Book Expo America 2006

Exactly two weeks after I set foot at BEA 2006, I am finally recovered enough to write about it! What a whirlwind! New books, famous authors, gala dinners...what more could a book lover desire?

I'm trying to think where to begin...I attended BEA to check out new books for children and teens, but along the way I did discover some neat new books for adults as well. All of the buzz this year was about a recent book called Water for Elephants (Algonquin, 05/06), by Sara Gruen. All of the independent booksellers had read it and were really excited to tell people about it. Apparently it is a love story set in a travelling circus during the 1930s. I always love circus books, ever since reading Geek Love in high school. I can't wait to get my hands on this!

I also met Charles Frazier, author of Cold Mountain, and picked up an advance readers' copy of his book Thirteen Moons, due out in October from Random House. I picked up so many galleys, I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but it's at the top of my pile.

For teens, Gail Carson Levine has a new fairy tale novel coming out in September called Fairest. This is a surprising version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that definitely twists in ways the reader will not suspect, much like Ella Enchanted. The cover art on this book is gorgeous too, so it will make a great gift come the holidays.

In audio books, Random House Audio acquired the library of read-aloud stories published by Rabbit Ears. They plan to keep the Rabbit Ears imprint and re-release old favorites such as Robin Williams reading Pecos Bill as well as new recordings. Random House plans to have all of the backlist back in print by the end of 2007. Collections of stories will be available in August, such as fairy tales, world folktales, and American tall tales, all read by celebrities. These are eagerly awaited by those of us who remember the series fondly. Also interesting, during BEA, Random House annonced that it is teaming up with Starbucks to release two classic audio books during the holidays, The Velveteen Rabbit and The Night Before Christmas. For more information on this corporate partnership, check out the article in Publisher's Weekly.

My favorite "porcine wonder" has returned in two new stories, Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride and Mercy Watson Fights Crime. These hilarious books are appropriate for those who are starting to feel confident reading on their own. My 6-year-old friend is a big fan. These easy and fun stories show that Kate DiCamillo, author of Because of Winn Dixie, has a wide range of writing talents. Chris Van Deusen's art is also especially bright, expressive, and reminiscent of by-gone days. Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride came out earlier this month and Mercy Watson Fights Crime will be out in September. If you're not familiar with the series, be sure to check out the first book, Mercy Watson to the Rescue.

I think that's all the reviewing I have in me right now. Believe me, you will see more upcoming fall season books on the blog as I work my way through the boxes I sent home.

Other cool authors I met?
E D Baker, author of the Tales of a Frog Princess series, which includes the upcoming fourth novel, No Place for Magic.

Kevin O'Malley, an author and illustrator of such books as Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude and the Miss Malarkey series, among many others. I sat next to him at dinner and have a personalized drawing he did for me! What a cool dude!

The wonderful and prolific Walter Dean Myers, author of tons of African American history stories, novels, graphic novels, and picture books. This time he was touring for The Harlem Hellfighters: When Pride Met Courage.

Meg Cabot, whom I've just begun to love, author of the Princess Diaries series and other awesome books for teens and adults. I picked up How To Be Popular, due out in July.

Sandra Boynton, the rock star of baby books, signed a copy of her newest songbook, Dog Train, for my little friend Dominic. She has a new board book titled Your Personal Penguin, coming out in September.

Andrew Clements was signing his two newest books, a picture book titled A Million Dots, and a new novel called Room One: A Mystery or Two, both are due out in July from Simon and Schuster.

Avi gave me a copy of his new Crispin book, Crispin: At the Edge of the World, due out in September. This is a sequel to the Newbery Medal winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead.

I want to tell you more of what I picked up and whom I met and what I saw, so stay tuned. For today I'm out of time.

Your Friendly Librarian

The Webby Awards

The Internet's most prestigious award, the Webby Award winners were announced yesterday in 69 Internet categories. Winners are voted on by industry experts and also people around the world, with the People's Choice award. According to the press release, 300,000 people voted for the People's Choice this year. Incredible!

You can sign up now to be a part of next year's competition, voting on what sites should be nominated early in the year. It's always fun to have a say when the official nominees are released. I have discovered some of my favorite websites and blogs this way. Check out the nominees and winners from this year's competition on the Webby website.

