the family who opened the world's eyes and ears to musical theatre.

I think it goes without saying that a biography written about The Hammerstein's, by a Hammerstein, can beat up all of the other biographies based on this family. I mean, seriously.

The Hammerstein's: A Musical Theatre Family written by Oscar Andrew Hammerstein III covers FIVE generations of this extremely talented family business that changed Broadway forever. The Hammerstein's influenced the development of American musicals even before the Rogers and Hammerstein team made their permanent place in entertainment history. Although Oscar II  (grandfather) is the main focus in this bio, Oscar Andrew has still created an incredible history piece, filled with pictures, background and important events of his family's legacy. He will be the first to admit that although his family, especially Oscar II, played a major role in the creation of Broadway, his grandfathers work was not flawless. This bio is based on the Hammerstein's success as well as their personal story of an American family living the American dream.

Carousel, The King and I, The Sound of Music...all have some Hammerstein in them. Come on! Even you twenty-somethings can appreciate these Broadway favorites.

WWII fiction.

In The Postmistress, author Sarah Blake looks at World War II through the eyes and life events of three distinct women all connected through means of private and public media. If you are looking for an historical account of World War II, this book is not for you. This novel is the story of Frankie, Emma and Iris, and how this monumental war affected their lives.

The Postmistress is set in the time immediately before the United State's involvement in World War II. Frankie is a female journalist working in London. Emma is a young, vulnerable wife whose husband has decided to go to London to see where he can apply his medical skills to help the English war effort. Iris is the spinster postmaster for a small town in Cape Cod. Emma and Iris are connected by location, as they both live in the same town, and by Emma's letters to her husband. They feel a connection towards Frankie through her radio broadcasts, as she fights to bring the truth of the war to Americans, using the first portable voice recorder (cool side note). Ultimately, these women's lives are brought together by tragedy.

It's not perfect, but it is read worthy.

the girl with daddy issues.

BAHHH. I barely have time to read for pleasure at the moment, as you can tell by my scarce number of entry's last month. Grad school is kicking my ass. I am taking four classes this semester, and I think my hair is falling out. Okay, no it's not, but I feel like something dramatic should be happening. WAHHHH.

I knew that this dragon tattoo series would take over my life, regardless of how much reading I have to do for school (which is A LOT by the way, okay I'm done complaining). In the second installment, The Girl Who Played With Fire, our girl Lisbeth Salander is just as odd as ever, thank god for that. I have to say, Stieg Larsson did not make me want to rip out my eyeballs as much this time around. Readers were given the chance to learn more about Salander's childhood, which was nice because the first book was mildly vague on her past.

The story revolves around murder, as every good thriller should I suppose. Salander somehow got mixed up in the murder investigation of two people that she did not even know. If you read the first installment of the series, then you know Salander, and you shouldn't be surprised. Her life is a bit unfair. Throughout the book, we are kept on edge. Not knowing if Salander is a murderer, or if the killer is one of the many other screwed up characters we meet along the way. Then there's Mikael Blomkvist, whom I adore. Salander has kept her distance because of their past romance, and her inability to express actual love for another human being. She desperately needs his help, which he is always willing to give, but will her stubbornness end in her demise?

I am not going to say that the second was better than the first, because that would be a lie. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I did wonder a little bit about Larsson's thinking as I read. He kept us wondering and curious through the entire book, and then gave us the answers so nonchalantly. I was just kind of like, "oh." That's how I felt, "oh."  Not,  "OOOHHHHH," not "OHHHH NOOOOO," just "oh."  However, he is dead and unable to defend himself, so there will be no criticism here. I cannot wait to see what's in store in, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

the glamorous life of the kardashian sisters.

I thoroughly enjoy the Kardashians. I love them on a healthy level. I watch their E! shows on occasion, and am attracted to magazines with them on the cover. I don't follow them on Twitter or anything stalkerish, but I am looking forward to Kim and Kourtney's show that premiers tonight. Yes, we are on a first name basis.

