to meet the criteria above. And - it did! Wonderfully! I actually finished it the next day, 12 hours into a 14 hour travel day. I'm sure someone at some point told you what the book is about; if not, well, as the title implies there's a main character named Sophie and at some point in the story she has to make a choice. I was shocked to find the bulk of the novel is a tawdry, sexy, violent love triangle in late-1940s Brooklyn. It's fascinating and humorous and very fun. And yes, it does have a powerful climax.
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