The Webbys got me to thinking about what Internet sites I visit most frequently, besides the search engines and my email. Here are my top five, in no particular order:

Google Maps
The Daily Candy
101 Cookbooks
Craig's List
Powell's Books Review-a-Day

What sites do you enjoy most?

Your Friendly Librarian

Bookshelf

With Book Expo America around the corner - this year in Washington, D.C. - I have to get back into children's/teen literature mode since that's the reason I'm attending.

What's on my bookshelf to get me back into the spirit of things? I have been loving Anthony Horowitz's teen spy series about Alex Rider. I also recently discovered Robin McKinley, who has won numerous awards and honors for her teen fantasy novels, but whom I had not read before.

Eagle Strike, Anthony Horowitz

Scorpia, Anthony Horowitz

Evil Star, by Anthony Horowitz

Rose Daughter, Robin McKinley

The Door in the Hedge, Robin McKinley

The Wish, Gail Carson Levine

Al Capone Does My Shirts, Gennifer Choldenko

East, Edith Pattou

Busy Times

I find myself much busier than usual right now and I am interested to note my reading choices during this time. For example, non-fiction resources with useful snippets are more appealing than the more concentrated non-fiction I had planned to read. I also find that I am reading comfort fiction rather than new and meaty fiction (the sort I might review on the blog).

My light fiction of choice right now is anything by Joan Aiken. In the last week I have wolfed down two of her Jane Austen inspired sequels. I find her ideas and writing style aren’t that divergent from my idea of the Austen spirit. I just completed Mansfield Revisited and The Youngest Miss Ward. The second was especially enjoyable as it followed the histories of very minor characters in Austen and so was mostly original.

Ah non-fiction! Right now I feel the need to sing the praises of The Cake Mix Doctor cookbook by Anne Byrn. Moving to a new home in a high altitude climate, but being very busy, it is welcome to find a cookbook that embraces cake mix – an element easily converted to a high altitude receipt. I have always enjoyed this cookbook, but this week I am especially appreciative. Try the Bacardi Rum Cake (pg. 292) or Banana Cake with Quick Caramel Frosting (pg. 72), two of my favorites.

Other indispensable non-fiction right now?

Sunset Western Garden Book, edited by Kathleen Norris Brenzel. This is THE guide to growing anything in the western half of the country. Covers Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. This exhaustive volume lists EVERY plant that will grow in the western zones, when to plant, when to water and really special sections such as what to plant under your oak tree, deer resistant plants, and plants for windy areas. It also includes a how-to section for gardening novices such as myself that explains things like planting cuttings or how to compost.

Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes, by George Nash – very useful for wiring projects, remodeling your basement, and examining the quality of your roof.

And for dreaming, I have been enjoying Creating the Not-So-Big House, by Sarah Susanka. Her ideas are complimentary to my own, namely that many newer houses are bigger than the average family really needs and waste space and resources in pursuit of cubic feet. She advocates the use of quality materials and design to create personal spaces that reflect the families that live in them and to eliminate empty, wasteful space. Her ideas mesh well with existing, older homes and remodel projects and her books are full of gorgeous house photos.

What kinds of reading do you do most during busy times?

Your Friendly Librarian

Bookshelf

I'm a busy bee, reading the following:

The World Is Flat, by Thomas L. Friedman

By a Lady: Being the Adventures of an Enlightened American in Jane Austen's England, by Amanda Elyot

Mansfield Revisited, by Joan Aiken

A Year in the World, by Frances Mayes

Bookshelf

This week's pile includes:

Assassination Vacation, by Sarah Vowell

Apex Hides the Hurt, by Colson Whitehead

Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan

The Breadwinner, by Deborah Ellis

Jailed for Overdue Books

I picked up this little snippet and thought I'd share. Remember, folks, overdue library books are no trifling matter!

Patron Receives Jail Sentence for Overdue Books - Library Journal

Your Friendly Librarian

Create Your Own Platial Map

Librarians don't just share books, they also find resources on the Internet. In this vein, I want to share a website/service I learned about through National Public Radio.

Platial is an Internet map service with which one can create meaningful, personalized maps! How cool! I just learned about it today and am playing with it at the moment. This is just too fun not to share. One can create maps of favorite places in Boston, romantic lookouts, future vacation destinations, or the quickest way home from the airport. It's both a practical and whimsical tool.

