Instructions

This little gem of a volume contains three of my favorite things- fairy tales, Neil Gaiman's writing, and the art of Charles Vess. I was lucky enough to score a deeply discounted copy from Amazon, but it's well worth purchasing at full price! The illustrations are gorgeous, making you feel like you're there with every step....er, turn of the page. The simple instructions for a successful journey through the Otherworld make you feel like you're on the adventure.

Steampunk-Style Jewelry: A Maker's Collection of Victorian, Fantasy, and Mechanical Designs

This was a neat little book, but most of the projects require more patience and creativity than I possess. I may have to try a few ideas it inspired though! Craft store, here I come....

Eating Well- on a Budget

I love cookbooks. I especially love cookbooks that promise me good food that I can afford and/or have the time to make. This one, while nicely laid out, did not live up to the expectations I had. The chapters were typical for an all-purpose cookbook, but the copy I had contained pages that I think may have been inserted out of order. if not, then someone fell down on the job doing layout because it was a bit disconcerting to flip through the poultry chapter and find 3 vegetarian recipes in the middle. Or to read the beef section and find a shrimp dish.



Most of the recipes in this volume were somewhat basic and I have other (sometimes better) verisons in my collection already. I did find 3 that were worth adding to my list: Salmon Rosti,Almond Crusted Pork, and a Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup.


Oh, and the misplaced shrimp dish? I can't make it myself, due to food allergies, but I may pass it on to my mother. I think my Dad would enjoy it.

We Are In A Book

This may be my favorite of the Elephant & Piggie books so far! When they realize that they are in a book and readers are following what they do, Elephant and Piggie begin to have some fun with their followers. Their outright glee is contagious, and reading this makes me wish I could be in a book too!

Three Scoops and a Fig

Sweet little book about an Italian girl who wants to help her family get ready for a big dinner. But her attempts to help end in disaster and the various family members telling her that she's too little to help. She finally goes outside to huddle under a fig tree with a bowl of gelato and her beloved kitty, where she gets the inspiration for a dish that everyone in her family ultimately agrees is just right!

Gordon Ramsay's Family Fare

I love to watch Gordon Ramsay on TV and I could listen to him talk for hours, but I've just never been that fond of his recipes. I appreciate his apparent passion for food, and quality food at that, and his desire to see people use more fresh ingredients in their cooking. (something I have been trying to do better with, myself) However, I just can't see the average American family making some of these meals. There is just no way most children are going to eat Baby Squid in Tomato Sauce with Chard, for example. That's an appetizer.

For that matter, most families that I'm familiar with don't have time or inclination to sit down to meals that include appetizers, main course/sides, and dessert. Those are special occasion type meals and are usually eaten in restaurants...like Hell's Kitchen. (yes, I crack myself up- it's my review, I'm allowed to)

To be fair, both American & British measurements are included for the ingredients. But that's where reality ends with a lot of these recipes. The timelines for prep work are a nice inclusion, but show his lack of knowledge to what resources many of us have...for example, the time line for meal 7, A Classic Sunday Lunch, starts with this :

A FEW DAYS AHEAD...
Order the pigeon (you need 8-12 breasts from large wood pigeons ?!? oh sorry, you can substitute squab for the pigeon if it isn't available where you shop...riiiiight....) from your butcher or poulterer and get him to carve out the breasts. Reserve the rib of beef too.

The timelines for most of the fish dishes contain this advice:

Order the fish from the fish supplier. (get him to fillet it for you) Arrange to collect it on the day if possible, or the day before.

Um, Gordon? We're cooking AT HOME. Most of us don't have a butcher/poulterer/fish supplier. We're lucky if we have anything resembling a fresh meat counter at the grocery since most stores have switched to vacuum sealed pre-packaged meats from THEIR suppliers.

Anyway, I can tell you that while most of the meals didn't appeal to me, the instructions ARE clearly written out and the food pornographers did a wonderful job of photographing some of the dishes. Instead of assuming that everyone knows how to make various stocks or keeps them onhand, Ramsay includes simple directions for how to make & store them. The timelines are concise and helpful, if you overlook the kind of thing I mentioned above. There are also a few bonus tips & tricks listed here and there throughout the book.

