My friends, the books!

Today I want to share a books meme that I stole from a couple of friends' journals on Livejournal. I so much love reading and talking about books I couldn't resist it and had to take my time and answer all of the meme's many questions. Enjoy reading it and take a turn in answerig the questions if you like!

1. Favourite childhood book?

I think my favourite book(s) (because it actually is a series) was Little Womens and its sequels. I had fallen for the four March sisters and I couldn't really choose my favourite of them all. Meg was so nice and caring and I probably wished I was like her. Jo is the main character in all the books. She's smart, she's strong and she writes and reads a lot! And Beth, well she's Beth! She was too good and you couldn't but like her. Amy probably was my least favourite of the four, but still I was fond of her, because she was the little one. I had hardcovers of the four books of that amazing series by L.M.Alcott, and I think that my favourite was Little Men.

2. What are you reading right now?

I am currently reading NW by Zadie Smith. It's a bit of a struggle, because the style doesn't make of it an easy reading, still I am interested in it and will try and read it to its last page.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

Even though  I have a library card I don't like to get library books, the due date puts pressure on me and I can hardly finish a library book in time!!! 

4. Bad book habit?

When I am halfway throught a book I really like I take a peek at the last chapter to find our what's happening to my favourite characters. I can't help it. Another bad habit of mine is that of putting the book down if I don't find it interesting enough by page 30.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

I think I've not browsed books at the library for a year or so.

6. Do you have an e-reader?

I own a first generation Kindle. I like it pretty much, but I'm lately going back to real paper books reading. 

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

I tried to read more books at once, but I can't really go on in the reading.. I am now sticking to my old habit of picking one book at a time. I am not as multitasking as I thought I could be!

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

I don't think that reading habits changed since starting a blog. Rather, it changed with my growing age. I am now reading some non fiction (that was not something I liked at all in my teen years) and I pretty much like it! 

9. Least favourite book you read this year (so far?)

Don't know. As I said before if I think I don't really like a book I put it down past page 30... There are a few I put down this year. Last one being March by Geraldine Brooks (a disappointment for me because I had such high expectations on it)

10. Favourite book you've read this year?

Mmmm... So far I haven't read a book I really really like in 2013... I really liked Romancing Miss Bronte that I read in January, though. 

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

I try not to read out of my comfort zone actually because then I fear having to put my reading down with disappointment.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

Historical novels, real life stories, classic English literature, women literature. 

13. Can you read on the bus?

I adore reading when commuting!

14. Favourite place to read?

At the breakfast table, early in the morning!

15. What is your policy on book lending?

I am a member of bookcrossing, so that pretty much answer the question! If you also are a bookcrosser, then check my profile  there please!

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?

erhm... yes I do... Bad habit you say?!

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

No

18. Not even with text books?

Oh yes, whit those I do.

19. What is your favourite language to read in?

English. I think translations ofter waste the spirit that originally is in a book. English is my favourite language, since most books I read are by english speaking authors.

20. What makes you love a book?

when I understand what a character in a book thinks and feels, then I can really say I love a book!

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

If I really like a story I just can't keep myself from reccomending it to everyone I know! I so much loved reading Extremely loud & Incredibly close that I gave a copy of it to all my dearest ones for their birthdays! 

22. Favourite genre?

Historical novels and real life fiction.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)

I wish I was more sensitive and found poetry at least a bit interesting... but I don't!

24. Favourite biography?

Anne Frank's... I read at least 3 or 4 different biographies of her. 
25. Have you ever read a self-help book?

Tried to but it's not something I really like

26. Favourite cookbook?

I have no cookbooks, mainly use blogs for recipes. 

27. Most inspirational book you've read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?

Wednesday's Child by Shane Dunphy

28. Favourite reading snack?

I usually have breakfast when reading. 

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

Can't think of such a case sorry.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?

Don't really care of critics, I read reviews on goodreads if I want to read some other people's opinions on a book I want to read.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

I think reviews are personally and it's our reader's right to express both positive and negative feeling on a book.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?

I am happy to read in English. 

33. Most intimidating book you've ever read?

mmm... Can't think of an intimidating book... Or maybe "The betrothed" by Manzoni, but it was no more as intimidating once I was halfway thought it.

34. Most intimidating book you're too nervous to begin?

Maybe russian classics. 

35. Favorite poet?

No poetry for me thank you.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

one and that's enough for me. Told you, deadline puts pressure on me. 

37. How often have you returned a book to the library unread?

erhm... often.

38. Favorite fictional character?

Hermione Granger

39. Favorite fictional villain?

None that I can think of at the moment.

40. Books I'm most likely to bring on vacation?

A book that's located in the same city I am visiting at that moment.

41. The longest I've gone without reading.

4 months, when I started a new stressful job!

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

March, as I said earlier. 

43. What distracts you easily when you're reading?

Nothing, I get absorbed in the reading.