Check out the website for Platial.

Listen to the NPR story about Platial.

Now, go make some maps of your own!

Bookshelf

Here's what's on my bookshelf today:

The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer

The Not So Big House and Creating the Not So Big House, by Sarah Susanka

China, Inc., by Ted C. Fishman

A Year in the World, by Frances Mayes

The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell (still there, still worth reading)

Of adult interest...

I have currently been taking a brief, and welcome, respite from children's literature to catch up on some adult reads. As much as I love kids' books, it is wonderful to chew on some mature issues and longer novels now and then.

In fact, the word "chewy" came to mind as I was finishing up Sigrid Nunez's new novel The Last of Her Kind. The trajectory of the novel follows the lives of two Barnard College roommates through the tumultuous 60's and 70's. Drugs, politics, murder - what almost sounds like a spy novel is actually a remarkably beautiful story of friendship and loss. Loss of family, loss of idealism, loss of friendship and loss of innocence. Although it was more a loss of innocence for me, the reader,(especially after so much kid lit), rather than characters, who started out pretty hardened by the world.

Ann is a political activist from a wealthy Connecticut family who spurns everything and everyone that made her and wishes she could be poor and black because that would make her more "pure" and not the oppressor/agressor of the masses. Georgette comes from a very poor and abusive background and only made it to college with a teacher's glowing aid. She wants nothing to do with the era's politics and longs for the things Ann spurns, or at least some stability. While the two girls could not be more different, they are able to teach each other about the world as they experiment with the laidback and open lifestyles of the late 60's.

After leaving school, the girls settle more and more into their opposite worlds, until they can no longer relate to one another. But this does not keep them apart in thought, and the story weaves aspects of their lives together, even as they are apart.

I'm not really doing the story justice, but it was a wonderful, thought-provoking book for me, as it opened up aspects of the hippie movement I had not considered before; examined social justice issues from a new perspective; and highlighted mental illness and its effects on family.

Grade: A-

I also recently completed The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. This is a beautifully written, peaceful story, set in Japan at the beginning of the second World War.

A young Chinese man, Stephen, is sent by his parents to their beach house in Japan to recover from tuberculosis. As the Japanese offensive in China picks up momentum, Stephen becomes more and more attached to his Japanese friends and lifestyle.

The contrast of the peaceful landscape and peace-loving personalities of the Japanese characters to the seemingly war-mongering Japanese government is striking and is a confusing issue for the Chinese Stephen to deal with; especially as friends and loved ones back in China are killed and forced to flee their homes.

Tsukiyama is half each Japanese and Chinese and grew up in San Francisco. I'm curious to read more of her novels. She is a truly talented writer.

Grade: A

Last night I was thinking about how I usually only post positive reviews on the blog. And the true is that I only like to write reviews of books I love...otherwise, why bother talking about them. I also will put down a novel if I'm not enjoying it or think it won't hold my attention. Case in point, last night I started reading Arturo Perez-Reverte's newest novel, Purity of Blood. Something about the styling of the characters or the tone just didn't do it for me and I decided not to read further. He is an odd author for me - The Queen of the South and The Flanders Panel are both novels I devoured and ones that have really stuck with me, while I have also put down his Club Dumas and The Fencing Master. Maybe it has something to do with the translations (Perez-Reverte writes in Spanish) or my ignorance of Spanish history. I don't know. I think it's mystifying because most authors are not that way for me.

Happy Reading!

Bookshelf

Here's what I have on my bookshelf right now:

The Last of Her Kind, by Sigrid Nunez

The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell

The Samurai's Garden, by Gail Tsukiyama

Point Blank, by Anthony Horowitz

Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea, by Nancy Atherton

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Last night I read the amazing new book by Kate DiCamillo, author of Because of Winn-Dixie and others, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Now, DiCamillo is a children's author and this is billed as a children's book, but really, I believe this is a powerful love story for readers of all ages. The book, very appropriately, came out on Valentine's Day, and it explores the importance of loving and being loved.

Edward Tulane is a china rabbit who belongs to a little girl named Abilene. He was made in France of the finest materials, has a whole trunk of exquisite clothes, and is very vain. Abilene loves Edward with all her heart, but Edward is not really interested in being loved or interested in the things around him. He is only interested in himself. One night, Abilene's grandmother tells the story of a princess who loves no one but herself and the story sticks with Edward for the rest of his "life".