Oh, and among the handful of recipes that I intend to try? Gordon's Apple Pudding, Prosciutto Sage & Parmesan Puffs, Gordon's Beef Wellington, and a variation on Salmon En Croute. Most of these looked delicious, have ingredients that I can easily get, and won't keep me in the kitchen for an eternity! 

Great bookstores

Another post from the BBC:


http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20101118-the-worlds-greatest-bookshops


As I mention in my library post earlier, I love bookstores as much as I love libraries. I have literally planned vacations around book shopping. My first trip to Toronto was a giant book buying binge. I found Bakka Science Fiction Books and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Then there was the cookbook store, whose name I've forgotten. And so many more....


London? Mom had to drag me away from Charing Cross Road. It's not the bookstore Mecca it once was, but I still had a lot of fun plundering the stores we found. I bought a ton of books that I began to resent as I had to lug them around for the rest of the day, having planned badly.


I even love online bookstores as my denuded bank account, Amazon, and Better World Books will all tell you. And nothing is more fun for me than spending an hour (or 3) digging through the stacks in a good used bookstore.


So, among my other life goals now, is the challenge of getting to as many of the bookstores on the BBC list as possible.


Tell me, what are some of YOUR favorite bookstores?

Love Letter to the Library

I read this article on BBC.co.uk : http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/willgompertz/2010/11/are_libraries_out_of_date.html

Go ahead and read it, I'll wait. 

Ok. Are libraries passe? I don't think so. Nor should they be phased out. My mom was a career librarian and gave me my love for reading. Even before she went back to work, we took weekly trips to the library to stock up on books. Back in those days, books were a luxury we couldn't afford to buy on our own and the library was always there for us. Once she started working there? I was like a kid in a candy store. Dad & I would go to pick her up (he worked nights, so he was free to keep an eye on me after school while Mom was at work) and I would frantically grab books to take home. If I was a good girl, I was allowed in the back where I could plunder through the newly returned books for treasures. If the librarians were busy back there, I'd browse through the stacks and carry a pile up to take home. 

I watched my first videotape at the library. Back then, our library had 3 viewing stations so that people who didn't have VCR's at home could still see movies, and I think they were one of the first libraries in the state to offer that. Anyway, the first one I watched was Star Wars. There were also a few listening stations for LP's and audiotapes. I learned about old radio serials from the AV department and checked out all of the Amos & Andy tapes, as well as other programs. I picked out albums based solely on the cover art (hey, I was a kid) and discovered jazz and blues and a handful of comedians. (mom didn't censor my book choices much, but she kept an eagle on on the audio selections- not that the library had too much of anything hardcore. public funding and all that) Oh, and the magazines! I didn't know that there were that many magazines available. I quickly figured out that most of them didn't appeal to me, but just knowing that they were there was enough.

When I got older, I was hired as a library page. This is basically a glorified term for shelver. I felt all grown up- I had to get my social security card for payroll, the librarians who had always seen me as "Marie's kid" now treated me like one of them, and I still got to take home as many books as I could carry, plus I got PAID! Shelving allowed me to find books I might not have seen otherwise. When I went off to college and was given a choice of jobs for my work-study financial aid, I immediately chose to work in one of the college libraries. My bosses were amazed by my shelving prowess and amused by the stacks of books I constantly took back to the dorm.

Post college, I eventually wound up working in bookstores. I'd still be there if A: they paid more, and B: I hadn't thoroughly come to loathe working retail. I like books, people I'm not so crazy about. With the employee discount, I bought books out the wazoo. I stopped using the library as much because it wasn't as convenient and I hated waiting for them to buy the new books that I wanted to read. (still do. I realize that they have to spend their money on books that will appeal to the largest number of people and can't buy EVERYTHING, but it makes me crazy when they don't get a new title in for months, if at all)

Although I no longer work retail, I still buy a fair amount of books. But I also use the library a lot more. It took a few years for me to find a branch that I liked- the main library here is mostly staffed by some of the most lazy, obnoxious people I've ever met. (alas, they're in a union, so they can't be easily fired) There are a handful of VERY nice people there, who I miss talking to, but I got tired of dealing with the others and eventually quit going there. The branch closest to my house had a rotating staff when I started using it and I had numerous problems there at first, but now they have a permanent staff who are some of the most delightful people I know. They know me by name (and I know their names) , are amused by my omnivorous reading & music habits, and we share family stories and book recommendations all the time. I use the computers there a few times a week (no printer at home, and can't print some things at work, so I go to the library for that too) and attend a few of the programs when they fall in hours I'm not working. We even held a book club meeting there once. (the club disbanding shortly after that was a coincidence- My friend Laura and I keep trying, but can't get one off the ground.)