44. Favourite film adaptation of a novel?

I always like books better than movie adaptations. 

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?

Too many.

46. The most money I've ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

50€?!

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?

Sometimes, as I confessed earlier.
48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

If I can't really find any interest in it.

49. Do you like to keep your books organised?

Of course I do, they are organized on descending order according to their size.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you've read them?

Depending on the books. Sometimes I keep and re-read, sometimes I give away or release in the wild.

51. Are there any books you've been avoiding?

No. 

52. Name a book that made you angry.

A child named It. It had me so mad at that abusive mother! (I am a social worker, so...)

53. A book you didn't expect to like but did?

I think that Kinsella's shopaholic series pretty much entertained me and I didn't expect it to do that!

54. A book that you expected to like but didn't?

The Casual Vacancy sort of disappointed me a bit, but I still liked it ok.

55. Favourite guilt-free, pleasure reading?

Chick lit, sometimes. 

The Wednesday Sisters (Meg W. Clayton)

"Friends. Writing friends. The Wednesday Sisters Writing Society, we like to call ourselves. But we're more than that, too. So much more than that." (The Wednesday Sisters, page 276)

Brett, one of the Wednesday Sisters, the smarter and my favourite, sums the whole book in the above phrase around the end of the story.
Clayton brings the reader back at the end of The Sixties, in Palo Alto California. Time and location already earned this book two extra points. The rest Clayton deserved with her prose.
Through the pages the reader gets to meet and becomes friendly with 5 young women, mothers and mothers to be, wives, living in Palo Alto in middle class houses with their husbands and offspring.
None of them works, husbands do, they meet at the park where they bring their toddlers to play.
Their friendship initially start thank to books, and here Clayton earns an extra point with me, a friendship born on the common passion for reading can't but being on my top ten list! They read, those five women, they love books and love to talk about books together. But they are not yet The Wednesday Sisters. Not untill one day they decide to start something new, they follow their inner dream: they start writing. It's a journal at first, they write and share what they put on paper. It's awkward at first but they are determined women and they write and again write.
And their writing keeps them together through the many things they have to face: illness, miscarriage, cheating, secrets... Their friendship grows and becomes stronger. And they go through publishing, editing and emancipation together.
I won't go any further with what happen in the book because I don't want to spoil the fun for anyone who wants to read it.

Reasons why I think this book should be read:

- it is a page turner and an easy read. It's especially good on the summer break, when you want to engage on some light reading. It is a relaxing reading and something that doesn't take too long to finish. At the same time Clayton has a neat, direct style and you are hooked to her words and need to find out what happens next.

- if you are into reading or writing or the both of said activities, you can't but appreciate this story. A friendship born and grown on the love for books can't but being fashinating for a fellow bookworm or any aspiring writer.

- if you love The Sixties and what happens in the years between the end of that decade and the beginning of the following decade, then you will appreciate that Clayton describes some of the highlight of said years, man on the moon, women parade...

- also if you love women literature, this is a must reading, because it is a good work she did in said field.

I rated this book 4 stars, I really liked it and it has the merit to bring me back to my old bookworm attitude toward reading, something that intensive work had reduced in the past few months!

Summer Pasta Recipe

Summer has finally made its appearance in Italy, yesterday it was the first pretty hot day we had and we're longing for moderately hot days! Last year we suffered the hottest summer in centuries and I still remember going to Belgium in August hopeing for some rain and chilly temperatures, but this year it's been the other way round. We still get whole days of heavy rains and temperatures have never gone higher than 32°C, that's an ok weather, if only it lasted a few days in a row! Hopefully this second half of July and the whole of August will bring us some real summer weather, Italian-style.

Anyway, yesterday we were blessed with a hot and sunny day and I celebrated the event with a summer recipe for pasta. It's easy and cheap and fast to make, and I want to share it on the blog.

Ingredients (serves 2 at 1,48€):

150 gr of short pasta (whatever shape you like best. I had some of this pasta spiral in the cupboard and went for it) [0,24€]
1 big carrot [0,12€]
100 gr of peas [0,39€]
80 gr of gruyère [0,50€]
20 gr of vegetal margarine [0,15€]
a small stick of celery [0,08€]

When using peas I usually go for frozen peas, because they are tender if compared to those that come in tins and cheaper than fresh ones. I cooked my peas for some 20 minutes with 20gr of vegetal margarine, some salt and pepper. If you like to add some onion to it, you can as well chop it in very thin slices and let it cook along with the peas.

Chop the celery and carrot and stear them with some oil in a pan for 10 minutes. The smaller the cubicles the less you need to stir them for.

Now the cheese. Cut it in small parts, again the smaller the parts the sooner it will melt when put in the pan with pasta.

It's time to cook pasta! Bring a pot of cold salted water to the boil and add pasta. Cook according to packet instructions.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir untill the cheese has completely melted! Serve and eat 'till hot!

Enjoy your summer pasta dish!