What I Know

It wasn’t long ago that I heard the word “centenarian” for the first time, and I had no clue what it meant. I turned to the Internet to learn that it was in reference to people living to be 100 years old. I’ve been mesmerized by that word ever since. My great grandmother lived into her late 90’s, and I know I’m very lucky to have been a part of her life. I have been giving this much thought lately, as I try to figure out what to get my grandmothers for Christmas.

Having raised their children, purchased their homes, traveled the countryside, worked hard, and long been in retirement, clutter is the last thing they need. I try to send photos, write letters, and make visits as much as possible. I know that is what truly means something. Yet, I find myself wanting to wrap a little gift to bring along; a little something that says “thanks for helping me to appreciate baking” and “thanks for teaching me the value of saving money”. All of my childhood memories of the holidays include my grandparents, so why wouldn’t I look for a unique item that might bring a smile?

Well, I am happy to report I think I found a great gift this year. It’s a little hard-covered book called, “What I Know- Uncommon Wisdom and Universal Truths from 10 Year Olds and 100 Year Olds” by Roger Emerson Fishman with Joe Rohrlich. I connected with Joe Rohrlich online, and he sent me a beautiful autographed copy of the book. It’s full of great short stories and funny bits of wisdom from people ten to one hundred years old. It’s the type of book you can pick up, flip to any page, and enjoy reading a little or a lot at one time. You quickly see yourself, your kids, your parents and your grandparents in the stories and humor.

One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is sip a hot coffee and peruse the isles of Barnes and Noble. In fact, I took all three of my girls there yesterday, as part of our annual holiday shopping day. What I know is that “What I Know” is available at Barnes and Noble, Borders, and I believe Target even has it. It is very new though, so do a little searching and I’m sure you’ll find it.

*To my family, ahh…well, this idea is obviously already taken. Don’t even try to rush out and get to grandma before me.

Swaptree.com

I was recommended swaptree as a great alternative to paperbackswap, so I decided to give it a try.  I have to say that I don’t think its quite a right fit for me, but I can see why people love it.

It’s a pretty simple concept.  You make a straight trade with another member.  No counting credits, no sending out all your books without anything coming in.  It’s like this:  Members make lists of things they’re offering for trade, and lists of things they want.  Then, when two members make a match (I’ll give you my High School Musical DVD for your hardcover of Breaking Dawn…) they exchange information and mail each other their items.  If you’re not sure what you want for your Kingdom Hearts game, you can browse the list of things people are offering.  As you browse the list, you say “Oh!  The Labrynth on DVD.  I love David Bowie!  I want that!”  See?  Easy.

This system is much better than paperbackswap for people who want to barter a greater variety of items.  It also helps that the things you want are much less likely to be taken, since only people who meet the offerer’s trade requirements may claim it.

The reason this system doesn’t work very well for me is because of my binding snobbery.  For example, I am trying to collect Hardcover versions of my Harry Potter books.  However, even though I only listed hardcover ISBNs in my wishlist, my offers come sometimes without information about the bindings, or saying they’re paperback.  And since the ISBN number doesn’t show up in swap requests, I can’t be sure I’m not just being offered a  paperback of HP and the OOP.  Furthermore, I can’t seem to find any way to contact the offerer to ask.  So, I have let at least two trades go because I don’t want to waste a trade on a book I don’t want.

I have recently traded away a book for a dvd, which was a great trade for me.  The only part that makes me nervous about the trade is that I have no idea if the person I sent my book to actually received it.  You report when an item doesn’t arrive, but as far as I can tell, you can’t mark it mailed or received.

Also, as a side note- if you do use both swaptree and paperbackswap, keep in mind that you will have to keep track of your books on both sites.  If you swap out a book on swaptree, make sure to take it off your pbs list, too- and vice versa.  That can get to be a bit of a pain, but its worth the effort if you have your heart set on shaking up your bookshelf.

All in all, swaptree is definitely a great site for  people looking to swap dvds, cds and games, and for those book traders who aren’t picky like me about which binding they get.  I’ve pulled books from my “i want” list, and am just hoping someone is looking to trade a season of Gilmore Girls for my copy of The Princess Diaries.   And I’m just trying to ignore that nagging feeling that the book I mailed is lost out there in postal service limbo.