It makes me crazy when I hear people say that they don't know what good libraries do. Let's see- free access to books/magazines/music/videos, free access to computers (limited time, but they're free!), free classes in computer skills/creating resumes/job searching online, a safer place for kids to go after school, school tutoring/homework assistance, storytimes and other programs for small children...the list goes on. Anyone who doesn't want to go through formal education can still learn about almost anything under the sun by reading library books.

Two years ago here in Louisville, one of the most hotly contested issues was a proposed library tax. It was an occupational tax that would have cost most people about $5 a year, if that. The money it would have raised could have increased the collection, built new branches, remodeled some of the older branches, and been a real asset to the community. It got voted down. I partially understand why- our mayor was known for taking money earmarked for projects and throwing into his own pet issues, but a lot of people said they voted against it "because I don't use the library, so why should I pay for it?" Well, going by that logic, I don't have kids and am not going to, so why should I pay taxes for schools? Some people don't drive- why should they pay taxes for roads? What if you need to use it some day and it's not there? For $5 a year, it would have been a bargain.

Anyway, now that I've rambled on forever, the point that I was trying to make is that I love libraries. Friends and family members laugh at mom & me when we go on vacation and one of the first things we want to do is go check out the local library and the bookstores. On my first trip to Toronto, one of the first things I did was pick up a handful of fliers from a library and mail them to Mom in NC. When we went to London, we didn't get to a library, but by gad we went to as many bookstores as I could drag Mom into. (And I learned the valuable lesson of go to the British Museum first, hit the Charing Cross Road bookstores last or you will spend the entire time you're in the museum waiting for your arm to fall off under the weight of all the books you foolishly bought and have to lug around until you go back to your hotel!) We went to Washington DC and toured the Library of Congress (beautiful building- if you've never been, GO) and got official library cards from it. (one of my most prized possessions) And if anyone ever succeeds in dragging me to NYC, you can best believe that I will be going to the NY Public Library and getting my picture taken with the lions!

For those who celebrate it...

with thanks to: www.st-andrew.com/Libraries/images which is where I found this banner.

Literary Miscellany

From Amazon.com:
Behind-the-book stories and facts about authors, publishing, and everything literary. Literary Miscellany is a breezy tour through the literature of today and yesterday, touching on many great classical literary works, movements, and trends. But don’t fear that it’s only for intellectuals—there’s plenty here for the contemporary pleasure reader as well. Alex Palmer offers something for everyone, including answers to the following questions:



What’s the original bestseller?


What authors introduced insults as a literary art form?


Who burned the first book?


Are writers more likely to be depressed than booksellers?


How does a book become a movie?


When did sex become part of literature?


Most people don’t know that the Bible gets credit for plenty of lines that were written by William Shakespeare or John Milton. In Literary Miscellany, learn how this happened. Also examine the more recent concept of “false memoirs,” with a list of who lied about what. And speaking of villains, was the devil the first bad guy in print? Did his appearance lead to the inevitable self-help book? Or was that Oprah?

This quirky work is filled with entertaining literary trivia for a unique perspective on writers’ lives and inspirations, from the drinks they imbibed to the books they penned. Delightfully illustrated, it will entertain casual readers and literary buffs alike.
 
My view:
I had much higher hopes for this volume. It wasn't bad, it just didn't quite have the substance I was looking for. This is more of a light, literature-trivia-for-dummies kind of read. Not that there's anything wrong with that, as long as you know that up front. This presents itself as a more serious work, and in my opinion, it's not. When Amazon says that it "touches on great works", they're not kidding. There isn't a truly in-depth discussion on anything. I did like the quotes and some of the trivia boxes scattered throughout, but it wasn't enough to make me LOVE this book.