The three Kardashian sisters, Kourtney, Kim and Khloe are outrageously popular, purely for being themselves. They are savvy business women, but this is not what attracts us to them. We love their crude humor and ridiculous arguments. They have flaws that we can relate to. Their autobiograpy, Kardashian Konfidential, hit the shelves in November. It is obvious that they wrote every word, because it is a little hard to follow at times, and there were points when I felt like the outsider to some inside joke. I didn't mind, but I did find myself thinking, WHAT ARE THESE BITCHES TALKING ABOUT? Every so often.

An extremely cool aspect of this autobiography are the personal items and pictures included. The girls had actual notes, valentines day and birthday cards copied onto the pages. Some were written by their parents, (Kris, and their late father, Robert), and some were written to each other. Anyone who is curious about the three sisters' teenage years will find this book extremely interesting. Also iincluded are childhood pictures, and of course gorgeous photos of their less awkward years.

A must read for every Kardashian fan.

the BADASS girl with the dragon tattoo.

I've been out of commission for a while, and with good reason! I went traipsing around Europe after Christmas, and returned with bronchitis. That's what I get for being so fabulous.

During my time in bed, (a week and a half so far, because bronchitis loves to hang around for weeks and turn into lots of other lovely sicknesses), I finally got the chance to read a book that I have putting off for years. Yes, years. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I received this book to review years ago, and just kept avoiding it. I knew it was a trilogy, and I didn't know if I wanted to be sucked in. I am a busy girl after all, and I WILL become addicted to a series and not be able to do anything else but read until each book has ended. That is exactly what has happened to me with this series by the late Stieg Larsson.

I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at the perfect time. The movie is already out on DVD, which I am sure will just piss me off like most movies based on books, but it will get me through until I have the time to read the next installment, The Girl Who Played with Fire. (Technically The Girl Who Played with Fire was reviewed on this blog in 2009 but it was from a friend's perspective, I have not read it yet myself).

The "girl" is named Lisbeth Salander, and she is as mysterious as these book titles. She's lived a tough life, growing up in foster care, and being taken advantage of because she is a bit strange, and female. She is excellent at her job as a researcher for a security company. Her boss does not understand her, but will give her space, and treats her with respect, something that is a rarity in Lisbeth's life.

This book is not solely about this socially awkward girl with a dragon tattoo. It begins with a journalist named Mikael Blomkvist who is on trial for libel, and is convicted. His misfortune is another mans gain, because he is desperate enough to take on an impossible job, hired by Henrik Vanger, of one of Sweden's wealthiest families. Blomkvist is to figure out what happened to a member of the family who vanished, thirty-six years before. Harriet Vanger disappeared when she was sixteen-years-old, without a trace. Her uncle, Henrik has been desperately trying to solve the case for decades. He is eighty-two years old and Blomkvist is his last hope.

The trails run cold for a while, and just as Blomkvist is realizing how stark raving mad he is to take on such a job, the trails turn from ice cold to burning hot. With the help of Salander and her impeccable research skills, they solve the case of Harriet Vanger. While doing so, they accidentally stumble across the answers to numbers of unsolved murders in Sweden.

Whatever you have imagined in your head, the story is ten times more awful and disgusting. Now, don't let that turn you off, I couldn't put this book down for days.

merry christmas from the 80's.

southern cookin'

I love southern cooking. I was lucky enough to live in South Carolina for half a year, and got to experience A LOT (about 10lbs worth) of amazing food. The seafood is just amazing, don't even get me started on crab legs and grouper fingers, we will be here all day. 

The Complete Southern Cookbook by Tammy Algood is an absolute godsend. As I mentioned a few months ago, I have been self-teaching myself how to cook, and these "down-home" recipes are a great asset to my collection. This cookbook has every southern delicacy you could possibly think of, and the format is great. It is separated into alphabetical sections based on the main ingredient, for example: bacon, beans, beef, beets, etc. I started off small, and cannot wait to try all of the recipes that have caught my eye. To prove to you that the best things in life are in fact free, I will type out the recipe for the most delicious sausage gravy you have ever tasted in your life.

Ingredients:

¼ pound ground pork sausage, hot or mild
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 ¼ cups milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring until it crumbles. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
Reduce the heat to low and reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the skillet. Add the butter, stirring until it melts. Add the flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
Gradually add the milk and increase the heat to medium. Stir constantly until thick and bubbly, about 4 minutes. Add the reserved sausage, salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Serve warm, makes three cups.

You're welcome.