“The Wednesday Letters” Book Review

I recently read “The Wednesday Letters” by Jason Wright, and couldn’t put it down. It was a quick read, but worth the time. If you love books that catch you right away, keep you reading, have some mystery and love story mixed in, and ultimately send a thought provoking message by the end…you’ll love this book. It reaffirms what it is to be married to the love of your life. It is a book focused on parenting children and raising strong families. There are several adoption-related story lines that are heartwarming! This would make a great Mother’s Day gift for a mom or grandmother!

snopes.com

Every once in a while, I get one of those emails.  You know the ones. Bill Gates will pay you for forwarding an email.  Robbers are using perfume to entice and knock out victims in parking lots.  Sign this petition or your children will be forced to pray to Paris Hilton in school. (okay, so I made that last one up, but you get the idea.)  So, is it true?  Will you actually get paid to click your mouse a couple times?  Is it safe to go to the mall again?  That’s where Snopes.com comes in.  It is a great resource to let you know if that dangerous computer virus actually exists, or if gang members really do shoot the people who flash their brights at them for not having headlights on.  When the people at Snopes learn about an urban legend, they research it until they can either confirm its authenticity (yes, burglars have been known to check obituaries so they can rob people who are away at funerals)  or debunk it (believe it or not, men don’t think about sex every seven seconds.)   It’s very useful, yes.  However, its also very entertaining.  for example, did you know there is an urban legend about someone taking a dress off a corpse just before burial, then returning it to the store.  Then, when it’s next owner wears it, the embalming fluids leach into her skin and kill her,  Obviously not true, but still- quite a story.
Navigating the site is quite easy.  You can search by keywords “hook,” “car,” and “door” gets you…well, I’m sure you’ve heard that particular urban legend before.  or, if you’re just looking for laughs, you can browse in one of their forty plus topic groups.  For example, under “Old wives’ tales,” you’ll learn that gum does not, in fact, take seven years to pass through your system. (and in case you’re wondering, your face will not stick like that.  And I didn’t even need Snopes for that one!)
They also have a newsletter that you can subscribe to, a community forum for talking about urban legends and more with other fans of the site, and a nifty randomizer.  You click on it, and they will randomly select an urban legend article for you to read.
The site is definitely worth a peek, particularly if you (like me) want those bulk emails to stop.  I have become synonymous with email debunking in my family, to the point that when my aunts hear rumors (”does Barack Obama really refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance?”)  they come to me for my Snopes-like wisdom. (”no, he doesn’t.  This rumor was based on…..”)

Happy rumor-hunting!

“It’s great to learn, ‘Cuz knowledge is power!” -Schoolhouse Rock

Paperbackswap.com

I would never get away with my new book snobbishness (I’m now purging my house of mass market paperbacks) if it weren’t for paperbackswap.com. Its the perfect place to unload those dry classics you read in college, and replace them with something jucier. Or drier, if that’s your thing. It’s where you can take that great European travel book and replace it with What To Expect When You’re Expecting. Or trade the how-to-make-a-million-overnight book with a living-on-a-shoestring guide. You get the picture.

The process is simple. Once you have registered on paperbackswap, you gather up the books you no longer want, and post them to the system, using the ISBN number (which can be found on the back cover or with all the publishing info on one of the first pages). Then, when someone wants your book, a request is sent to your email. You can either accept or reject their request, depending on if you can actually find the book, and if it meets their conditions). You mail the book to their address at your cost. Then when they receive the book, they mark it and you get one credit toward a book request of your own, which someone else mails to you on their dime. simple, right?

Of course, some books are more popular than others. You may post your copy of The Da Vinci Code, but it gets put in back of the list of all posted Da Vinci Code books with your ISBN. And since the DaVinci code is SO five years ago, it may not be requested for a long time. Conversely, just try to get your hands on a copy of Breaking Dawn (the 4th Twilight book.) There are nearly 1,000 people waiting for it right now.

So, what’s the benefit of paperbackswap over, say, the book section of a thrift store? Well, paperback swap is like taking the book section of all the thrift stores in your state and putting them together into one. Minus the old National Geographics and 1970’s Encyclopedias. Also, besides books (hardcover and paperback) for all ages, paperbackswap offers audiobooks for 2 credits each. Considering how rare used audio books are, that is a great deal.

Paperbackswap is entirely free to use. You can pay for certain features, like having the postage printed right on the wrapper, or extra book credits, but the typical user doesn’t pay for anything except shipping their books out to other members. Beyond the basic book-swapping, PBS has a great community with lots of stuff to do and see. You can make lists of books you’ve read, suggest books to friends, rate and review books, use your ratings to find something else you might like, visit the forum, play games, read things written by other members, swap recipes…. basically, it’s the go-to site for librophiles like me.

if you sign up, add me (hookedonmonix)to your buddy list. I look forward to seeing you there!