Lost For Words

Blurb from Goodreads:
Sweet-natured Daisy, assistant at a large publishing house, has two wishes in life. One, to discover the 'next big thing' in books and two, for her gorgeous, philandering boyfriend Miles to finally commit. But soon work starts looking up. When the thoughtful and witty Elliot Thornton comes in for a temporary placement, Daisy quickly forms a close friendship with him. But she'd never want to leave Miles for him, would she? Then, one day, while glancing through her rejection pile, she comes across the intriguing first pages of a novel. With spine-tingling excitement she emails the mysterious author straightaway and as chapter by chapter slowly filter through to her, she becomes completely spellbound. But somehow, there's something very familiar about the heroine and her story! An enchanting romance about a girl who knows she's in love -- she just doesn't know who with!

My opinion:

This is another from the pile of brit-chick lit books that I've been rampaging through. The cover alone made me like this one. While I look nothing like the girl in the picture, I've often envisioned myself stretched out in similar fashion on a lovely day, absorbed in a book with a pile waiting to be read at my side.

I loved the premise of the book- editorial assistant in a publishing house finds a gem in the slush pile (my dream job, BTW. Even though I know what it REALLY entails), realizes that it seems to be telling parallelling her life, and finds new love in an unexpected place. The story itself- not so much. It's a little too frothy, and Daisy is amazingly, stupidly, oblivious to things that would make a normal woman stand up and scream "ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?" Things like her boyfriend's inability to commit to ANYTHING (he can't make dinner, lunch, the theatre 75% of the time and you still think he's your boyfriend?!?), her friends point blank telling her he's a jerk, or the cute guy right under her nose that is CLEARLY interested in her. She does finally figure things out in the end and the reader gets a happy ending, but you want to shake her until her head rattles before you get to it!

Running Wild

From Goodreads:
Elfrida Swann, known to everyone as Freddie, is about to marry Alex. Preparations for the great day - service at Westminster, reception at Claridges - are on schedule; the bridesmaids' bouquets made up; the cake decorated. Then Freddie decides that she cannot go through with it. Unable to face the indignation and fury of Alex, her parents, or anyone else, she flees to a friend's cottage in Dorset. At first sight its state of dilapidation is so extreme that Freddie decides she cannot possibly stay there. But she has reckoned without the attentions of Guy Gilderoy; the culinary delights of the Rector and his wife; a family of neglected children; and the primitive and secret shrines she finds in her garden. In her attempts to make sense of her new life, Freddie discovers much about herself that is surprising as the ghosts of her childhood are laid to rest.


My opinion:
I have gone on a British chick-lit kick of late and this is one of the delightful books I've come across during this phase. I have another book by the same author that I'm looking quite forward to getting to read.

Freddie is a charming but flawed heroine adrift in a world of equally charming predators and new-found friends. As she flees her fiancee, who is later revealed to be an abuser, and the ghosts of her unhappy childhood, Freddie discovers that she is MORE than capable of fending for herself, it's ok to offer and accept help, and that charm isn't everything. There's romance, heartbreak, and mystery throughout the novel. Some of the romances are easy to spot in the making, one might surprise the reader a bit, but everything works out happily (but not tidily) in the end.

Ooops, I theoretically spent too much

As some of you have seen from my first post, I had a LOT of fun with the Chronicle Books webiste. I hated to cull my list, but since I was close to twice the giveaway limit, it had to be done. Here, totally out of order, are the items i had to cut. Hopefully I'll win the lottery and be able to collect the them someday!