Abilene and her family, including Edward, leave on a journey and Edward is lost. Thus begins Edward's journey through America and his spiritual growth. As Edward is handed off from family to family through the years, he learns to understand what it is to be loved and how to love others.

I always eagerly await new novels by Kate DiCamillo because she is such a wonderful storyteller, and really brings something special to children's literature. This one may be her best yet. The writing and the sentiments are so beautiful!

Your Librarian

Bookshelf

I am trying something new...even if I don't have time to blog, I can keep you abreast of what I'm reading, so you can check it out too. This is also a good way for me to keep track of the breadth of my reading for my own information.

So here are the books I have either just finished or current reads.

The King of Torts, John Grisham

Evil Star, Anthony Horowitz

Takedown: the Fall of the Last Mafia Empire, Rick Cowan

Busting Vegas: the MIT Whiz Kid Who Brought the Casinos to their Knees, Ben Mezrich

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Kate DiCamillo

City of Ember

Hello Friends,

I just finished listening to the audio version of The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau and WOW was it a wonderful book with the most dramatic and suspenseful ending!!! I was jumping up and down and had to tell my husband all about it.

Back when City of Ember was first published in the States (2003), a librarian friend of mine had read it and loved it, but I had never picked it up until I needed an audiobook for my trip to NYC this weekend. Needless to say, there was plenty of time for listening this weekend while snowbound, so I listened to the whole thing. I think this was a powerful and well written book, as well as a good audio reading.

The citizens of Ember live in a dark world lit only by lightbulbs during certain parts of the day. They are fed with canned goods from a warehouse and live in a city that was planned with their every need in mind. The people have always been taught that they are the only people in a world of darkness. Now, in the year 241, the electricity keeps flickering and supplies are running low. The Builders left a plan for the citizens, but it was lost a long time ago and time seems to be running out for Ember.

In this post-Apocolyptic young adult novel, the hero, Doon, and heroine, Lina, are two twelve-year-old friends who have just been assinged their new careers and who want to make a difference in a world that seems to be collapsing into chaos. Against all odds, they will be the saviors of their people.

Duprau has written second and third volumes that follow the characters through immense changes in a world both confusing and amazing to them. The People of Sparks is the sequel to The City of Ember and a third volume, The Prophet of Yonwood, is due out later this year. A colleague told me that she thought The People of Sparks was even better than The City of Ember, but so far (about six chapters in) I don't agree. Pick up this engrossing series and let me know what you think.

Your Friendly Librarian

And the winners are...

Well, I was happy to see that Criss Cross won the Newbery medal this year...I've never been even close to predicting a winner before! Congratulations also to The Hello Goodbye Window by Norton Juster and illustrated by Chris Raschka, which won the Caldecott medal.

To see more links and information, check out the website of the Association for Library Service to Children, the division of the American Library Association that hands out the awards.

Your Friendly Librarian

P.S. As with so many award winners, Criss Cross seems to have gone temporarily out of print, so it's unavailable for purchase. Check it out at your local library instead!

Children's Book Awards

With the most prestigious of the children's book awards, the Newbery and Caldecott, to be announced on Monday morning, I want to get my two cents in before it's too late. I have checked out lots of other people's pick lists and find both common ground and canyons of difference.

Probably my favorite book of the year was The Penderwicks, by Jeanne Birdsall, which won the National Book Award for children's literature. I also really enjoyed The Schwa Was Here, the fiction winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book prize. But I am of the camp that thinks it is very rare for a children's novel to win two prizes. (I say rare, not impossible, since Nancy Farmer's House of the Scorpion did just that a couple of years ago.) So to give my vote to a third terrific novel, I am going to cast my vote for Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins.

Criss Cross is a really unique and wonderful novel. It follows five teenage friends through various mundane and exciting experiences during a spring and summer. The writing is experimental; one chapter is written entirely in haiku, another is written in two separate columns detailing events as they happen to two characters simultaneously. And the writing is just gorgeous; phrases and images leap off the page. This was a really special book.

For illustrated books, I especially enjoyed He's Got the Whole World in His Hands, by Kadir Nelson (for review, see November 14th entry) who has been recognized by the award board before with a Coretta Scott King award recognizing African American authors and illustrators. These illustrations are lush and gorgeous.