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

First, I have to admit that my tastes run a little out of line with the typical mom.  Sure, I may have been instrumental in ushering in the Twilight craze among local moms, but generally speaking…  well, lets just say that I’ve never read a word of Jodi Picoult or Nora Roberts, and I don’t really intend to.  I am a lover of young adult fiction, of fantasy, and admittedly some “chick lit” (I loved The Lovely Bones)

That being said, I just finished reading The Name of the Wind, and I loved it.  It is the story of how a brilliant young boy thrived in the face of adversity, and grew to be an epic hero.

I have to admit that I didn’t like the main character, Kvothe very much at first.  I thought he was arrogant and smug as he recounted his intellectual prowess.  But as the story progresses, and life crushes in on him, you begin to see the man he becomes, when being a clever little boy is no longer enough.

The Name of the Wind is the first (an only published, so far)  book in a promising new series by author Patrick Rothfuss of Wisconsin.  I found it thorough and brilliantly crafted,much like the Harry Potter novels.  Only The Name of the Wind is meatier, designed for adult readers who are looking forsomething more substantial to gnaw on.  If you are any sort of fantasy fan (note that my fantasy fandom doesn’t stray past J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, Neil Gaiman and J.K. Rowling) I think you will thoroughly enjoy this book.

Book Review Update: “Confessions of a Super Mom”

I am about a fourth of my way through the book, finding it hard to keep at it. The story is fine, and I am actually laughing as I go. Maybe it’s the bad cold I’ve been fighting or the lack of free-time to curl up and read, but at any rate, I usually read books much faster than this.

Cancer: Book for Kids

I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with Amelia Frahm, author of “Tickles Tabitha’s Cancer-Tankerous Mommy” a great book for children who have a mother or even a grandmother going through cancer treatments. If you or a loved one are dealing with this topic, you can visit Amelia’s site to order the book: www.nutcrackerpublishing.com

Let’s Do This Backward

A thought occurred to me. Let’s post the best books we’ve read. Why? Because finding out what each of us has already read is more helpful than lists of what we could read. Over the years I have read lots of good books, but as soon as it’s not “in” anymore, I forget about it. Then, I can’t recall the name, because I am forgetful, distracted, and well, whatever. So, please do us all a favor and post a few of the best books you’ve ever read. If you have to write a note next to it, do so. Here’s my list to get started, in no particular order:

1. Wild Swans (three generations of women in China, an epic you can’t put down, own-it, will send it to you as long as you pass it along to someone else)

2. Wild Flower and the Snow Fan (another great story of China)

3.  The E-Myth Revisited (a small business parable, must read for business owners)

4. Twilight (all four books, just pure fun, own it, will send it to you as long as you pass it along to someone else)

5. Mountains Beyond Mountains: Healing the World (True story, couldn’t put it down)

6. Why Men and Women Act the Way They Do (funny, practical, religious)

7. The Red Tent (Biblical Fiction)

8.  Airframe (by Michael Crichton)

A Great List of Book Suggestions

A friend went through the work of compiling this list of suggested books from her mom friends, and graciously gave it to me to post for all of you. There are some books on this list I’ve heard of, but many are new for me to check out.

 

1. Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory
2. She’s Gonna Blow by Julie Barnhill
3. Changed Into His Image by Jim Berg (4)
4. The Love Dare by Stephen and Alex Kendrick
5. The Ultimate Gift
6. Foxes Book of Martyrs
7. The Pilgrim’s Progress
8. Rees Howells, Intercessor
9. When Life and Beliefs Collide: How Knowing God Makes A Difference by Carolyn Custis James
10. Brutcho
11. A Foreign Devil in China (Ruth Graham Bell’s life in China with her missionary parents)
12. God in You by David Jeremiah
13. Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hand
14. A Heart Like His by Beth Moore
15. The Remarkable Women of the Bible by Elizabeth George
16. Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul by John and Stasi Eldredge
17. Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
18. Breaking Free: Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life by Beth Moore
19. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala
20. God’s Plan for Transforming Your Life by Jim Berg
21. The Shack. (2)
22. The Healing Quilt by Lauraine Snelling
23. Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
24. Trusting God Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges
25. Crazy Love by Francis Chan
26. The Strength of His Mercy by Jan Beazley
27. Isobel Kuhn By Searching
28. The Christ Commission by Og Mandino
29. In HIs Steps by Charles M. Sheldon

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