41. You Give Love a Bad Name- Timeless Poems of Tainted Love, from the Pop Hits of the '70s and '80s


Quirk Books

Edited by Danny Cassidy

5-1/4 x 7 in; 96 pp ;

Hardcover

Published in September, 2003

ISBN 1931686130

ISBN13 9781931686136

$14.95



42. I Can't Fight This Feeling- Timeless Poems for Lovers, from the Pop Hits of the '70s and '80s

Quirk Books

Foreword by Fred Schneider

5-1/4 x 7 in; 96 pp ;

Hardcover

Published in September, 2002

ISBN 1931686114

ISBN13 9781931686112

$14.95



40. Meet Mr. Product- The Art of the Advertising Character

By Warren Dotz and Masud Husain

5-1/8 x 6-11/16 in; 272 pp ; 500 color images

Paperback

Published in February, 2003

ISBN 0811835898

ISBN13 9780811835893

$16.95



32. More Things Like This

By the Editors of McSweeney

Introduction by Michael Kimmelman

Foreword by Dave Eggers

8-3/4 x 8 in; 224 pp ; 289 full-color and b/w images throughout

Hardcover

Published in September, 2009

ISBN 9780811867160

ISBN10 0811867161

$35.00



29. Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking

By Madhur Jaffrey

Photographs by Noel Barnhurst

8-3/4 x 8 in; 156 pp ; 32 color photographs

Paperback

Published in June, 2007

ISBN 0811859010

ISBN13 9780811859011

$19.95



28.Plenty-Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Photographs by Jonathan Lovekin

8 x 11 in; 288 pp ; 140 color photographs, 15 2-color illustrations

Hardcover

ISBN 9781452101248

ISBN10 1452101248

$35.00



26.Crème Brûlée

By Lou Seibert Pappas

Photographs by Alison Miksch

7 x 8 in; 96 pp ; 24 color photographs

Hardcover

Published in January, 2009

ISBN 9780811866828

ISBN10 0811866823

$14.95



19. Field Guide to Tools- How to Identify and Use Virtually Every Tool at the Hardware Store

Quirk Books

By John Kelsey

4-1/2 x 5-7/8 in; 384 pp ;

Paperback

Published in September, 2004

ISBN 1931686793

ISBN13 9781931686792

$15.95



39. Lost- Lost and Found Pet Posters from Around the World

By Ian Phillips

5 x 6.75 in; 208 pp ; 90 black and white photographs

Hardcover

Published in April, 2002

ISBN 1568983379

ISBN13 9781568983370

$14.95



38. Wanderlust

By Troy M. Litten

4-1/2 x 5-7/8 in; 208 pp ; over 400 color photographs

Paperback

Published in March, 2004

ISBN 0811842444

ISBN13 9780811842440

$14.95



15. I Was Here-A Travel Journal for the Curious Minded

By Kate Pocrass

4-1/2 x 8-1/2 in; 128 pp ; 4-color illustrations throughout, elastic band, pocket

Paperback

ISBN 9780811877701

ISBN10 0811877701

$16.95



8. You Are Here-Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination

Princeton Architectural Press

Edited by Katharine Harmon

7 x 10 in; 192 pp ; 50 color and 50 B/W

Paperback

Published in October, 2003

ISBN 1568984308

ISBN13 9781568984308

$24.95



25.Savory Baking- Warm and Inspiring Recipes for Crisp, Crumbly, Flaky Pastries

By Mary Cech

Photographs by Noel Barnhurst

8 x 8-3/4 in; 168 pp ; 24 color images/photographs

Paperback

Published in August, 2009

ISBN 9780811859066

ISBN10 0811859061

$24.95



34. The Smart Traveler's Passport- 399 Tips from Seasoned Travelers

Quirk Books

By Erik Torkells and the Readers of Budget Travel Magazine

4-1/2 x 5-7/8 in; 224 pp ;

Paperback

Published in February, 2007

ISBN 1594741778

ISBN13 9781594741777

$14.95



33. Pictorial Webster's- A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities

By John M. Carrera

5-3/4 x 7-1/4 in; 512 pp ; 1,500 b/w images

Hardcover

Published in July, 2009

ISBN 9780811867184

ISBN10 0811867188

$35.00



37. City Walks: London- 50 Adventures on Foot

By Christina Henry de Tessan

4-1/16 x 5-5/8 x 1-1/4 in; box with lid, 50 cards, tri-fold intro card, 50 color maps

ISBN 9780811874106

ISBN10 0811874109

$14.95

Why, yes, I AM Jessie's Girl!