So there they are, my picks for the awards. We'll see how I did on Monday.

Your Friendly Librarian

Cooking for Mr. Latte...and Me

I have just finished reading Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover's Courtship, With Recipes by Amanda Hesser. I was in my local gourmet shop a couple of months ago and bought it because it looked fun. Then I forgot about it and only picked it up again this week. I originally thought it was going to be a foodie novel sort of thing, but found instead that is a collection of autobiographical diary entries Amanda Hesser wrote for the New York Times.

The book is completely delightful; fun, light, tender, and chock full of terrific recipes. The writing tells the story of Amanda's romance with Mr. Latte and trying to refine his palate. She tells stories from the kitchens of friends, family, and some restaurants. She talks about food and its place in peoples' lives. She is honest about her annoyance with other peoples' techniques and the trials of sharing kitchen space. For any reader, cook or not, this book is honest, thought-provoking, and laugh out loud funny sometimes.

As each chapter is based on a weekly article, the chapters are best enjoyed individually, to be savored.

I went back and Googled Amanda Hesser after finishing the book and learned more about her writing experience, critics, and that this is truly a non-fiction work, though it reads almost like a novel.

Next I want to go back and try some of the recipes she so generously includes in each chapter.

Grade: A

Get cooking!

This read reminded me of another one I've loved by another New York Times writer, Alex Witchel, who in Girls Only writes of her grown-up New York City life compared to growing up in a suburban Jewish family. While my life could not be more different, her relationships with her mother and sister really struck a chord. As did the honesty in her hotel reviews, glee at Clinique bonus time, and snarky shopping observations. I've re-read this one, so obviously I give it an A.


Your Friendly Librarian

For Jane Austen Lovers

The newest film adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice has brought her books back into the limelight. I'm not going to give any critique of the film (I haven't seen it), but I always appreciate it when adaptations bring people back to the books. Today my blog entry is actually to celebrate the wonderful list of Pride and Prejudice editions, films, and sequels that has been put together by the Denver Public Library.

I happened across this list on the entry portal to their website (which is wonderful) and was thrilled. I especially enjoy the list of movie adaptations and sequel or inspired bys...I've even read a few of these myself.

The guilty-pleasure sequel that I enjoyed most is Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife: Pride and Prejudice Continues. This novel has been slammed by critics and Austen-purists, and I'd slam it myself if it wasn't so fun and satisfying. It's a very sexy follow-up to Pride and Prejudice that examines the class issues that face Lizzie as she becomes the mistress of Pemberly. Mostly, though, it examines how "hot" Lizzie and Mr. Darcy are for each other. If you love these characters and feel like you know them, it's fun to be a fly on the wall as Mr. Darcy loosens his cravat and Lizzie lets down her hair. Are the characters true to those in Austen's novel? Hmmm...decide for yourself.


More information about the film and critiques of the film can be found at:
Rotten Tomatoes (despite the name, Rotten Tomatoes is a round-up of both good and bad reviews)

A great gallery of stills from the film can be found at keiraknightley.com (she's the actress who plays Lizzie Bennett).

There's a nice commentary, including critique of costumes, direction, etc., from those with a moral bent at Christian Spotlight on the Movies.

I had a favorite review from the Washington Post in which the author goes to the movie with his two daughters, both of whom have read the novel, and they discuss and critique elements that vary in the two works. I can't seem to find a link to the article, though! If anyone else has found this online, please let me know! (It was sometime in mid-November, I believe.)

Go out and read your Austen!
Your Friendly Librarian

Holiday Recommendations for the Kids in Your Life

I recently needed to write up some reviews of my favorite new books for gift giving, so I'm going to share some with you. Of course there are many, many more books I enjoyed and could recommend. Just ask!

Non-Fiction

Children's Miscellany: Useless Information That's Essential to Know, by Matthew Morgan and Samantha Barnes (Chronicle, 8/05). Need to know how to pop a wheelie, or how to identify the ten deadliest snakes, or the many ways to make a wish? Just consult this handy and fun reference guide! Miscellany books have been popular among adults lately and this children's version is a great introduction to the genre.