Ok, so I'm not really Jessie's Girl, but wishful thinking never hurt anyone! I LOVE Rick Springfield! Reading his book has just convinced me even further that my adoration is not misplaced. He details his lifelong battle with depression (a topic I'm pretty familiar with myself)and explains his career path with honesty and a wicked sense of humor. In fact, it's his sense of humor that convinces me that he's the kind of person I would be friends with if we spent any length of time together. Crank up your copy of Working Class Dog, settle in for a good read, and ROCK ON!

Hedgehogs!

I was toying with the idea of getting a pet hedgehog. When I spotted this volume on the new book shelf at the library, I thought it was a sign. It was, sort of.



This gives some very helpful and detailed information on both the little critters themselves and how to care for them. I'm glad I read the book BEFORE I bought one- they require a bit more time and attention than I have to spare right now!

Hungry- Crystal Renn

I was torn on how to rate this book. Part of me wanted to give it 5 stars due to the fact that the author does a good job of explaining her ordeal trying to conform tto the unreasonable standars of beauty set by the fashion world and how she learned to love herself for who/what she is and embrace her natural size. The other part of me wants to scream at the top of my lungs that size 12 is NOT a plus size- it's the size of the average American woman and vastly ignored/underrated and therefore rate the book lower due to my perceived inaccuracy. so i compromised on 4 stars.




It is important for young women to see the harm that they can do to themselves trying to be stick thin and learn that it's ok to have curves. It's ludicrous to me that women in Hollywood and the fashion world are considered 'big' if they're size 4-8. Crystal Renn was on the path to killing herself via starvation before her body finally said "no more." The fact that her career actaully took off AFTER she went back to her true weight is a big "in your face" to the sizeist industry that she works in.

Always The Baker, Never The Bride

I'm not a big reader of christian fiction, simply because many of the authors that I've tried have been rather heavy handed with the religion. I was about a 3rd of the way through this novel before it came up and the author didn't strain to work it in repeatedly, so it was a pleasant surprise. Emma is a master baker who just happens to be diabetic. After a chance encounter with Jackson in the bakery where she not-so-happily works, she winds up leaving her job to go work in the hotel that he has just bought. family drama (his and hers) as well as some other personal issues swirl into the confection of a story, leaving the reader with a sweet, but not too so, happy ending.



My biggest quibble? The discussion questions at the end, especially the one about whether or not baking is a foolish career choice for a diabetic. As both a former baker and current diabetic, I can tell you that it is NOT, as long as you monitor your consumption. And honestly- after hours of working with and smelling all that flour and sugar, you reach a point where you really don't want to eat it.

Happy Haulidays! **updated 11/22/10 and MUCH longer**

Chronicle Books is generously giving away $500 worth of books to a lucky blogger. Not only that, but they are going to give an equal amount to ONE commenter on that blog post! What better way to kick off my new blog? For those who don't know me, I LOVE books, especially free ones, so I headed over to their website to see what I would choose. My list looks like this:

1. IDEO Eyes Open: London-A Field Guide for the Curious

By Fred Dust and IDEO

6 x 6 in; 160 pp ; 300 color photographs, concealed Wire-O binding
Paperback
Published in February, 2008
ISBN 0811861732
ISBN13 9780811861731

$22.95 

2. Window Seat: Europe-Reading the Landscape from the Air

By Gregory Dicum

5-1/2 x 8 in; 176 pp ; 67 color aerial photographs and 18 line drawings, 4-page gatefold map
Paperback
Published in August, 2006
ISBN 0811851516
ISBN13 9780811851510

$14.95

3. The Kittens of Boxville

By Ryosuke Handa,Yoneo Morita, and Tracy Sunrize Johnson

7-1/2 x 10 in; 72 pp ; 100 color photographs
Paperback
Published in April, 2009
ISBN 9780811866880
ISBN10 0811866882

$14.95 

4.Curious Cats

By Mitsuaki Iwago

7-1/8 x 6-5/8 in; 96 pp ; 100 color photographs
Hardcover
Published in April, 2010
ISBN 9780811870047
ISBN10 0811870049

$16.95 

5. Tea & Crumpets-Recipes and Rituals from Tearooms & Cafés
By Margaret M. Johnson
Photographs by Leigh Beisch and Margaret M. Johnson

7 x 8 in; 168 pp ; 50 color photographs
Hardcover
Published in April, 2009
ISBN 9780811862141
ISBN10 0811862143

$19.95 

6. Deep Dark Chocolate-Decadent Recipes for the Serious Chocolate Lover
By Sara Perry
Photographs by France Ruffenach

6 x 8 in; 196 pp ; 40 color photographs
Paperback
Published in August, 2008
ISBN 9780811860895
ISBN10 0811860892

$18.95

7. Brittles, Barks & Bonbons-Delicious Recipes for Quick and Easy Candy
By Charity Ferreira
Photographs by Karen Steffans

7 x 8 in; 96 pp ; 26 color photographs
Hardcover
Published in August, 2008
ISBN 9780811855358
ISBN10 081185535X

$16.95 

9. Friend or Faux-A Guide to Fussy Vegans, Crazy Cat Ladies, Creepy Clingers, Undercover Sluts, and Other Girls Who Will Quietly Destroy Your Life
Quirk Books
By Heather Wagner

5 x 7 in; 128 pp ;
Hardcover
Published in March, 2009
ISBN 9781594743207
ISBN10 1594743207

$14.95 

10. Subversive Cross Stitch-33 Designs for Your Surly Side
By Julie Jackson

7 x 7 in; 96 pp ; color images throughout
Hardcover
Published in March, 2006
ISBN 0811853470
ISBN13 9780811853477

$14.95 

11. Large Ruled Moleskine Volant Notebook/ Purple-Set of 2

5 x 8 in; 96 pp ;
Softcover
Published in June, 2010
ISBN 9788862933384
ISBN10 886293338X

$12.00 

12. Moleskine Passions Recipe Journal

5 x 8-1/4 in; 240 pp ;
Hardcover
Published in March, 2010
ISBN 9788862933155
ISBN10 8862933150

$19.95 

13. Witch's Brew: Good Spells for Peace of Mind

By Witch Bree

5 x 3-5/8 x 1-1/4 in; 96 pp ; Illustrations Throughout
Hardcover
Published in April, 2001
ISBN 0811828484
ISBN13 9780811828482

$12.95 

14. My Future Listography-All I Hope To Do In Lists

By Lisa Nola
Illustrations by Nathaniel Russell
7 x 9-1/2 in; 160 pp ; ribbon page marker, 4-color illustrations throughout, lay-flat binding
Paperback
ISBN 9780811878364
ISBN10 0811878368
$16.95
 

 

16. Books Are My Bag Tote Bag

Illustrated by Jason Munn

14-3/4 x 16-3/4 in; polypropylene tote bag, 8-1/2 x 8 folded, snap closure, 2-color silkscreen illustrations
Published in August, 2008
ISBN 9780811865197
ISBN10 0811865193

$1.99

Mind you, that's just a start. I can easily do more damage, but it's getting late and I need to toddle off to bed. What's that? Yeah, I know the last item isn't actually a book, but I'd need something to carry all my new toys in now, wouldn't I?

11/22/10 
So, I've had a little more time to play on the Chronicle website, and here are some additional choices:

17. Two Cats and the Woman They Own or Lessons I Learned from My Cats

By Patti Davis
Illustrations by Ward Schumaker
5 x 7 in; 96 pp ; 26 color illustrations
Hardcover
Published in March, 2006
ISBN 0811851664
ISBN13 9780811851664

$5.18

18. Let's Bring Back- An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious, and Otherwise Commendable Things from Times Gone By

By Lesley M. M. Blume
Illustrations by Grady McFerrin
5 x 8 in; 256 pp ; illustrations throughout, satin ribbon marker
Hardcover
Published in September, 2010
ISBN 9780811874137
ISBN10 0811874133

$19.95

20. Field Guide to Meat- How to Identify, Select, and Prepare Virtually Every Meat, Poultry, and Game Cut
Quirk Books
By Aliza Green

4-1/2 x 5-7/8 in; 400 pp ;
Paperback
Published in February, 2005
ISBN 1594740178
ISBN13 9781594740176

$15.95 

21. Field Guide to Produce: How to Identify, Select, and Prepare Virtually Every Fruit and Vegetable at the Market
By Aliza Green