Picture Books

The Dog Who Cried Wolf, written and illustrated by Keiko Kasza (Putnam, 9/05). When Michelle reads a book about wolves to her dog, Moka, he is inspired to run away and live a wild life in the great outdoors. After an afternoon of living like a wild dog, Moka discovers that the comforts of home and someone to love outweigh the perks of rebellious freedom. Funny text and illustrations make this a story-time favorite.

He's Got the Whole World In His Hands, adapted and illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Dial, 9/05). Gorgeous illustrations make this adaptation of the popular spiritual into a joyous romp through our beautiful world.

Fancy Nancy, by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser (Harper Collins, 12/05). Nancy likes things fancy and doesn't understand why her family is so plain. When Nancy decides to give "fancy lessons" her family cooperates in a way that is fun and wonderful to behold. The illustrations and text are paired brilliantly to create a book that is fancy and fun for everyone.

8 and Up Fiction

Akimbo and the Elephants and Akimbo and the Lions, by Alexander McCall Smith (Bloomsbury, 9/05). Set in an African wild-life preserve, these companion stories about Akimbo, a young African boy, are fast-paced and full of adventures as well as superbly written by the popular adult author. These are sure to be a hit with voracious and reluctant readers alike!

10 and Up Fiction

The Misadventures of Maude March, by Audrey Coulumbis (Random House, 9/05). Finally, a great Western for kids! This is a fast-paced, action-packed adventure story set in the Wild West featuring two sisters who inadvertantly find themselves sucked into events that make the oldest one of the "most-wanted" criminals in the West!

The King of Mulberry Street, by Donna Jo Napoli (Wendy Lamb Books, a division of Random House, 10/05). Loosely based on the events of her own grandfather's life, Napoli has crafted a nearly magical story of a 9-year-old boy who is sent from Italy to America as an immigrant, all alone. Dom manages to carve a niche for himself in the ghettos of 19th century New York and accepts his new identity as an American. It's a truly powerful story.

12 and Up Fiction

13 Little Blue Envelopes, by Maureen Johnson (Harper Collins, 9/05). Ginny's aunt has left her 13 little blue envelopes to lead her on an amazing scavenger hunt style journey through Europe to help her deal with the aunt's death. Poignant, funny, and tart at times, this one has it all!

And there it is, folks! A quick round-up of children's literature for you and yours this holiday season.

Fun and Frothy Reading for Adults

Last month the newest installment in one of my favorite series became available and I was excited to jump right in! Perfect, by Marne Davis Kellogg (St. Martins, 8/05), is the third installment in a series about the Shamrock Burgler, Kick Keswick, an internationally reknowned, and retired, jewel thief.

This installment follows Kick to the inner sanctum of the world's rich and elite at an ultra-private ski resort in the Swiss Alps. A former prima ballerina, Italian tenor, and Greek billionaire who shamelessly resembles George Soros, round out the colorful cast. Fun and exciting as always!

Grade: A-

I also picked up a copy of The Undomestic Goddess, by Sophie Kinsella (Dial, 7/05), that had been lying around my house all summer. The Undomestic Goddess is a top lawyer at a London firm who suffers a nervous breakdown after a multi-million pound mistake costs her her job. She flees to the country and is hired as a housekeeper in a case of mistaken identity. A hilarious and poignant series of events ensue.

Grade: B+

Reading The Undomestic Goddess inspired me to get in the kitchen over the weekend and I cooked up a really wonderful apple brown betty. It was especially easy to make and would be a snap for any undomestic goddesses out there. I should have taken a photo to post like my idol over at 101cookbooks, but I'm still a novice blogger so I will just list the recipe. Trust me, it's great and looks tasty too!

APPLE BROWN BETTY
4 c. 1/2 inch bread cubes (preferably from French bread)
1/3 c. butter
4 c. rough cut sliced and peeled cooking apples
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnaomn
2 TAB lemon juice
1/4 c. water
Heavy cream or vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
In a medium bowl combine bread cubes and butter; mix well.
In another bowl, toss together apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Layer 1/3 of the bread cubes in the prepared cassrole, then 1/2 apple mixture.
Repeat layers, ending with bread cubes.
Sprinkle with water.
Bake 1 hour or until golden.

Serve warm with heavy cream or ice cream.

Bon appetit and happy reading!
Your Friendly Librarian