4-1/2 x 5-7/8 in; 384 pp ;
Paperback
Published in March, 2004
ISBN 1931686807
ISBN13 9781931686808

$15.95 

22. The Meaning of Flowers- Myth, Language and Lore
By Gretchen Scoble and Ann Field

6 x 8 in; 108 pp ; Over 50 color images
Hardcover
Published in April, 1998
ISBN 0811819310
ISBN13 9780811819312

$16.95 

23. The Meaning of Herbs- Myth, Language & Lore
By Gretchen Scoble and Ann Field

6 x 8 in; 108 pp ; 50 color images
Hardcover
Published in March, 2001
ISBN 0811830314
ISBN13 9780811830317

$16.95 

24. 52 Ways to Pamper Yourself

By Lynn Gordon
Illustrated by Karen Johnson

2-3/8 x 3.5 in; 52 pp ; Full color illustrations
Published in February, 2001
ISBN 0811827283
ISBN13 9780811827287

$6.95 

27.Luscious Creamy Desserts

By Lori Longbotham
Photographs by France Ruffenach

7 x 8 in; 156 pp ; 25 color photographs
Hardcover
Published in January, 2008
ISBN 0811855627
ISBN13 9780811855624

$19.95 

30. Dim Sum- A Pocket Guide
By Kit Shan Li

3-1/2 x 5 in; 80 pp ; color and B/W images throughout
Paperback
Published in February, 2004
ISBN 0811841782
ISBN13 9780811841788

$7.95 

31. Marilyn Merlot and the Naked Grape- Odd Wines from Around the World
Quirk Books
By Peter F. May

5-1/4 x 6-1/4 in; 256 pp ;
Paperback
Published in April, 2006
ISBN 1594740992
ISBN13 9781594740992

$16.95 

35. Around the World-The Grand Tour in Photo Albums
Princeton Architectural Press
By Barbara Levine and Kirsten Jensen

12 x 9 in; 208 pp ; 200 color images
Hardcover
Published in September, 2007
ISBN 1568987080
ISBN13 9781568987088

$55.00 

36. Hello, Please! Very Helpful Super Kawaii Characters from Japan

By Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda

4-1/2 x 5-7/8 in; 240 pp ; 225 color images
Paperback
Published in August, 2007
ISBN 0811856747
ISBN13 9780811856744

$14.95 

  

43. Catalog- The Illustrated History of Mail Order Shopping

Princeton Architectural Press
By Robin Cherry

7 x 9 in; 272 pp ; 375 color and 125 b/w
Hardcover
Published in October, 2008
ISBN 9781568987392
ISBN10 1568987390

$35.00 

44. Holidays on Display

Princeton Architectural Press
By William L. Bird, Jr.

7-4/5 x 8-3/4 in; 160 pp ; 150 color and 75 black and white images
Paperback
Published in August, 2007
ISBN 1568986955
ISBN13 9781568986951

$24.95 

45. Moleskine City Notebook London

3-1/2 x 5-1/2 in; 228 pp ;
Hardcover
Published in January, 2008
ISBN 888370617X
ISBN13 9788883706172

$17.95

46. Extra Small Ruled Moleskine Volant Notebook/ Purple Set of 2

2 x 4 in; 56 pp ;
Softcover
Published in June, 2010
ISBN 9788862933308
ISBN10 8862933304
$5.95

I'll have to sit down again with the calculator- I may have managed to go over the $500 limit and it's going to be a booger to trim the list after I had so much fun generating it, but que sera, sera. Sorry none of the pictures have come through. I'll work on that later!

11/23/10

Wow. I sat down and added everything up and it totalled $823.37!!! So I had to sit down and make some VERY hard descisions about what to cut. Then I wound up $5.98 UNDER, so I added the last item on. My new total is $499.97, which is pretty damn good. I didn't go back and renumber things as I am lazy. The cut items will appear as another blog post so that I can remember what they are and possibly order them someday after I win the lottery. I mean, it's a given that I'll win the contest, so the rest of this list is a gimme, right? LOL
Seriously though, good luck to all the bloggers/commenters involved and MANY, MANY thanks to Chronicle for this awesome giveaway!